Tag: Secret of success

Posted on

SB 2.9.18 Notes – 12/16/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.9.18:

  • Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for the paramahaṁsas.
  • Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for persons completely free from malice.
  • Unfortunately, persons with impious backgrounds do not believe in the Personality of Godhead, and everyone wants to become God himself without any qualification. 
  • This malicious nature in the conditioned soul continues even up to the stage when a person wants to be one with the Lord, and thus even the greatest of the empiric philosophers speculating on becoming one with the Supreme Lord cannot become a paramahaṁsa because the malicious mind is there.
  • The paramahaṁsa stage of life can be attained only by those who are fixed in the practice of bhakti-yoga. 
  • This bhakti-yoga begins if a person has the firm conviction that simply discharging devotional service to the Lord in full transcendental love can elevate him to the highest perfectional stage of life. (BG 4.39)
  •  Brahmājī believed in this art of bhakti-yoga; he believed in the instruction of the Lord to execute tapa, and he discharged the function with great penance and thus achieved the great success of seeing the Vaikuṇṭhalokas and the Lord also by personal experience.
  •  One can reach the abode of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas simply by following the process of bhakti-yoga because the Lord can be realized only through the bhakti-yoga process.
  • Following in the footsteps of Lord Brahmā, any person, even up to this day, can attain perfect success in life by following the path of the paramahaṁsa as recommended herein.
  • Lord Caitanya also approved of this method of self-realization for men in this age. 
  • One should first, with all conviction, believe in the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and without making efforts to realize Him by speculative philosophy,
  • One should prefer to hear about Him from the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and later from the text of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. 
  • One should hear such discourses from a person Bhāgavatam and not from the professional man, or from the karmī, jñānī or yogī. That is the secret of learning the science. 
  • One does not need to be in the renounced order of life; he can remain in his present condition of life, but he must search out the association of a bona fide devotee of the Lord and hear from him the transcendental message of the Lord with faith and conviction.
  • That is the path of the paramahaṁsas, which was personally followed by Lord Brahmā and later recommended by him for attaining perfect success in life.
  • Amongst various holy names of the Lord, He is also called ajita, or one who can never be conquered by anyone else. Yet He can be conquered by the paramahaṁsa path, as practically realized and shown by the great spiritual master Lord Brahmā. 
  • Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Rāmānanda Rāya, “Recite a verse from the revealed scriptures concerning the ultimate goal of life.
  • Rāmānanda replied, “If one executes the prescribed duties of his social position, he awakens his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness
  • Śrī Rāmānujācārya states in the Vedārtha-saṅgraha that devotional service is naturally very dear to the living entity. Indeed, it is life’s goal. 
  • This devotional service is supreme knowledge, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it brings detachment from all material activity. 
  • In the transcendental position, a living being can perfectly acknowledge the superiority of serving the Supreme Lord. 
  • The devotees attain the Supreme Lord only by devotional service. Having such knowledge, one engages in his occupational duty, and that is called bhakti-yoga.
  • By performing bhakti-yoga, one can rise to the platform of pure devotional service.
  • The Lord replied, “This is external. You had better tell Me of some other means.”
    Rāmānanda replied, “To offer the results of one’s activities to Kṛṣṇa is the essence of all perfection.”
  • Rāmānanda Rāya continued, “ ‘My dear son of Kuntī, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give in charity, and whatever austerities you perform, all the results of such activities should be offered to Me, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ ”

SB 2.9.18 TRANSLATION:

Lord Brahmā, thus seeing the Personality of Godhead in His fullness, was overwhelmed with joy within his heart, and thus in full transcendental love and ecstasy, his eyes filled with tears of love. He thus bowed down before the Lord. That is the way of the highest perfection for the living being [paramahaṁsa].

In the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that this great literature is meant for the paramahaṁsas. Paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satām, i.e., the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is meant for persons completely free from malice. In the conditioned life the malicious life begins from the top, namely bearing malice against the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Personality of Godhead is an established fact in all the revealed scriptures, and in the Bhagavad-gītā the personal feature of the Supreme Lord is especially mentioned, so much so that the last portion of the great literature has emphatically stressed that one should surrender unto the Personality of Godhead to be saved from the miseries of life. Unfortunately, persons with impious backgrounds do not believe in the Personality of Godhead, and everyone wants to become God himself without any qualification. This malicious nature in the conditioned soul continues even up to the stage when a person wants to be one with the Lord, and thus even the greatest of the empiric philosophers speculating on becoming one with the Supreme Lord cannot become a paramahaṁsa because the malicious mind is there. Therefore the paramahaṁsa stage of life can be attained only by those who are fixed in the practice of bhakti-yoga. This bhakti-yoga begins if a person has the firm conviction that simply discharging devotional service to the Lord in full transcendental love can elevate him to the highest perfectional stage of life. 

BG 4.39 

A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.

Such knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by a faithful person who believes firmly in Kṛṣṇa. One is called a faithful man who thinks that simply by acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness he can attain the highest perfection. This faith is attained by the discharge of devotional service and by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, which cleanses one’s heart of all material dirt. Over and above this, one should control the senses. A person who is faithful to Kṛṣṇa and who controls the senses can easily attain perfection in the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness without delay.

Brahmājī believed in this art of bhakti-yoga; he believed in the instruction of the Lord to execute tapa, and he discharged the function with great penance and thus achieved the great success of seeing the Vaikuṇṭhalokas and the Lord also by personal experience. No one can reach the abode of the Supreme Lord by any mechanical means of the mind or machine, but one can reach the abode of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas simply by following the process of bhakti-yoga because the Lord can be realized only through the bhakti-yoga process. Lord Brahmājī was actually sitting on his lotus seat, and from there, by executing the process of bhakti-yoga in great seriousness, he could see the Vaikuṇṭhalokas with all variegatedness as well as the Lord in person and His associates.

Malice – evil and aggressive..

Following in the footsteps of Lord Brahmā, any person, even up to this day, can attain the same perfection by following the path of the paramahaṁsa as recommended herein. Lord Caitanya also approved of this method of self-realization for men in this age. One should first, with all conviction, believe in the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and without making efforts to realize Him by speculative philosophy, one should prefer to hear about Him from the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and later from the text of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. One should hear such discourses from a person Bhāgavatam and not from the professional man, or from the karmī, jñānī or yogī. That is the secret of learning the science. One does not need to be in the renounced order of life; he can remain in his present condition of life, but he must search out the association of a bona fide devotee of the Lord and hear from him the transcendental message of the Lord with faith and conviction. That is the path of the paramahaṁsa recommended herein. 

Amongst various holy names of the Lord, He is also called ajita, or one who can never be conquered by anyone else. Yet He can be conquered by the paramahaṁsa path, as practically realized and shown by the great spiritual master Lord Brahmā. Lord Brahmā has personally recommended this paramahaṁsa-panthāḥ in his own words as follows:

jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva

jīvanti sanmukharitāṁ bhavadīya vārtām

sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir

ye prāyaśo ’jita jito ’py asi tais trilokyām

PATH FOR ATTAINING PERFECT SUCCESS – 

Lord Brahmā said, “O my Lord Kṛṣṇa, a devotee who abandons the path of empiric philosophical speculation aimed at merging in the existence of the Supreme and engages himself in hearing Your glories and activities from a bona fide sādhu, or saint, and who lives an honest life in the occupational engagement of his social life, can conquer Your sympathy and mercy even though You are ajita, or unconquerable.” (Bhāg. 10.14.3) That is the path of the paramahaṁsas, which was personally followed by Lord Brahmā and later recommended by him for attaining perfect success in life.

Failure  – at the death failing to remember Krsna. Most people are remembering their girl friend or boy friend, house, children, work , this that are other than Krsna and end up taking birth again. Sleeping, eating ,mating and defending, This is a very sad state. Close to 99 percent are in this condition. Simply die, not remember krsna, come back again and not knowing what body they will have.. Based on the last thoughts when they die.. 

Lord Caitanya never preached about  Radha and Krsna in public he actively engaged in Sankirtan yagna in the public chanting Hare Krsna,.. 

With genuine devotees He would discuss the past times of Radha and Krsna. Krsnadas Kaviraj Goswami although confidential revealed the private discussions with Ramanadarai, .. etc., 

Ramananda Rai was governor of south India.. Right next to King Prataparudra.. He was the Gopi Visakha. Visakha is one of most intimate servants of Srimati Radha Rani. 

CC MADHYA 8.21

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then inquired whether he was Rāmānanda Rāya, and he replied, “Yes, I am Your very low servant, and I belong to the śūdra community.”

CC MADHYA 8.22

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then embraced Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya very firmly. Indeed, both the master and the servant almost lost consciousness due to ecstatic love.

CC MADHYA 8.23

Their natural love for each other was awakened in them both, and they embraced and fell to the ground.

Śrīla Rāmānanda Rāya was an incarnation of the gopī Viśākhā. Since Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, there was naturally an awakening of love between Viśākhā and Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the combination of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Kṛṣṇa, and the gopī Viśākhā is a principal gopī assisting Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Thus the natural love between Rāmānanda Rāya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu awakened and they embraced.

CC MADHYA 8.24

When they embraced each other, ecstatic symptoms — paralysis, perspiration, tears, shivering, paleness and standing up of the bodily hairs — appeared. The word “Kṛṣṇa” came from their mouths falteringly.

CC MADHYA 8.25

When the stereotyped, ritualistic brāhmaṇas who were following the Vedic principles saw this ecstatic manifestation of love, they were struck with wonder. All these brāhmaṇas began to reflect as follows.

CC MADHYA 8.26

The brāhmaṇas thought, “We can see that this sannyāsī has a luster like the effulgence of Brahman, but how is it He is crying upon embracing a śūdra, a member of the fourth caste in the social order?”

CC MADHYA 8.27

They thought, “This Rāmānanda Rāya is the Governor of Madras, a highly learned and grave person, a mahā-paṇḍita, but upon touching this sannyāsī he has become restless like a madman.”

CC MADHYA 8.28

While the brāhmaṇas were thinking in this way about the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw those outsiders and restrained His transcendental emotions.

Rāmānanda Rāya was intimately related to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; therefore he can be accepted as a sajātīya, a person within the intimate circle of the Lord. The brāhmaṇas, however, were followers of the Vedic rituals and were not able to have an intimate connection with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Consequently they are called vijātīya-loka. In other words, they were not pure devotees. One may be a highly learned brāhmaṇa, but if he is not a pure devotee he is a vijātīya, an outcaste, one outside devotional service — in other words, a nondevotee. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya were embracing in ecstasy, the Lord restrained His transcendental emotions upon seeing the outsider brāhmaṇas.

 CC MADHYA 8.29

When they regained their sanity, they both sat down, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu smiled and began to speak as follows.

CC MADHYA 8.29

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ordered Rāmānanda Rāya, “Recite a verse from the revealed scriptures concerning the ultimate goal of life.”

Rāmānanda replied, “If one executes the prescribed duties of his social position, he awakens his original Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

In this connection, Śrī Rāmānujācārya states in the Vedārtha-saṅgraha that devotional service is naturally very dear to the living entity. Indeed, it is life’s goal. This devotional service is supreme knowledge, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it brings detachment from all material activity. In the transcendental position, a living being can perfectly acknowledge the superiority of serving the Supreme Lord. The devotees attain the Supreme Lord only by devotional service. Having such knowledge, one engages in his occupational duty, and that is called bhakti-yoga. By performing bhakti-yoga, one can rise to the platform of pure devotional service.

A great saint, the father of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, Parāśara Muni, has specifically mentioned that devotional service to the Lord can ultimately be awakened in human society by the discharge of duties in accordance with the varṇāśrama system. The Supreme Personality of Godhead instituted varṇāśrama-dharma to give human beings a chance to return home, back to Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is known in the Bhagavad-gītā as Puruṣottama — the greatest of all personalities — personally came and declared that the institution of varṇāśrama-dharma was founded by Him. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.13):

cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ

tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhy akartāram avyayam

Elsewhere in the Bhagavad-gītā (18.45-46) the Lord says:

sve sve karmaṇy abhirataḥ saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ

sva-karma-nirataḥ siddhiṁ yathā vindati tac chṛṇu

yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam

sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ

Human society should be divided into four divisions — brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra — and everyone should always engage in his occupational duty. The Lord says that those engaged in their occupational duty can attain perfection simply by rendering loving devotional service to the Lord while executing their particular duty. Actually the modern ideal of a classless society can be introduced only by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let men perform their occupational duty, and let them give their profits to the service of the Lord. In other words, one can attain the perfection of life by discharging one’s occupational duty and employing the results in the service of the Lord. This method is confirmed by great personalities like Bodhāyana, Taṅka, Dramiḍa, Guhadeva, Kapardi and Bhāruci. It is also confirmed by the Vedānta-sūtra.

Occupational duty – plumber, artists, musician, engineer, husband, son, wife, daughter, brother.. 

Sanata Dharma – eternally engaging in the devotional service of the lord. 

If one executes devotional service under the guidance of the pure devotee even though a sudra or chandla.. They can go back to Godhead. 

Varnashrama dharma is meant to elevate people to devotional service.. But it is not happening these days. 

Daivi Varnashrama – Varanashrama with Krsna as the center. . “Let men perform their occupational duty, and let them give their profits to the service of the Lord. “ Modern workable varnashram.. one can attain the perfection of life by discharging one’s occupational duty and employing the results in the service of the Lord

According to Goswamis one (grihasta) has to give 50 percent of the income for spreading Krsna Consciousness while he is still married and having children.  At least some percent has to be given to Krsna’s activities.. They are also devotees. 

3 of the ashrams are celibates. Those 3 have to be completely renounced. Not accepting anything which is not needed. Should be completely renounced. They cannot be fat cats, they have to be thin cats, eat minimally, sleep minimally, remain celebate, not interested in bodybuilding. 

Grihastas should support the other 3 ashrams, 

CC MADHYA 8.58

“ ‘The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of varṇa and āśrama. There is no other way to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One must be situated in the institution of the four varṇas and āśramas.’

This is a quotation from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (3.8.9). As stated by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya, “The purport is that one can realize life’s perfection simply by satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” This is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.13):

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

sv-anuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

“O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one’s own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.”

In this temple we perform Daivi Varnashrama – we engage everyone in devotionals service… whatever varna or ashrama they are on.. 

Every man should perform his occupational duty in the light of his particular tendency. According to his abilities, one should accept a position in the varṇāśrama institution. The divisions of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra are natural divisions within society. Indeed, everyone has a prescribed duty according to the varṇāśrama-dharma. Those who properly execute their prescribed duties live peacefully and are not disturbed by material conditions. The spiritual orders — brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa — are called āśramas. If one executes his prescribed duty in both the social and spiritual orders, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is satisfied. If one neglects his duties, however, he becomes a transgressor and a candidate for a hellish condition. Actually we see that different people are engaged in different ways; therefore there must be divisions according to work. To attain perfection, one must make devotional service the center of life. In this way one can awaken his natural instincts by work, association and education. One should accept the varṇāśrama divisions by qualification, not by birth. Unless this system is introduced, human activities cannot be systematically executed.

The brāhmaṇas are the intellectuals who can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are always engaged in the cultivation of knowledge. It does not matter whether one is born in India or outside India. Those who are naturally very heroic and who tend to rule over others are called kṣatriyas. Those who tend to produce food by agricultural methods, protect cows and other animals and engage in trade are called vaiśyas, or merchants. Those who are not sufficiently intelligent to be brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas or vaiśyas are required to serve a master and are called śūdras. Thus everyone can engage in the service of the Lord and awaken his natural Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If a society does not function according to such natural divisions, the social orders become degraded. The conclusion is that the scientific method of varṇāśrama-dharma should be adopted by society.

CC MADHYA 8.59

The Lord replied, “This is external. You had better tell Me of some other means.”

Rāmānanda replied, “To offer the results of one’s activities to Kṛṣṇa is the essence of all perfection.”

CC MADHYA 8.60

Rāmānanda Rāya continued, “ ‘My dear son of Kuntī, whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give in charity, and whatever austerities you perform, all the results of such activities should be offered to Me, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ ”

Posted on

SB 2.9.8 Part 2 Notes – 12/11/21

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.9.8 – Part 2:

  • Brahma Samhitha 5.62 – “Listen, O Vidhi, I am the seed, i.e., the fundamental principle, of this world of animate and inanimate objects. I am pradhāna [the substance of matter], I am prakṛti [material cause] and I am puruṣa [efficient cause]. This fiery energy that belongs specially to the Brahman, that inheres in you, has also been conferred by Me. It is by bearing this fiery energy that you regulate this phenomenal world of animate and inanimate objects.”
  • From the purport of BS 5.62 – By discarding all the speculations, you and your bona fide community should adopt the ultimate principle identical with the doctrine of acintya-bhedābheda (inconceivable simultaneous distinction and nondifference). This will make you eligible for being a true devotee.
  • The basic principle is that this animate world is made up of jīvas and the inanimate world is constituted of matter. Of these all the jīvas have been manifested by My supreme (parā) potency and this phenomenal world has been manifested by My secondary (aparā) potency. I am the cause of all causes. 
  • In other words, I regulate all of them by the power of My will although I am not a different entity from the marginal and material (taṭasthā and acit) potencies
  • This simultaneous distinction and nondifference has also sprung from My inconceivable power. 
  • So let the attainment of love for Kṛṣṇa by the practice of pure devotion through the knowledge of their mutual true relationship that subsists between the jīva, the jaḍa (matter) and Kṛṣṇa based on the principle of inconceivable simultaneous distinction and non-difference, be My instruction for being handed down in the order of spiritual preceptional succession in your community (Śrī Brahma-sampradāya).
  • If one is having trouble chanting Hare Krsna Maha Mantra that means that they are cursed by yamaraj. 
  • Hence one needs to wake up Jiva Jago.. 
  • When one wakes up and becomes Krsna Conscious, one is very eager to chant and hear the Maha mantra. 
  • If one is not Krsna Conscious – you don’t like to chant hare krishna and you don’t like to follow krishna consciousness strictly, then you become a separatists. And the separatist  is number one failure in life they’ll fail in all their relationships
    they’ll fail in everything they dol 
  • Failure means at the moment of death you cannot remember krishna so you have to start all over again and there’s no guarantee what the next birth is going to be.
  • Krishna consciousness is very important to accept as young as possible
  • one should not waste any time – uh why becausewe don’t know how much time we have someone who’s 14 and who’s going to die when they’re 18 is already old person
    and someone who’s 70 but yet is going to live to be a hundred they’re still a young person so we don’t know when we’re going to die
  • If one is intelligent – one always thinks i could die in the next minute
  • Maharaja pariksit understood that he was going to die in seven days he asked the  question now that i know i’m going to die what should be my duty
    right away Sukhdev goswami came i    t was clearly understood that
  • The duty of everyone is to hear srimad-bhagavatam every day and bhagavad-gita
  • hear it every day because our disease is forgetfulness.
  • Our disease is forgetfulness – due to forgetfulness and first negligence and then forgetfulness of krishna uh as soon as we become negligent in following the regulative principles
  • There’s eight principles – and the positive principles are
    • regularly hearing bhagavad-gita bhagavatam 
    • taking only prashadam
    • associating with devotees
    • doing devotional service 
    • visiting the temple regularly and doing devotional service
    • avoid the negative things – meat eating, gambling illicit activities and intoxication
  • It’s very easy to be krishna conscious it’s very hard to be a karmi – because you have to deal with stress you have to have difficult relationships you have to work hard you have to get sick a lot and have problems with the body and the
    mind also so it’s very hard to be a karmi it’s very easy to be a devotee
    but most people don’t understand that so they unnecessarily suffer in life they
    unnecessarily are in stress they unnecessarily have difficulties in their relationships and and then they’re trying to relieve themselves by taking sleeping
    pills and intoxicating and all these different things

SB 2.9.8 TRANSLATION: Lord Brahmā underwent penances for one thousand years by the calculations of the demigods. He heard this transcendental vibration from the sky, and he accepted it as divine. Thus he controlled his mind and senses, and the penances he executed were a great lesson for the living entities. Thus he is known as the greatest of all ascetics.

Lord Brahmā heard the occult sound tapa, but he did not see the person who vibrated the sound. And still he accepted the instruction as beneficial for him, and therefore he engaged himself in meditation for one thousand celestial years. One celestial year is equal to 6 × 30 × 12 × 1000 of our years. (2 trllion 160 billion years) His acceptance of the sound was due to his pure vision of the absolute nature of the Lord. And due to his correct vision, he made no distinction between the Lord and the Lord’s instruction. There is no difference between the Lord and sound vibration coming from Him, even though He is not personally present. The best way of understanding is to accept such divine instruction, and Brahmā, the prime spiritual master of everyone, is the living example of this process of receiving transcendental knowledge. The potency of transcendental sound is never minimized because the vibrator is apparently absent. Therefore Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā or any revealed scripture in the world is never to be accepted as an ordinary mundane sound without transcendental potency.

If you want to see God, do something exceptional He will appear. Follow the example of Brahma, he took the sound as the instruction of the lord and performed tapa.. 

One has to receive the transcendental sound from the right source, accept it as a reality and prosecute the direction without hesitation. The secret of success is to receive the sound from the right source of a bona fide spiritual master. Mundane manufactured sound has no potency, and, as such, seemingly transcendental sound received from an unauthorized person also has no potency. One should be qualified enough to discern such transcendental potency, and either by discriminating or by fortunate chance if one is able to receive the transcendental sound from the bona fide spiritual master, his path of liberation is guaranteed. The disciple, however, must be ready to execute the order of the bona fide spiritual master as Lord Brahmā executed the instruction of his spiritual master, the Lord Himself. Following the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the only duty of the disciple, and this completely faithful execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the secret of success.

The secret of success is in SB 2.9.6,7,8 – Brahma is an example of the secret of success. 

The most successful people in this universe – Brahma, Narada, Kumaras, Prahlada.  

If you are materially successful you are dealing with problems everyday and eventually you are so stressed out.. 

Nobody can have problems like pandavas.. Yet they are happy due to being Krsna Conscious.

Senses – sense perception and sense objects.. 

We have to control the senses otherwise they will control us. 

Lord Brahmā controlled his two grades of senses by means of sense perception and sense organs because he had to engage such senses in the execution of the order of the Lord. Therefore controlling the senses means engaging them in the transcendental service of the Lord. The Lord’s order descends in disciplic succession through the bona fide spiritual master, and thus execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is factual control of the senses. Such execution of penance in full faith and sincerity made Brahmājī so powerful that he became the creator of the universe. And because he was able to attain such power, he is called the best amongst all the tapasvīs.

Most of the brahmanas are  karma kandis. 98 precent of hindus are karma kandis. They perform sacrifices for material benefit. 

BS 5.62

“Listen, O Vidhi, I am the seed, i.e., the fundamental principle, of this world of animate and inanimate objects. I am pradhāna [the substance of matter], I am prakṛti [material cause] and I am puruṣa [efficient cause]. This fiery energy that belongs specially to the Brahman, that inheres in you, has also been conferred by Me. It is by bearing this fiery energy that you regulate this phenomenal world of animate and inanimate objects.”

Certain thinkers conclude that the nondifferentiated Brahman is the ultimate entity and by undergoing self-delusion (vivarta) exhibits the consciousness of differentiation; or, the limiting principle itself (Māyā), when it is limited, is the phenomenal world and is itself the Brahman, in its unlimited position; or, the Brahman is the substance and this phenomenal world is the reflection; or, everything is an illusion of the jīva. Some think that Godhead is evidently a separate entity. Jīva is another different entity. and the phenomenal world, although it is a singular principle, exists separately as an eternally independent entity; or, Godhead, is the substantive entity and all other entities, as cit and a-cit attributes, are one in principle. Some suppose that by the force of inconceivable potency sometimes the monistic and sometimes the dualistic principle is realized as the truth. Some again arrive at the conclusion that the theory of the nondual minus all potency is meaningless; whence the Brahman is the one eternally unalloyed entity vested with the pure potency.

These speculations have originated from Veda relying on the support of the Vedānta-sutra. In these speculations although there is no truth that holds good in all positions, there is yet a certain measure of truth. Not to speak of the anti-Vedic speculations Sāṅkhya, Patañjala, Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika, nor even of Pūrva-mīmāṁsā which is fond of exclusive fruitive activity in conformity with the teaching of one portion of the Veda, the bodies of opinions detailed above have also come into existence by relying outwardly on the Vedānta itself. By discarding all these speculations, you and your bona fide community should adopt the ultimate principle identical with the doctrine of acintya-bhedābheda (inconceivable simultaneous distinction and nondifference). This will make you eligible for being a true devotee. The basic principle is that this animate world is made up of jīvas and the inanimate world is constituted of matter. Of these all the jīvas have been manifested by My supreme (parā) potency and this phenomenal world has been manifested by My secondary (aparā) potency. I am the cause of all causes. In other words, I regulate all of them by the power of My will although I am not a different entity from the marginal and material (taṭasthā and acit) potencies. By the transformation of those distinct potencies pradhāna (substantive material principle), prakṛti (material cause) and puruṣa (efficient cause) have been produced. Hence although as regards the subjective nature of all potency I am pradhāna, prakṛti and puruṣa, yet as the possessor of power I am eternally distinct from all those potencies. This simultaneous distinction and nondifference has also sprung from My inconceivable power. So let the attainment of love for Kṛṣṇa by the practice of pure devotion through the knowledge of their mutual true relationship that subsists between the jīva, the jaḍa (matter) and Kṛṣṇa based on the principle of inconceivable simultaneous distinction and non-difference, be My instruction for being handed down in the order of spiritual preceptional succession in your community (Śrī Brahma-sampradāya).

All the speculations going on around the world about Jiva, God, Universe..they all arise from the Vedas. – Jaimini, Patanjali, 

Acintya beda abeda tattva is the unified field theory. 

The entire conception of material life is based on the false foundations of I and mine. 

The real I is I am the cooperator of Krsna. 

Homework for next week – 

Read Brahma Samhitha 5.61 translation and purport. Explain what this paragraph means in detail: “Brahmā cherishes the desire for creation in his heart. If that creative desire is practiced by conjoining the same with the meditation of obeying therein the command of the Supreme Lord, then it will be a subsidiary spiritual function (gauṇa-dharma) being helpful for the growth of the disposition for the service of the Divinity by reason of its characteristic of seeking the protection of Godhead.” 

Hint: The “command of the Supreme Lord” is explained in BG 18.65. 

Chanting-

  • If one is having trouble chanting Hare Krsna Maha Mantra that means that they are cursed by yamaraj. 
  • Hence one needs to wake up Jiva Jago.. 
  • When one wakes up and becomes Krsna Conscious, one is very eager to chant and hear the Maha mantra. 
  • If one is not Krsna Conscious – you don’t like to chant hare krishna and you don’t like to follow krishna consciousness strictly, then you become a separatists. And the separatist  is number one failure in life they’ll fail in all their relationships
    they’ll fail in everything they dol 
  • Failure means at the moment of death you cannot remember krishna so you have to start all over again and there’s no guarantee what the next birth is going to be.
  • Krishna consciousness is very important to accept as young as possible
  • one should not waste any time – uh why becausewe don’t know how much time we have someone who’s 14 and who’s going to die when they’re 18 is already old person
    and someone who’s 70 but yet is going to live to be a hundred they’re still a young person so we don’t know when we’re going to die
  • If one is intelligent – one always thinks i could die in the next minute
  • maharaja pariksit understood that he was going to die in seven days he asked the  question now that i know i’m going to die what should be my duty
    right away Sukhdev goswami came i    t was clearly understood that
  • the duty of everyone is to hear srimad-bhagavatam every day and bhagavad-gita
  • hear it every day because our disease is forgetfulness.
  • Our disease is forgetfulness – due to forgetfulness and first negligence and then forgetfulness of krishna uh as soon as we become negligent in following the regulative principles
  • there’s eight principles – and the positive principles are
    • regularly hearing bhagavad-gita bhagavatam 
    • taking only prashadam
    • associating with devotees
    • doing devotional service 
    • visiting the temple regularly and doing devotional service
    • avoid the negative things – meat eating, gambling illicit activities and intoxication
  • it’s very easy to be krishna conscious it’s very hard to be a karmi – because you have to deal with stress you have to have difficult relationships you have to work hard you have to get sick a lot and have problems with the body and the
    mind also so it’s very hard to be a karmi it’s very easy to be a devotee
    but most people don’t understand that so they unnecessarily suffer in life they
    unnecessarily are in stress they unnecessarily have difficulties in their relationships and and then they’re trying to relieve themselves by taking sleeping
    pills and intoxicating and all these different things