So we had Ekadasi, Dvadasi and today devotees ended their Purushottam vrata. Some devotees took khichdi or havishanna for the whole month, some devotees were taking fruits and roots. So some devotees had a pot of Ganges water and sprinkled it on their heads or in the shower they say Ganga Ganga Ganga! To say Ganga three times also gives the same benediction as bathing in the Ganges. Most important was that there were a lot of outreach programs, preaching. We hope people will understand what the real purpose of life is. Generally, people still think they are the body. The subtle and gross bodies are different from the soul. The soul is transcendental, part and parcel of Lord Krishna. Similar qualities as Lord Krishna but minute quantity. So this Purushottam month comes once in three years. It is a special benediction for devotees to go back to Goloka Vrndavan. If there are any devotees who have done any special program, then write to me and tell me. I am very interested to hear all of your new ideas. In Malaysia I hear my disciple, Lokabandhu das lost the election and his whole party lost because people wanted a change. At the same time in a more humble position, Deepa Devi in the UK, she got elected as a city councilor, Of course being a national leader is more powerful but that is how politics works. Sometimes you go up, sometimes you come down. In the Vedic time people followed the varnashrama system. Brahmanas did not require any passport or visa, they could go anywhere they wanted. Kshatriyas had their own code of honor. The thing that Kshatriyas could do, the brahmanas could not do. Similarly, there were the business people, the farmers, the vaishyas, they had other roles to play. They are providing the food for the whole body. The shudras were those who were working for a salary. They served the above three mentioned and they are not one of the three above. So that varnashrama was still prevalent when Lord Caitanya came down and He presented Krishna consciousness to all the varnas. So His presentation of singing, dancing was very useful for the people. So one of our students or disciples rather went to the class in school and the teacher asked who eats non veg, everybody raised their hands except that student. She said it is alright if you don’t take, you have free will. So suddenly they are promoting this influence and then one day the lunch box of our devotee student got switched with the lunch box of another student. So that other student’s lunch box had non veg items. So the mother of our devotee student went to the principal and said this is unacceptable. After a long discussion the principal invited the mother to come to the school in the month of Damodar and show the kids how to offer a candle. So it turned out to be advantageous for Krishna consciousness. Like that we don’t know what is Krishna’s plan. We can pray to Him but ultimately He is free to do as He likes.

So I am still in the hospital. Maybe tomorrow I will be discharged and give a class at the house where I am staying. In the meantime, I thought to give a class here. Are there any questions?

How many are watching on net? 213

Question: How do we raise the consciousness of the general public as a whole? Like some people are not ready for bhakti yet but their consciousness can be raised to some point. How can that be executed?

Guru maharaj: In the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, one who wants to love Krishna, and then there are some other activities which will help one achieve love of Krishna, different kinds of charity, sacrifices. So I will refer to the 12th chapter, like some people like to go and help distribute prasadam but they do not want to read books. Some people like to read books but they don’t want to chant, so many varieties. So then you see how to dovetail their interests so that it matches the desires of the previous acharyas and Krishna.

Question: Gurudev, how do we worship Krishna without any obstacles?

Guru maharaj: In the material world there is bound to be a certain number of obstacles. There are many examinations, when one is able to pass all the examinations, they go for their final examination and go back to Godhead.

Question: How do we carry on the legacy of Srila Prabhupad as a second generation of this movement?

Guru maharaj: So there was a lecturer in Los Angeles and it was Hridayananda maharaj or someone. They were saying on a mountain you don’t realize how big it really is. When you are away a bit from the mountain, you see wow that mountain is very tall. So it may be easier for the second and third generation to be dedicated to Srila Prabhupad since they only see this distant silhouette. Many of Srila Prabhupad’s disciples have written some memories, memoirs, about Srila Prabhupad, their interactions with Srila Prabhupad. So one can also take advantage of the Prabhupad videos, acharya series where Prabhupad’s disciples speak out. There are so many aspects which the first generation did not have. So it shouldn’t be that hard to keep up the legacy. Last question.

Question: How to not get stagnant in Krishna consciousness?

Guru maharaj: One of the most important qualities is called laulyam. That means eagerness. So like Jagai Madhai, the brahmanas, Rupa Sanatan, Srila Prabhupad, it wasn’t all about varnashrama dharma, they had to go through things like how you say, cold turkey. But many of our devotees, the regulative principles were broken, but they didn’t know any better. They didn’t know that these things are prohibited. Whether one is a brahmana or a shudra Krishna Caitanya said kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, shudro keno noi, jei Krishna tattva vetta, shei guru hoi. To love Krishna is the actual thing. When I became a devotee in this life, I sent a message to my parents, I said, you will be happy I am going to follow these rules. My mother came up, why all this fanaticism. Why don’t you be a catholic priest or a priest and you then can be a monk at the end of your life. I told her, can you tell me how long I will live? Parents don’t think how long their children are going to live she said? Then how can you say wait till you are old, I said. Maybe I am supposed to die very soon! So like that we have limited time on this planet and how we use the time makes all the difference. If we can love our love and affection for guru and Gauranga, for Lord Radha Madhava, then we go back to Goloka Vrndavan or we go back to the spiritual world. If we are complacent and do not try our best, by the time the final exam comes we will not be ready. So how can you be complacent? When the sword is hanging over your neck. Haribol! Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

JRDD
14 June 2018