CONTENTS:
- Q&A WITH GURU MAHARAJA
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
1. Q&A WITH GURU MAHARAJA
Q1. Does the disciple look for the Guru or does the Guru find the disciple?
When we come across a bona fide spiritual master then it’s up to us to surrender to him so the onus is actually on the disciple, the Guru is not going to say come and take initiation from me, he may say take to this path, he will preach but it’s up to the disciple to surrender. When the disciple surrenders then the Guru accepts him just like when Arjuna surrendered to Krishna only then Krishna started to give him the advice and spiritual guidance.
Q2. Krishna in Chaitanya Charamrita comes only once in Brahma’s Day so does Srila Prabhupada come also only once and establish ISKCON or does Srila Prabhupada come every catur yuga?
Krishna comes once in a day of Brahma and in the following Kali Yuga Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu comes and following Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s plan Srila Prabhupada comes and then Prabhupada never leaves. Prabhupada just stays here for 10 000 years to make sure that all of us are properly situated in Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada is present in the form of ISKCON.
Q3. You mentioned that sankirtan movement is both japa and congregational chanting, please can you explain sankirtan as using everything in Krishna’s service is also part of this process?
Very good question. The word sankirtan is a combination of two words, total complete kirtan and this complete sankirtan has two connotations one is kirtan when many people get together and chant the glory of the Lord in music then that is sankirtan. The other consideration of sankirtan is when everything is used in glorifying the Lord that is sankirtan, the bigger concept of sankirtan. For example, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur considered the printing press to be brhat mrdanga, big mrdanga. In sankirtan you need mrdanga but here is brhat mrdanga why? Because this is brhat kirtan not just singing, because when you sing some people can hear but when you print books and give out the books how many people can hear, that sound goes further away so that is why that is brhat kirtan and even bigger that brhat kirtan is what Srila Prabhupada is doing. Engaging everybody to use everything in glorifying. Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur is using the books, Srila Prabhupada used the books and other things also. Especially nowadays internet is a big way of communication and we have to start that brhat brhat kirtan soon, preaching through internet, propagating Krishna Consciousness through internet or even making movies and with that understanding I embarked on the Abhay Charan project. Prabhupada’s lilamrita was there but not many people were reading lilamrita but movies everybody wants to watch. When we were showing it in Doordarshan our viewership was 4 million when it started but then after 6 months the viewership went to 22 million. So, this is the potency of this advanced media.
Q4. How do we come out of the fault-finding tendencies and respect devotees even whom we see faults?
Amanina manadena. Don’t try to judge others rather judge yourself. We have a very wonderful quality to find faults we are very expert and the best way to utilize that wonderful quality is to try to find fault in ourselves, why misuse that quality to others why not apply it to yourself and that will be the perfect utilization of that faculty.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
Q5. How do you experience Srila Prabhupada still being present?
You know the concept of Vapu and vani, out of these two which one is more important and permanent? Vani. Personalities are there but we have to see or feel the spirit of that personality, what he wants. When I adapted then I am only linked up properly. You see what is our relationship? It’s very simple master and servant. What is the servant’s business? To follow the command of the master. Try to understand what the master wants and try to act accordingly. That is what we have to do. What Srila Prabhupada wants? Then the question arises why Srila Prabhupada wants that? Does Srila Prabhupada want that in order to exploit us or benefit us? Benefit. For our benefit Prabhupada is doing that therefore I have to surrender to him and become completely tuned up to him and then only I will derive the ultimate benefit myself. So, you see human nature is like that we want to do something because there is some benefit. Does anyone want to do something to lose something or to gain something? Here we are whatever we are doing for our ultimate gain we have to become aware of that. By being in ISKCON I am not helping anyone else not even Srila Prabhupada I am helping myself so that is the very basic criteria for developing our relationship with Srila Prabhupada.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
- Don’t try to judge others rather judge yourself;
- By being in ISKCON I am not helping anyone else not even Srila Prabhupada I am helping myself so that is the very basic criteria for developing our relationship with Srila Prabhupada.
(The content of this E-magazine was based on questions and answers with Guru Maharaja)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)