CONTENTS:
- AT THE FACE OF CRISIS, WE SIMPLY HAVE TO DEPEND UPON KRISHNA
- SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
- GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
1. AT THE FACE OF CRISIS, WE SIMPLY HAVE TO DEPEND UPON KRISHNA
Hare Krishna. Are you all happy to be here? Yes. How many of you know Bhakti Prem Swami? Oh, how many times have you come to South Africa? This is the fifth time. Ok very nice. Now that we got together what can we speak only about Krishna, we can speak about Maya also. When we speak about Maya all negative things come out. The word Maya means illusion. Illusion means it’s appearing to be something but it’s something else. A classic example of illusion is a mirage. Just consider you are in a dessert and dying of thirst and at that time practically you are prepared to give. If you are a billionaire, you will give all your billions for a glass of water but then you see a mirage. What will be your natural tendency? To run after it thinking that here is water finally. Can the reflection in the mirage quench your thirst? The mirage although it gives the impression of water and makes you feel that it is going to quench your thirst but it will never be able to quench your thirst.
MATERIAL NATURE IS LIKE A MIRAGE
Material nature is like a mirage. We all are very thirsty; we are not thirsty of water but we are thirsty of joy. We are hankering for things that we feel will be available in this world and we are endeavoring, grabbing, get it but it never comes. Like we all are running after happiness and enjoyment but can anyone say that I am completely content? One may get some momentary satisfaction of contentment but its only momentary it disappears and then comes misery. So that’s material nature running after a mirage. We are running after a mirage life after life. There is no way of knowing for how many lifetimes we are running after a mirage, enjoyment but we are not happy, we are not satisfied. Now the consideration is that you are in the middle of a dessert and you are running after a mirage and then somebody comes and tells you that look this is a mirage and he explains what a mirage is and points out that running after a mirage for so many years you still have not found the water because the water is not there because the real water is there.
Now I am coming to the main point this person tells you that this is a mirage and it will never quench your thirst but still you don’t believe him you still continue to run after the mirage thinking that someday it will happen and whatever he is saying he is a nice sadhu and speaks nice things and so forth but you still carry on with your own way of life that is what you have to consider. To what extent are you believing the words of the person who is telling you that this is a mirage don’t run after it the real water is there and that is what you all have to question yourself. Take to spiritual life seriously don’t make it a part time business. Life is there but move on in the right direction and then the result you will see yourself.
THE FUTURE WILL RECOGNIZE SRILA PRABHUPADA’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD
Prabhupada came, just consider the sacrifice he made who will ever dare to go to a foreign country without any money in your pocket? Will anybody dare to do that? Will you even go to India where you have your relatives without any money in your pocket? But that is how Srila Prabhupada went to America; he went to the most expensive country in the world without any money. Just imagine all he had was forty rupees, first of all that forty rupees are nothing but a piece of paper that did not signify anything. Prabhupada could not change these rupees or get anything in return of these forty rupees that means that literally Prabhupada did not have anything with him. He didn’t have a single penny, he did not even know where he was going to stay, fortunately the only acquaintance he had he made some arrangement for him to be picked by from a boat and be put in a bus to drive to Butler, Pennsylvania, a small little insignificant town and that also at the age of seventy. How did he go? He went on a cargo ship. This is how Srila Prabhupada went. Why did he go there? The world will remember that with the passing of time that this is what Srila Prabhupada did and Prabhupada going to America will be seen as the factor that revolutionized the whole world. Time will come when the whole world will become Krishna Conscious and then they will remember it is because of Srila Prabhupada that this happened.
JESUS
Just as today the entire Christianity remembers that it is because of Jesus that this has happened. When Jesus was here doing anybody think that 2000 years after that this is what’s going to happen to the world? When Jesus was here his own people betrayed him and denied him, did Jesus mention that they will deny him before the cock’s crow? That means by next morning they will deny me and they said master how can that be possible that will never happen. I think it was Peter the next morning when the Roman soldiers asked him whether he knew Jesus and he said no and then only the cocks crowed and then it occurred to him that is what Jesus meant. They crucified him, no one stood beside him in protest. Today the world is remembering this but at that time can you imagine Jesus’s situation? He was seen as a criminal. Anyway, the point is the future will recognize Srila Prabhupada’s contribution to the world? How that will happen we do not know but be prepared for one thing that the world situation will become very critical. A time may come I hope it doesn’t come but a time may come when we will think of this day what a wonderful time it was that we all got together and discuss about Krishna Consciousnesses.
SYRIA TODAY
Just like can you imagine the people in Syria today? How many of you are aware of the world situation today? This people had their home. Almost 2 million refugees have gone to Europe, Germany alone has shelter 1 million refugees and most probably most of them are billionaires living in palaces, today they are destitute begging for a little shelter in some other country. You can see the entire European power cannot deal with the ISIS, why they are not dealing with them I don’t know and I don’t believe they can’t deal with them How many ISIS are there 20 000, 30 000 maybe 100 000? If they want, they can wipe them out in no time but why they are not doing that that is the question Donald Trump is asking. What is Europe doing? Why are they not doing anything? That is the question in the mind of everyone why they are not doing anything.
Now consider the entire European power, Germany, France Italy, all these countries are powerful countries, Austria just next door, all these countries together cannot deal with them, that means what this ISIS is going to become so powerful, if these countries cannot deal with them that means they will become more and more powerful. Today what is happening in Syria can happen in any country. Prabhupada used to give an example, why I am saying all these things is because I feel it is my responsibility to remind you, my responsibility is to remind you of the reality, my responsibility is to remind you what might happen. At a time like this we cannot say everything is wonderful. No.
PRABHUPADA’S EXAMPLE OF THE GOATS
Remember Prabhupada gave the example, the goats are being slaughtered and the other goats are peacefully eating the grass without realizing their turn is next. Now should we be like a bunch of goats although we are seeing the other goats being slaughtered, we are thinking for me everything is alright. Just before coming down, I was speaking to someone in Durban and he was telling me about the brutality that is taking place in Durban. Now what is happening to some people there can happen to anybody. We are not really living in a safe world we are living in an extremely dangerous situation. Again, what I am trying to do is not just to scare you but my message is to give you the solution and prepare you. Krishna Consciousness is the preparation.
When you cannot depend upon anyone and you are seeing that no political leader is able to control this situation, no military power is able to control this situation, no financial giants are able to control this situation then where will we go? Where will you go? Is there any other shelter besides Krishna, so that is the point? Take shelter of Krishna wholeheartedly. Don’t make Krishna Consciousness your secondary business; make this your prime business the most important consideration. This is what you have to do. Maybe the world situation will force us to do it. May the world situation will force the world to recognize Krishna Consciousness maybe that’s how it will happen. People will see how devotees are being protected how devotees have become fearless, how devotees are taking shelter of the holy name and that is how they are becoming so careful and see the potency.
TWO EXTREMELY MYSTERIOUS THINGS ABOUT CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU
Yesterday I made one point in a similar context; there are two things that seem to be extremely mysterious about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Why the Supreme Personality of Godhead came to this planet in a place that was dominated by the Muslims? When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came India was completely under Muslim domination, that is one thing why did the Lord come at a difficult time but He came to India in such a situation to show that this is how difficult the world situation becomes. Therefore, don’t be afraid and worried if you see the Muslims have taken over the whole world, that is their agenda and maybe they will be successful maybe the terrorist will take over, actually that religion is one of terror so it’s not surprising that they are terrorists. You can’t imagine how brutal they were when they were in India. They used to have certain amount of Brahmin threads. His men had to kill so many Brahmans in order to collect these Brahman threads amounts to a huge amount of weight. How much does a Brahman thread weigh? Maximum of 5g not even that so in order to get 100g you have to kill 20 Brahmans, in order to get 1kg 200 Brahmans, 10kg kill 2000 Brahmans on a daily basis.
Their brutality is absolutely frightening, appalling but Mahaprabhu appeared in a time like that and His movement spread and His devotees were spared. The other thing is He came to give the holy name to this world and why did He make Haridas Thakur the Acarya of the holy name who appeared in a Muslim family? Maybe in course of time we will see why Mahaprabhu did that. But at least one thing is sure, one thing is quite clear to us even if the whole world becomes Muslim Krishna Consciousness will prevail and nobody knows what may happen. Eventually the world will come to a situation when this religion will be totally banned because through all this complexities people will be so disgusted that they will eventually ban this religion maybe the Muslims themselves will ban it, maybe that’s why Haridas Thakur was made the Namacharya.
The holy name is not just for Hindus it’s meant for everybody, anyone and everyone. They will come back to their senses. I am sure many of them are seeing that in Syria the population is mostly Muslims and amongst themselves they have their difficulties. Of course, they making targets of non-Muslims but those Muslims who don’t support ISIS they killing them. Islam is not their main goal; their own agenda is their goal and whoever does not support that agenda are getting killed. Anyway, that is the sad part what I had to say but the happy part is if Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and if we take shelter of Krishna can He protect us?
IF WE TAKE SHELTER OF KRISHNA WILL HE PROTECT US?
Didn’t He protect His devotees at that time? An example Gangadas Pandit, he was a Brahmana and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu studied in his Gurukul at once. When Mahaprabhu revealed His identity as the Supreme Personality of Godhead that is called Mahaprakash Leela. Although Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was hiding His real identity at that time He revealed His identity as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He allowed His devotees to worship Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and at that time He kept on telling things and predicting. He told Gangadas Pandit, do you remember that night when you got the news the Muslims are coming to convert you and your whole family and you know how they would do that? They would make a proposal to convert if you did not convert, they will beat you up and molest the female members of your family right in front of your eyes and finally even if you don’t give up, they will skin you alive. If you want to see about Muslim atrocities, go to the Amritsar Golden temple. Have you been there? There are 5 large halls with paintings about Sikhism has withstood. There is on Sikh warrior his name was Bandamahadur, one of the right-hand men of Gurugovind Singh.
When they captured Bandamahadur finally what they did with him? They hung him from a tree and skinned him from feet down; no, they hung him upside down and skinned him from his feet down. Gurugovind’s two sons they captured him and proposed you convert they did not, they young boys. They proposed that you convert and we will give you the entire province of Sin to you. The story goes like this they said let us ask our mother. Gurugovind Singh was already dead so mother’s reply was if you do then all that your father did, all that grandfather did will be totally lost because they fought for their religion against Islam atrocities and these two boys were buried alive, brick upon brick was put on them when it came up to their neck still the proposal was there for them to convert. In the face of all these austerities they did not give up.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told Gangadas Pandit, do you remember that the Muslims were coming to convert you and along with your family you ran away you went to the bank of the Ganges and you found a boat and you knew when these people would come and won’t find you at home they will come to the river and at that time in utter desperation you started to cry and at that time you saw a boatman at the river and you called out and he came and took you across. Now the question is who was the boatman? He told Haridas Thakur you remember when they were beating you in 22 market places? One beating in one market place would have been good enough to kill anybody but Haridas Thakur continued to chant and Mahaprabhu told him you continued chanting and did not feel anything, do you know who took the beating? Then Mahaprabhu showed His back that He took the beating. This is how the Lord protects the devotees we don’t even have to go to India and Vedic culture, Krishna and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu the Supreme Personality of Godhead incarnating.
MOSES
Moses taking the Jews out of Egypt to Israel they were escaping there was a river Nile how did they cross the river? I am sure you know the river parted made way for them. Who do you think made that arrangement? Then as the Pharaoh soldiers came the water washed them away. When they were in that situation, they were running away from the chasing soldiers and what were there dessert they had to cross, were they carrying any food, did they cross over night? It took days maybe months what were they eating? Where was the water for drinking? So, does the Lord supply? We have to remember all that these are all not just fairy tales they are factual happenings.
HAVE IMPLICIT FAITH IN KRISHNA HE WILL PROTECT YOU
He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and when He gives the assurance can it ever go in vain? So that faith we have to have. No matter whatever situation we are in we have to accept it just as the comfortable, nice, oppulent arrangement is here today we enjoying, our temples our congregation, our Krishna Conscious environment is so wonderful. Just as Krishna gave this wonderful time if some difficulties come, we have to take it as Krishna’s mercy. Ultimately it is all a matter of Consciousness. Like from the normal perspective just consider Prahlad Maharaja’s situation, but was he affected by that? Was Haridas Thakur affected by that? NO. The devotees are just happy depending upon Krishna and when difficulties come. Can you imagine how embarrassing the situation was in the marketplace in front of thousands of people you are being lashed?
SANATANA GOSWAMI
Sanatana Goswami a minister was put into prison so Krishna may put devotees in situations but it is ultimately to glorify the devotees by showing what happens to a devotee when he depends on Krishna. Sanatana Goswami escaped from the prison he was a convict hiding and didn’t take a normal course as people would recognize him so he took a course through the forest, mountain that is what a devotee is like.
MY BUSINESS IS NOT TO SCARE YOU BUT ASSURE YOU
That is what we have to prepare ourselves for depend on Krishna no matter what just depend on Krishna. We are seeing the news, newspapers don’t carry good news because people like to hear bad news, that is the nature and the newspapers are full of bad news and magnifies the problems. No one comes with a solution if we go and tell them that this is the solution do you think they will print our article? No way but it does not matter we communicate this message among ourselves in meetings like this that is why I am speaking to you like this. I am not here to give you some nice stories and entertain you. My business is not to entertain you but to enlighten you. The age of Kali is an ocean of sinful activities. What will be the result of sinful activities? Do you think it will be glorious, for the time being the result of sinful activities may appear to be glittering but that glitter won’t last long? Ultimately the world is catching up with the sinful activities that are accumulating.
So many cows are being killed so many babies being aborted so many innocent people are being killed so all these sinful activities are result of this and one day it will blow up. It will happen so that is the reality of Kali. The age of Kali is an ocean of sinful activities but there is one great advantage just by chanting the holy name one will achieve the ultimate destination. So, in one hand there is a very bleak and ominous situation but on the other hand there is a very glorious advantage. Did I scare you? As I have said my business is not to scare you but assure you. What I am trying to do is to reassure you that the path that you have accepted is the right path. This is THE way. If the whole world accepts this way if the majority accepts this way the world situation will change. The calamities may come but those who have taken shelter of Krishna’s lotus feet they won’t be affected and of course I will tell you one thing the paintings thousands of paintings in the museum of golden temple but when I was going through that what dawned at the back of my mind? They had gone through all these difficulties because they did not surrender to Krishna.
That is one thing we learn in this age don’t struggle against this age just surrender to Krishna and surrender to Krishna means just as Prahlad Maharaja did, he protest to his father? Did he ever tell his father why are you doing this to me? His thing was do whatever you want to do, so that is the attitude of a devotee and then only Krishna will protect. If you struggle yourself and fight then Krishna will say okay go then since you are so capable then deal with it. That is my realization when I was going through this fighting. It all happened to them because they did not surrender to Krishna. Whatever is happening to the world is because they didn’t surrender to Krishna. If they surrender to Krishna then the world situation will drastically change. Now the responsibility is lying with us that we have to do it that is why I said at the very beginning take this process very seriously. Don’t think that somebody else will do it, no, you have to do it.
Okay you may think that the situation is not right, ok then wait for the situation but prepare yourself for that. Be convinced that if the situation is so drastic this is what we have to do and what we going to do? Go out on Harinaam, just go out on Harinaam and chant the holy name. The terrorist will come and shoot us, fine, if you die chanting the holy name you will actually go back to Godhead so what’s the loss? At the face of crisis, we simply have to depend upon Krishna. Thank you very much. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION
Prabhupada came, just consider the sacrifice he made who will ever dare to go to a foreign country without any money in your pocket? Will anybody dare to do that? Will you even go to India where you have your relatives without any money in your pocket? But that is how Srila Prabhupada went to America; he went to the most expensive country in the world without any money. Just imagine all he had was forty rupees, first of all that forty rupees are nothing but a piece of paper that did not signify anything. Prabhupada could not change these rupees or get anything in return of these forty rupees that means that literally Prabhupada did not have anything with him. He didn’t have a single penny, he did not even know where he was going to stay, fortunately the only acquaintance he had he made some arrangement for him to be picked by from a boat and be put in a bus to drive to Butler, Pennsylvania, a small little insignificant town and that also at the age of seventy. How did he go? He went on a cargo ship. This is how Srila Prabhupada went. Why did he go there? The world will remember that with the passing of time that this is what Srila Prabhupda did and Prabhupada going to America will be seen as the factor that revolutionized the whole world. Time will come when the whole world will become Krishna Conscious and then they will remember it is because of Srila Prabhupada that this happened.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
- Take to spiritual life seriously don’t make it a part time business;
- Take shelter of Krishna wholeheartedly. Don’t make Krishna Consciousness your secondary business; make this your prime business the most important consideration. This is what you have to do;
- Have implicit faith in Krishna, He WILL protect you;
- No matter whatever situation we are in we have to accept it;
- That is what we have to prepare ourselves for depend on Krishna no matter what just depend on Krishna;
- That is one thing we learn in this age don’t struggle against this age just surrender to Krishna and surrender to Krishna means just as Prahlad Maharaja;
- Do whatever you want to do, so that is the attitude of a devotee and then only Krishna will protect;
- Take this process very seriously;
- Don’t think that somebody else will do it, no, you have to do it;
- Prepare yourself for that. Be convinced that if the situation is so drastic this is what we have to do and what we going to do? Go out on Harinaam, just go out on Harinaam and chant the holy name. The terrorist will come and shoot us, fine, if you die chanting the holy name you will actually go back to Godhead so what’s the loss; and
- At the face of crisis, we simply have to depend upon Krishna.
(The content of this E-magazine is based on a lecture given by HH Bhakti Charu Swami on 21st July 2016 at the Palazzo Hotel conference room, Johannesburg, South Africa)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)