Transcript
00:00:00
Devotee: If you love without evoking love in return, if through...
00:00:05
Goswāmī Mahāraj: If you love?
00:00:06
Devotee: If you love without evoking love in return
00:00:10
Goswāmī Mahāraj: In return?
00:00:12
Devotee: If through the vital expression of yourself as a loving person, you fail to become a loved person, then your love is impotent, it is a misfortune. — Karl Marx, Private Property and Communism.
00:00:28
Goswāmī Mahāraj: [laughing]
00:00:29
Devotee: So, Mahārāj, could you...
00:00:30
Goswāmī Mahāraj: That was the whole problem, is that Karl Marx felt unloved... let's see...
00:00:37
Devotee: So, Mahārāj could you could you make a bridge from communism to Vaiṣṇavism...
00:00:40
Goswāmī Mahāraj: His mother use to say, “Karl, you're always talking about money, how about making a little.” Your mom always know what's wrong with you. [laughing] With your system. So, what was that? Read it again.
00:00:59
Devotee: The whole question, ok. If you love without evoking love in return – if through the vital expression...
00:01:05
Goswāmī Mahāraj: You mean the other... you're loving but the other person doesn't feel the necessity of loving back?
00:01:11
Devotee: Yes, without evoking love in return, yeah. If through...
00:01:16
Goswāmī Mahāraj: But, what I am saying, it's the fault of that person or the other person? Or it's not clear.
00:01:21
Devotee: Not clear.
00:01:22
Goswāmī Mahāraj: OK.
00:01:22
Devotee: Maybe later, but, still... “If through the vital expression of yourself as a loving person you fail to become a loved person, then your love is impotent, it is a misfortune.”
00:01:36
Goswāmī Mahāraj: No, sorry Karl. [laughing] You can love without being loved in returned. Ask any parent. Alright, that went over not to well. [laughing] But they... there's on agreeing that, it happens. [Devotee in audience: Very often] Every... no, it always happens. When I was... my mother was not known for her sense of humor, but, I could make her laugh sometimes. And, once I said to her, “Oh, you know there's a blues song by B.B. King that has this line that says, “Ain't no one in this world loves me but my mama, and sometimes, I think, she could be jiving me too.” And, my mother burst out laughing uncontrollably. I went, “Aha.”
00:02:37
So, not to belabor the point, but, it is possible to love without being returned. In fact, someone wrote a book, a scholar wrote a book on this called, Love and Friendship. First of all, I should predicate these remarks on the concept we're talking about, so called love in the objective world. Which, from a spiritual point of view is not love proper. So, we're dealing in this... on this side of the equation. So, this scholar wrote a book Love and Friendship, and he made an interesting point. He said... In... how shall we say it... well he titles the book Love and Friendship. Well, you know what is unrequited love.
00:03:37
That was a love, by definition, that cannot be reciprocated on one side. So, his... I'm paraphrasing, his premise was that in love, you can love somebody without them loving you in return. He said, but, in friendship it has to be mutual. Simple, but, that's his point. But, it began by saying, “You could love someone without them loving you in return.” And, the so-called unrequited love that was the subject matter of a certain type of literature. And, particularly, the most common stereotype was the knight, who has this love for the Queen, that can never be truly reciprocated. And, he goes off and fights on her behalf and is willing to risk his life. But, she's the wife of the King, so, it will be an unrequited love.
00:04:47
So, we will say that, along the lines of 'virtue is it's own reward.' That it's ok to love if it's not... what was the word used?.. began with an 'E'... no, what was it... no... if... the first line of...
00:05:20
Devotee: If you love without evoking love in return...
00:05:23
Goswāmī Mahārāj: 'E,' I've said it, it began with an 'E.' Without evoking love. Again, in a world of people with misconceived notions of self, what is this love base upon, on either side? It's theoretical, because you don't have two real substantial agents. One of Prabupād's favorite ślokas from the Bhāgavatam:
00:06:05
yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.84.13)
sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.84.13)
00:06:26
What he's saying, yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape...(SB: 10.84.13). Those whose concept of self is tri-dhātuke, means the three elements. Their concept of who they are and the object of their love and affection is tri-dhātuke, means the three elements, mucus, bile, air. Kalatrādi, means wife, family, children, relatives, it's all based on this. Bhauma ijya-dhīḥ (SB: 10.84.13), they think, the world... the land they were born in is worshipable. It's another name for nationalism, wherever it is. And, I was surprise to find wherever I went in the world... however heavenly the environment or hellish it was, it was worship by the local people. For no other reason then they were born there. [laughing]
00:07:37
So, it just was assumed, bhauma ijya-dhīḥ, yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ (SB: 10.84.13). And they go to the holy places for an objective experience, not the subjective aspect of what's actually there, the substantial saints that represent the spiritual substance of that place. It's spiritual tourism. Janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB: 10.84.13.4). I mean, it's very strong language in the Bhāgavatam, saying, “Such persons are no better than asses or cows.” So, the ass is always the butt of so many jokes and offensive sayings.
00:08:32
Only Trivikram Mahārāj has affection for them. [laughing] No, he has ass, donkey, I forget exactly, but... what was his name?.. Durema. He went somewhere and saw him, and just said... you know, with the farmer, “I like to buy him.” And the guy said, “OK.” Gave him some money, put him on his pickup truck, came back to the ashram. [laughing] So, he has very broad love and affection for the whole animation. But... so, we can understand in saying, 'It's an ass-like mentality.” But, why cow? It's says... go-kharaḥ, go means cow. And we think, “Well, cows almost inevitability, invariably in devotional discussions are praise worthy. But, not in this case.
00:09:29
One reason is, that when the cow calves... has a baby, sometimes the baby calf dies. But, they can bring the milkmen... they can bring a dead calf to a cow. Because the system before technology was the calf comes, and get the milk flows. You tie the calf on the side and then... so, once the calf, out of affection for the calf, the milk flow of the mother begins. Then, I've seen this... I use to have a service in the ISKCON temple on Hardwar Road, to oversee the milking of a cow every morning. The gobal would come with the cow, and he had a little calf. And then, they have the rope for tying the legs and they'd have the calves start sucking the utter. And, they pulled the calf away, and then he'd sit there with a bucket and [sound of milking: fsst, fsst, fsst, fsst, fsst, fsst, fsst, fsst].
00:10:36
So, they know this trick, that if a cow has calved, even if the baby's dead, they can bring the dead calf in front of the mother. And, she's licking it and out of love and affection, her milk will begin to flow. These are pretty terse, intense examples given in the Bhāgavatam, they're not sentimental. That's what they mean. That love... well, you're saying, “There, her love and affection is toward a dead body.” That's the point. All this talk about love and affection and being reciprocated, it's target are just animated bodies. It's not towards what is animating the body, but just the body, that's being animated. No ātma-darshan or seeing of the soul; self.
00:11:41
And, that may seem harsh, but if, as the śloka says, if your conception of self is bodily based... and body can mean... include the subtle body. So, not only the physical body but the subtle body; mind, intellect, ego. It's false, there's nothing real there. And, we live in a world where women, particularly, they're judged in terms of their physical appearance. That's how people decide to be so-called affectionate towards them, is the basis of their physical appearance. So, it's not, like, we're just making this stuff up or plucking it out of thin air. It's on the internet every single day, at every single moment. It's a world-wide international problem. I didn't make this up.
00:12:48
Anyone who doubts it, just go online and open your eyes and see. And it's why are women being tortured. It's on the basis of their value being assessed in term of their physical appearance. So, one woman, I forget which wave of feminism she belongs to, forgive me, but, she wrote a book called The Beauty Myth. And, we see how arbitrary it is, in one sense, when they do retrospectives on what was considered beautiful during one age. And, sometimes the people of the present age, they're shocked to see that was the standard of beauty of another time. Or, whatever it might be, indicating that it is arbitrary, it's not an absolute standard of beauty, if there is such a thing.
00:13:45
And, we contend that there is, there is absolute beauty in the Absolute Personality of Godhead. Guru Mahārāj re-appropriated the phrase, 'reality the beautiful' in relation to Kṛṣṇa conception. So, tvaṁ bhakti-yoga-paribhāvita-hṛt-saroja, āsse śrutekṣita-patho nanu nātha puṁsām (SB: 3.9.11.1-2), āsse śrutekṣita-patho, take the path of seeing by hearing. Not... what... make your assessment on objective visualization, but subjective visualization.
00:14:46
Going towards ātma, the ātma plane. And, people being uneducated about that, think that there's no possibility for affection... love and affection in that plane. Enlightenment is seen as some kind of monotonous state, where one is mainly relieved from the suffering of the negative world. So, being in a neutral position is like, whew... finished with that now... and that's a so-called happiness. Some... and if we want to give it some credence in the language of Veda and Purāṇic literature, brahmānanda, the happiness... generic spiritual happiness.
00:15:51
Just realizing the central spiritual nature of everything and there's a type of ānandam or happiness from that. How much so? ramante yogino ’nante, satyānande cid-ātmani (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 9.29.1-2), but I'm thinking another one... [coughing]
00:16:23
brahmānando bhaved eṣa cet parārdha-guṇī-kṛtaḥ
naiti bhakti-sukhāmbhodheḥ paramāṇu-tulām api
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.38)
naiti bhakti-sukhāmbhodheḥ paramāṇu-tulām api
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.38)
00:16:32
It's a śloka quoted by Rūpa Goswāmī. Where he's saying, “If you take that...” First of all he's saying, “The happiness of brahmānanda... brahmānanda is so great that those experiencing that, have no desire for mundane erotic pleasure.”
00:16:57
Which is generally taken to be the highest form of material and most intense form of material pleasure. They have no... they're beyond that, they've overcome that. They're saying, “Well, that's very great then, must be very great, wonderful, ecstatic.” But, Rūpa Goswāmī says, “If you take that pleasure and multiply it a trillion fold, it won't be equal to an atomic fraction of the pleasure derived from Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.” So, that's quite an advertisement. It should at least pique one's imagination, curiosity. Could that possibly be true? Is there a plane which is like that?
00:18:00
As I've mentioned, the narrative of the objective world, at present, runs along these lines. There's a trillion, trillion stars, among them one planet, one blue planet, the Earth planet, has living beings and conscious living beings. And, particularly, human beings represent the conscious elite. And, those human beings, on a good day, if they get lucky they experience a drop of pleasure or happiness. That's the scenario. So, the objective world is virtually unlimited... within that... practically on a mole... there's a molecule... we're of consciousness, a plane of consciousness, molecular by comparison.
00:19:06
And, in that conscious world, ānandam or happiness, you might experience a drop, seasonly, on a good day, lucky, etc... all of that. So then ānandam is the least consciousness, somewhat greater than that, and, the objective world is virtually unlimited. This is what we're being told. This is what we've swallowed wholesale. Or, as Guru Mahārāj says elsewhere, “The ghost of Darwin is still haunting us.” And, what is the Kṛṣṇa Conscious perspective, the inverse. Is as Guru Mahārāj says, “The objective world is like an iceberg floating in an ocean of consciousness, it's the least.” Consciousness is a vast substance. And, what is even greater than that? Ānandam, happiness or pleasure.
00:20:06
We say, “Really?” Well, what is the nature of the Infinite? ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra: 1.1.12), in the Vedānta, saying, “The Infin... the nature of the Infinite is ānandam. He is constituted of ānandam. It is not something He seeks to achieve. He is in a nirānanda state and then trying to move from nirānanda to ānanda, by some means. No, He is ānandam, the ultimate reality is love and happiness, beauty, charm, and sweetness. And what? Personified. Those things don't exists has as... impersonal, primordial elements. No.
00:21:04
Consciousness cannot be divorced of personality, actually. Neither can love or happiness. They're not independent elements. We're told, ānanda-mayo 'bhyā... (Vedānta-sūtra: 1.1.12), He is full of ānanda by nature, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ, the decl... opening declaration of the Brahma-saṁhitā. God, the Supreme God, īśvaraḥ means God. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ... īśvaraḥ paramaḥ the Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. Those are the first three words of the Brahma-saṁhitā. It gets right to the point. The Supreme God is Kṛṣṇa. What is His nature, sac-cid-ānanda.
00:21:58
He's eternal, omniscient, and ānandam. There's not an 'omni' word for ānanda, is there. He's omni-ānanda, [laughing] omni-ānandam, full of ecstatic joy. And as Guru Mahārāj would say... not like... Talking about an ocean of joy, ānanda-nidhi. He's saying, “Not a static ocean.” As it's like, oh, 'static ocean of joy', but a dynamic ocean of joy. So, it's saying... so, what is it?.. sac-cit-ānandam-vigrahaḥ (Bs: 5.1.2), He's the personification of eternality, omniscience, and ecstasy. That's the nature of the Infinite.
00:22:57
So, everything coming from Him has that potential. So, how is it realized? In this world we try to acquire, consume, acquire, control, consume things that are lower than us. That means the objective world, because, we're basically innately subjective agents, mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke, jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ (Bg: 15.7.2). Being Kṛṣṇa's aṁśaḥ, or part, we're of a similar nature. That means we have a sac-cit-ānanda potential, finite magnitude, but connect with the Infinite. So, or the option to offer ourselves in dedication to that which is not only higher than us, but infinitely higher than us.
00:24:02
So, there're various palatable ways to describe that. So, most often we hear like... you know... servant of the Lord, even that doesn't sound too good in modern context, nobody wants to be a servant. You can say, executive assistant. Executive Assistant to the Infinite, on your business card. [laughing] See... we here words like, 'servant,' and we go, “Oooh no... serfs, servants.” But, Guru Marārāj, as if to press our ontological buttons, to put it out there bluntly, he was saying, “Slave, and not even directly slave, slave of the slave!”
00:25:06
So, look at the fine print before you sign on. Slave of the slave of the slave... like I say... dasī, means slave girl. You can look in up in your Monier Monier-Williams Dictionary. That's what dasī means. [laughing] Slave girl. [laughing] No, if you say, female servant − slave girl, that's what it means. [laughing] But, not directly... slave of the... you would be slave of the slave of the slave girl. So, all of this, you know, makes you sweat, your hands shaky, sweating, this can't be a realistic proposal.
00:25:59
But, Guru Mahārāj comes to our aid and our rescue to help us understand this. When he says that, gives and example, when Gandhi needed an executive assistant, servant, slave girl. [laughing] When the position, the opening was made known, in India... it was said... who volunteered , but the highest men in India. The wealthiest, the most educated, the... what do you say?.. you know... the upper echelon of Indian society. They were volunteering for that position. Why? Thinking that he's so great, Mahātmā, he's so great, if I have even the least connection with him, how beneficial will that be for me.
00:27:08
If, I, you know, carry his bags, or do his laundry, or whatever. Any connection with him... will... I will improve, however apparently menial. So, the so-called, greatest men were volunteering for that position. So, Guru Mahārāj is making the point, when we think, “Oh, well that's Mahātmā Gandhi.” Or something like, “Oh, I'd like to have been Einstein's assistant.” Or, someone would say, “Oh, I knew Stephen Hawking.” Or, they think, “”Oh, these people are so great, if I could just be around them. Any excuse to be around them would be a thrill, and I would improve.” So, when it comes to, so-called, great people of this world, we can easily understand that.
00:28:06
But, Guru Mahārāj's point is, then how much more is it applicable to have this sort of relationship with the Infinite. And, not only that, but we hear Kṛṣṇa say in the Bhagavad-gītā; ye yathā māṁ prapadyante, tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (Bg: 4.11.1-2), “As they approach me, the kind of love and affection they give to me, I reciprocate that.” So, unthinkable of unthinkable things. Then the other half of the equation is; you become Kṛṣṇa's slave, Kṛṣṇa becomes the slave of the devotee. That part they didn't stick around to hear. Kṛṣṇa is the slave of His devotees, śrī kṛṣṇṣkarṣiṇī ca sā (Brs: 1.1.17.2), that's what Rūpa Goswāmī says when he's defining the characteristics of pure devotion.
00:29:16
kleśa-ghnī śubhadā mokṣa-laghutā-kṛt sudurlabhā
sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī ca sā
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.17)
sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī ca sā
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.1.17)
00:29:26
Kṛṣṇa, − It's interesting this word selection − kṛṣṇa-ākarṣiṇ, it means like, magnetic attraction. Except here, the magnetism is sac-cid-ānandam, beauty, charm, sweetness personified to the infinite degree. But, that Kṛṣṇa, who's been described as all-attractive and irresistible, He is attracted to devotion... irresistible drawn in attraction to the devotion in the heart of a devotee. Who, in this context, can be represented as finite. Although, we don't like to think of the super servitor in finite, but just for a relative comparison.
00:30:19
So, that means, even in the case of jīva, so kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rāsa is such a valuable substance, attractive, it is irresistible to Kṛṣṇa. He who is all-attractive is attracted to this. One might think, “What is He attracted to?” Love, love proper, prem. And, how much so? Even a drop of that substance in the heart of a divine servitor, is enough to make the Infinite come under the control of the finite. So, we hear the prayers of Kuntī devī, gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad, yā te daśāśru-kalilāñjana-sambhramākṣam (SB: 1.8.31.1-2), she's... she... what is her meditation? What comes to her mind? She's saying, “When I think of that, yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam (SB: 1.1.14.4)
00:31:32
āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ
yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan
tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta
yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.1.14)
yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan
tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta
yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 1.1.14)
00:31:39
That, who is feared by Fear personified, how He's running from His mother. He's done something naughty, and... she says... In her mind, she sees this image of Mother Yaśodā running after Kṛṣṇa with a... what they call a switch, a little stick or thing. And Kṛṣṇa's running from His mother, and he's like that [gesture]... but the kajjal; means black mascara. Those that have been to India, see... they still put mascara; kajjal on the eyes of children, boys and girls, little boys and girls. They look very cute. We saw them at Kusum Sarovara. Little girls like this [gesture]... and they have black mascara on their eyes. And, they do it to little boys too, up to a certain age. They say it's good for your eyes, they say all kind of things. [laughing]
00:32:30
But... so, Kṛṣṇa has that, and saying... lotus-eyes, big eyelashes, laughing] very full, fluffy. And, He's running and crying, because He's afraid of Mother Yaśodā. One author, when she was being interviewed... Jhumpa Lahiri, she said... they asked her what her fears in life, and she said, “That when her children grow up they would no longer be afraid of her.” [laughing]… you know... When they're young they're afraid, and then she's going to reach this stage, where they're no longer afraid. But, here Kṛṣṇa is afraid of Ma Yaśodā and He's running and crying. And, the tears are washing the mascara from His lotus-eyes and, making it run on His Divine, Divinely beautiful face.
00:33:35
So, and it looks very beautiful to Kuntī Devī, to see how the mascara is streaming down the face of Kṛṣṇa, with the tears. And, Mother Yaśodā's running after Him. She's saying, “That image is enchanting my mind.” The Infinite here, running like that, for out of fear of His mother. She said, “Who is feared by Fear personified.” As we told, the time when they brought something from Deva Pali, and they're trying to get Gurudev some prasādam. And, normally, the Maṭh sends some paramānna to Nṛisingha Palli and then it's brought back. But, at a non-scheduled time, some other time, some devotees had been there.
00:34:34
Just a word of advice, don't try to purify your Guru. That's not a good strategy. So, they're bringing something... − [comotion in the background] It's OK. It's... they live hear. [laughing] They died for a good cause. [laughing] They went to the light and they, you know, the got the light of they Bhāgavat, so they're doing fine. − So, they're wanting to give this to Gurudev and He looked at me like... and he said, “Well.” And he said, “We are afraid of Nṛisinghadev, so we'll take...” they brought... He said, “But Guru Mahārāj will not take.”
00:35:34
Some devotee goes out and comes back, He said, “Guru Mahārāj won't take.” And, he said, “Because, Nṛisinghadev is afraid of Guru Mahārāj.” [laughing] So, someone said, “Well, how can he say that, how can you support that?” With the prayers of Queen Kuntī, yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam (SB: 1.1.14.4). Who's Feared personified, is afraid of Him, is running from Mother Yaśodā, because of that devotional intensity. But, it's a very sweet thing. Remember everything there is made of sweetness. That's the nature of that world, Janmādy asya yataḥ − ādi-rāsa, is the original, mukhya; principal rāsa, the root rāsa. And everything, vātsalya, sakhya, dāsya, śānta, come from there.
00:36:40
It contains all of them. They... each one does not contain that, but, that contains the elements of all the other rāsas, being it's the origin of all of them. They exist to support mādhura-rasa, not independently. It's a very beautiful arrangement. So, when devotion is assessed, recognized, identified, where the Infinite comes under the control of the finite. When Mahāprabhu was touring South India, when He comes to the town where he meets the man who is apparently illiterate. But, he's been told by his Guru, “Read Bhagavad-gītā everyday.”
00:37:36
And, everyone's making fun of him. He can't say the words properly, read properly, but, they're mocking him. But, he's thinking, “My Guru told me to do it, and I'm somehow trying to execute the order of my Gurudev.” And, Mahāprabhu comes upon this scene, sees the people mocking him, he's there going on earnestly, trying to obey the order of Śrī Guru. And, this situation becomes known to Mahāprabhu and he said, “But, I see also that... I notice also sometimes your crying, while you're attempting to read Bhagavad-gīṭā.” “Why is that?” He said, “Well, when I think of how... what is that?.. senayor ubhayor madhye, rathaṁ sthāpaya me ’cyuta... (Bg: 1.21), I forget that śloka.
00:38:37
But, … “When Arjuna says to Kṛṣṇa, “Take... place my chariot between the two armies of generals.” And when I think how... how sweet is that, that Kṛṣṇa, He's the driver of Arjun. Not that Arjun is the driver of Kṛṣṇa...” and you hear him say, “Please, place my chariot between the two armies.” How much love, how great is that, how much love and affection He has for His devotee to take a subordinate position.” And, Mahāprahbu is saying, “He's the real scholar of Bhagavad-gītā.” bhakto ’si me sakhā ceti (Bg: 4.3.3), the gītā-rahasya, this is the secret of Bhagavad-gītā. Devotion, it's about devotion. He's saying, “So, he's understood the essence.” And, where is devotion identified? When the Supreme Lord, when the Infinite comes under the control of the finite.
00:39:37
So, then Guru Mahārāj makes this natural, sequential question... “Who can be entrusted with that? What's sort of so-called finite can be entrusted to control the Infinite?” Someone who's... out of curiosity, they're interested in spiritual things? Or, they've come to get something? No, who are wholly one with Kṛṣṇa, there's no difference between what they would want and what Kṛṣṇa would want. That's the person who could be entrusted with that type of responsibility to control the Infinite. He's controlled by love and affection, the ultimate reality. See, they'll think, like, “Well, no, we're sending a deep probe into space and then we have the Hadron Collider, we're working on it, and too bad Stephen Hawking's gone, because he was going to tell us the answer.” [laughing]
00:40:45
I mean, really. [laughing] This laugh-out-loud kind of stuff. And, that mind set prohibits one from saying... and they will think this is laugh-out-loud. But, I think it's a sweet laugh. We say, “No, the central conception of the Infinite, can be controlled by love and affection.” Not by your instruments, or your algorithms, or you're going to put a bunch of computers together and they're going to figure it all out for you. How... that is... it's shocking. The central conception of the Infinite can be can be controlled by love and affection. Even Karl Marx, would have to appreciate this. [laughing]
00:41:57
As Nietzsche said this, “If I were to believe in God, He would have to be a good dancer.” Well, naṭa-vara, Kṛṣṇa, the ultimate reality is dancing, and very nicely, beautifully. Movement enhanced with beauty is dance. That's what dance is. Movement enhanced with beauty, as speech enhanced with beauty is song. So, the Infinite comes under the control of the finite. Remember, one of the first lectures we ever saw Śrīlā Prabhupād give, in Los Angeles. He's on the vyāsāsan. And, we are all sitting there mesmerized, And Prabhupād said, “How the pure devotees, they possess Kṛṣṇa...” And, he said, “And He can give Him to you.” And, as if we saw Kṛṣṇa come out of Śrīlā Prabhupād palm. So, bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām (SB: 10.47.61.4), Uddhav, who's certified by Kṛṣṇa,
00:43:15
na tathā me priyatama
ātma-yonir na śaṅkaraḥ
na ca saṅkarṣaṇo na śrīr
naivātmā ca yathā bhavān
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.14.15)
ātma-yonir na śaṅkaraḥ
na ca saṅkarṣaṇo na śrīr
naivātmā ca yathā bhavān
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.14.15)
00:43:30
No one is more dear to me then Uddhava. Not Ātma, Bhūr-brahmā, not Śaṅkarā-śiv, not Śiva-saṅkar, not Saṅkarṣaṇ, not Lakṣmī. In fact, I am not as dear to myself as Uddhava is. And, Sanātan Goswāmī points out, in Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛtam, quoting that śloka, which appears there twice, in a... like, zenith point; climax. He says that, “Actually, He means devotee.” Uddhava specifically, but, also the devotee. Because, we know if we take the devotional conception to the highest position that, comes from Uddhava. But, he's allowing Uddhava to make that statement.
00:44:28
āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣām ahaṁ syāṁ
vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām
yā dustyajaṁ sva-janam ārya-pathaṁ ca hitvā
bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.61)
vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām
yā dustyajaṁ sva-janam ārya-pathaṁ ca hitvā
bhejur mukunda-padavīṁ śrutibhir vimṛgyām
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.47.61)
00:44:46
After seeing... Kṛṣṇa said, “Take this letter to Rādhārāṇī and vraja-gopīs and give them some hope. They're drowning in an ocean of separation from me.” But, it's more then one purpose. That's part of it to assuage the grief of separation in the hearts of the vraja-gopīs, with some encouraging and hopeful words from Kṛṣṇa. But, also what He wants to... Uddhava to be an eye witness to, is the sort of devotion that they have. That's why, “Take this letter.” And, then Uddhava will see what comes, not only from the hearts of vraja-gopīs, he will see the Divine madness, mahābhāva-svarūpā śrī-rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī (Cc: Ādi-līlā, 4.69.1), the Bhramara-gītā will come out. Her mad talks to the bumblebee.
00:45:52
This highest states of Divine madness, that are also, shared by Mahāprabhu in the Gambhīrā in his final times, separation zenith points. And, having witness that and the greatness of their love and affection for Kṛṣṇa, this comes from his heart, āsām aho caraṇa-reṇu-juṣām ahaṁ syāṁ (SB 10.47.61.1), his aspiration. “I want the dust from the lotus-feet of the vraja-gopīs, which they will never give to me, because they're respectful girls, teenage girls” And, he's this exalted personality. [laughing] So, he's saying, ..I can't say like, :Could you give me some... that doesn't work and that's not going to happen.” But, he's thinking, “So, if I was vraja-latā...”
00:46:50
That's what it says, vṛndāvane kim api gulma-latauṣadhīnām (SB 10.47.61.2), gulma-latā-auṣd means leaf, flower... something on the soil of Vṛndāvan. “Then when the vraja-gopīs and their cintāmaṇi-gem decorated lotus-feet are moving in the soil of Vṛndāvan, some of the dust from their holy lotus-feet will come upon my head, like an abhiṣeke, thereby consecrating my existence.” That's his aspiration. And, what he's thinking, “And, what the Vedas are only indicating, in a general sense, they've got in the palm of their hand.” They own Kṛṣṇa, copyright, trademark, patent, everything. They own Kṛṣṇa. To what extent? Only they can distribute Kṛṣṇa, on this... in the highest sense. It's their prerogative. They own Him.
00:47:55
Because, they are slave girls. And He's the slave of the slave girls. So, when He... when Kṛṣṇa sees the type... He's the object of the love and affection of the vraja-gopīs. Although, He's omniscient, He can't estimate how great it is. It's puzzling Him. Who is omniscient, cannot estimate how great is their love and affection. And, He says, na pāraye ’haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ (SB: 10.32.22.1) śloka. That, He's saying, “Now you're making me break my promise I made in Bhagavad-gītā. [laughing] In Bhagavad-gītā He said, “As they surrender to me, then I reciprocate that level of surrender. You become my slave, I become your slave.”
00:49:00
And, just as a sidebar, that's not fair. That's not an equitable arrangement, actually. Because, you say, “Well, the self... total self giving on both sides.” Yeah, but one's finite, one's Infinite. So, for the Infinite to give Himself wholly − unthinkable − yet, śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī ca sā (Brs: 1.1.17.4). So, Kṛṣṇa is saying, “I promised in Bhagavad-gītā this sort of equitable arrangement, and now I find it has to be broken, because the sort of love that you have, in your hearts, I can't... it's too great. Even giving myself is not enough.” So, in Guru Mahārāj's words, he said, “So, there...” what is he saying?.. “Let virtue be it's own reward.” [laughing] Back to the original premise.
00:50:00
That's here so-called love, that is not being reciprocated, has turned into something extraordinary. He's saying, “Because, I don't have enough to give you and I'm the Infinite.” So then what? Are they sad to hear that? And, what Guru Mahārāj says, “The payback from Kṛṣṇa comes as Mahāprabhu.” Where He descends in the world to proclaim the glories of their love to everyone. Which is otherwise known as the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement.
00:50:51
sureśānāṁ durgaṁ gatir atiśayenopaniṣadāṁ
munīnāṁ sarva-svaṁ praṇata-paṭalīnāṁ madhurimā
viniryāsaḥ premṇo nikhila-paśu-pālāmbuja-dṛśāṁ... [I forget the rest]
sa caitanyaḥ kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Adi-līlā, 4.51)
munīnāṁ sarva-svaṁ praṇata-paṭalīnāṁ madhurimā
viniryāsaḥ premṇo nikhila-paśu-pālāmbuja-dṛśāṁ... [I forget the rest]
sa caitanyaḥ kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Adi-līlā, 4.51)
00:51:07
But, śrī caitanyaḥ mahāprabhu... no... api dṛśor yāsyati padam. In the Caitanyāṣṭakam of Rūpa Goswāmī, Guru Mahārāj says... here, what is eluded to the vraja-gopī scene, like... “Oh, look what happened to Kṛṣṇa. He's become our canvasser. The canvasser of our mistress.” Who is their mistress? Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Now, Kṛṣṇa's telling the world the glories of rādhāra mahimā, prema-rasa-sīmā (Yadi Gaura Na Hoito 2) , the glories of the love of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and the limits of kṛṣṇa-prem. He wants everyone to know that. And, also to come into connection with that namo mahā-vadānyāya, kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 19.53.1-2). Because, is He's saying? “He's giving love of Himself?” [laughing]
00:52:14
No, but it's Mahāprabhu, guru-rūpa-hariṁ gauraṁ rādhā-ruci-rucṣvṛtam (Pj: 1.3.1) , in the mood of Rādhārāṇī, He wants everyone to have kṛṣṇa-prem. And, what kind of kṛṣṇa-prem, Her kind, the best. Of which, there is no higher kind. Never been given before.
00:52:39
anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Ādi-līlā 1.4)
samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam
hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ
sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ
(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Ādi-līlā 1.4)
00:53:02
How beautiful is that. So, we conclude with Him giving kṛṣṇa-prem, distributing kṛṣṇa-prem to others. And, as He Himself says, kṛṣṇa-prema, jāmbūnada-hem (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 2.43.1). Guru Mahārāj would say, “Kṛṣṇa-prem is not a thing of this world.” Jāmbūnada-hem means there are mythical rivers of gold on the Heavenly planets. Like, we hear there's a place where there are elephant size mangos. [laughing] And, they fall from the trees, but they're mainly liquid.
00:54:02
And, when they hit the ground, then they make rivers of mango juice. And, then the banks turn into gold. Different things are described. So, they're mythical rivers of gold in the heavenly world. Saying, “That's beyond our experience here.” But, what's being said, “Kṛṣṇa-prem is not a thing of this world.” It's not a thing of the objective world. But, it is 'the' thing in the subjective world. And, we are innately subjective agents. Trying to transition from being riveted to objective world, external world, objective notions of self per the pure subjective plane, ātmā, paramātmā world, om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat savitur vareṇyaṁ (Gāyatrī mantra).
00:55:08
That worshipable plane that is illumine, not by the Sun. Guru Mahārāj said, “Without consciousness, the Sun doesn't illumine anything.” There's no observable illumination without an observer. So, what really is it? It's ātmā, that allows you to see. Ātmā is the Sun, and paramātmā, the supreme Sun, of which jīva is kiraṇ ray. And, the paramātmā world, it is revealed... the world... ātmā... ātmā jñāna parijñāna-mayo (SB 11.22.34), and it's vareṇyaṁ; worshipable, not consumable. How do you worship? By self-giving and self-offering.
00:56:08
And, what is the end result of that? The Infinite coming under the control of the finite, out of love and affection. [tapping] So, Kṛṣṇa comes as Mahāprabhu to canvass on behalf of Rādhārāṇī and vraja-gopīs; how great they are and how great is their love and they are the givers of kṛṣṇa-prem. Guru-rūpa of Kṛṣṇa is Gaurāṅga. And who is Gaurāṅga? rādhā-ruci-rucṣvṛtam (Pj: 1.3.1), He's covered. Why is he called the hidden, Channa avatar? Because, He's covered by the heart and halo of Rādhārāṇī, and He's not coming as God, but, as the Supreme Devotee. He's hidden His 'God-ness' in the background.
00:57:11
Enveloped by the heart and halo of Śrīmatī Rādhārāni. [tapping] And, Nityānanda's going door to door, falling at the people's feet, begging them, bhaja gaurāṅga, kaha gaurāṅga laha gauranger nām (Cb: Adi-līlā, 17.152.1). Worship Gaurāṅga, take the name of Gaurāṅga, sing about Gaurāṅga, everything Gaurāṅga, Gaurāṅga, Gaurāṅga. And, Mahāprabhu said, “Go, tell everyone about Kṛṣṇa.” And, what He's saying? “Do you know Kṛṣṇa came as Gaurāṅga?” [laughing] Because he knows,
00:57:47
yathā yathā gaura-padāravinde
vindeta bhaktiṁ kṛta-puṇya-rāśiḥ
tathā tathotsarpati hṛdy akasmāt
rādhā-padāmbhoja-sudhāṁbu-rāśiḥ
(Chaitanya-chandrāmṛta: 88)
vindeta bhaktiṁ kṛta-puṇya-rāśiḥ
tathā tathotsarpati hṛdy akasmāt
rādhā-padāmbhoja-sudhāṁbu-rāśiḥ
(Chaitanya-chandrāmṛta: 88)
00:57:58
At the lotus-feet of Gaurāṅga you'll get Kṛṣṇa. Navadwip's the entrance to Vṛndāvan. Gaurā-līlā is the entrance to Kṛṣṇa-līlā. Mahāprabhu's saṅkīrtan is the entrance into the rāsa-līlā. Those who are sukṛti-van, su-medhasaḥ, refine theistic intellect will... this will resonate with them. And, what will happen, as a consequence of exclusively dedicating oneself to the lotus-feet of Guru and Gaurāṅga, rādhā-padāmbhoja-sudhāṁbu-rāśiḥ (Ccd: 88.4). The rādhā-rasa-sudhānidhi begins to flow in the heart. And what do they do? They spring out of the soil of Vṛndāvan in service to the holy lotus-feet of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, rādhā-dāsyam. Hare Kṛṣṇa.