PLEASE NOTE, *THIS DOCUMENT IS AT DRAFT (NOT PERFECT) STAGE. IT IS RECOMMENDED TO READ WITH GM’S VIDEO IN BACKGROUND. *

Mukham karoti vacalam pangum langayate girim
Yat kripa tam aham vande sri gurum dina tarinam
Paramananda Madhavam Sri Caitanya Isvaram

So today we have a special guest here, from Los Angeles, New Dwaraka, Bhagavat Kripa das! Let us give him a Haribol welcome! Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! You are from Dwaraka; you are being welcomed by ulu dhwani. Los Angeles is called New Dwaraka, in America. There they have Rukmini and Dwarkadeesh. And also Jagannath, Baladeva, Subadra. And Nitai Gaur! Haribol! So you are welcome to visit our New Dwaraka temple!

(A devotee spoke and said every year we have a program where guru maharaj speaks inspiring the book distributors. We also do some sankalpa program, so is it possible you can speak something about distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books?)

I was thinking that we should have a video and picture report of each temple. Like the vice president of Delhi, he came here. He is also our national communications person. He said that this is his first darshan of the Ratha Yatra of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subadra in Kolkata and he was very impressed, he said, it is very nice! So I would like to present at least from my zone, the reports of each temple. And many GBCs, they don’t see how Kolkata observes Ratha Yatra. How Kolkata also has so many book distributors. So India now is the leader in book distribution. Kolkata is one of the biggest, I think the biggest city in India. At night there are one crore people and 50% people more come to work during the day. One of the book distributors from Europe, he came to India and he saw how the devotees were distributing books at Howrah station. He said, actually, these book distributors are great! This way they are standing in the Howrah station, it is hot and very crowded and they are distributing all through the day! This way like, they are distributing in Howrah station, no one can do so in the western world. So it is a great opportunity, we have to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books. Only in Delhi, they are winning the marathon, I asked them how they do that? They said they have 275 book distributors. Because they get their congregation members to also help distribute books. And the president, he goes to each and every namahatta, each and every bhakti vrksa, each and every extension centre, and he goes to them and gets them to take a sankalpa, how many books they will distribute during the whole marathon! One of the elderly men took a sankalpa that he would distribute 5000 Bhagavad-gitas. He stops cars and he stands in the front and says, I will not go unless you take a Bhagavad-gita. We cannot do that in the west! But being an elderly Indian, he can do it! Even the ladies, they can also do a sankalpa. So one recent book was published, “Our Family Business”. The subject was that Srila Prabhupada distributed books and so we should also distribute books. So we should also try every year to distribute books. Srila Prabhupada told me to distribute 10,000 big books and 100,000 small books every day. Who is willing to help me? Thank you, so please take a sankalpa, how many books you are going to distribute? You try to achieve your goal. Also, those who are watching on Facebook, you can also help me! Haribol! Actually, there is no limit to speaking about book distribution. Maybe I will be here for another half hour answering questions. But if anyone takes a book, so many questions will be answered!

So, are there any questions? So how will these book distributors take their sankalpa?

(So various devotees took sankalpa for book distribution and assisting guru maharaj.)

Question: How to develop vaisnava quality within the heart? Your servant Arnab

Guru maharaj: The process of bhakti yoga is to develop these qualities. So by practicing bhakti yoga, you are automatically developing vaisnava qualities. And you should practice it very seriously. Avoid certain association and take certain association. The Upadesamrita advises us what is good and what is not good. So like this you develop the qualities of a vaisnava.

Question: Hare Krsna maharaj. After so many years of practicing bhakti, I don’t get a taste of bhakti. Please give some light on this. Your servant SM, Subadeep Mandal

Guru maharaj: How many rounds you chant? How many years you have been practicing? (three years). Srila Prabhupada said that he got the realization after practicing for 20 years! How many lifetimes will it take you?! If you commit offences, then the process usually takes more time. If you are eager for getting some mercy, then in many ways you can get special mercy. And usually in the third step in bhajana kriya they take initiation. Sradha, sadhu sanga and bhajan kriya and after that comes anarta nivritti. So at the bhajana kriya stage we usually take initiation. Then after the anarta nivritti comes the stage of nista. After nista comes ruci or taste. Then we get attached to that taste. And that is called the stage of aasakti. Beyond that comes the stage of ecstatic love of Krsna. And at that stage we are 99% Krsna conscious. 1% maya. Then from that stage comes Prema. That is 100% Krsna conscious. We should analyse what stage we are in. And then we should try to go higher and higher.

Question: Hare Krsna guru maharaj: What is the significance of second initiation? Can somebody simply take Harinam initiation ad perform devotional service throughout his whole life? In that situation, is it necessary to take second initiation? Your servant, Dandavat pranam

Guru maharaj: My servant, Dandavat pranam! Dandavat Das. Radharani Sevini dasi! Oh, beautiful name! So second initiation is like going on the fast track. It also brings one closer to the guru. That also gives one the facility of worshipping installed deities. But it is not essential to have. One can take second initiation, but with it also comes a greater responsibility. Like, we are told we should not ever commit suicide. If one has first initiation and is not initiated and he commits suicide, they become a ghost. But if someone has second initiation and they commit suicide, they become a brahma raksasa. Na! Na! Baap re! Maago! Oh my God! So I could say much more but we don’t have much time.

Question: Hare Krsna guru maharaj: While serving in the top position, unknowingly the position of controller comes in order to execute the service properly. Though my position is servant, my question is, how to serve in the top position while keeping the mood of a servant?

Guru maharaj: We should always think that we are servant. That is why in Bhakti vrksa and namahatta, we call it ‘servant leader’. Sector servant or circle servant. So one has also some responsibility, that they think that they have to guide other devotees. But they should always be in a servant mood. And in that way, they can protect themselves. If we see that we are serving guru and Krsna, then we will avoid offences.

So I am sorry that tonight it is late already. And I know that you also have to get home! So please give your sankalpa to Acarya Ratna das. I will see you tomorrow! Haribol!

Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
08 June 2019