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Bhakti Yoga-Devotional Service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna

Bhakti Yoga-Devotional Service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna
Gopis performing Devotional Service to the Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna

Answers from A Maha-Bhagavata - How to Handle Criticism ?


Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev.

Recently I was going through the diary which contained my conversations with our beloved Gurudev, HDG Mahavishnu Gosvami Maharaj. I seek the permission of the devotees to allow me to share the contents of one of the conversations. I will try and list down the points which I had taken down on my note book. The conversation was a question and answer session on the following verse sung by Madhavendra Puri. This verse was found in the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 2.4.3-4

mugdham maam nigadantu neeti-nipunaa bhraantam muhur vaidikaah
mandam baandhava-sancayâ jada-dhiyam muktaadaraah sodaraah
unmattam dhanino viveka-caturaah kaamam mahaa-daambhikam
moktum na kshaamate manaag api mano govinda-paada-sprhaam

"Let the sharp moralist accuse me of being illusioned; I do not mind. Experts in Vedic activities may slander me as being misled, friends and relatives may call me frustrated, my brothers may call me a fool, the wealthy mammonites may point me out as mad, and the learned philosophers may assert that I am much too proud; still my mind does not budge an inch from the determination to serve the lotus feet of Govinda, though I be unable to do it."

I could see that Maharaj really liked this verse as he was very pleased to hear the translation and asked me to repeat it a few times.

Question 1: I find that I cannot handle criticisms. My mind becomes very unstable after I hear anyone criticizing my actions. How do I deal with this ?

Gurudev said - "The criticism that we receive is the medicine to cure our disease.If you do something wrong you must be prepared to face the music. You think that you are perfect and that is why you cannot handle criticisms. Krishna is so merciful that he is allowing you to get some criticism. If not how will you know your disease? Your chanting and reading of Bhagavatam has not killed your pride. Then what is the point of studying these things? You think that you are perfect."

Question 2: What happens when I get criticized even when I have done nothing wrong?

Gurudev's reply to this question is indeed a eye-opener for us. He said, "Why do you think that you are perfect? If smoke is coming then the fire must be burning somewhere. Even if you have genuinely not committed any mistake criticism will always be there. That is the nature of this age. Please remember that even our own family members will criticise. What to speak of our material relations, even in this line of devotion you will be criticised. You may not even know but even then they will criticize. Please read the verse. Please don't bother about these things. Everyone suffers his own vibrations. Krishna is not going to look at the list of criticisms that you have received. He only looks at your sincerity in pursuing uninterrupted Bhakti. The problem is that whenever everyone acts according to how we want them to act we praise them and we are friendly. The moment they act against our desires we speak harshly and our behaviour completely changes. We always have an agenda but we don't have Krishna. Please don't use Bhakti to satisfy your senses. Don't hide your agenda under Bhakti. We use Bhakti to carry out our material plans. This is the embarrassment." Then Maharaj quoted the following verse from Srimad Bhagavatam 5.19.7:

na janma nunam mahato na saubhagam
na vaan na buddhir naakritis tosha-hetuh
tair yad visrishtaan api no vanaukasash
cakaara sakhye bata lakshmanaagrajah

"One cannot establish a friendship with the Supreme Lord Ramacandra on the basis of material qualities such as one's birth in an aristocratic family, one's personal beauty, one's eloquence, one's sharp intelligence or one's superior race or nation. None of these qualifications is actually a prerequisite for friendship with Lord Shri Ramacandra. Otherwise how is it possible that although we uncivilized inhabitants of the forest have not taken noble births, although we have no physical beauty and although we cannot speak like gentlemen, Lord Ramacandra has nevertheless accepted us as friends?"

Gurudev continued - "It's because we want all these name and fame that we cannot take criticism. Krishna doesnt want your name and fame. He wants Bhakti. So why are we bothered about criticisms? Let them say - but you just hold on to Lord's feet. What else can you do? Promise me that you will never be bothered by these things. Dont waste your time. May Lord bless you."

I have tried to list down whatever I had managed to take down from the conversation. Please forgive me for my offences. Prabhus and Matajis - please kindly pray that I will never sway according to criticisms but only sway according to Gurudev's orders. In his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 2.8.6 Srila Prabhupada mentions - Pure devotees like Narada and Nityananda Prabhu take up the order of the spiritual master as the sustenance of life. They do not mind what becomes of the future of their lives. They take the matter very seriously as the order comes from the higher authority, from the representative of the Lord, or from the Lord Himself.

Thank you very much.
Your servant,
Madan Mohan das,
Singapore

__._,_.___
__,_._,___



--
Yours Servant

Sri Krishna Hari Das
(Dr Satish Gosain MBBS DNB i Med)
Congregational Preacher, ISKCON, Delhi, NCR & Gurgaon.
Dr Bharti Nursing Home, B-30 hari Nagar, New Delhi 110064
+91-97170-55006, +91-98913-86194 +91-11-2512-5595, +91-11-2512-8754



--
Yours
Dinesh

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Differences Between the Name and the Form

Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode
From Jaiva Dharma, chapter 23

Vijaya: Are there any distinctions between Krishna's name and form?
Raghunath Das Babaji: There are no differences whatsoever. However, there is one
unique, even mystical feature in this subject: Krishna's name is more merciful than his form.
Offenses committed against the form [or the deity] are never forgiven by Krishna; however,
even though Krishna does not forgive offenses against his form, his holy name will forgive offenses
committed against his form as well as his name. Therefore, one should understand
and remember the ten offenses against the holy name. Then, one must meticulously avoid
committing these offenses, because one must rise above nämäparädha in order to chant çuddha-harinäma. ·

— Adapted from the translation by Sarvabhavana Das.
Bhaktivedanta Vedabase. Published by the Bhaktivedanta
Archives. 2003.

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Turning the attraction and attachment towards Krsna.

This human form of life is meant for understanding Krsna because we
are very thickly related with Krsna, just like father and the son.
This relation cannot be broken. Maybe son is out of home, son may have
forgotten, but Krsna, the supreme father, He does not forget. He
comes. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam
srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. So Krsna is so kind that He has come to explain
Himself, what He is. We should take advantage of it, because this
human form of life is meant for understanding Krsna.
If we simply act piously, that is good, but it is not perfect. Suppose
I execute many pious activities in my life. Then due to my pious
activities, I may get my birth in good family, high family. That is
called janma. Then aisvarya, opulence, wealth; sri, beautiful body;
and education also. But Narottama dasa Thakura says that Karma-kanda,
jnana-kanda, kebala bisera bhanda. Though I get my birth in a good
family, there is still risk of degradation. Because sometimes we get
our birth in rich family and due to opulence we are associated with
bad company. Then we begin to act sinfully. That means again
degradation. Therefore the Vaisnava philosophy does not very much
approve even pious activities. We should be simply after Krsna
consciousness, simply interested in the service of Krsna. That is real
sacrifice.
We are transmigrating according to our karma, different forms of life.
The reason is because we are associating with the gunas, with the
material qualities. So one has to increase his attachment for Krsna.
Everything is going on under the modes of material nature. One has to
become above the, transcendental to these gunas. And what is that
process? The process is mad-asraya. When you take shelter of Krsna or
you take shelter of Krsna's pure devotee, then you become
transcendental. It is said in BG 14.26 : Sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate (he transcends the modes of material nature).
Who can transcend these modes? Mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena bhakti-yogena
sevate (One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all
circumstances).
BG 7.1
Sri-bhagavan uvaca
Mayy-asakta manah partha
Yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
Asamsayam samagram mam
Yatha jnasyasi tac-chrunu
 "The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Now hear, O son of Prtha,
how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached
to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt."
The process is mayy asakta-manah. One has to increase his attachment
for Krsna. We have got attachment for so many things. We have to
divert the attachment towards Krsna. This is the yogam yunjan. This
yoga can be executed when we take shelter of Krsna, mad-asrayah.
Mad-asrayah means either you take shelter of Krsna or one who has
taken shelter of Krsna.  So one has to become a devotee, or to take
shelter of a pure devotee to practice the yoga system then one can
become a pure devotee.
Krsna advised Arjuna to become a yogi, but Arjuna said that "Krsna, it
is not possible for me. Because I am a politician, I am a soldier, I
cannot sit down to practice yoga superficially. My mind will be
disturbed in political affairs, in state affairs." So, cancalam hi
manah krsna pramathi balavad drdham: "My mind is so restless, it is
not possible." Then Krsna, to encourage him, said,
"Anyone who is thinking of Me always," mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan sa me yuktatamah, "He is the first-class yogi." (BG 6.47)
So we should try to become the first-class yogi. Always think of
Krsna. This is our Krsna consciousness. And Krsna is also saying the
same thing, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam. How you can think of Krsna
always? That is not possible unless you become too much addicted. Just
like if you love somebody, then you can think of him always.
Artificially, if I say, "You think of Mr. John always," how will it be
possible? Artificially it is not possible. If you have got some love
for Mr. John as a friend, as a lover or as somebody, or son or master
or something, then you can think of Mr. John always. Otherwise it is
not possible. There is relationship with Krsna. So you have to revive
that relationship. It is not artificial.
It is never possible to know Krsna, God, perfectly and completely by
the speculating method. It is not possible. If you want to know Krsna,
or God -- when we speak of Krsna, God -- so then Krsna's formula must
be followed, as it is said here, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan
mad-asrayah. The principal factor is to become attached to Krsna.
Attached means become a lover of Krsna.
So one of the Krsna's representatives, Srila Rupa Gosvami, he has
defined how this attachment can be increased. He has explained adau
sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. Adau sraddha. Some sraddha, some faith,
this is required. And you have to increase this sraddha, this faith,
more and more. How it can be increased? Sadhu-sanga, to intermingle
with the persons who are engaged in Krsna consciousness. Adau sraddha
tatah sadhu-sangah. Sadhu means who is a devotee of Krsna. Otherwise
he is not sadhu.
The nine different types of methods (hearing, chanting, remembering,
worshipping the lotus feet of the Lord, being a servant of the Lord,
being a friend to the Lord, deity worship, surrendering unto the Lord)
that is called bhajana-kriya. And adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango 'tha
bhajana-kriya tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat. Then anartha, all unwanted
things which you have learned unfortunately, that will be finished. If
you mix with, intermingle with sadhu, then you will be purified, and
things which are not required at all -- artificially you have learned
by bad association -- that will be gone. Anartha-nivrttih syat. Nobody
learns to smoke from the very birth. He has to eat something. He
drinks milk, the child. He doesn't say, "Give me a cigarette," but one
has learnt it by bad association. This is called anartha. One has
learnt it, drinking tea, coffee, not from the beginning of one's life
but by bad association. It is anartha. So if we engage ourself
in devotional service, then these things will disappear automatically.
Because we are part and parcel of Krsna, there cannot be
disconnection. Therefore it is a stage of forgetfulness. Instead of
loving Krsna, we have expanded our love for so many things. Somebody's
loving his body. Somebody's loving his family. Somebody's loving his
society, community, nation, or the human society. We are trying to. We
must love. There is no escape. I must love somebody, because the
propensity's there.
We can practically see that even one who has no family, he keeps one
pet dog or pet cat because he wants to be attracted by somebody. This
is nature. So here Krsna says that "You have got already attraction,
but in false things which will not exist. You turn that attraction
unto Me. Then you'll get pleasure." You are attracted to something for
getting some pleasure. So that pleasure is interrupted because we have
posed our attraction in some false things. One has to change that
attraction to the real thing, Krsna. Then we can be happy. Mayy
asakta. Mayi: "Unto Me,"
So the original love is for Krsna. But because we have forgotten
Krsna, therefore our love is distributed in so many ways. But we are
frustrated because everything is misplaced. Just like if you water on
the top of the tree or every leaf, every branch, every twig, you
cannot keep the tree very fresh. But if you water on the root of the
tree, it keeps fresh, always.
yatha taror mula-nisecanena
trpyanti tat-skandha-bhujopasakhah
pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam
tatha sarvarhanam acyutejya
If you water on the root of the tree, automatically the trunk, the
branches, the twigs, the leaves, the flowers, fruits, everything is
refreshed. Another example is also there in the next line:
pranopaharac ca yathendriyanam. As by supplying food to the stomach
all the indriyas, all the senses become refreshed, energetic,
similarly acyutejya, by loving Krsna, Acyuta is another name of Krsna.
So acyuta-ijya, by worshiping Krsna, by satisfying Krsna, you can
satisfy everyone. This is the process.
So one has to keep always Krsna within his heart. Krsna is already
within our heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna – I am seated
in the heart of all living entities [Bg. 18.61]. He's already there.
Simply we have to qualify ourself to see that Krsna is here. That is
called krsna-yoga, or bhakti-yoga.
If one wants to know Krsna, the Supreme Lord, here is Bhagavad-gita As
It Is. Try to understand, and then life will be successful.
 Srila Prabhupada
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SMS Updates of the fortnight!-2

Merely renouncing all activities yet not engaging in devotional
service2d Lord cant make 1 happy.1 who works in devotion attains d
Supreme without delay-BG#5.6.

Scientist means he who sees things as they r.So-called
scientists,mislead people saying life comes from mere chemical
combination.Why not Produce Life in Lab?If by pills1bcomes
deathless,then it's solution.Creation has a Creator.VedicScriptures r
Word of God which reveal things beyond our Research&Experiments.Vedic
lit. is a perfect science which is 1stop solution4all questions.It's
like a manual/guide/map which helps us2c things as they r &know what v
r.

What is d original source of all creation? This shud b d subject
matter of our research work.Fools think,Everything comes from
nothing.V've no experience seeing anything coming out of
nothing.Life's not evolved from mere chemicals.Nature(Sun,moon..)works
so perfectly which means it is Ctrld by some1-SB

Whoever@d end of his life quits his body remembering Me alone,@once
attains Me.Whatever state of being1remembers when he quits d body,that
state,he'll attain without fail.So u shud always ThinkOfMe&@d same
time do ur prescribed duty.Wid ur Mind,Intelligence fixed on Me,u'll
come2Me without a doubt-BG8.5-7

If d Lord wants2kill u, no 1can save u.If d Lord wants2save u,no 1can
kill u.Tho death appears2b common4devotees of d Lord&Demons,they reach
different destinations after death.It is safer4devotees of Lord just
like cub/kitty carried in d mouth of mother cat while4others it's like
rat in d mouth of cat-SB

Got2pay ur dues if u want2sing ur blues&u know it dont come easy.U
dont've2shout abt it,u can even play them easy.Forget abt d past&all
ur sorrow.D future wont last,it'll soon b ur 2morrow.I dont ask4much,I
only want ur trust&u know it dont come easy ;) Pls remember Peace is
how v make it-GeorgeHarrison

Forgive me lord
Pls,those years when I ignored U

Forgive them Lord,those that feel they cant afford U.

Help me Lord,pls
To rise above this dealing,

Help me Lord,pls2Love U with more feeling.

@both ends of d road,2d left&d right,Above&below us,Out&in,there's no
place that U r not in.

Help me Lord,pls2rise a little higher.

Help me lord, pls2burn out this desire

Oh wont U pls pls hear me Lord.my Lord my Lord,Hear me Lord.

-GeorgeHarrison:Beatles :)

There'll come a time when all of us must leave here when nothing
sister Mary can do2keep me here with u.Searching4d truth among d
lying&answered when I learned art of dying.There'll come a time when
Most of us return here(due2our desires2Lord over).A Perfect
entity(Soul), Living thru a million yrs of crying(birth after birth)
until v've realized d "Art Of Dying"-GeorgeHarrison-Beatles.

2become restless in d contact of wealth&women isnt surprising,bcoz
every living entity is associated with such things from time
immemorial&it takes time2recover from such things.But if 1 is engaged
in hearing d glories of the Lord,he gradually realizes his position.
By God's grace such a devotee gets sufficient strength2defend himself
from d state of disturbances&gradually all d disturbances r eliminated
from his mind-SB#1.2.17

If ur enemy is hungry,feed him.If thirsty give him,some drink.By
doing this u'll overcome d coals in his head.Dont get overcome by evil
but overcome evil with Good-Bible,Romans#12.20,21
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SMS Updates of the fortnight!

If u get Rs 10000, Rs 10 is already there. If u get Krishna u get all
perfection-Srila Prabhupada

D clouds move not on their own but due2wind behind.So does d living
entity fails2c d time factor with which he is dragged2death-SB.Time I
am.With d exception of u,d pandavas,every1'll b killed in d battle
field.I've already killed every1but u take victory just like killing d
dead snakes-KrsnaBG;TimeIsGod.

U don't need a horoscope or a microscope2c d mess that you r in!
If u open up ur heart u'll know what I mean v've been polluted4so
long.Now here's a way4us2get clean!
By Chanting d Names of d Lord&u'll b free.D Lord is awaiting on all of
us2awaken&c GeorgeHarrison,Beatles in "Awaiting on u all,1970"

As per VedicOpinion,there r2ways of passing away from this
world,when1passes in light,he doesnt come back,but when1passes in
darkness he returns.Altho d devotees know these2paths,they r nt
confused,so b always fixed in devotion.A Person who accepts d path of
DevotionalService(Bhakti Yoga)2d Supreme Lord,gets d same results as
those performing SevereSacrifices,Charity,Philosophical/Fruitive
activities.After death he reaches d SpiritualWorld-BG#8.26-28. :)

1000*4 yuga cycles=Lord Brahma's 1day.Such also is his 1night. @d
beginning of Brahma's day all d living entities r manifest(with
material bodies)&@night
they r helplessly destroyed.Again&again@Brahma's day all r
manifest&destroyed @his night.But there's another nature which is
never destroyed,even when all in this world is finished.That place
from which having attained1never returns is My SupremeAbode(Spiritual
World),d Infallible-Krsna,BG#8.17-21

1shud Meditate upon d SupremeLord as d 1 who
1.KnowsEverything
2.Is d Oldest
3.Is d SupremeController
4.Is Smaller than d Smallest
5.Is d MaintainerOfEverything
6.Is Always a Person
7.Is Luminous like Sun
8.Beyond d laws of material nature(in fact nature works so perfectly
only by His Supervision)
BG#8.9

"Im
d Goal
d Maintainer
d Master
d Witness
d Abode
d Refuge
d MostDearFriend
d Creation&Destruction
d BasisOfEverything
d RestingPlace
d EternalSeed",
Krsna#BG

4kinds of animals r compared2materialistic
people.Ass,Dog,Hog,Camel.Asses can get grass outside but labours
hard,thinking only his master provides food,else he will
die.Masterless Dogs always depend on some1 4food.Camel foolishly eats
thorny plant&enjoys his own blood mixed thorn.Hogs eat
indiscriminately

1:Where r u driving?
2:I just want2go fast.Just relax&Sit comfortably
2:R u going nuts?;
Crazy isnt it? Such is d(animal)civilization 2day,No1knows what is
good4even d self,what2speak of others?Animals Eat,Sleep,Mate,Defend
all d life&die without knowing where they r going after death,So does
human2day

There r 2ClassesOfPeople
1.Sober 2.Debaucher&2types of Sastra4them.
1.Sastra-LawCodes 2.Sastra-Weapons like sword,guns.
Sober 1s r ruled by Law Codes&Law breakers r ruled by Weapons.Both r
required.Govt has2depts 1.Civil-Ctrld by Law Codes
2.Criminal-Ctrld by Weapons.Sometimes police r reqd4unruly persons

After attaining Me(in My abode-SpiritualWorld which is beyond d
material vision&also called avyakta,akshara,parama gati) d great souls
who r yogis in devotion,never return2this temporary world,which is
full of miseries(Birth,Disease,Oldage,Death) bcoz they've attained d
highest perfection-Krsna.In.BG#8.15

If1wants2make steady progress in d Path of Self-Realization,1must ctrl
d forces of material senses.1who is able2ctrl d forces of 1.talk
2.mind
3.anger
4.tongue
5.stomach
6.genitals
is called Goswami or Swami.Unfulfilled Material desires generate
anger&agitate mind,eyes&chest.So it's imp2ctrl them-BG#5.23

An intelligent person doesnt take part in d sources of misery which r
due2contact of senses with sense objects.Such pleasures have a
beginning&an end,so wise men doesnt delight in them.D more1 is
addicted2material pleasures,d more 1 suffers material miseries-BG#5.22

Both by rising&setting,d sun decreases d duration of life of every1
except1 who utilizes time4discussing d topics of d all-good
personality of Godhead-SB2.3.17

A spiritual aspirant shud avoid worldly
literature(novels,newspaper,magazines,dramas) which agitates d
mind.1must reject such lit.4 spiritual advancement.Such lit. is a
place of enjoyment4crows&not4swan like people.Also1shud not indulge in
arguments/counter-arguments,it's a useless waste of time-SB#7.13.7

In d forest of material existence,there's constant sound of crickets
which is compared2d non-stop criticism of people around us,no matter
how hard v try.With d idea of selling some wood,other items,a person
enters forest but he has2meet dangerous animals&adventures&he may even
b lost.Similarly,d spirit soul enters d material world2enjoy
separately from God&gets lost with his identity&his way back2d place
of God&goes thru d adventures of pain&pleasure-SB
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