19861218 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.2.6

The following is a class given by HH Jayapatākā Swami on December 18^th 1986 in Teluk Intan, Malaysia. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 2^nd canto, chapter 2, text 6.

evaṁ sva-citte svata eva siddha
ātmā priyo ’rtho bhagavān anantaḥ
taṁ nirvṛto niyatārtho bhajeta
saṁsāra-hetūparamaś ca yatrā

Translation: Thus being fixed, one must render service unto the Supersoul situated in one’s heart by His omnipotency. Because He is the Almighty Personality of Godhead, eternal and unlimited, He is the ultimate goal of life, and by worshiping Him one can end the cause of the conditioned state of existence.

Purport: As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (18.61), the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the all-pervading, omnipresent Supersoul. Therefore one who is a yogī can worship only Him because He is the substance and not illusion. Every living creature is engaging in the service of something else. A living being's constitutional position is to render service, but in the atmosphere of māyā, or illusion, or the conditional state of existence, the conditioned soul seeks the service of illusion. A conditioned soul works in the service of his temporary body, bodily relatives like the wife and children, and the necessary paraphernalia for maintaining the body and bodily relations, such as the house, land, wealth, society and country, but he does not know that all such renderings of service are totally illusory. As we have discussed many times before, this material world is itself an illusion, like a mirage in the desert. In the desert there is an illusion of water, and the foolish animals become entrapped by such an illusion and run after water in the desert, although there is no water at all. But the lack of water in the desert should not lead one to conclude that there is no water at all. The intelligent person knows well that there is certainly water—water in the seas and oceans—but such vast reservoirs of water are far, far away from the desert. One should therefore search for water in the vicinity of seas and oceans and not in the desert.

Every one of us is searching after real happiness in life, namely eternal life, eternal or unlimited knowledge and unending blissful life. But foolish people who have no knowledge of the substance search after the reality of life in the illusion. This material body does not endure eternally, and everything in relation with this temporary body, such as the wife, children, society and country, also changes along with the change of body. This is called saṁsāra, or repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. We would like to find a solution for all these problems of life, but we do not know the way. Herein it is suggested that anyone who wants to make an end to these miseries of life, namely repetition of birth, death, disease, and old age, must take to this process of worshiping the Supreme Lord and not others, as it is also ultimately suggested in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.65). If we at all want to end the cause of our conditioned life, we must take to the worship of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is present in everyone's heart by His natural affection for all living beings, who are actually the parts and parcels of the Lord (Bg. 18.61).

The baby in the lap of his mother is naturally attached to the mother, and the mother is attached to the child. But when the child grows up and becomes overwhelmed by circumstances, he gradually becomes detached from the mother, although the mother always expects some sort of service from the grown-up child and is equally affectionate toward her child, even though the child is forgetful. Similarly, because we are all part and parcel of the Lord, the Lord is always affectionate to us, and He always tries to get us back home, back to Godhead. But we, the conditioned souls, do not care for Him and run instead after the illusory bodily connections. We must therefore extricate ourselves from all illusory connections of the world and seek reunion with the Lord, trying to render service unto Him because He is the ultimate truth. Actually we are hankering after Him as the child seeks the mother. And to search out the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we need not go anywhere else, because the Lord is within our hearts.

This does not suggest, however, that we should not go to the places of worship, namely the temples, churches and mosques. Such holy places of worship are also occupied by the Lord because the Lord is omnipresent. For the common man these holy places are centers of learning about the science of God. When the temples are devoid of activities, the people in general become uninterested in such places, and consequently the mass of people gradually become godless, and a godless civilization is the result. Such a hellish civilization artificially increases the conditions of life, and existence becomes intolerable for everyone. The foolish leaders of a godless civilization try to devise various plans to bring about peace and prosperity in the godless world under a patent trademark of materialism, and because such attempts are illusory only, the people elect incompetent, blind leaders, one after another, who are incapable of offering solutions. If we want at all to end this anomaly of a godless civilization, we must follow the principles of revealed scriptures like the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and follow the instruction of a person like Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who has no attraction for material gain.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami purport to the chapter 2, text 6 of canto 2 of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the matter of ‘The Lord in the Heart’

*Gurudeva re-reads the verse and translation*

Jayapatākā Swami: There are various aspects here which are mentioned. The first one is “sva-citte”, that we should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the Supersoul, who is in our own heart; “sva-citte”. In the modern context, the concept of God is someone very distant, very far-away, someone in the heavens. This way people have a type of distant conception of the Personality of Godhead. But here this verse nicely explains that because the Supreme Personality is omnipresent, omnipotent, He is also situated within our own hearts. So, He is the Lord of our heart. So this chapter is entitled “The Lord in the Heart”. And people want to have their own God, their own religion. So, here they can have that feeling of exclusivity, satisfied by worshipping the Lord in their own heart. He is their own personal Lord sitting in their own heart. How personal, how intimate, how exclusive! Of course, He is the same Lord who is situated in everyone’s heart! But anyway that’s the other’s look-out. For each person, they can consider “Well! the Lord is in my heart.” When they expand a little further, they will understand the Lord is also simultaneously in everyone’s heart. Therefore, He is the Lord for everyone.

In some sectarian concepts of religion, people feel that God is only in my religious institution. He is only with the Methodists or the Baptists, or the Lutherans or the Catholics. Or, He is only with the Sunnis and Shias. Or He is only with the Śaivites, only with the Śāktas. Or only with the Hindus. Like this people think that, ‘God is only for me. God is only ours.’ But actually, God is in everyone’s heart; the Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated as the Supersoul in every individual’s heart. Not only humans but also animals, plants, even within the atom! That’s why when Prahlāda said that “Yes my Lord can come even come out of this pillar”, He could come directly out of the pillar, Because He is situated everywhere. So because the Lord is situated everywhere that means, He is also simultaneously in all the religious institutions, He is in everyone’s heart. Of course the difference maybe of the concept or the understanding about the Lord. Since the Lord is unlimited, one could know more or less about Him. Or could even know different aspects.

There is a very simple Vedic example where different people were arguing, you see, about the Absolute Truth. So some sages use this example. This is like five people, five blind people trying to understand what is elephant, and they are arguing about who is elephant. One blind man goes and he grabs the belly of the elephant. And he said “Elephant is very big and round, just like a huge tree”.

Someone else grabbed the leg and said “No, no elephant is not so big, it’s only like a small tree”.

But someone else grabs the tail and says “No, no elephant is actually a snake. I know, I can feel it, it’s like a snake.”

But someone grabbed the ears and said “No, no it’s like a big banana leaf”, you see.

Then someone else grabbed the nose and said “No, elephant is like a vine, but it breathes hot gas from the end of it.”.

So like this each one had their own idea of what was elephant because they are only grabbing one part. So, like that people they are looking at one aspect of the Lord. And they think ‘Oh I know the whole thing. So I am right and everyone is wrong.’ But actually, one can know unlimited but still not know everything about Kṛṣṇa. It’s said that you can even know, or even if the scientists today, they are analysing what are the different atoms. Just like, first there was 92 elements. Then they had man-made elements. There is now over a hundred. In this way they are discovering sub-atomic particles. First they discovered neutrons, protons and electrons. Now they have got so many particles that it’s almost unlimited. So like this they find there is so many different aspects of nature. So, in the Bhāgavatam, it says even if you count all the atoms and molecules and sub-atomic particles in the entire universe, and you can count them and categorise them and you can just list them all; still, even if you can do that, you could not count all the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His qualities are so much more; they are so exhaustive and so wonderful. Of course, everyone knows it’s not at all possible to count every atom. There are so many atoms, how can we count every atom? We couldn’t even count all the grains of sand in the beach, on the sea-shore. But even if you could, you couldn’t count all the qualities of Kṛṣṇa! Therefore, at least we can never know everything about Kṛṣṇa. So, there may be something slightly different between one person to the next. So actually, everyone has their own personal relationship with the Lord and the Lord is situated in their own heart. So from this, we can feel a very personal connection with Kṛṣṇa. And if there are different religions that are developed over different times and places, rather than see all the differences—because differences are bound to be there in rituals, in processes, because of the difference in origin and the way that things are handed down—rather people should look for the similarities; we should see the oneness in philosophy. And then you can find it, actually we are talking about the same person. Simply the discussion is from a different angle of vision.

All the blind people were touching the same elephant, and the man who had eyes he could see and wondered “Why are they fighting amongst each other? It’s only the same animal but they are only touching a part.” Like that in the world today they are fighting between the different sects, sub-sects, upa-sects, chala-sects, apa-sects, other different religions. And amongst the different religions. And the whole thing is becoming very political in some places. But actually, there is no actually consciousness of God that’s very evident. Or if it is, it’s very minor. And instead people are arguing over the differences. But if they had the objective vision, they could see that what are you arguing about? You are all talking about the same thing simply from a slightly different angle.

When we had the… ISKCON, in the Bhaktivedanta Institute, had the World Congress of Synthesis of Science and Religion, there were so many leaders and different religious groups, different scientists, Nobel prize laureates and so on. So one of the Nobel laureates said that,

“20 years before, we would never have conceived of having such a meeting with religion. Because science and religion had no connection whatsoever. But now since the latest discoveries in physics, we found that the sub-atomics particles, they no longer act according to predictable physical laws that we have known before. They act independently of any known law. They go here and there and move around. Just like we know people are unpredictable they can do different things. They act like conscious entities. Therefore, now modern scientists say that it may be that consciousness is the origin of life”.

But Prabhupāda said this so many years ago – “Life comes from life.” So because of that, now scientists are bewildered. They came to a point where things no longer are predictable, and modern science are always depending upon putting things in laws and being able to predict them, you see. *Roosters crowing in the background*

So now, when they come to the point that the unpredictable has come, then they naturally start turning. Maybe religion is the solution. So they said,

“The best of all religions to understand this is the Vedas. The Indian religion we think, because it’s more scientific, and it deals with all these material matters also in a very systematic way. So that’s why we have all come here to Bombay to participate in this function sponsored by ISKCON and the Bhaktivedanta Institute”.

Like this they are praising. 20 years ago, we wouldn’t dream of it! Now they’re saying,

“Actually, we failed. Even if we had some like material success in technology, ultimately on the human side of it, we failed. People have not improved their happiness, they have not improved their peace of mind, they have not improved in so many aspects. So now we have to turn. Maybe religion is the solution. Maybe we have to conceive that not only materialism will be the solution. There has to be synthesis between science and religion.”

The scientists themselves are admitting! Because practically they said that social problems have increased so much in the world in spite of the scientific advancement, that whatever progress they make on one side is lost on the other side by social problems, political upheavals and so on.

Then from the religious side, one of the Muslim people, and one of the Christian people, they said,

“You know that, when we go into the actual philosophy, we find that there is very little difference. Everyone believes in the Supreme Godhead, everyone is believing in an Absolute Truth, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and so on. Only the difference is in the rituals. So why are we only looking at the rituals? Rituals may be different from one person to the next. Why look at the rituals? We should see that what is the unity and philosophy and concepts. And let people have their different rituals. According to what ritual they like, they can follow.”

So even the other religious leaders they were stating all these things and coming to some understanding.

So whatever, Prabhupāda has placed—this meaning was only 1 or 2 years ago for the 500 anniversary—Prabhupāda has written this originally many many years ago. In 1972 was the first printing. So, Prabhupāda could already see these things not only when he wrote this, but this was his realisation. Even in Vṛndāvana, he wrote some poems. He could understand what is going on here in the world! He wrote in a book called the “Vṛndāvane Bhajana”, that people are coming—foreign missionaries—to preach in India. And they are trying to tell people that “You should take to the godly life.” But they don’t even know what is the basic, you see… Kṛṣṇa is the very God that they are worshipping. But they are criticizing, because they don’t know better. And when they come to ask “Who is Kṛṣṇa?”, they see the so-called preachers in the holy places, they are practically useless for anything. They don’t tell the people anything about Kṛṣṇa. So the people go away with the same wrong ideas. So Prabhupāda was very upset. He said that now this has to change. People, if they are going to worship Kṛṣṇa, they should also try to help other people to know who is Kṛṣṇa! What is the purpose of life? Not that they just do some so-called worship in some solitary place and let everyone else go to hell! So what is the use of that? Then the whole world is getting spoilt, and people are offending Kṛṣṇa and they are getting worse and worse. So like this Prabhupāda had a great compassion. Actually sitting in Vṛndāvana he could see all the things going on. And so in the end his conclusion was, ‘Go out and preach!’ So, he left Vṛndāvana, went all over the world. At the end of his life, he could be silently sitting in Vṛndāvana doing bhajana. Instead he was doing his bhajana of worshipping Kṛṣṇa all over the world, and giving people this knowledge.

Actually this is the point, we should all worship Kṛṣṇa in our heart, we should become more and more intimately united with Kṛṣṇa in the heart. At the same time, we should do what He desires us to do. Service means to do what He wants us to do! I may want to do something, but then if I do what I want, that’s not service. That’s our own self consideration. Self-service, rather than service. Service really means to serve another. So we are all serving others. We are serving family, we are serving country, we are serving dogs, we are serving cats, we are serving so many. Why not serve Kṛṣṇa? Even sometimes people say “Well! I don’t have the time. I don’t have the money. I don’t have the…” But really they don’t have the inclination. Because just like if someone… sometimes you see, people try to control how many children they have. But sometimes that doesn’t work according to their plan. And suddenly they have another child. But yet somehow, they make it do. They feed the child, they educate the child, they clothe the child, they do all the necessary. One more person fits in. So similarly, why can’t they fit in Kṛṣṇa? Even there is one system of worshipping called puṣṭi-mārga, where they worship Kṛṣṇa like a child. Even if you take Kṛṣṇa as one of my family members, at least you can give Him one share. If you have one more child, you give the food. Somehow the mother will make time. Do or die. Like that somehow or another we have to make the time for Kṛṣṇa. He is actually the person that we should give the most time to! But at least we can give that much time. Even if we give a little time to Kṛṣṇa, how much we would benefit. Why is also says here “svata eva siddha”– that how He is situated in the heart by His own perfection, by His own omnipotency. “svata eva siddha” It’s not that He’s there; you see we are in the body because we are forced to be here. We don’t have a choice what body we take birth in. But Kṛṣṇa is there because of His own mystic power. He is there out of His own causeless mercy. He is there to guide us, to help us, to accept our service, you see. “Atmā priyo”– and He is the dear most, very dear. Supersoul is the most dear. Actually, there is no one more dear to us than the Supersoul, but we are not aware of that. Instead of putting our love, natural love to the Supersoul in the heart, we are giving that love to others. Just like people think, ‘Somehow or other let me save my life.’ So, this life is more dear to them than most anything, self-preservation. But actually, the life… what is the life? Life is the soul in the body. And what is the soul? The soul ultimately is the part of the Supersoul. This means, actually the Supersoul is the dearest of all. Without Supersoul, we have no existence. Our existence is that we are only part of the Supersoul. Actually in the material life, we learn to hate our own self. We learn to become envious of the self. This is demonic nature, they cause pain even to their self, unto the Supersoul in the heart. And the devotees, they try to please the self and the Supersoul. So “artha”– the substance, this is the real substance “bhagavān anantaḥ.” There is so many things which are not substance. They are temporary, they are just coming and going. But actually the real substance is Kṛṣṇa! No beginning, no end, He is the Ultimate Truth. “Anantaḥ”– unlimited. He’s the “artha”– He’s the actual value. People are wanting, well, they are wanting substance. But all the substance that they accumulate has a beginning and an end. They can’t take it with them also. So they want real wealth, they want real value. People say get good value for your money. So get good value for your life! Get Kṛṣṇa with your life. You have got the best value – you will never lose! “Anantaḥ”– unlimited. Everything else we get, but we can lose it.

You see, people worship Lord Śiva. Prabhupāda explained, it was in the class yesterday, how people worship Lord Śiva and they get a lot of material wealth. But Lord Śiva is the most intelligent. If they are really that smart, they will say “Why Lord Śiva can give all his devotees all the wealth, then why Lord Śiva living under a tree? So why Lord Śiva? He can get all the wealth. He can give himself all the wealth. He can live in a big palace. Why Lord Śiva? He’s able to give his blessings, so much wealth. And his devotees’ blessings. He has so much wealth. Why he himself lives like in just a very simple way? In a tree, in some mountain, in the forest, side of some river. Is he foolish?” No, he’s the most intelligent! If someone is really devoted, they could understand that, ‘Lord Śiva must have something more!’ If you ask Lord Śiva then why you are living like this, it's because he is very happy! He is always worshipping and meditating on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is always chanting. He has his Rudrākṣa, he is chanting japa. He is so happy in his spiritual meditation. He didn’t even want to have children! He is so detached. Somehow or another it happened, by His causeless mercy. Actually it wasn’t like he any some desire for them. Because demigods pleaded and different things happened, like this. Otherwise on his own desire, he was perfectly self-satisfied. Ātmā-rāma. Someone asks, “Take it.” He doesn’t want to be bothered with it. But actually, he told the Pracetās that, “If you want the highest thing, then I can also give you that. I can give you the knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, you take it! This is the science of Kṛṣṇa, I myself am worshipping Kṛṣṇa”. He is so detached; he doesn’t need anything! And yet he is completely happy.

You see the normal… people don’t think about that. They just think “Well I can get something from him, go to him.” It’s just the opposite of Kṛṣṇa. He is living in a very opulent situation: Dvārakā, so many palaces and things. Or Vaikuṇṭha, Nārāyaṇa is there, unlimited wealth. And His devotees, sometimes they are living very simply. In the Bhāgavatam it is explained how Kṛṣṇa had two devotees, one was the great king Bahulaśva, and the other one was a very poor brāhmaṇa Śrutadeva. So when Kṛṣṇa went to see these two devotees, when He went actually to Mithila—practically whole of Mithila has been taken by Pravaviṣṇu Mahārāja as part of his zone (laughter)—somehow he has this blessing coming down from Kṛṣṇa, Bahulāśva, Śrutadeva. When Kṛṣṇa came there with all of the rṣis and sages, so at the same time he divided into two. He made Himself two people, and same time He went to Bahulāśva who was a great king, and same time he went to Śrutadeva. And different rṣis are going also with Him. So when He went to see that King Bahulāśva—who was also His pure devotee—he gave Him big reception; royal reception, you see. Conches, and brāhmaṇas, and mantras, and golden seats, and āratīs, and foot bathing, and every possible, royal big feast and reception. They all are saying “Oh! this is wonderful!” Kingly royal reception. When He went to Śrutadeva’s house, Śrutadeva was a humble brāhmaṇa. He was just living in a grass house with a few mats. Simple situation. So he had nothing to offer. He offered his full obeisances. He offered a seat. He offered Kṛṣṇa. Not only Kṛṣṇa, all the sages and devotees with Him. He bathed all of their feet, offered them ārati, offered them all, you see, in a humble way. But you see all very humble. Not so many golden things. Very few things he had. But he offered with full devotion very enthusiastically. So Kṛṣṇa, He was fully satisfied both by Bahulāśva, as well as by Śrutadeva. Kṛṣṇa has devotees in all levels. You see the devotee himself doesn’t mind. Śrutadeva was quite happy even though he was living in a simple way, you see. Bahulāśva, he had the responsibility of making his country Kṛṣṇa conscious, so he was doing that. But everyone, they did with a service attitude – “It’s all for Kṛṣṇa.”

So Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, if they don’t have, well they don’t ask Kṛṣṇa “You please give me wealth.” Why should they ask Kṛṣṇa? They want to serve Kṛṣṇa! They don’t want, “Kṛṣṇa, You serve me!”

Even when Nṛsiṁha offered Prahlāda, “Let Me give you all opulence, great kingdom. Let Me give you liberation.”

“If I must ask for something, I have to say that I am only here today before You and having Your darśana because of the blessing of my Guru! If he hadn’t instructed me in the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness—Nārada Muni—if he hadn’t instructed me, then I wouldn’t be here today! I wouldn’t know. I wouldn’t have this blessing from You. So therefore I know that I owe everything to him only. So I want to simply that, I can remember and serve him always. Nothing else that I want.” But Nṛsiṁhadeva kept pushing. “If I have to ask you something, I pray that let all these people, my father, and all other people who have forgotten you, let them come up and become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and they can experience what is the real eternal happiness of serving You! They are all suffering in this material world in ignorance.” This is the mood of the pure devotees.

You see, Prabhupāda’s prayers, what is Prabhupāda praying when he is in the ocean and he was crossing to America? Markine bhāgavata dharma, there is one prayer in Bengali. He wrote to Kṛṣṇa, just praying to Kṛṣṇa that, “You see in this world, you see the Western world is filled with tamas and rajas. They are all suffering in ignorance and passion. Somehow or another, I am only praying that by this Bhāgavata science, by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, chanting His names, serving, all the hard-knot of material attachment will be cut. So I am going only with faith in Your words, that by giving them this name of Kṛṣṇa, everyone will become devotees simply if they hear and chant about Your glories!” He had simply the faith in Kṛṣṇa’s words, and he went and he gave. Just like some doctor, he gives you some medicine, but he has the faith “If I give the medicine it will work”, you see. Now there is all kinds of spurious factories, they make some bogus medicine, you give and nothing happens, then the doctor gets frustrated “What’s going on?” To get original packing, this is very difficult. But somehow or another if they know this is the medicine, this is what will help me, they have some faith, by practical. But normally people have faith only in material things. But spiritual things they don’t put their faith. That’s the difficulty. A great soul, a mahātmā, he actually puts his faith in Kṛṣṇa. But Kṛṣṇa doesn’t let down such great souls! This is actually the thing to put your faith in! And when you put your faith, it does work! It’s not a blind faith. You put the faith; it works. Just like some doctor. He doesn’t know, “If I give this medicine if it will work or not”. First time he is trying it out. He reads in a book; you give this it cures fever. He gives it, it works. “Ok, it’s a good medicine.” So like that, people have material disease. Vedas say this is the medicine. You give the medicine, it works! So what more proof you want? That is the proof! People have material suffering, material disease. You give them the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, you give them the kṛṣṇa-prasādam, you give them the hearing about the glories of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhāgavatam, they hear and it purifies them. And they feel relief and they become peaceful and happy.

So the devotee doesn’t worry unnecessarily. If there is some need, you see, then Kṛṣṇa gives him some material facility. He tries to use that for the service of Kṛṣṇa. Not that he just throws it away artificially. You see, some rich man, he wants to renounce the world and achieve mokṣa and then give it all away. He gives everything away to charity, family members, this, that and he goes and he wants to surrender to God. It’s not the way. Actually the things should be used for Kṛṣṇa! He has something. Ultimately the energy is all Kṛṣṇa’s. So use it for Kṛṣṇa, then it’s purified. That is the proper way.

So the devotee doesn’t artificially renounce wife, family, possessions. Rather use everything. Make the family Kṛṣṇa conscious. Make husband, make wife Kṛṣṇa conscious. Live together, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and try to induce others to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. One doesn’t have to abruptly change anything. Rather simply purify the consciousness. Worship the Supersoul in the heart. This is the process. And you see the medicine is working, then you know, then your faith grows and grows. People say “Why you have faith?”

“Because we know it works!”

We see in our own life; we see in others life it’s working. Of course, how deep the disease is we don’t know in the beginning. As we go on progressing, we see that actually, when we thought we had a minor disease, but actually we go on, we see that material disease is very profound. We have been in the material world millions of births. Birth after birth, the accumulation has gone on so much, that as we clear away one layer of contamination, another layer comes out. As we clear that, there’s another one. It’s like someone the first day, you find that some patient comes, he is having some high fever and some pneumonia. So you cure the most severe thing, but afterwards you find he also has lumbago, he has got some bad intestines, minor so many things. So you clean that and you find another thing is there. Heart condition. It goes on you see, one after the other. Like that we got compounded. So the major one we see first. When that gets finished, oh there is others. So it goes, until finer and finer, until finally all the gross anarthas, the gross unwanted things are cleared away. But then there are so many subtle ideas, subtle concepts, subtle attachments for fame, distinction, adoration, attachments for different types of dealings. We don’t deal properly, we deal in a diplomatic way, kuṭi-nāṭi some kind of, you see, devious way, or we have a natural tendency cause others pain.

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura wrote a song where he mentioned all the various qualities. He said “This is me. I get happy when others are suffering. I am such a person.” Although he is not like that, but that way in his humility and instruction, he showed how to make a prayer. He showed, ‘How all the bad I am having. So therefore, I am simply surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, because only by His mercy can I ever be purified from all these qualities.’ So the devotee takes the humble attitude, ‘I have all the bad qualities, now let me become purified.’ If he has 1000 good qualities, and he can only see the bad qualities in himself and tries to purify them, you see. That is the way. Just like Cāṇakya, one of the great moral paṇḍitas, he said a simple thing:

“You shouldn’t stop until you cure all the disease in the body, until you have all the fire out, or you pay off all your debts. Don’t leave a little bit, because again it’ll grow up”.

Our Govinda Swami, in the hospital he had one disease, but then because somehow or another after operation he was weak, some breeze or some chill came, so he got pneumonia. So little bit of disease was there, again it flared up, then he got pneumonia, and then he was worse than before. Very serious. Now he is better by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. So, like this, you can’t leave any disease left. It should all be cleared out. That is the point. So, how the devotee does that in conclusion, is that the devotee is always looking for the little traces of imperfection and tries to clear those out.

So in this way an outside person may see that the devotee seems to be completely perfect. 99 they don’t find any problem. But the devotee you will see that 1% mistake in himself, and he will always try to get rid of that. So he is always in a humble mood seeing his own mistake in himself and seeing the good qualities in the others. Or some materialist might be there, he might have you know, 1% good quality, he sees that and it will make him feel very proud. But 99% he may have bad qualities, but he doesn’t see that. He sees all the bad qualities in others. ‘Look, all the others are bad. I am the only good!’. Lord Śiva is the best example of this. He only sees the good qualities in others. One hunter one time just killed some deer, and hung up the deer on the branch so that no animals, tigers, or anything would eat it. It so happened that the blood was dripping down from that deer and it fell on a Śiva-liṅga in a hot time of the year. So because the dropping water was cooling Lord Śiva, he got very relief from the heat. He gave blessings to the hunter, “Anything you want you can have.” So after that, you see, all the devotees of Lord Śiva can be very easily satisfied. So they are dropping water on his head. It's a normal—now—sādhanā. So, Lord Śiva, he saw the hunter. What is the good quality? He just killed some deer, hung it on some tree by accident. But Lord Śiva said “Oh, somehow or other he cooled me down”, so he was very pleased, “He is a very good person, a good devotee, let me give him a blessing.” So that’s the nature of the great souls. Even they say, not even 1%, even hardly a fraction they see something good, they recognise that. And the very lowest of souls, even that person they have so many good qualities; like Śiśupāla, he couldn’t see anything good in Kṛṣṇa. He was only picking out—even though there is nothing wrong with Kṛṣṇa—but he is imagining wrong things and criticising, you see.

So, therefore we can take advantage of serving the Lord, and this way automatically, just being attached to Kṛṣṇa, we become detached from the world, and you get permanent artha, the permanent supreme gain, simply by worshipping Kṛṣṇa. And this is the cause for uparāma – cessation of the saṁsāra – of the conditional states of life. So the very simple process, singing Kṛṣṇa, taking kṛṣṇa-prasādam, associating with devotees, hearing a class from the Bhāgavatam. It’s very simple, where is the difficulty? One can be working everyday morning, and at night has a little bhajana, little class. Take a little prasādam at the house, offering the food. What is the difficulty? And by this very simple process, you become attached to Kṛṣṇa, you cut the bondage to the material world, and at the end of this life you go back home back to Godhead.

Thank you very much!

Devotee: Can you explain kuṭi-nāṭi?

Jayapatākā Swami: It's one of the weeds of devotional service. It’s one that’s not straightforward in their dealings. You may say something to a person’s face, but then actually you work against the person, do some kind of politics or diplomacy behind, this type of thing. Or say that, the person’s showing as a devotee, but actually they are keeping so many other secret activities or desires, all these types of things. Like double standards. Just like people say “You should practise what you preach”. So, when a person starts to not practise what they preach, when they start to divert, basically one of the kuṭi-nāṭi. So where one is just not straight forward. A devotee should be simple and not be very diplomatic in terms of personal dealings with the Vaiṣṇavas. Like sometimes you meet some person and he tries to impress you and says, “Actually my father is a multi-crore-pati”, and this and that, “I was a very big this and that”, you know. Sometimes even they exaggerate or they lie just to present some kind of a big show. They think that this way I will impress the devotees. But actually, it’s not needed in devotional life. Whoever you are, you can just be who you are. So when a person tries to do all kind of double dealings and things, it gets very complicated. Trying to maintain all very complicated inter-personal relations are based on diplomacy, that’s kuṭi-nāṭi. It’s one of the weeds that we should avoid. Complicates the heart, gets us involved in various types of intrigues. Of course, maybe some person’s occupation is a politician. As a matter of his occupation, he has to do that. But he shouldn’t carry that over into his spiritual life, into the dealings with Kṛṣṇa and the devotees.

Devotee: Sometimes the person’s very straightforward with others that the people get upset.

Jayapatākā Swami: There is a difference between truth and fact. There are many facts. Like say someone, it may be a fact that X is ugly. But you don’t go up to him and say, “You are ugly!”. It may be a fact, but that’s not truth. Truth is Absolute Truth. You are a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You are an eternal sprit soul. You can tell people truth, don’t tell them facts. “Your nose is too big; your ears are bent.” These are all, may be a fact but is not truth. So, like this, we have to be expert in dealing. Like Lord Caitanya said “You give praise to others and don’t expect praise for yourself.” So, say the thing which is appealing to other people, which is the truth.

Devotee: What if the truth is not so appealing? Say someone is not, you know, practising spiritual life properly. So do you tell them, you know, give them some instructions which is absolute truth, and that can offend them?

Jayapatākā Swami: That does happen sometimes. The effect of that can be reduced by a person becoming more expert. Just like Lord Caitanya, He told the sannyāsīs of Kaśi (Banaras) the truth. And He even told them they are all in māyā. He told them they are all fools. But He did it in such a way that no-one took any offense. He did it by saying that, “I am a fool”. He said that, “My guru said I am a fool, because don’t waste My time simply reading so many books and mental speculating and everything. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.” Lord Caitanya never read all those books and did mental speculation. They were doing it. But by criticising Himself, indirectly He was actually calling, “You are all fools because you are doing this.” But He didn’t say “You are.” He said “I am. My guru said don’t be a fool and do all these things.” So then you see, it rebounded. After they thought about it, they said, “Wait a minute, that’s what we do!” (laughter) But the way He said it to Himself, so they wouldn’t take offense. So, sometimes, it’s not like a uniform thing. You can’t go… just like that student had the… started hitting horses on the neck type of view. You have to apply that with some particular… but sometimes there is a way of doing it. So one has to become expert in Vaiṣṇava dealings. That’s why even if you criticise someone, you see, sometimes there is a way of doing that first you praise them, and then you give them the, “If you don’t mind I will just say something?” in a question form, depending on their relative status in varṇāśrama. Social status and spiritual status.

Devotee: Suppose a person had to like repeatedly trying to improve and become more expert in dealing with. Suppose he can’t, should he rather not say anything and go away or should he rather speak even though it upsets others. What will be the? Even after many years, and even hearing from others advising him he should be more, say more tactful or more expert, still he can’t, he might as well stay. You might have seen examples of type of person. What should he do? Shall he rather go away? And not bother people? Or shall he speak out even though he knows he might upset them?

Jayapatākā Swami: See what the effect is. From what he is doing people get worse. By his speaking, people… the spiritual life is going down. We never give up. Where is the question, “I can’t do it, I tried so many years to be more tactful. I am not able to do it. So I am just speaking the truth. RAWRR!” (laughter) And people are left lying wounded. They lose their enthusiasm. We have to go on trying you see. If we are not able to do it, then we have to tell someone “Listen, I am not able to do, I know my limitations, please you tell.” We have to see what’s the result. The point is that just like a doctor, he has to see the patient gets better. He may say, “But the cure says give this”. Like, when you get an operation, it says the patient shouldn’t eat 6 hours before operation, otherwise during the operation table, under anaesthesia, they may vomit. If they vomit, the food gets caught in their throat, that can cause them to choke on the food and die. Many cases about it. So like that, maybe the patient needs operation, but he just ate. So I can’t operate. So they have to get some other cure. Like that, you have to know about it, you have to be an expert doctor. Otherwise, instead of curing the patient you will kill the patient, and what’s the use? You went against the purpose you know.

*Devotee commenting some more on same topic*

Jayapatākā Swami: They say—of course it is more advanced—no matter what someone says, they will take it in appropriate manner. We are supposed to take. That’s what the second part, “Offer respect to others, don’t expect respect”. “Don’t expect, respect” means that “expect disrespect” in another sense. We don’t expect any respect that means that if someone doesn’t give you respect even gives you disrespect it’s not unexpected. You are not expecting anything else. So that the higher point of it, you shouldn’t be destroyed by that, should take it. These are the ideals, these are the goals, these are the ultimate standards. In practise, become short in offering the proper way. Become a little less in accepting. But that’s the standard we should aim for. Even Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja said that, especially if your own people criticise it hurts more. If some stranger calls you something, you don’t mind. When someone who is near and dear—they or someone you have faith in, respect for—they act in a harsh way or in a very cutting, that has more effect. You see the gṛhasthas, they get close to their wife and family, then if wife says something that hurts more, you see. That goes right to the heart. Then you get really… or the husband says something. They never forgot. Long time they keep. So even the Vedas say wife and husband, you should avoid arguments. Don’t take seriously. Again, some Godbrother or some dear person, suddenly they very impatient and say something, it may stay in the heart a long time. Although it shouldn’t, we should be detached. But because someone’s very dear, when you have so much good relationship with someone, and suddenly they reject you or they say something like that, then it hurts more. It’s the nature of human life. What to be done? So we shouldn’t let that… we can’t become a stone. It’s maybe going to have some effect. So, we shouldn’t let that interrupt our devotional service.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!