11.02.08
SB insights (from Cintamani-dhama dasi)
In discussing the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, I am frequently struck by particular insights derived from the text. I often wonder how can I share these wonderful lights with others, given that I am in the throes of household life and don’t have much opportunity or qualification for giving public talks etc. For this reason, I thought I would occasionally post them on my husband’s blog. The insights I share with you from our discussions of the Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam may not be perfect, but I share them simply to deepen my own understanding and to develop sadhu-sanga relationships with other devotees. I welcome any corrections, further insights etc.
We recently discussed SB 1.15.29, which goes as follows:
“Arjuna’s constant remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna rapidly increased his devotion, and as a result all the trash in his thoughts subsided.”
We understood:
First we have to get to the point of remembering Krishna constantly, then devotion to him will quickly develop in the heart. When devotion (or attraction) to the Lord has awoken in the heart, then all material desires will be finished. In other words, until we get to the point of remembering him constantly, devotion to him will not develop, nor will the heart be free of material desires.
Discussion points:
1. How to develop our constant remembrance of Krishna?
Sadhana is the process of developing our remembrance of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada confirms this in Nectar of Devotion chapter 2 as follows:
“When we wish to develop our innate capacity for devotional service, there are certain processes which, by our accepting and executing them, will cause that dormant capacity to be invoked. Such practice is called sadhana-bhakti.”
2. We are doing sadhana every day, why is our dormant attraction for Krishna not awakening?
Sadhana is practicing remembering Krishna, but that remembrance of Krishna has to become constant (24 hours a day) before we can purchase the wonderful gift of attraction to Krishna. This is confirmed by Srila Prabhupada in Bhagavad-Gita:
“One who is unable to live for a moment without Krsna consciousness cannot but think of Krsna twenty-four hours a day, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord. Such activities are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies, which make the devotee perfect in self-realization, so that his only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee undoubtedly approaches the Lord without difficulty. This is called yoga. By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Ksema refers to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Krsna consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Krsna conscious the Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.” Bg 9.22
If we are properly doing the minimum morning and evening sadhana Srila Prabhupada gave us, which he called the ‘ISKCON sandwich’, then the result should be that the desire and determination to increase our hearing and chanting should develop in the heart. The more we increase the activities of sadhana, the more faith in and desire to do such activities should develop in the heart. Until eventually, we are 24 hours engaged in hearing about, glorifying, remembering and serving Krishna. Then our attraction to Him will awaken.
3. Why is it that sometimes we start sadhana, and then stop practicing after a while?
Most probably it is because our hearing is not done properly. Srila Prabhupada frequently explains that of all the different items of sadhana, hearing properly and sufficiently is the most important:
“But out of all the nine different methods, the first one, namely hearing, is the most important function in the process of bhakti-yoga. Without hearing sufficiently and properly, no one can make any progress by any of the methods of practice.” SB 2.2.36
There are obvious mistakes we make in our hearing such as falling asleep during class or not even attending any class or discussion of the Gita or Bhagavatam. Another obvious mistake is to not read Srila Prabhupada’s books at all or read them inattentively. If we make such mistakes in our hearing, then the consequence will be that our faith in and determination to practice sadhana will dimish.
But sometimes devotees attend every class and remain attentive. They may even read daily but still end up giving up the practices of sadhana. Why?
Even if we attentively hear class every day, if the speaker is either not self-realized or very expert at helping the audience to associate with the words of Srila Prabhupada, who is self-realized, such classes may not be of much value. There are many quotes from Srila Prabhupada wherein he stresses the vital importance of hearing from a self-realized soul.
“There is no gain in hearing the Vedic hymns from some mental speculator. When the same is heard from an actual self-realized soul and is properly understood by service and submission, everything becomes transparently clear.” SB 1.18.4
So for classes on the Gita and Bhagavatam to be effective, it is imperative that the speaker prepares the class and does his or her utmost to help the audience to connect with Srila Prabhupada’s words and meaning. If the speaker uses that class time for speaking their own lila or points of view with out helping the audience to connect with the transcendental sound vibration of the liberated souls, then the class may not be that effective. Srila Prabhupada instructs us how to do this:
“The process of speaking in spiritual circles is to say something upheld by the scriptures. One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying.” Bg 17.15
But the question still remains how it is that some devotees start off by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books regularly and still end up giving up the process of sadhana.
In SB Srila Prabhupada suggests that as long as our life habits and our minds our not pure it is not easy to properly understand these texts.
“Simple hearing is not all; one must realize the text with proper attention. The word nivista means that Suta Gosvami drank the juice of Bhagavatam through his ears. That is the real process of receiving Bhagavatam. One should hear with rapt attention from the real person, and then he can at once realize the presence of Lord Krsna in every page. The secret of knowing Bhagavatam is mentioned here. No one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind. No one can be pure in mind who is not pure in action. No one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. But somehow or other if someone hears with rapt attention from the right person, at the very beginning one can assuredly see Lord Sri Krsna in person in the pages of Bhagavatam.” SB 1.3.44
How can we ensure we properly understand the text if our minds and life habits are not yet pure? Srila Prabhupada gives us the clue as follows:
Discussion of Krsna is very potent, and if a fortunate person has such association and tries to assimilate the knowledge, then he will surely make advancement toward spiritual realization.”Bg 9.1
In conclusion, if we want to ensure that our hearing is effective and leads to increasing faith in and determination to execute and increase our spiritual practices of sadhana, then regularly discussing Srila Prabhupada’s books with other devotees is a guaranteed way to ensure that will happen. And when we reach the point of only engaging in spiritual activities 24 hours a day, then attraction to Krishna will quickly and automatically awaken in the heart, and all the impurities will disappear.
Cintamani-dhama dasi.
