Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 5.8-9

naiva kiñcit karomīti

yukto manyeta tattva-vit

paśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrann

aśnan gacchan svapan śvasan

pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann

unmiṣan nimiṣann api

indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu

vartanta iti dhārayan

SYNONYMS

na — never; eva — certainly; kiñcit — anything; karomi — I do; iti — thus; yuktaḥ — engaged in the divine consciousness; manyeta — thinks; tattva-vit — one who knows the truth; paśyan — seeing; śṛṇvan — hearing; spṛśan — touching; jighran — smelling; aśnan — eating; gacchan — going; svapan — dreaming; śvasan — breathing; pralapan — talking; visṛjan — giving up; gṛhṇan — accepting; unmiṣan — opening; nimiṣan — closing; api — in spite of; indriyāṇi — the senses;indriya-artheṣu — in sense gratification; vartante — let them be so engaged; iti — thus; dhārayan — considering.

TRANSLATION

PURPORT

A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is pure in his existence, and consequently he has nothing to do with any work which depends upon five immediate and remote causes: the doer, the work, the situation, the endeavor and fortune. This is because he is engaged in the loving transcendental service of Kṛṣṇa. Although he appears to be acting with his body and senses, he is always conscious of his actual position, which is spiritual engagement. In material consciousness, the senses are engaged in sense gratification, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness the senses are engaged in the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa's senses. Therefore, the Kṛṣṇaconscious person is always free, even though he appears to be engaged in affairs of the senses. Activities such as seeing and hearing are actions of the senses meant for receiving knowledge, whereas moving, speaking, evacuating, etc., are actions of the senses meant for work. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is never affected by the actions of the senses. He cannot perform any act except in the service of the Lord because he knows that he is the eternal servitor of the Lord.

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Chanting in between words

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21st November 2012, Cape Town, South Africa)

We hear about some of the acaryas and what amazing personalities there were. For years, we heard about Srila Prabhupada's god-brother, Akincana Krsna Das Babaji. He was the only disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura who was given 'babaji' by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. Well, the babajis are really meant to get involved in bhajan while the sannyasis preach. When you are preaching you don't always have time for bhajan; that is a fact!

But the babajis they withdraw from preaching and get absorbed in bhajan. Somehow or other, I never met Akincana Krsna Das Babaji. But then this time (while in India), somehow I got a tape, a recording of a conversation between Prabhupada and Akincana Krsna Das Babaji. And it was very interesting because on this tape, there was a conversation going on and Akincana Krsna Das Babaji was just constantly chanting Hare Krsna and in between he would speak words. He would say something like:

'Well, they want to… Krsna Krsna… to go to such and such place… Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.'

He was chanting in between words, at all times, just putting in the maha-mantra constantly. It was impressive and he was very impressive. I had heard before that he was always chanting but then, on the tape you could hear how he was always chanting, even in between speaking.

That day, it was easier to chant kartik rounds… by just hearing someone like that who is so absorbed in chanting, then immediately my chanting also became surcharged with energy!

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From moment to moment

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21st November 2012, Cape Town, South Africa)

Spiritual life is interesting because we are meant to surrender and come to a point where we commit for a lifetime. But how can we commit for a lifetime when we don't know what a lifetime is going to do to us? A lifetime comes with endless surprises! How can we see over a lifetime? So, how can one think: 'I'm going to give my life, is it realistic?'

Yes, we think we are going to give our life and then we can only deal with it from moment to moment. So, this moment is for Krsna, 'All right got this one in.'

The next moment is also for Krsna and each time again, we have to choose for Krsna. Of course, sometimes we choose a little more for Krsna and at other times a little less. Sometimes, we choose for Krsna whole-heartedly with enthusiasm and at other times we choose for Krsna routinely, with a half-hearted attempt. But even with a half-hearted attempt, at least we choose for Krsna. Of course with a half-hearted attempt, it is like opening the window on a cold-stormy-rainy Cape Town day – you're going to get some water inside, that's for sure.

So, a half-hearted attempt is a bit like that, you're going to get wet anyway and then later on, we have to mop it all up. Hare Krsna, Krsna, Krsna… Struggle, struggle again, until everything gets a little dry and then we get more inspired. So like this, it is not free of struggle but that mercy is very much there and around us and entering into our life more and more, and the relationship with that mercy is deepening  with time. And even if we cannot do everything, it does not matter, the mercy just enters into our life!

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Remembering Krsna – part 1

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 21st November 2012, Cape Town, South Africa)

I have very little capacity when it comes to sādhana-bhakti or devotional service in practice. My capacity is not very great.

That is of course not uncommon because after all:

'prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ,' (SB 1.1.10)

It says that in the age of Kali, everyone's capacity is very small and everyone is always disturbed. So I'm trying not to be. I'm trying to absorb myself in thoughts of Krsna and in remembering that Krsna is the Supreme Lord. I'm trying to remember that the material world is not really important. I'm trying to remember that whatever happens here is very secondary. So, all the so-called ups and downs in life, I'm trying to remember that they are actually very insignificant. The real thing is the spiritual world and whatever goes on in my relationship with Krsna is what I'm trying to remember. Sometimes better, sometimes worse, sometimes I'm remembering with great relish and great inspiration. Sometimes I'm remembering while the waves of material existence are tossing me around, I'm still remembering but also feeling the intensity of the waves of the material life, and in this way, I'm remembering Krsna at different points in time.

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On blindly following tradition

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 15 September 2012, Pretoria, South Africa, Initiation lecture)

There is a story which I like to tell. It is about a marriage ceremony and during the marriage ceremony everything was arranged perfectly. You know how people get into their marriages. It was this big thing and everything was there at the last minute. And then… suddenly… believe it or not… a black cat (appeared)… oh my God… black of all colours… a black cat… bad luck… inauspicious! So, what to do?

It was at the very last minute. So, the lady who was actually supervising the whole arrangement, the mother of the bride, she just grabbed an empty basket which was used for flowers and put it on top of that cat. And the cat was under basket for the whole ceremony and didn't meow once! Everything went fine. It was a great ceremony.

Thirty years later, it was the brides turn to arrange for the marriage of her own daughter. She made all the arrangements and everything, and then the last inspection… and then, oh my God… we forgot one thing… WE NEED A BLACK CAT! Then they quickly brought a black cat and put it under a basket. Since that time, in every ritual there is a black cat!

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