KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.13
- The ultimate purpose of meditation is the purification of one’s intelligence. (becoming detached from sense gratification)
- The process of meditation recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not to fix one’s attention on something impersonal or void.
- The meditation should concentrate on the Person of the Supreme Godhead, either in His virāṭ-rūpa, the gigantic universal form, or in His sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, as described in the scriptures.
- One can practice meditating upon the authorized Deity, concentrating his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord and gradually rising higher and higher, up to His smiling face.
- According to the Bhāgavata school, the Lord’s rāsa dancing is the smiling face of the Lord. We shall not jump at once to understand the Lord’s pastimes in the rāsa dance.
- It is better to practice concentrating our attention by offering flowers and tulasī to the lotus feet of the Lord. In this way, we gradually become purified by the arcanā process.
- The more one concentrates on the transcendental form of the Lord, either on the lotus feet, the calves, the thighs or the chest, the more one becomes purified.
- Our intelligence in the present conditioned state of life is impure due to being engaged in sense gratification. The result of meditation on the transcendental form of the Lord will be manifested by one’s detachment from sense gratification.
- Those who are too engrossed in sense gratification cannot be allowed to participate in arcanā or to touch the transcendental form of the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu Deities. For them it is better to meditate upon the gigantic virāṭ-rūpa of the Lord.
- Because the impersonalists and the voidists are not sufficiently purified in their spiritual activities, arcanā is not meant for them.
- Śraddhā is the beginning of everything. Śraddhā means firm faith, with conviction, “Yes, if I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then all my business will be perfect, all my spiritual life will be perfect.”
- This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is enacted just to create little faith in Kṛṣṇa. Then the person whom we are trying to help, his business is to associate with sādhu. If we can associate with real sādhu, which means real devotee, unadulterated devotee, then the recommendation is that simply by associating with sādhu all perfection will come.
- If anyone actually seriously associates with sādhu, the next stage will be bhajana-kriyā: how to worship. [BG10.9] Devotees of the Supreme Lord are twenty-four hours daily engaged in glorifying the qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls are constantly submerged in Kṛṣṇa, and they take pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees.
- Then anartha. Anartha means unnecessary things. We have practiced so many unnecessary things in our life. These things when they are too much strong, that becomes sinful life. Modern civilization is simply meant for creating unnecessary necessities of life. That’s all.
- Anitya means this temporary life, but in this temporary life we are addicted to so many unnecessary things, and we are forgetting our real business = how to go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.
- Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura laments… He was a great, responsible government officer, magistrate, but a great devotee of the Lord, and he’s one of the ācāryas, So he writes about his own experience that jaḍa-bidyā yata, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā: the more we make advancement in the temporary materialistic comforts, the more we become implicated in unnecessary things, and they are all impediments for making progress in spiritual life. That is his opinion.
- By the association of sādhu, one can achieve advancement in spiritual life. And in all śāstras, it is recommended that associate.
- Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra [Cc. Madhya 22.87]. For those who are interested in spiritual life, or to become a devotee, the first business is to give up the association of bad elements.
SB 2.2.13 TRANSLATION
The process of meditation should begin from the lotus feet of the Lord and progress to His smiling face. The meditation should be concentrated upon the lotus feet, then the calves, then the thighs, and in this way higher and higher. The more the mind becomes fixed upon the different parts of the limbs, one after another, the more the intelligence becomes purified.
CLASS NOTES:
THE MEDITATION SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE PERSON OF THE SUPREME GODHEAD,
The process of meditation recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not to fix one’s attention on something impersonal or void. The meditation should concentrate on the Person of the Supreme Godhead, either in His virāṭ-rūpa, the gigantic universal form, or in His sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, as described in the scriptures. One can practice meditating upon the authorized Deity, concentrating his mind on the lotus feet of the Lord and gradually rising higher and higher, up to His smiling face. According to the Bhāgavata school, the Lord’s rāsa dancing is the smiling face of the Lord. We shall not jump at once to understand the Lord’s pastimes in the rāsa dance.
We have heard the word gradually many many times in the Srila Prabhupada purports. One cannot jump to the Rasa dance directly. Once SP was in Nellore in someone’s home. After the lecture, he was in his room and a couple came to him in the night and asked him about the rasa Lila of Radha and Krsna and SP said that I cannot tell you as I cannot understand them. In other words, he refused it. This is very confidential, this is not to be discussed with everyone. Ramananda rai says if I am saying something about the past time it is because you are saying it through me…
ONE SHOULD PURIFY ONESELF BY THE ARCHANA PROCESS
It is better to practice concentrating our attention by offering flowers and tulasī to the lotus feet of the Lord. In this way, we gradually become purified by the arcanā process. We dress the Lord, bathe Him, etc., and all these transcendental activities help us purify our existence. When we reach the higher standard of purification, if we see the smiling face of the Lord or hear the rāsa dance pastimes of the Lord, then we can relish His activities.
THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF MEDITATION IS THE PURIFICATION OF ONE’S INTELLIGENCE.
The more one concentrates on the transcendental form of the Lord, either on the lotus feet, the calves, the thighs or the chest, the more one becomes purified. Our intelligence in the present conditioned state of life is impure due to being engaged in sense gratification. The result of meditation on the transcendental form of the Lord will be manifested by one’s detachment from sense gratification. Therefore, the ultimate purpose of meditation is the purification of one’s intelligence. (becoming detached from sense gratification)
The purpose of meditation is not to improves one’s health and engage in better sex… It is unbelievable how much they deviated from the meaning of meditation. Relaxation diminished stress… All these materials purposes for meditation. We have to relearn the meaning of the words… by studying Krsna’s texts and Prabhupada’s purports.
Those who are too engrossed in sense gratification cannot be allowed to participate in arcanā or to touch the transcendental form of the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu Deities.
For them it is better to meditate upon the gigantic virāṭ-rūpa of the Lord. The impersonalists and the voidists are therefore recommended to meditate upon the universal form of the Lord, whereas the devotees are recommended to meditate on the Deity worship in the temple. Because the impersonalists and the voidists are not sufficiently purified in their spiritual activities, arcanā is not meant for them.
Ex: A person of the street very fallen, he came to temple and he followed regulations, for year and half and he got initiated and he started deity worship and however, he continued to have secret relationships and finally got aids and then parts of body fell. It is not good to take up deity worship without getting purified of sense gratification.
BG 6.46
A yogī is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogī.
The highest amongst all these yogis is the person who has great faith in the lord
BG 6.47
And of all yogīs, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself and renders transcendental loving service to Me – he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
- Has great faith
- Always follows Lord’s instructions
- Always thinks of the Lord, Guru and Krsna
- Always renders loving devotionals service
So the conclusion is,
yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
ŚRADDHĀ IS THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING.
śraddhā, respect. If you have no respect for Kṛṣṇa, if you have no faith in Kṛṣṇa, there is no advancement of spiritual life or yoga life. Therefore it is said śraddhāvān.
The beginning of spiritual life is śraddhā, faith, Śraddhā means firm faith.
So unless one has got faith. Why one should consider himself that “I must be completely surrendered to Kṛṣṇa,” unless one has got faith? Therefore faith is the beginning.
And to create faith, Kṛṣṇa has explained about Himself in the whole Bhagavad-gītā. So one who is fortunate, after reading Bhagavad-gītā thoroughly, he’ll have a strong faith in Kṛṣṇa. If you have failed to achieve this status of faith, then there is no question of progress.
Śraddhā means firm faith, with conviction, “Yes, if I surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then all my business will be perfect, all my spiritual life will be perfect.”
SADHU SANGA
then next stage is sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83]. If one wants to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, if he has developed a little faith in it, the next stage is to associate with sādhu.
AND WHO IS SĀDHU?
So sādhu means very tolerant.
A sādhu, the first qualification is he must be a staunch devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore sādhu-saṅga means to associate with devotees, those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa. That is sādhu-saṅga. Sādhu-saṅga is very important. If we can associate with real sādhu, which means real devotee, unadulterated devotee, then the recommendation is that simply by associating with sādhu all perfection will come.
this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is enacted just to create little faith in Kṛṣṇa. Then the person whom we are trying to help, his business is to associate with sādhu.
SB 3.25.25
In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.
BHAJANA KRIYA
So the śraddhā is required. Then sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83], then bhajana-kriyā. If anyone actually seriously associates with sādhu, the next stage will be bhajana-kriyā: how to worship.
BG 10.9
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me.
Pure devotees, whose characteristics are mentioned here, engage themselves fully in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Their minds cannot be diverted from the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Their talks are solely on transcendental subjects. The symptoms of the pure devotees are described in this verse specifically. Devotees of the Supreme Lord are twenty-four hours daily engaged in glorifying the qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Lord. Their hearts and souls are constantly submerged in Kṛṣṇa, and they take pleasure in discussing Him with other devotees.
ANARTHA NIVRITTI
Bhajana-kriyā. Tataḥ anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Then anartha. Anartha means unnecessary things. We have practiced so many unnecessary things in our life. That unnecessary things, when they are too much strong, that becomes sinful life. The modern civilization is simply meant for creating unnecessary necessities of life. That’s all.
THE MORE WE ARE ADVANCING IN SO-CALLED MATERIAL CIVILIZATION, WE ARE MORE BECOMING FAR AWAY FROM GOD.
The more we are advancing in so-called material civilization, we are more becoming far away from God. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, jaḍa-bidyā yata.. – the material education, they are simply paraphernalia of this illusory energy, māyāra vaibhava. And the effect of this advancement of material civilization means stopping one’s relationship with God.
Anitya means this temporary life, but in this temporary life we are addicted to so many unnecessary things, and we are forgetting our real business = how to go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura laments… He was a great, responsible government officer, magistrate, but a great devotee of the Lord, and he’s one of the ācāryas, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. So he writes about his own experience that jaḍa-bidyā yata, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā: the more we make advancement in the temporary materialistic comforts, the more we become implicated in unnecessary things, and they are all impediments for making progress in spiritual life. That is his opinion.
And that’s a fact. We have seen in Western countries, they are still more materially advanced, but spiritually they are dull, block-headed, spiritually. Very difficult to convince them spiritually. So sādhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83], by the association of sādhu one can achieve advancement in spiritual life. And in all śāstras, it is recommended that associate.
GIVE UP ASSOCIATION WITH BAD ELEMENTS.ASAT EKA STRĪ-SAṄGĪ,
What are the bad elements? That is also explained by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. A devotee asked Him that what should be the behavior of a person who is spiritually inclined or Vaiṣṇava. Spiritually inclined means Vaiṣṇava.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that asat-saṅga-tyāga ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra [Cc. Madhya 22.87]. Those who are interested in spiritual life, or to become a devotee, the first business is to give up the association of bad elements.