19860619 Smaraṇa Vyāsa-pūjā

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on June 19th, 1986 at New Tālavana farm in Carriere, Mississippi. The lecture was given on the occasion of the Vyāsa-pūjā Smaraṇam.

Jayapatākā Swami: I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Śrīla Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. By his mercy the lame cross over the mountain and the dumb can become great orators; blind can see the stars in the sky. So many sincere devotees spoke. I find myself still speechless, but I pray to Prabhupāda to give me something to say. So, the Vyāsa-pūjās are particularly embarrassing in one level. I always pray to Śrīla Prabhupāda and to Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityānanda, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā-Rādhākānta that actually whatever offerings are being made, are meant for them, for Vyāsadeva, to the disciplic succession, for their pleasure.

I do not personally see any good quality in myself. I just feel that I have an unlimited debt to repay to Śrīla Prabhupāda, that I saw him tirelessly endeavour to save fallen souls and, in that endeavour, somehow, he had his mercy upon me and I always felt indebted to him. So, when he requested me to travel, he requested me to preach, I took that as an opportunity to serve him. To make a token repayment of the debt I owe to the spiritual master. But the more that we serve, the more we feel indebted because his mercy keeps coming down. So, I am always praying that I could be an instrument in his hand.

Someone today said that they feel that different zones have different moods according to the guru. So, I am the spiritual master here at New Tālavana and hopefully everywhere in my zone is actually Śrīla Prabhupāda’s. But as the paraṁparā system continues, we try to reflect Śrīla Prabhupāda, although it is a coloured glass, reflection does not come out exactly, comes out only a small fraction but because Prabhupāda is so bright, even though we are very dull, people are able to see some light reflected. So, when we see people become enlightened in their devotional service, when we see them happy and peaceful in their service to Kṛṣṇa, then it is a great source of satisfaction.

(When) We see somebody under the grips of Māyā, when we see them suffering, that is a great source of suffering for ourselves. One thing we see in traveling around. Actually, I am always missing Māyāpur which is unlimitedly beautiful. Whenever I travel, I see so many people suffering due to not knowing Kṛṣṇa and knowing how much Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted, how much Lord Caitanya-Nityānanda Prabhu want that these people should get the mercy of the saṅkīrtana movement. I always feel overwhelmed with the magnitude of the illusion; of the task - how to save all these conditioned souls on one hand. On the other hand, I feel confident that since Kṛṣṇa is unlimitedly powerful, and His holy name is non-different, it is also unlimitedly powerful. Lord Caitanya’s mercy is so great. Prabhupāda has desired also that all these conditioned souls to be delivered, that eventually we will see Lord Caitanya’s prediction, which has already practically already shown its reality – that in every town and village His name will be sung. We are looking forward to the day when people will all over the world be chanting more and more the holy names of the Lord.

So, Lord Nityānanda, Lord Caitanya, they all use this analogy of the market place. Lord Caitanya once said he opened up the shop, opened up the store to sell His goods and many people came to purchase. So, then Lord Caitanya was still considering the few people who had not come, how to market His mercy to them also. So, I am very fortunate that wherever I go, so many people are there that Kṛṣṇa is sending, who are there to receive the mercy of Lord Caitanya. My only regret is that I feel myself inadequate distributor of that mercy, which is why I am always praying to the Deities, to Śrīla Prabhupāda, to extend their mercy upon all fallen souls since I am inadequate to help them myself.

It is very encouraging to see when people receiving that mercy . . . I had the good fortune on many occasions because six years there was association with Śrīla Ācāryadeva, Śrīla Bhaktipāda. Ācāryadeva personally requested me in many occasions to take care of the disciples of his that are in my zone. He was the one to first came here in South America. Bhaktipāda very kindly invited me to New Vṛndāvana. In fact, he even sent me a ticket which is pretty rare, I think, because of the big plans and projects but he was always very kind to bring me, have me preach to the devotees in New Vṛndāvana and take a little of his association.

Having spiritually spent most of my time with Śrīla Prabhupāda and his instructions, especially in India – Śrī Māyāpur, he used to criticize me that I have become a Bengali. Said he did not bring me over to India from (America) to get totally Indianized, but because he wanted me to work hard like an American. So, he had me working double shifts with construction, 24 hour shifts. It was not, just like few days ago, we heard the grinding of the air hammer. Like this Prabhupāda used to hear the grinding of the cement mixers, and marble chippers, and he used to, we used to ask him – is it bothering him? (He said), “No, it is a music to my ears. Music of progress. I cannot sleep unless I hear these things” But if somebody slammed the door, then he said it would have shattered his heart. Because he was disturbing Kṛṣṇa’s energy. So from that vision of Prabhupāda, the vision of Māyāpur, one always sees the world as just one unit.

Everybody comes together in Māyāpur and we were there. And Prabhupāda was present and at that time since book distribution in India had not really begun even, we did not have that competitive mood, you see now we try to compete in India sometimes also. That time we are always seeing that Māyāpur as a centre of Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana source, that all the zones around the world, they are all part of Lord Caitanya is International world saṅkīrtana movement, the ISKCON body of Śrīla Prabhupāda. So, in this way it has been very hard for me to see things alone a very rigid zonal view point. Although I am attached to developing whatever areas that are given to me, try to help the devotees working there, try to give whatever ability I have, whatever experience I have to see that Prabhupāda’s vision is implemented a little better, little quicker, little more fully.

I feel that this is one ISKCON family, that the godbrothers, the disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda, or the grand disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda, whichever family, that it is all one family. That is one of the things, unlimited things actually that inspired me a lot on Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement that in reading about the original associates of Lord Caitanya, and even the next generations, we do not find any glimpse of any kind of sectarian feeling. Everyone was a complete sold-out lover of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Lord Nityānanda, and Advaita. They are all one in their dedication to spreading Lord Caitanya’s message, and loving Him, and serving Him and although practically all of the great devotees had different spiritual masters, we never find that it ever created any kind of conflict, anywhere in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Caitanya-Bhāgavata, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Bhakti-ratnākara or any of the other authoritative books on Lord Caitanya’s movement.

When I came to India, I was faced with the Gauḍīya Maṭha who did not give their love to Śrīla Prabhupāda the way that we have been trained in ISKCON that godbrothers should give to each other, and that was very painful. When Prabhupāda came, I saw that it was not any lack in Prabhupāda’s side because Prabhupāda was continually trying to give his love to them. He called them all together and said, “Why we all do not co-operate together as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura wanted?” But they one by one kind of rolled off. No one took Śrīla Prabhupāda’s invitation to work together. So, then Śrīla Prabhupāda, he had no other alternative but to create his own world movement. He requested us that the test of how much we love him is how we co-operate together. This year, at the Māyāpur festival, someone made that point.

I heard it many times, the test of whether we love him is if we cooperate. And that seems kind of simple to say, “Well I am co-operating I am working with everybody. If I am cooperating, that means I love Prabhupāda.” But this time, I forgot who it was but in a lecture they gave a quotation that rang a little bell. That this was more the proper wording, that to test how much we love Śrīla Prabhupāda is how much we cooperate, how well we cooperate. That put unlimited scope to it, because there is no limit on how well we can cooperate with one another. Certainly, there is no limit how much we want to show our love for Śrīla Prabhupāda, for the spiritual master, for the Vaiṣṇavas.

So, cooperation does not only mean international level, GBC level, or temple president level. Cooperation between one devotee to another, one spiritual master to another, from different disciples. Cooperation is something which means pulling our energy for satisfying Kṛṣṇa better. In the saṅkīrtana movement, where some people play the drums, some the karatālas, and some the conch, and some the harmonium, and some dance, some respond. Shows that kind of harmony where everyone is playing a different role, but everyone is co-operating to produce saṅkīrtana.

So, in a broader sense as the bṛhat-mṛdaṅga, or as saṅkīrtana, or as varṇāśrama development, or establishing permanent Kṛṣṇa conscious communities, which can serve as models to the bewildered people in the Western world. They do not know what the purpose of life is. They generally think that they are the material body, and some of them who are more advanced think they are the material body with a soul of some sorts. But hardly anyone thinks that they are a soul, that they are the eternal servitor of God, and that this body is simply a superficial covering of the soul, a machine, an instrument which could be used by the soul for advancing closer to God.

This way, Prabhupāda actually created a revolution to make people go-svāmīs instead of go-dāsas. To make them paramahaṁsas instead of mūḍhas. So Prabhupāda always said that the paramahaṁsa is someone that can take the milk from the mixture, (just like) the haṁsa, the swan can take milk from the mixture of water and milk. The paramahaṁsa can take spiritual life from the mixture of matter and spirit. We see that devotees are all developing this quality of being able to take Kṛṣṇa Conscious opportunities. This is our goal, that everyone should become a paramahaṁsa. Not that they should be perfect gṛhasthas, or perfect sannyāsīs, perfect brahmacārīs. That is just a step on the way.

The ultimate objective is to become perfect devotees, to become paramahaṁsa, completely entwined at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, Rādhā-Rādhākānta, by the mercy of Lord Nitāi. I personally like to attend Vyāsa-pūjās more than as a where people are giving the offerings, rather than hearing them. But whatever you do, you have to do it as a service as our duty. This is one of the services of a guru. He has to listen to various offerings. Only when he sees that people are enlivened by devotional service, that their faith is increasing, that their determination is increasing, then whatever difficulty we encounter in travelling, or whatever we encounter due to some nonsense disciples, or due to Kṛṣṇa’s will or the will of providence, that makes it insignificant because the opportunity of being able to save a conditioned soul is something so important because it is something that is forever. Something that is . . . It is the most valuable thing there is.

In this way we are trying to, in the short time while time Lord Caitanya’s movement is present in this universe, to try and rescue as many of the conditioned souls that are drowning in the ocean of birth and death here. Try to get them on to the ship that Prabhupāda has provided to cross over this ocean. It is also our job to preach the people that are getting on the ship not to jump off, or not to fall off if they are careless. Part of the job is to inspire them to pull up more people who are drowning in the ocean of misery. As long as, people are busy with this activity, then everything is be very blissful.

If we become absorbed in other kind of thoughts, and doubts, and material attachments, then we start to sink again in that ocean of suffering. So its very important to keep the consciousness transcendental, to keep the vibrations spiritual. We hear so many times in the scripture that if we are simply absorbed in hearing the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, hearing the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, hearing the glories of the devotees, that this will keep our mind always purified.

Personally, for me, the only reason I tell pastimes of Lord Caitanya or Kṛṣṇa is not because of any great magnanimity on my part. You will be wrong if you think that I am merciful. I am very selfish. I simply tell these pastimes because I taste unlimited transcendental bliss whenever I am able to glorify Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because of my greed, I sometimes give classes which are too long. I think I put devotees through so much suffering, because I am greedy to taste the nectar of talking about Lord Caitanya. Just somehow by talking about Lord Caitanya, I am able to get a little taste, little drops of nectar of this unlimited ocean of nectar. So, it is not that I have any real mercy.

The thing is that when there are people who are there who are eager to hear about Lord Caitanya, then somehow Lord Caitanya manifests Himself more emphatically, more directly. So therefore, I think I just travel, because with the new audience, they are more eager to hear about Lord Caitanya, then I just feel more spiritual happiness. Actually, in retrospect, that I am just very greedy for this kind of nectar. Do not actually have a drop of devotion at all, not a real service attitude. Just as a schoolteacher, they call instinct or see in children many characteristics in which they learn. So, in the same way I feel that the devotees who are sent to this zone, who have the opportunity of working with, they are also sent by Śrīla Prabhupāda. And so, by being able to serve with them, or even to guide them, or to help them, in many ways this is also Prabhupāda’s mercy. This is definitely Prabhupāda’s mercy upon me. This is also Prabhupāda is way of teaching me in many sublime ways.

So, on the Vyāsa-pūjā day, we glorify the spiritual master, but actually he is only the representative of the entire disciplic succession. Prabhupāda was very concerned that this disciplic succession should remain intact. Actually, Vyāsadeva wrote the Vedas. Nārada Muni spread the holy name, brought Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra down here to this material world. Vyāsadeva told us the glories of the holy name by writing. Originally Lord Brahmā heard the holy name and the message of the Vedas, got initiated by Kṛṣṇa’s flute. The Gāyatrī mantra is not different from Kṛṣṇa’s flute sound. So that is handed down in the disciplic succession, so that by hearing the Gāyatrī mantra we should develop some separation from Kṛṣṇa. This way through Madhvācārya, through Mādhavendra Purī, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Six-Gosvāmīs – this mood of intense desire to serve Kṛṣṇa is handed down.

Actually, in this material world people are burning with desire but that desire will never be satisfied in the material world and that burning material desire simply brings them into more and more difficulties but Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He also has put us into the fire. They say here in the South, ‘out of the frying pan, into the fire’, that burning in the material world and trying to get some relief. The Māyāvādīs they want ‘Oṁ Śānti’, they want peace. They want calm. But devotional service, we find that we have long marathons. I always very indebted when I see the mothers or the devotees engaging in rigorous saṅkīrtana.

When I hear some very dedicated effort to distribute books, or to collect, to maintain or develop the saṅkīrtana projects, I sometimes become overwhelmed with awe how Lord Caitanya is inspiring these devotees to preach on His behalf, to engage conditioned souls in service on His behalf. I feel very indebted to those devotees. I want to see their welfare in all respects. In this way, instead of a peaceful life, we find that all devotees are in various kind of festivities and various type of kind of a tumultuous lifestyle. So where is that death-like peace of the Māyāvādīs? Then we find the wisdom that actually we do not want that death-like peace. But we want the eternal festival of Vṛndāvana, the festival of Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana.

That the devotees, they also have a different type of fire. That fire that burns in their heart is the fire to serve Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Another kind of fire, but that is the fire of spiritual love, and that fire has another kind of spiritual peace, which is a kind of unity in diversity or dynamic satisfaction, but totally indescribable. So, we are very eager to relieve the devotees from their material fire, but unfortunately instead of just getting put out, we try to light another fire, which is that fire of enthusiasm to serve Kṛṣṇa, that desire to be with Kṛṣṇa. Then the devotees are still dissatisfied because of they are not with Kṛṣṇa always. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that the desire to be with Kṛṣṇa, and being with Kṛṣṇa, is non-different. So, one who sincerely desires to be with Kṛṣṇa, and chants Kṛṣṇa’s name, and serves Kṛṣṇa, serves Caitanya, then they can feel the presence of the Lord. This is actually our purpose.

Our purpose is that people should develop such a desire that just like a magnet attracts another magnet. That the devotees will be like little magnets and then Kṛṣṇa can easily attract them out of this material world. Then we do not have to worry about them burning up in the material forest fire of illusion. So, the more we see that during any festival or occasion that the devotees are spontaneously feeling some attraction for devotional service, then as Prabhupāda said, we had like to fan the spark, we like to encourage it. It is very satisfying, because ultimately if the fire for serving Kṛṣṇa grows and grows, it burns out all material impurities in the heart, and one can be completely fixed in devotional service eternally.

I am personally . . . As Guru Gaurāṅga Prabhu said that I like the association of devotees. I like to associate with any sincere person. Even if the person is sincerely in Māyā, but they want to be Kṛṣṇa conscious, I like that association, because then I try to help them. The only association I get little impatient with is when someone is insincerely in Māyā. They are not trying to get out. They are not trying to be purified. They are avoiding consciously. They put themselves in a position where it is very hard to save them. Its gives us great anxiety. Sometimes you see people, their minds are bewildered, consciously they are avoiding mercy of the Lord. They put up smokescreens and their mind leads them away. It is very unfortunate when people avoid the mercy of the Lord.

Because Lord Caitanya’s mercy, Prabhupāda’s mercy, it is so available, it is so open. That if you do not try to avoid it and just stand there, you are going to get bowled over by it. What to speak if we try to get that mercy? But it is only the people who are trying to escape from that mercy, they are most unfortunate people. Or if the people have somehow have not come in contact with that mercy. So therefore, we are trying to provide. We do not have the huge scope to do too much everywhere, but at least Kṛṣṇa has asked us, through His representatives, to do something. We are trying to gradually develop something for Prabhupāda as a humble offering so that conditioned souls can take shelter of Kṛṣṇa.

So, I am very glad that I am able to come and helped these very sincere devotees. Vṛkodara Prabhu, Raṅganātha Prabhu, and Haridvāṇī. All the devotees are very sincerely trying to do something here. So, I feel very honored to do something to help something to Prabhupāda, although he ordered me to preach in India. If I do not do that, then I know he will not give his mercy to me. This is one extracurricular. Extra above and beyond what he is asked. Prabhupāda used to tell us that he was ordered by his guru to preach in America, but it was his little extra project to preach also in India. But he ordered me to preach in India. Of course, he ordered me to preach everywhere, expand the propaganda unlimitedly.

So, within that kind of very broad instructions, I can fit coming here to the West to preach, because he ordered that. So, if I am able to do something here also, that will be very complimentary to what Śrīla Prabhupāda requested. So I am very grateful for helping me for trying to do something for Prabhupāda, for letting me help them. In this way, if we all try to cooperate more and more giving up little selfish desires, it really does not matter where we are in the world. I travel all over the world. Everywhere I see people in Māyā. Everywhere people are suffering. Simply wherever we are, just like Lord Caitanya said, open up our little table and warehouses and start selling love for Godhead.

So, wherever a person can distribute this message, that is as good as any place, practically speaking. What we need to do is to cooperate together and to actually give out the message. So, in this way, I also thank the gurukula students for their wonderful offerings of paintings and pictures. They are very fortunate. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, kaumaram acaret prajno [ŚB. 7.6.1], that from childhood one should practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, do not wait till you get old. They are very fortunate to have Kṛṣṇa conscious parents, to have gurukula, this spiritual place where you can develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They give you a chance to play around a little bit too. So, take advantage of this spiritual environment. Follow the example of Prahlāda Mahārāja and become Kṛṣṇa conscious in this life and try to help others to be Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the most important thing there is. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa!! Śrīla Ācāryapāda kī jaya!