20080428 Evening Class

The following is an evening class given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaja on April 28th 2008 in Hong Kong.

Evening Class Lecture by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja in Hong Kong

vande 'haḿ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaḿ śrī-gurun vaiṣṇavāḿś ca

śrī-rūpaḿ sāgrajātaḿ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaḿ taḿ sa jīvam

sādvaitaḿ sāvadhūtaḿ parijana-sahitaḿ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaḿ

śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā- śrī-viśākhānvitāḿś ca

Rādhārāṇī is the supreme Lakṣmī, the Goddess of fortune, I don’t know in china what’s happening, but outside it was like the goddess of mercy, there was a temple of goddess of mercy, in Indian they have a goddess of fortune, she’s also mercy, she also gives money (GM Laughs) ,and all kinds of so. Rādhārāṇī is the supreme goddess of fortune  she also gives us devotion for Kṛṣṇa. We have that then we have everything, human form of life we can develop our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, we can know who we are, we can know who the who Kṛṣṇa is. As human beings so we have all the potentials, is to once srila Prabhupada landing in Melbourne Australia, and he said that the newspaper man who was greeting him at the airport, they said you are coming from India, India is a poor country,  so this was in 1970 Australia is a rich country, so what you have come to take from Australia, but Prabhupada said I am not come to take anything from Australia, I come here to give you, I come here to save you from a cats and dogs life, what do you mean by living a cats and dogs life? So, while you analyze, then tell me what’s the difference. Cat and dog are eating, they may eat out of the bowl or in the street, they are eating and humans are maybe eating in a hotel, in restaurants, or something.  Maybe with chopsticks , spoon or fork , fingers or anything but they are all eating. Then sleeping, animals are sleeping. Isn’t it? animals also sleep, maybe on the sand or beach or maybe on some grass, they are lying down and sleeping, human beings they have ni

ce bed, maybe they are sleeping on the grass mat, maybe on a 60-storey building, but once you have sleep, you are asleep, what is the difference animal or human.Then animals are having procreating , procreating , they have been making babies, human being also having relation, then animals are fighting with each other, using the claws and the things, humans may be using missiles, and bombs, and (make sound of shoshoshoshs) machine guns, but fighting is there animals or humans. So my point is that Prabhupada said that with humans only doing these four things only doing more complicated manner than animals. That means that they are sophisticated animals,  so human beings has got more intelligence to understand what is the purpose of life, to understand who I am? Understand Kṛṣṇa, in this way human being can be self realized they can achieve perfection of yoga. So this way I come here to save you from the cats and dogs life, to teach you that human life is meant for higher purpose. Srila Prabhupada he said that, on the next day the newspaper they put a new headline, in the Age newspaper. Swamiji has come, to save us from the cat and dog life, He has come to haunt us, or to humor us so, like this Prabhupada was an ambassador for Kṛṣṇa going around the world, to spread the message of the holy name, loving message of Lord Caitanya. 

How many would like to lead this animalistic life?  How many like to lead a higher life? Spiritual realization, some people not decided. (devotees laugh). (A devotee ask can we come in between.)

The animal part cannot avoid anyway, that’s always there. Just adding the higher fifth part, we are also, those who are doing spiritual life they are also eating, they are also sleeping, they are also making Kṛṣṇa conscious babies and they are also defending themselves but they are adding the fifth thing, four things you cannot avoid, even if you want, can you go without sleeping? The self realized person is not sleeping for pleasure He is sleeping, he or she is sleeping because they need to rest their body, so that they can serve Kṛṣṇa more, the Kṛṣṇa, the self realized soul doesn’t stop eating. But he eats prasadam, so that he will get some spiritual food for spiritual nourishment, body will be nourished and also the soul. So you cannot avoid also eating, eating, sleeping, mating. Just also throughout this year so many marriage ceremonies I am going to. In Malaysia I was just there for two marriage ceremonies.

So part of our varṇāśrama is the gṛhastha āśrama. But in a married life they also try to bring the children up to be self realized in Kṛṣṇa conscious. So they like Kṛṣṇa. Just like a Buddhist monk, they are learning kung fu, karate because to protect themselves from robbers, and invaders.

Arjuna was a kṣatriya, reading about kṣatriya this morning, how protecting the innocence, but they use their military skills for higher purpose. So like that, Basically it is like a natural compromise, we call it as yukta-vairāgya, dovetailing the material propensities for higher purpose. In that way  we get the ultimate spiritual realization and at the same time we are surviving in this material world.  So like that people try to.  Lord Caitanya didn’t say to do markata (not sure) vairāgya, markata (not sure) vairāgya means what do you call monkey renunciation, looking very renounced but actually being very attached. Rather to do your material duties very responsibly while being attach to Kṛṣṇa.

This is what Aryan culture means that it has a higher spiritual purpose.They considered what is called śreyas over preyas, but immediate gratification of the senses, this is called preyas, and considering that the future well being, more of a future holistic kind of spiritual and material fulfilment that is called śreyas. So we try to achieve śreyas over preyas.

Lord Caitanya when he was he went to Gaya because he was performing the ceremony for his father, the śraddhā ceremony, piṇḍi dhan. When the forefathers pass away then we perform some ceremony for the well being of the soul, (not clear). Just like say that somebody has done many sinful things in their life and they are stuck in some with not very pleasant birth and not very pleasant situation. So in the Vedas, a child, son or daughter, can perform some Vishnu puja and send the result to their forefather. So that somebody is a ghost doesn’t take birth again, then they can be given a birth because of the śraddhā ceremony of the children. So its customary for all the sons and all the daughter to perform the ceremony on behalf of the departed mother or father.

How many have performed that? (A devotee: But sometimes the Chinese do it for Buddha) Chinese do it for Buddha. So you do it for Vishnu. Vishnu Buddha is also Vishnu but (devotee talks) one of the dāsa avatāras. So in Gaya  there is a special place called Vishnu Gaya where this ceremony is performed. There’s Boddh Gaya, Vishnu Gaya, many different gayas. The Vishnu Gaya is the footprint of Lord Vishnu. He put His own foot there, it is sketched in the stone, so followers of the Vedic culture will go there and perform and worship the Vishnu pada and offer the results to their forefathers. So that’s one reason to train up your children to be spiritual so that the Buddhists actually this is your insurance policy. So if the children don’t do it what can you do? So Lord Caitanya being a good son for his departed father he went there to performed the ceremony one year after his departure. There he met Isvara Puri Maharaj ki jai (Devotees say jai), a great disciple of Madhavendra Puri, our great Acharya spiritual master, so then he fell at his feet and said now that my father is gone now that I want spiritual father I want to have a guru please initiate me. So then the Isvara Puri said no no you are a very great scholar, how can I give you initiation? No No you must give me initiation, otherwise how will I live, how will I live if I don’t have a bonafide guru’s shelter? Everyone must be under the shelter of a bonafide spiritual master, and then Isvara Puri initiated Lord Caitanya, gave him the mantra, 

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Lord Caitanya went out and he was very happy to be initiated, and began dancing and chanting in ecstasy, he was spinning , dancing and chanting, but the brahmins there in the Gaya they gather around and watching, what is this brahmin boy doing, dancing and chanting and singing, Lord Caitanya  tears are shooting from his eyes, which spray the people , so much force is coming, then Lord Caitanya  saw everybody was watching him and he became conscious of himself  and he went and did the puja to the Vishnu pada. He did abhiṣeka, abhiṣeka to impression of Lord Vishnu’s lotus feet. Then, you know abhiṣeka, what is abhiṣeka? pouring like pañcāmṛta, milk, yogurt, honey or ghee, honey and sugar water, Lord Caitanya was worshiping Vishnu’s lotus feet, tears of love were pouring from his eyes, then they offered plate of bhoga offering of food, then like this he performed everything for the welfare of his father, acting as a perfect son, then Lord Caitanya he got excited he wanted to go to Vṛndāvana, he ran over the Phalgu river, it runs in Vishnu Gaya, he said I am going to Vrindavan.

Vṛndāvana Biharilal Bhagavan Sri Krsna ki jai.  (Devotee says jai)

Vṛndāvana Biharilal Sri Krsna Baghavan ki jai.  (Devotee says jai.)

I’m going to Vṛndāvana, going to Vṛndāvana (Devotee laughs)

Then a voice came from the sky , No it is not the time to go to Vṛndāvana you have to go back to Navadwip and start the Saṅkīrtana-yajña, then later you go to Vṛndāvana, (Devotee laughs) then Lord Caitanya went back to Navadwip Dham and started the Saṅkīrtana movement, chanting congregationally the holy names. 

(Guru maharaj sings, along with devotees.) 

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Like this chanting the holy names, Lord Caitanya started in Navadwip Dham when he got back from Gaya, people were wondering what happened, Nimai Pandit changed. Now he is chanting and dancing, he is not the same paṇḍita like he was before, maybe he’s got some health problem, sometimes he is crying, sometimes he is laughing, sometimes he is fainting, they approached Mother Saci, his mother and said you have to do something about your son he’s got some bile problem, in the Ayurvedic system they have airs, phlegm, bile, so they said if the airs are disturbed some mental disturbance may be there. So, one person said yes give him some tender coconuts it will cool down his head,  another one said no, give him some visnuthaila, put it on his head and another one said no tie him on ropes he is too far for all Maya (not sure) cures, mother said, nothing’s wrong with my son, what you all saying all these foolish things, like this the talk was going on around town, then Lord Caitanya he went to see Srivas Thakur, Srivas was very well established respected vaisnava, he know the science of bhakthi yoga, so he ask him, can I speak with you Srivas Prabhu, people say that I am sick, I wanted to know if I have a disease or not?  Srivas said, yes why not, tell me, what is the symptom of your disease?  so whenever I chant Hare Krsna, my hairs stand on end, sometimes I laugh uncontrollably, sometimes tears coming my eyes, sometimes I faint, is this a disease, Srivas thought, yes, you have a disease, Lord Caitanya, very serious, oh no, then Srivas smiled and said I want that disease too, (Devotees laugh) nobody wants disease, so if he wants that must not be so bad. Srivas said you have the disease of Krsna prema, pure love of Krsna even Brahma and Siva they want this. This is the highest happiness, highest realization, some how you have been blessed by it, most people they won’t understand, So I invite you to come to my garden private garden you can chant there and in this way you can experience your love of Krsna along with some confidential devotees. How many of you like to get a special pass, for Lord Caitanya's private kirtan party in Srivas Angan house? (GM laughs.) How many like to get Krsna Prema? Very good, accha sa, so, that’s how Lord Caitanya started his chanting in the house of Srivas, now this chanting is being practised all over the world, (you have to move back to little bit so that you can see the wall), so I travel around the world to different ISKCON programs. We will show you tonight some of the festivals around ISKCON, at least that the ones I attended, Lord Caitanya predicted that his chanting of the holy names of Krsna would spread all over the world. 

(GM recites prayer.)Prithivi. 

How from Lord Caitanya humble beginning in the garden of Srivas and spread all over the world. This is the Ratha Yatra in Bengal. This is Dhaka. There was a jackfruit. This is part of Lithuania. Leicester UK Ratha Yatra. Berlin Ratha Yatra, Birmingham UK England. This is drama in the Middle East. (unclear) Damodara Desh, everybody’s  

household deities are brought and being worshipped on Janmastami. This is indoor Rath Yatra in another Middle East, indoor Rath in Arab country. This is a famous Rath Yatra in Kathmandu. Simharaj Das is organizing this. Festival in Africa, Ghana, retreats like we are going on 10th or 11th (unclear). Argentina, everyone likes to dance and chant. We offered, flat rice and yoghurt, and fruits, chidda dahi in Atlanta,5^th Avenue, New York City, 5th Avenue, Manhattan, Damodaradesh is the code name for Arab preaching. Serbia, Czech Republic, Nagari where Bhakti Tirtha Maharaj left his body, Trivandrum Kerala, Atlanta Janmastami festival in America, Rath Yatra in Italy Milan, Italy, the home of pizza, Mayapur Radhastami festival, about 10000 people, abhisek, 

Radhe, Radhe,  (Devotee says Radhe, Radhe)

Radhe, Radhe,  (Devotee says Radhe, Radhe)

Radhe, Radhe,  (Devotee says Radhe, Radhe)

This is Guna prabhu he is terminally ill with cancer, he was taken up to to bathe Radharani, Barcelona harinam, this is Spain , Europe, Stockholm Sweden, Program in Delhi, Delhi has now over a hundred Bhakti Vriksha groups, youth program apart from the big temple in (not clear) we have any small temples, namahattas, and Bhakti Vrksha programs, Bangkok,  we have a hundreds of devotees, This is jhulan; This looks like Mahavaraha Das,the secretary, Pearl, Germany, Hong Kong, (Devotees cheer Haribol.)

Rio de Janeiro Brazil,Ippanema Beach Atlantic Ocean, Lapas Bolivia, South America,parade in the town, Kwalahala Mexico, Dhaka Bangladesh, This is ISKCON Temple, this is downloaded from the internet, so the quality is not so good, Santa Monica and Veniz beach, Los Angeles Rath Yatra with 50,000 people attending, this is also known as Muscleman (or mussleman) man beach, Minnessota no temple but they have Hare Krsna community, all over the world now, (not clear 39:00)This is a temple by Nima Prabhu in the suburb of Chosica, Budapest, Hungary, Salvador, Latin America,Toronto Canada, San Francisco Rath Yatra, This is where it started in the West, this is last year downloaded from the internet, Trinidad, West indies, Taipei, Taiwan, Tijuana,Mexico, (unclear 40:00) Brazil, Porto Alegre, San Francisco, many tents Festival of India Rath Yatra, This is Italy on a coast, Viareggio, Where is Santa Costin, Equador,All the cities in the world, minus 4 degrees, they distribute over one thousand plates upto 1600 plates of prasadam everyday, at the gates of the campus of University of Florida for 35 years.

(Guru Maharaj starts singing kirtan 40:47 - 52:06.) 

(jaya) śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

(Devotee repeats), 

(jaya) śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

(Guru Maharaj started singing) 

(jaya) śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

(Devotee repeats), 

(jaya) śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

(Guru Maharaj started singing) 

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

(Devotee repeats), 

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Transcribed By: Svayam Nitāi Das

Transcribed On: 7-Nov-2020

Proof Reading By: Amrita Padma Devi Dasi

On 24/11/2020

Proofreading again by Enbarani Ramasamy on 29/12/2020