Srila Bhakti Swarupa Damodar Maharaj
This morning, I had a strong desire in me to one day reach the perfection of existence that is to be engaged in a group of associates of the divine couple Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. And I remembered a wonderful place in Yavat, there is a wonderful Kunda called Kisori-Kunda and this Kunda is special because at this place, Radha and Krsna dance, perform Rasa-Dance, and that’s why this water is very special because it infuses all the feelings, this water has the power to fill all the spiritual desires. That’s why this morning, when I sang, I went to the edge of this wonderful pond and I felt my soul crying and I felt my soul beg for this perfection.
There is a wonderful story that is told …… In the Bhagavad-Gita, the Lord says that He comes into this world to restore religious principles and to destroy the demonic mind, because in us there is always some bad mentality, that’s why we can not meet love and we can not meet God, when the Lord comes, everything is in Him, everything comes from Him, the Lord is all-powerful, the creation is nothing compared to Him, it’s very small.
When He comes, there are extraordinary characters like Kamsa. Kamsa had the power of ten thousand elephants, with a complexion of gold, he had earthly weapons but also divine weapons and was born with this desire, since he heard a prophecy that he would be killed by the eighth child of Devaki, who is Krsna,Kamsa was born with a demon nature, a very powerful demon, he had only one idea was to kill Krsna, it was his goal. It is explained that so much he was absorbed for this purpose, he did not sleep, even all night he was absorbed in Krsna but not in a good way, not with love but with the desire to kill the Supreme Lord, but it is not possible to kill Him.
When the Lord appeared, Kamsa wanted to know where He was, in a certain area, in Gokula, there were some wonderful things going on. After the Lord was at Vrndavana, after at Nandagram, when Kamsa sent his spies, he heard about wonderful beauty, wonderful girls, one of whom was called Sri Radha. Kamsa thought, “If I could capture that beauty, I’ll make it my queen.” He left with an entire army, saying that he simply wanted to go around all his conquests, he arrived at Yavat, told his army: ” stay in this grove, I will see this place myself.”
He arrived with his very opulent tank, jewels everywhere, four horses, he arrived at the edge of Kisori-Kunda, a Kunda so wonderful, but so Kamsa was powerful and demonic that Kisori-Kunda fell back, the lotuses have closed, you realize the power of Kamsa …! He tied up his horses and was thirsty, he approached the Kisori-Kunda and began to dip his hands in the water and drink. There, he heard his horses neigh, as he is a warrior, he turned to see enemies but he did not see anything, he did not understand, he said to himself: ”but he there is no danger here! “he returned to drink, when he looked at the water; he saw a girl’s gaze, very beautiful gopi, very fine with eyes like lotus, he said to himself: ”it must be a nymph of the waters!”.
He heard the horses neigh again as if they were amused by this situation, he turned around, he looked at his hands, he had girls’ hands, beautiful hands of gopis, gopis bracelets, he looked at his feet, he had a dress, he saw necklaces, he said to himself ” but how is it possible! ”, he no longer had a man’s voice but a woman’s voice. He says to himself: ” but what’s going on? It’s a curse! Who am I king, how am I going to control my kingdom now? What are my soldiers going to say? “He was completely desperate, he did not know what to do.
Kamsa saw two beautiful girls coming to Kunda, they were almost flying, they were not touching the ground, they were divine, it was Lalita-Sakhi with one of her servant, they came to collect water for the bath of Radharani, when Lalita-Sakhi saw this chariot, she said:
Lalita:“What is this so opulent chariot?” When she saw this girl she said, “She must know since she is here.” ” Oh girl! Whose is this chariot? “
Kamsa-gopi:”It’s mine” replied the girl
Lalita-Sakhi:” But we’ve never seen a gopi with such opulence! ”
Kamsa-gopi:” I am Kamsa, the king of Mathura! I am the Emperor of the world! “
The girls started laughing, making fun of Kamsa-gopi. Lalita understood and said, “How is it that you who are a king, you have a woman’s body?”
Kamsa-gopi:”But I do not know, I touched that water and now I’ve got a woman’s body!”
Lalita:In truth, Kisori-Kunda fills all desires so you had to have a concupiscent desire in you, and why not remove the most beautiful gopis. What you have is a good thing.
Kamsa fell to their knees at their feet.
Kamsa-gopi says to himself: ”Certainly they will be able to help me, I am in a terrible situation ”.
Radharanientered the mind of Lalita and said to Her, “Bring Me this raskal, we will be able to engage him in the service of Krsna.”
Lalita was not happy after Kamsa because she guessed right away why he was there and thought it was a good punishment. As Radharani is Supreme, we never disobey Her orders, everyone in the spiritual world is completely abandoned to Srimati Radharani since it is the origin of the devotional service, all the female expansions, …. For example, Srila Narayan Maharaj said, when Krsna has the desire to taste vatsalya-rasa, parental love, She manifests Herself as Yasoda, when Krsna desires a sakha, some sakha, She takes the form of Subala, the Goswamis of Vrndavana explains this.
Lalita tells Kamsa: “I know one person who can change your situation, I’ll take you to Her.”
Kamsa was so submissive that they carried Radharani’s bath water on his head, and on the way, Kamsa had to pay obeisances to all the Vrajavasis. With Lalita-Sakhi, Her servant and Kamsa-gopi, when they arrived at Abhimanyu’s house, there was Radharani’s mother-in-law.
Jatila thought: “Here is a new girl who comes as a friend to Radharani.”
When Kamsa-gopi entered this opulent house with gold and jewels everywhere, he was completely amazed and said: ” but what opulence! ” They made him wait in a big hall and when Lalita-Sakhi met Radharani, although she knew why Lalita-Sakhi had brought Kamsa, Said to her:
Lalita-Sakhi:”I brought you someone special.
Radharani asked: What’s special about her?
Lalita-Sakhi replied: It was Kamsa who took the form of a gopi.
When Radharani was ready, went out and went to this room and sat Kamsa next to Her and Lalita-Sakhi as well.
Radharani:”What can I do for you ?
With great humility, Kamsa says: “I am Kamsa” he recognized his wrongs, “I would like to become a king again, I do not want this female form anymore.”
Radharani:It’s still amazing! The yogis, the greatest devotees of the Lord aspire to have a form of gopis, but you do not want, you want to become a demonic king again. In fact, since you were born you persecuted Krsna! With all your demons, you disturb the pastimes of My Lord! I can deliver you but on one condition.
Kamsa:Yes, yes! I accept all the conditions!
Radharani:Do not send demons to Vrndavana anymore!
Kamsa:Yes, I will do it.
Radharani:”Pay attention! If you do not follow this instruction, then you will have a woman’s body all your life. Repeat me that you will never send demons again and that you will not bother Krsna anymore.
Kamsa:I promise!”
It’s history. A question which for me is important, we see that although Kamsa came into contact with the highest goal, Radharani, Her associates, although he could hear directly from the divine mouth of Radharani and yet, he has not changed his nature, he wants to remain a man, he wants to remain a woman, so we can understand that it is extremely difficult to reach a divine nature, because even if one goes to a holy place that is so powerful, one goes to a temple so powerful, yet where is the divine form? Where is our relationship with the Supreme Lord? Although we could swim in the waters of the Sadhus, where is this divine form? Where is this relationship with Krsna? We always cry to have a man’s body or a woman’s body and become entangled in material life, it’s a reality. So what is the real process for changing this mentality?
Srila Bhakti Nandan Swami Maharaj
In order to answer this question, first I should address some aspects of the answer. When we answer  questions like: ” How to do it? How is it going to happen? What must be done to make it happen? ” We can point some ways, processes or systems, ”that’s how it can happen”. Then the question appears: ”OK, but how this system can be started?” Again, we can answer “By such and such process or system this achievemnt can start.” And further question will appear: ”How to get this system started?”
The basic answer for this question is that untill the free will of that jiva soul is not used for reaching the highest divine interest of life, and untill some help of the grace of the Lord does not appear in life, it is very difficult to make something happen.
In spite of getting a very fortunate chances to become included among Vraja’s gopis family, Kamsa could not have that, could not understand the value of that so he missed his chance. Because his way of approach towards Srimati Radharani was very wrong. He did not try to approach Srimati Radhika with some submissive devotional mood, rather he was commanding Her, trying to get Her to become his queen. It was wrong enjoying mood. Is the worst example of the use of free will. Thats why in spite of having the great fortunate chance of fullfillemnt of being included in the family of Radhika as a Vraja gopi, Kamsa was not qualified to have that. He didn´t deserve it. Because his approach was non-devotional.
Before answering the point Maharaj’s question, I wanted to create a background. How to change this mentality of Kamsa.  Although he got this highest opportunity of life to become one of the Vraja gopis, to be included in Srimati Radharani´s family, he lost it. Such an unfortunate person! How to change this kind of mentality?
Mahajanas gave some examples. There is another cute story. Once it happened that two fishermen coming back to their home after selling their fish on the market. On the way back, came huge thunderstorm with thunder and lightning. The immediately tried to look for some shelter to protect themselves from the thunderstorm. They found a flower garden nearby with its doors open and with a tatched house inside. They went running inside that house.
The whole garden was full of different types of frangrant flowers and was filled by their fragrance. After some time one of them started to feel sick and he began to vomit, because the fragrance of flowers. He was not habituated to smellthe smell of the flowers, because all the time he was dealing with fishes and was habituated to their smell.
His friend thought: “How to stop his vomiting? The thunderstorm and rains are still going on, we cannot go out. He is vomiting from the fragrance of the flowers.”Suddenly a thought came to his mind: “Oh, there is a cloth which we use for covering of the fish.” So he said: “Put that cloth to your nose, than you will not able to smell the fragrance of the flowers.” So he did it and at some point his vomiting stopped and he felt better. And when the rain stopped, they went away.
Tell me, why I amgiving such an example? Because that was the case of Kamsa. he could not take the beacutiful fragrant fortune of his own life to become included to Srimati radharani´s family, because he was the opposite mood. He has wrong attitude and mood and temporament and everything. He was materialy conditioned. He knew that is some point he will be killed and he cannot survive, yet he could not get away from teh attachment to become a king of demons.
Another story: Indra appeared as hog. He engaged in sinful activities and than he got cursed to be born as a hog. Eventually he was having very nice family life with lots of food and so on. One day the day came when he should be liberated from the pig´s body, so Brahmaji mercifully appeared before him to remind him: “You are not a pig, you are actually Indra of the heaven. Due to certain effects of the curse you have become a pig. but now time has arrived for you to be liberated from the pigs body and come back to heaven.”
Indra looked at him and said: “What are you saying, Brahmaji? I am supposed to leave this pig life and go to heaven? I do not understand that.” Brahmaji looked at him: “As long as you are in a pig body, mind and spirit you will not understand, what is heaven It is incomparable. I cannot even exlapin that to you.” Indra said: “What do you mean? If you even cannot explain to me, why heaven will be mopre happy and beautiful than my present life, why have you come to me to give this advice to go there?” Lord Brahma said: “Oh dear pig, i am your wellwisher. I have come here to remind you that you are actually the king of heaven – Indra. And now your time arrived for you to leave this pig´s body and go to your possition of Indra. Heaven is so much more beautiful and happy. Take my word.” The pig Indra replied: “Are you rerious? Can I have such a delicious foodstuffs that I am enjoying here also in heaven? Can I have such a beautiful surroundungs filled with dirt which I have here? Is it avaiable in the heaven? Because than I can consider going to heaven. Look at my family! I am so attached to all my family members and I am having a very happy family life. But you are my enemy. You came here to destroy my happy family life! What is this? I have not done any harm to you. Why are you becoming my enemy? You look so hansome and knowledgable, but you have some ulterior motive to destroy ma family. I do not understand why you are my enemy.”
 And Brahmaji thought: “Oh! This pig cannot be subjected to reason.” he said: “Do not worry! Now it is time for you to leave this material body of the pig and become Indra and I have come to fulfill this purpose for your own good. Do not worry. Now you have to leave your material body and I will take care of your family members. Do not worry for them. Now I want you to leave this material body of a pig.”
Brahmaji applied his mystical power and made Indra leave his pig body in a natural way, not by killing him. As soon as Indra got liberated, he immediately got his heavenly body. Than immediately he could realise everything that Brahmaji have said before and he started crying in the unlimited gratitude towards Brahmaji and felt to his feet and made prostrated obeisances. “You saved me” You saved my, my lord! For so long I have been under the ignorance and I could not see the higher good of my life. You are my real friend, my topmost friend, my well-wisher and my master. You saved my life in this way.” Being filled by the divine grace of Brahmaji he became Indra again and went to the heaven.
This is not an ordinary story, this is a fact, mentioned in the scriptures. It really happened. the reason I am talking about all this is to mean that when our senses and our consciousness is thickly covered my the modes of ignorance, we cannot realise the higher good of our life.
Srila Bhakti Swarup Damodar Maharaj
The principle is, when Indra was cursed and had a pig body, Brahma came to Indra because he had pity on him, it’s another version a little different, it completes a little bit, when maharaj will come back he will resume his word. Brahma said to Indra in the form of the pig: “Do not you remember that you are the king of heaven?” When Indra in the form of a pig saw Brahma sitting on his divine mount, he could not understand his words, Brahma realized that it was due to his attachments, he made his little piglets disappear, and there Brahma thought he was going regain consciousness.
Brahma says: “So now can you understand that you were Indra?
Indra: Anyway, it does not matter, I do it again small piglets.
Brahma subtilised the female.
Brahma:And there?
Pig Indra: On the celestial planets, are there feces? “
You understand? As long as one has a material consciousness, as long as one has not experienced a divine plan, for Indra in the form of pork, he no longer remembered his condition. We are the same. The Bhagavad-Gita explains to us that we are a spiritual soul, we have nothing to do with this body. Simply, we are placed in this environment due to our unclean desires and in the same way, if we come into contact with a higher source.
We always talk about the principle of Saints because we say that the association will allow us to understand our nature as a soul. By dint of associating, naturally we will begin to think as a spiritual soul, we will think as servant of the Supreme Lord. Of course, it’s a way of seeing things, I do not know how maharaj will develop, we will see our environment in a real way, that is why even though we come into contact with some things of superiors, sometimes we are like Indra in the form of a pig, it’s all the time, it means that we refuse to accept wonderful facts because we are attached to objects that are, finally some things temporary, illusory, everything will disappear it’s just a matter of time.
Our family will disappear with death, our wealth, all our relationships and yet we are eternal, we will have to start again, and in a new birth we start again life after life. It’s not just that in this life it’s explained ”bahunam janmanam ante” it makes millions of lives that we do that. Krsna is merciful Srila Sridhar Maharaj explains, because God loves us, He comes weeping looking for us, He comes with tears begging us to come back to Him. You know this story with Narada Muni … we’ll tell it.
Once Narada Muni was in Vaikuntha, and was saddened because he saw all the people who did not want to come back to Krsna, he had preached well, it did not work, he asked the Lord for a blessing. ” O Lord, give me this blessing to instantly release all those who want, like that, without qualifications ”. The Lord smiled and accepted. Narada Muni descended with his mystical powers into the material world, and saw a Brahmana.
Narada Muni: ”O brahmana! I have just seen the Lord Visnu, He has given me this blessing to release who I want, I can free you.
Brahmana:Yes, but there is a problem, I have to get married after marriage.
Once married, Narada Muni returned, knocking on the door, the husband opened.
Narada Muni: So, are you ready? Now you are married, I can free you.
Brahmana:Oh yes, but the problem is that my wife is expecting a child after birth.”
Narada Muni returned a few months later, the baby was born, he knocks on the door. The Brahmana had been hiding on the first floor so as not to see Narada Muni because he was attached to his wife and child. He fell and killed himself, and took birth in the body of a dog. Narada Muni came to see him.
Narada Muni: Look! Before you were a brahmana now you are a dog, look at your condition, I can free you, you come back to Vaikuntha right now.
The brahmana in the form of the dog: But Narada look at all my puppies and my females… “
It’s endless …, you understand? And this is our situation. Our situation is that we can not understand the higher plane, we do not want it, for conditions that are so inferior. Although the Lord lives after life, comes to seek us, He sends devotees into the material world, begs us to return, He is crying! The Vaisnavas cry to bring us back! Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura said that it is necessary to give liters and liters of blood, but nobody wants because everyone on this reason to stay in this world. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati said, “If I bring back a person, I consider my mission to be successful”. And it’s not easy! That’s why we have to wake up. For example, my brother told me a story that is really interesting.
There was a king who was sick, he was a cruel king, he hired doctors and when they could not heal him, the king killed them. There were not many people who wanted to heal him, imagine! He was close to death, he had no choice, he had to find a doctor to treat the king. He was kindly told about a doctor who was super-bad, really bad, rude. It was a king who was very proud, who could not stand being disrespected or criticized, you understand the extreme situation …
The king says: “I will accept everything, bring it to me, I have no choice.”
Doctor:I want to treat you with three conditions!
King:Okay, I accept!
The doctor: First, we have to tie you on a bed! Secondly for an hour, although you give any order, your guardians must not intervene, and thirdly, at the door of the kingdom, you put two sacks of gold and a horse.
King:All right! No problem!
The doctor attaches him, and there, he begins to spit in his face.
The king shouts: ” It’s a hustler !! It’s a hustler !! Deliver me !!
But the guards had been ordered not to intervene, during that time the doctor tortured him a little and he cried out !! he screams !! By his strength, he manages to free himself, and runs after the doctor. When the doctor arrives at the door of the kingdom, takes the horse and the sacks of gold and leaves, behind him runs the king with a sword. Finally, at one point the king realizes that he is healed.
In the same way, we have a torpor, we do not want to be treated, we want to remain in this condition, we want to remain conditioned, to remain attached to men, to women, to temporary objects. Lamentation is not a good thing, the material feeling is not a good thing when it is badly directed, this feeling must be directed to the Absolute Truth. The mind, the intelligence must be engaged in some higher activities, in the action for the Supreme Lord, and there we will naturally wake up and understand the higher teachings, we are like the king understand you? We do not want to heal, we do not want. But if we receive a shock, then it wakes us up, in the same way, Maharaj says that the Sadhus are as sweet as the rose but hard as lightning, why? Because it’s to wake us up.
Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada said: someone who sleeps, you have to make noise to wake him up, if you do movements, it does not work. The best way out of this torpor is listening.
Srila Bhakti Nandan Swami Maharaj
We have a story telling session tonight, I see that all of you are enjoying it.Relating to Yati Maharaja´s query: how to change this Kamsa – like mentality? How not to loose the most fortunate opportunity?
Practical way of changing such unfortunate, negative mentality or temperament, which brings so much harm and causing so much loss in life, is to approach a holy person, holy sadhu, a pure devotee of the Lord, to take his or hers holy association,seeking the light of wisdom from the realized souls, becoming serious and submisive to advices and guidance of those devotees, accepting it with faith – this will be very good and beneficial for our lives. Be sincerely devoted to follow the path which takes us to the higher good of life.
In the holy scriptures there have been described different processes how to do that – to bring the positive changes into our lives, to overcome modes of ignorance and passion:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
(B.G: IV.34)
”Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth..”
As pointed out by Krsna in Bhagavad-Gita, we should approach a holy sadhu, pure devotee of the Lord,who is so wise and well wisher of everyone, with mood of submisiveness, faith and devotion.
We should be asking beneficial, high-class queries and sevaya – being in the mood of service. And also we should accept all holy instructions given by realized souls, pure devotees and follow them. Follow this instructions and achieve the highest goal of life, the Supreme God. Lord Krsna describes this way, how to change such a temperament and mentality, this Kamsa-like mentality. Srila Rupa Goswami also described through the Upadesamrta another process, which is also very helpful:
atyaharah prayasas ca
prajalpo niyamagrahah
jana-sangas ca laulyam ca
sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati
(verse 2)
Atyaharah – excessive overeating due too much greed, prayasas ca – too much toilsome endeavor, prajalpa – useless gossip, niymagraha – too much attachment to artificially follow the formalities and regulations, jana-sangas ca – taking mundane association, laulyam ca too much greed. This six kind of things are destroying devotional life, therefore we should give them up.
1. Atyahara means literally overeating.  This doesn´t mean only overeating with food, but it actually symbolizes the tendency of overacceptence ofthings. Overdevouring. ”I want ! I want ! I want!” On the cost of others, I want more and more for me. this is called atyahara. It characterizes shameless, selfish greed.
2. Prayasa – making too much endeavor for having something. For example, we want to have something and we are going for it, making effort. But to achieve this little thing we are making so much toilsome endeavor, that all the hapiness is gone and so much time and energy is wasted. Just to achieve something futile. Too much endeavour for some temporary, mortal, material thing. When we achieve it, all the endeavor is wasted. Because it is mortal. We should give our energy and effort for achieving the immortal divine treasure. This is what we need to do.
3. Prajalpa means gossiping. So much time of our life is spent, waisted, trough useless gossiping. Sometimes when we do not have any problems in our own life, we are engaged in political gossips or filmstar gossips, and even get amotional over it: “It is like this!” “No, it is this way!” This is useless gossiping. It doesn´t have anything to do with our lives. All the time just bla bla bla and no gain out of it. Useless gossips are strictly prohibited because it causes so much wasted time and energy.
4. Niyamagrahah symbolizes too much addiction to the external formalities and not caring about the inner essence, for which these formalities are actually required. Sometimes people say that when they go to some big social party, there are many people who are smiling at each other and behaving really nicely
to the external rules, to the forms of things without really understanding what is the meaning of these rules, too attached to the form, and finally the bottom is not there. Sometimes, people organize big event evenings with many people who come with a whole process and everyone is hyper-polite, super-nice, everyone smiles ” Ah! Here is such a person, such, such, such! ” And are so kind to introduce each other, but in fact between them, there is no love, they simply follow a process of material courtesy but there is no background in all this and you see them all smiling, you look at them from the outside, if you look at them, it’s the perfect world, but although they smile and they do all these procedures, it does not matter. there is no love between them.
Externally for the formalities, they look very nice, very nice but in fact they are not at al l like that. It’s called Niyamagrahah, focusing too much on the rules, the structure, the formalities but without really understanding the essence of all these things, like that ” Oh! Hi ! How are you ? Oh ! I’m so happy to see you, it’s been a long time, I missed you so much! ” After they kiss, the next moment, they forget, it’s not a loving relationship but they become very nice at the party.
Better a little things than nothing at all, it’s better to behave like that than to behave badly with people, good artificial behavior is better than brutal behavior. There is a difference between a true relationship based on love and affection and with just formalities like that. Niyamagrahah.
5. jana-sangas ca: means looking too much for the association who have bad tendencies in their lives (ignorance, passion), bad influences, simply to develop social relations, to have a position in society, if we do that, we will absorb the qualities of these people, so it will be detrimental to our spiritual progress.
6. laulyam ca: means greed, greed for wanting to rejoice in everything we see around us thinking that everything is for our benefit, as soon as we see some objects ”Ah it it’s for me, it’ll be good, I’ll be able to use it ” , that even at the expense of others as soon as we see a few things to think right now, ” it’ll be beneficial for me, I have to have that! ”, develop too much greed, for objects material and in a very selfish way.
These six bad temperaments of which we have spoken, must be rejected in order to be able to change our mentality, These six facts represent a mentality which are opposed to devotion and which are opposed to God because these six ways of acting destroy our devotional feelings and our spiritual life.
utsahan niscayad dhairyat
tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sanga-tyagat sato vrtteh
sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati
From the book Upadesamrta, the teaching of Rupa Goswami (Verse 3)

And then Srila Rupa Goswami has given six principles which, on the contrary, do not destroy spiritual advancement and devotion but will help it to develop. Srila Rupa Goswami explained the actions that had to be rejected in order to progress, now I am going to explain what principles should be rejected.

Sometimes, in the kitchen, you need a little bit of spice to enhance the taste, so the fact that they have seen your mistake and correct it, adds a little bit of spice. Sometimes when you cook, at some point in the cooking you add some masala or spices, when you add them, it makes you cough, sneeze maybe even that it will make you cry but nevertheless you still like the taste of masala. They collected like masala, it’s such a nice exchange.)

What are the things that must be accepted to change the mentality opposed to the Lord?
utsahan niscayad dhairyat
tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sanga-tyagat sato vrtteh
sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati
Six principles are peculiar to the fulfillment of pure devotional service:
1. utsahat: the enthusiasm to fulfill the rules that stimulate devotion: to be enthusiastic to do these activities because we know that it is good for us, it will help us develop love for Krsna, we must be enthusiastic to do that, it must come from us, ”Oh! I want to do that”
2. niscayat: conviction, firm faith in the scriptural and spiritual master’s explanations whose words are fully in the lineage of the scriptures, having faith in the scriptures and what our spiritual master tells us is good and beneficial for us, they are not there to cheat us.
3. Dhairyat: patience during the practice of Krsna’s service, as we are in this spiritual practice, even when we encounter many obstacles, we must continue to be patient, and determination, dhairyat has two meanings, both the determination in the face of obstacles, we must not stop, we must always continue. And patience, even if we do these activities and the result does not happen right away, we must continue knowing that it will come.
4. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat: means to follow the 9 devotional principles, such as listening to the glories of Krsna, singing the name of Krsna, … follow this practice, and give up looking in our lives the pleasure of our senses, but rather to focus our life on talking about Krsna, remembering Krsna, worshiping His deity form, following this method called bhakti.
5. Sanga-tyagat: Abandon the bad association with people who are too attached to the association of the opposite sex, who seek too many associations with the pleasure of the senses, people who are too absorbed in this conception of life there are not good associates as well as all forms of bad associations, People with bad nature, disrespectful, bad philosophical conceptions, we must avoid them because we develop their qualities when we associate with them.
6. Sato vrtteh: Adopt the good behavior and character of pure devotees, those who have a healthy and ideal character in their lives, try to follow in their footsteps and adopt their behaviors.
dadati pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam
Then Rupa Goswami, in this verse continues to give positive principles to enable us to move forward in devotion to change this mentality in us.
Offerto the Vaisnavas, to the Lord’s devotees gifts, among devotees who practice the spiritual life, give them gifts, presents, not to anyone, but people who are engaged in spiritual practice and Accept when they give us make gifts.
Acceptwhen the devotees give us prasad and give them prasad.
To ask sincere questions about how to progress in the spiritual life and to listen to what they tell us, with sincerity what comes from their heart, is an exchange. These three activities go both ways,
1. offering and receiving gifts
2. giving and receiving prasad
3. revealing what is in our hearts to other Vaisnavas and listening the thoughts of the Vaisnavas
Rupa Goswami gives us practical points of power to make these changes in our heart and to lose this bad mentality and awaken to a good positive mentality. And the scriptures explain that we have six enemies in our lives in the form of:
1. concupiscence: kama
2. anger: krodha
3. envy: matsarya
4. greed, lobha
5. the illusion, moha
6. and madness, mada
These six things represent enemies.
We must be serious about standing aside from these six enemies, to reject them from our lives if we want to make real progress. These six enemies are present in everyone’s life. We must be aware of these six enemies, and be careful to depart from them in order to be happy in Krsna consciousness.
Now we could ask, “But how do you follow all the principles you said?” If I explain how to follow these principles, I will explain some points to you to succeed, then you will be able to say to me: “Yes, but how to follow all the points that you mentioned!” it’s endless. If there is one thing we can be sure of, it is that our sincere desire to do positive actions to improve ourselves will always receive help, we will always receive an answer because God will help you, God help those who help themselves. One must be very sincere in this desire to be able to change our bad nature, the bad situation in which we are, and pray sincerely to the Lord for help, and His help will come into our life.
Imagine that I’m addicted to a drug, I know that this drug is very bad for me, it destroys my life. I have the desire to take this drug, and I know it is bad and destroys my life, but at the same time, although I know it I can not live without it, I need to live with it. At some point in my life, I have to say, “No! I can not do that, I will not take this drug! I’m determined, I will not take this drug because I know it’s bad for me.” Despite the attraction that I have, and that I fight several days in a row. “I can die well but I will not take this drug! Automatically, if I make this inner effort that everyone can do, it will bring a change in my life.
Besides the treatment that exists to rehabilitate people who are in the drug, there must also be a sincere and deep desire of the person to get out of this situation, even just with that desire, that person can get out of this situation. Every effort we make with sincerity has power in itself. He comes from the depths of our soul, he has an energy, a goal.
Krsna says, “If you really have the desire to act in your interest, for your benefit, automatically what you do will not be negative for you. If you choose to become your own enemy, you can too, the two paths are open to you, you can choose which one you can take. I leave you two paths open for you, you can make a choice. But compared to your comparative study of what is beneficial and what is not good for you, you have to choose and make the right choice, although both are possible.”
In the same way as parents, sometimes they let their children play, and sometimes children will hurt themselves, fall, hurt themselves, cry, it’s part of their learning too. The goal of the parents is to protect them but they can not stop them from playing either, otherwise they take away all the freedom of the children. So they leave them their freedom and their experiences to understand the parents’ words. Krsna is also like that.
Krsna says this verse in the Bhagavad-Gita: (chapter 6, verse 5)
uddhared atmanatmanam
natmanam avasadayet
atmaiva hy atmano bandhur
atmaiva ripur atmanah
Krsna: “You must always by your own strength, try to get out of your situation, to fight the difficulty in which you are, you must never let yourself be defeated, never give up, you must always try to beat you in the right direction ”
I repeat: ” Freed yourself with your own strength coming from your soul and coming from the Supreme Soul that Is in your heart. Never allow yourself to fall prey to disappointment and depression. If you want, you can become your best friend, or you can become your worst enemy. You must be sincere enough to make the effort to become your own friend and not be your enemy. ”
Translated from French into English by Rasalila Devi Dasi Mataji