Nama Om Vishnu paadaaya..
Hari Haraya Naama Krishna …
Jaya Radha Madhava…
Mukham karoti…

So this morning we had the adivas of the parikrama. We went to the Yoga pith, the birthplace of Lord Caitanya. We heard from different sanyasis, senior devotees and this way we started our parikrama very auspiciously. So how many are going on parikrama? Not going? Ha! So there is also a facility you can go in the morning by bus and you can come in the evening by bus and stay here. There is also a facility to camp out and most people camp out. They have big tents and separate for men and separate for women and shower facilities, toilets and all the necessities of life. So the Gaudiya matth, they walk to the place and they walk back, double walk. You don’t have to walk so far, go from one camp to the other, and you spend more time hearing. Unfortunately, this year, there is a overlap, four days of the GBC meetings are at the same time as parikrama. I hope to give calss every morning before the GBC meetings and broadcasted to the parties. Then after the GBC meetings, we will be more active. I would still like to communicate with each party and we have many sanyasis and senior devotees, non GBCs going out with the parties. We, the Mayapur management, requested that there be no overlap in the next year. Let us hope for the best. So today we are finishing what the fruit is of hearing Kolavecha Sridhar’s boon! We have been waiting for this for several days now. Now comes the day! Wow! Haribol! I can hardly wait!!

Whatever you see that a vaishnava in his daily life has distress, you should know for certain that it is actually spiritual bliss, spiritual happiness! Haribol! IN a fully engaged devotee’s life, if he has scarcity rather than external happiness or opulence, sickness rather than good health, poverty rather wealth, ignorance rather than scholarship, if a person considers a vaishnava is also afflicted by various deficiencies, and is hankering after gold, women and fame like the karmis, thus consider him distressed, to be understood to have lost their intelligence. Some devotees like Raghunath das Goswami, he never experienced any shortage or any distress, materially. But he gave up everything to follow Lord Caitanya. So Rupa and Sanatan were known as Dabir Khaas and Sakar Mallik. They think that they were afflicted because they worked for a yavana king, rather they were never afflicted by the worldly distress, rather they were absorbed in the service of Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet. So like this, all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, like Haridas Thakur, he was born in a yavana family, or Kolavecha Sridhar who appeared poor, actually they were in ecstasy of serving Lord Caitanya. They never became distressed or overwhelmed like ordinary people. So we should understand when it is Krishna’s desire, or when it is a karmi’s desire, Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Goswami Prabupad, he says that we should understand the source of spiritual happiness. That is why Sri Gaurasundar has caused the descent of the verse naa ham vipro ca narapati. Prabhupad, he also was a successful businessman and suddenly he lost everything and then all the people he thought were his friends, they all left him. And then he fully dedicated to Krishna consciousness. So sometimes, Krishna he gives one some special mercy! Prabhupad was saying that now I have so many nice spiritual children, they are taking better care of me than what my material children were taking care. What they would ever have done. So Prabhupad, he was in Vrndavan, but he got again and again dreams from his spiritual master to go again and again and preach in the west. So that is how we are all here today! And he also preached in India after he was ordered so by the deities in Los Angeles. And he sent me to India. But he told me to travel around the world. So I did both! So for a self-realized soul, they don’t suffer any distress that has no relationship with the self. If you are deprived of the service of Krishna, that is a distress! Haribol!

The people that are blinded by material enjoyment, they don’t know anything. Intoxicated by false pride of their education, their wealth, they cannot recognize a real vaishnava. You remember, the aagya rudi and vidwad rudi – the materialistic they don’t understand the four Vedas, they don’t understand the auxiliary Vedic literature like Ayurveda, Dhanurveda and they only follow the aagya rudi or the ignorant understanding of the scriptures. They are very much interested in their material enjoyment. They don’t understand why they are suffering in spite of having so much material opulence. I was working outside in Montreal to pay the rent for Prabhupad’s flat. My parents, grandparents, were multi-millionaires. But suddenly we had to go for a job and in spite of my education I had to work, sweeping, moping a restaurant. So one client of the restaurant, he came in, and he said I have a five-thousand-dollar suit, I have a Rolex watch, I have a Mercedes Benz outside, I have a multistoried house, I have a beautiful wife, but I am not happy! But why are you happy? You are a sweeper? I was sweeping and thinking of Prabhupad’s lecture. I was humming the Hare Krishna mantra. hmmmm because I could not chant, the boss will fire me! So this is my experience, I wish I could have told him why I am so happy, because I have Krishna, Ha! Ha! I have Prabhupad. So anyway, these people they have the aagya rudi, ignorant understanding. They don’t take shelter of a bona fide guru, they don’t have the vidwad rudi, understanding of the spiritual knowledge given by the Vedas. So they can only exchange their wealth for sensual happiness and the senses are temporary and not able to fully reciprocate. That is why, vaishnavas are engaged in devotional service. They don’t become blinded with pride due to education, wealth, beauty, fame, good birth, they don’t engage in the search for material sense gratification. Once we had a BBC guy who came here, he was showing a travel show. So he came to Mayapur and he filmed the prasad distribution and various things. And then we took him on the boat and in the midst of some talk, I mentioned that we don’t go after the sense gratification. He said, wow, that sounds good! Why not! This is the goal of the materialist, when we say sense gratification, he said, wow, I want that! I want to gratify my senses. But actually real satisfaction comes in serving the Lord, and that they have no access to. So the vaishnavas are really exalted. We hope that one day we could be a vaishnava! But these materialists they think that the vaishnavas are inferior, and they have so much and they are very proud of their material possession and they think, wow, the vaishnavas they have nothing. It is like people who drive by in America, they say, Get a job! Get a job! We have a job! Ha! Giving out the spiritual knowledge which these people they have no access to. So BSSTGP said that actually these people have no fault. The fault is that they have impure intelligence. So they don’t see things as they are. They don’t realize why they are suffering! Because intelligence is misguided.

Even if one studies the Srimad Bhagavatam, his intelligence may be destroyed if he blasphemes Lord Nityananda, he will certainly be destroyed, be vanquished. Rather than discuss Srimad Bhagavatam with the Sri Brahma Madhva, Gaudiya sampradaya vaishnavas, proud materialists, study the Srimad Bhagavatam with a desire to increase their material prestige. So they discuss Srimad Bhagavatam with mad persons who are against devotional service. So they don’t get the shelter of Nitai Gaur and they disrespect the vaishnava guru, and as a result the absence of devotion is exposed and they proudly advertise themselves as instructors of the vaishnavas, of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Since they don’t see that the Supreme Lord is in everyone’s heart, so they see the whole world in a distorted way. See everyone as full of miseries. So instead they engage themselves in many non-devotional activities. They pretend to be gurus and give initiation as initiating gurus but if they would actually study Srimad Bhagavatam under a bona fide vaishnava guru, then out of natural humility they would realize themselves as lower than the straw in the street and they would become qualified to study the Srimad Bhagavatam. So sometimes people ask how do we follow the third verse of the Shikshashtakam? Being lower than the straw in the street. So here it is revealed that if you study the Srimad Bhagavatam under a bona fide vaishnava guru, you will naturally feel humbler than a blade of grass.

You understood? Anyone who hears the prayers offered by Sridhar and the benediction he received from the Lord, they get (water! Guru maharaj said), they get the wealth of the prema of love of Godhead! Haribol! I hope you all remember the prayers of Sridhar. Ha! Ha!

Prema bhakti is for the lotus feet of the Lord. He who gets Krishna, he doesn’t blaspheme any vaishnava. Anyone who does not blaspheme the vaishnava, accepts a vaishnava as his spiritual master, who stays far away from so called gurus that are devoid of devotion to Vishnu and are gurus in name only, who doesn’t glorify the abominable activities of so called gurus, with a desire to benefit the entire world, broadcasts the insignificance of such persons’ activities, such a person attains pure devotional service at the lotus feet of Sri Mahaprabhu! In south India there is one guru called Nityananda baba. He was found in a compromising situation with some starlet from the movies. And he is known to be a debauchee but still people follow him! So what Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur is saying is actually a factual description of what is happening. In India there is some so called guru in Punjab and he is jail now. He molested many disciples. So one has to be very careful not to accept any non-vaishnava guru.

There is no benefit, no gain, in acts of blasphemy, simply one gains sin, bad karma! The most fortunate people do not engage in blasphemy of the vaishnavas.

Any one who doesn’t blaspheme any devotee and who chants His holy names will certainly be delivered by Krishna. Haribol! So we should be very careful not to do any vaishnava aparadh which is blaspheming the devotee of Lord Krishna or saintly persons, he will easily obtain the mercy of Lord Krishna. So we get the mercy of Gaura Nitai and we are able to serve as a vaishnava.

Thus ends the chapter, fruit of hearing Sridhar receiving the boon. You all got love of Krishna! Haribol!

Tomorrow is the parikrama. Also I was requested by Kavichandra Maharaj to announce that he is collecting for the Shantipur feast. We distribute khichdi with chutney and different things at Shantipur on the Govinda Dvadasi, where Lord Caitanya said anyone who takes prasadam at this place, on this thithi, gets Govinda’s devotional service, gets Govinda bhakti. So if anyone wants to give donation for this prasad distribution, I don’t know who is seeing Kavichandra Maharaj. Oh Bhakti Nityananda Maharaj, he is empowered to accept donation for Kavichandra maharaj. Bhakti Nityananda maharaj, see the orange effulgence is coming from his head! And then also from my office, Manigopal das. He is on the other side. Many of the emails and phone numbers that we have are no longer functional. Only 25% work, 75% don’t work. So if you want to receive any information from me, check with Manigopal das whether your details are correct or not, your email, your phone number. Haribol! Here we also have the illustrious Bhakti Vinod Swami, let us give maharaj a big HARIBOL! What time is it? 9.25. So we have five minutes five or ten minutes for introduction.

Krishna Kishora das took over to introduce the devotees.

Dipshikha – Hare Krishna guru maharaj this is Dipshikha. I have sung the song Yadi Prabhupad na hoito with R V Sharma prabhu, you please listen. We will miss you very much. We are leaving tomorrow to join office. Hare Krishna guru maharajji, please bless us. This is Preethi guru maharaj, we both sang and have given to prabhuji. Please listen. We don’t want to go tomorrow, we will miss you very badly but as you said, our boss, he will fire us. So we need to go. Please give your blessings that we gradually grown in Krishna consciousness. Please give your blessings! And if anything is there, tell us, we want to serve you.

Guru maharaj: She knows the Yadi Prabhupad na hoito tobe ki hoito song by heart. Haribol!

Dipshika: Hare Krishna guru maharajji. For any blood and platelet requirement you can contact us for any one all over India. We are working in Cognizance and we can arrange blood and platelets for any devotee, for anyone, it is free of cost!

Guru maharaj: Go on the other side and give the details to Manigopal. Have you taken shelter?

So other devotees introduced themselves. One devotee from Australia said her mother Madhushudani Rupa from Columbia was asking her to please get guru maharaj’s blessing for her and my sister to come to Mayapur to live. They would like to come and live in Mayapur. They asked for your blessings.

Guru maharaj: Madhusudhani Radha from Pereida, Columbia, she wants to come to Mayapur.

Devotee said, she is not doing well. She sends her Lakshmi to take care of her and she wants to move to Mayapur and keep serving you and do service here somehow.

Navadvip das from Australia, New Govardhan: He said it was so nice to come over and see guru maharaj.

Guru maharaj: I go to Australia regularly, but I don’t go over to New Govardhan.

Navadwip das said you used to come every year and play with us in the rivers.

Guru maharaj: You never asked me!

Navadvip das: Personally I am asking you to come and if you come I will pay for your tickets, I will fully sponsor you if you come.

Guru maharaj: What did he say? Oh! I will remember that!

There were devotees from Guwahati, Assam, India, telling guru maharaj their services.

Krishna Kishora said. There were two devotees from South China, want to be your shiksha disciples, they have come to take darshan and take blessings. Olivia and one another. We just had an auction, transcendental auction and they got mridangas, they were the winners in the auction.

Guru maharaj: Oh! What did they get?

Krishna Kishora: They got a mridanga decorating the altar, with a cloth from the Maha abhishek. Each one got one. One mridanga and one cloth each. They are Bhakti Vriksha leaders and want your blessings that they can advance in their preaching south of China!

Guru maharaj: They can go see Manigopal and give their details.

Devotees from Iskcon Sylhet in Bangladesh also introduced themselves.

Sumadhuri Leela devi dasi from Bangkok Thailand introduced herself and a group of devotees from Thailand. I am helping to take care of a preaching centre there. We have about 35 devotees who have come here in Mayapur. And I will be leaving tomorrow and my prabhu will be coming and joining and getting more devotees for initiation during Gaura Purnima. We need your blessings for preaching in Bangkok guru maharaj!

Guru maharaj: (guru maharaj said something which sorry, I could not understand but it was a blessing probably in Thai language) Sumadhuri Leela devi dasi said Jai!

Another devotee from Iskcon Sylhet Padmalochan Shyam das introduced himself for blessings.

Guru maharaj said: Bhakti Vriksha blessings!

Krishner matir asthu!

Rina Vinesh from Bengaluru said the Bhakti Vrikshas in the neighborhood in Coimbatore were going with your blessings guru maharaj.
Shuddha Vaishnavi sevini devi dasi from Chennai said that from their Bhakti Vriksha ten devotees had come for the first time to Mayapur and they are really very happy. Please bless them all.

Now we will close with one song: A devotee sang in Bengali. Have tried to translate to the best possible. Please excuse for any errors.

Jayapataka guru maharaj
I offer my obeisances at your lotus feet
Prabhupad named you Jayapataka
For devotees, you are the writer of our destiny
One day Jayapataka will fly
Every house will ring with the Jaya Dhwani
Everyone will sing the name of Gauranga and dance
Every house will chant the name of Gauranga
Haribol!

Then there was a Nrsimhadev maha garland brought by Tapta Kanchini Radha devi dasi and Mukunda das.

Guru maharaj ki jai!

Transcribed by Jayaraseshwari devi dasi
8 March 2019