Guru Maharaj: It is interesting that two days ago was the Putrada Ekadasi. So some people want children, they observe Putrada Ekadasi. But in the glories of this Ekadasi, it is said that for the renounced people or people who don’t want children, they observe this Ekadasi to get the child of forgiveness, because forgiveness is a quality that vaisnavas need. We were reading today how, some foolish student was criticizing Lord Chaitanya when He was in the mood of a Gopi, a Brajawasi, He was chanting the name, Gopi, Gopi! The foolish student came and told Lord Chaitanya, chant Hare Krishna, why are You chanting Gopi, Gopi? They did not understand that Lord Chaitanya, at that moment, He was in a different mood. He was in the mood of Radharani, or some Gopi Bhava. And they did not understand that. And they were thinking ill against Him. They wanted to attack Him or to take some retribution. So then Lord Chaitanya was thinking, I came to deliver the most fallen, but if these people they offend Me, they don’t pay their obeisances to Me, they will be deprived of the mercy! So like that He was thinking how can I get these people to offer their respect to Me, and thus take up bhakti yoga. So He had the mood of forgiveness. So it is very important, that we also adopt this mood. And somehow, that thing we should practice regularly. We don’t take the offences of anyone, as something directly to them. So we take it that, we have some karma which is because of something, we caused suffering for someone else and therefore we are getting the reaction. Somehow we take it indirectly, and do not take that person as responsible and we forgive them and then we go on. Just like Lord Jesus, He was crucified, He was innocent, but He prayed, please forgive them, they know not what they do. Similarly, Haridasa Thakura, he was beaten in 22 market places. Normally one would die after 2 or 3, but he was surviving even after 22 market places.Because he prayed to Krishna, please forgive these executioners, they don’t know what they do. The executioners were very frustrated. He asked them, why are you so unhappy? They said, because you are alive. Because you are alive the king will punish us. So he said, if I die, will you be happy? They said, oh! so happy!  Sooo happy! Please die! So then he lay down and went into nirvikalpa samadhi. Then they thought he was dead. Then they told the king okay he is dead. So how these great souls, they have forgiveness. Like Lord Jesus was saying, one who is sinless throw the first stone. So naturally, we all have committed various offences. So rather than wishing ill on anyone, we rather forgive them. That is the special qualify of a vaisnava, that quality Balarama and Krishna They had.

01/08/2020, SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA