Week 16 Bhakti Vriksha
The Nectar of the Holy Name
Maharaja Parikshit saved his citizens from the clutches of Kali by
propagating the holy name:
Even though all nefarious activities of the personality of Kali are present, there is a great
advantage in the age of Kali. One can attain salvation simply by chanting the holy name of
the Lord. Thus Maharaja Parikshit made an organized effort to propagate the chanting of the
Lord's holy name, and thus he saved the citizens from the clutches of Kali. It is for this
advantage only that great sages sometimes wish all good for the age of Kali.
Srimad-Bhägavatam 1.18.7
The constant chanting of the holy names will drive away the personality of
Kali from the world:
The Personality of Godhead and His holy name, qualities, etc., are all identical. The
personality of Kali was not able to enter the jurisdiction of the earth due to the presence of the
Personality of Godhead. And similarly, if there is an arrangement for the constant chanting of
the holy names, qualities, etc., of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no chance at
all for the personality of Kali to enter. That is the technique of driving away the personality of
Kali from the world. In modernized human society there are great advancements of material
science, and they have invented the radio to distribute sound in the air. So instead of vibrating
some nuisance sound for sense enjoyment, if the state arranges to distribute transcendental
sound by resounding the holy name, fame and activities of the Lord, as they are authorized in
the Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, then a favorable condition will be created, the
principles of religion in the world will be reestablished, and thus the executive heads, who are
so anxious to drive away corruption from the world, will be successful.
Srimad-Bhägavatam 1.18.6
Passage for Discussion
If no one knows the Supreme Personality of Godhead, how can He be known? He can be
known when the Supreme Lord comes before you and reveals Himself to you. Then you can
know. Our senses are imperfect, and they cannot realize the Supreme Truth. When you adopt
a submissive attitude and chant, realization begins from the tongue. To eat and to vibrate
sound is the business of the tongue. If you can control your tongue for prasadam, spiritual
food, and make the sound vibration of the holy name, then by surrender of the tongue you can
control all the other senses. If you cannot control your tongue, you cannot control your
senses. Taste prasädam and become spiritually advanced. You can have this process at your
home: offer vegetarian foods to Krishna, chant the Hare Krishna mantra and offer obeisances:
namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brähmanya-hitaya ca
jagat-hitaya krishnaya
govindaya namo namah
Everyone can offer, and then take the food with friends. And chant before the picture of
Krishna, and lead a pure life. Just see the result—the whole world will become Vaikuntha,
where there is no anxiety. All is anxious with us because we have accepted this material life.
Just the opposite is so in the spiritual world. No one, however, knows how to get out of the
material concept. Taking an intoxicant doesn't help; the same anxieties are there when you
are finished being drunk. If you want to be free and want life eternal with bliss and
knowledge, take to Krishna. No one can know God, but there is this way:. the process of
Krishna consciousness.
Week 16 Bhakti Vriksha
In the Srimad-Bhägavatam it is stated that no one can conquer Him or approach Him, but He
becomes conquered. How? Let people remain in their own positions, but let them give up
nonsense speculation through volumes of books. Thousands of books are printed and read,
and after six months thrown away. This way and that—how can you know the Supreme by
speculation on the information supplied by your blunt senses? Give up research—throw it
away—just become submissive; acknowledge that you are limited and subordinate to
material nature and to God. No one can be equal to or greater than God. So be submissive.
Try to hear about the glories of the Supreme Lord from authorized sources. Such authority is
handed over by disciplic succession. If we can understand by the same authority as Arjuna,
that is real authority. God is always ready to reveal; you just become Krsna conscious.
Follow the path traversed by the great acharyas, the devoted teachers, and then everything
will be known. Although He is unconquerable and unknowable, He can be known in your
home.
If you take to this process and follow the principles, what will be the result? As soon as you
understand, you will know that the Supreme Lord is the cause of all causes, but that He is not
caused by any other cause. And He is the master of all planets. This is not accepting blindly.
God has given you the power of reason, the power of arguing—but don't argue falsely. If you
want to know the transcendental science you must surrender. Surrender to authority and know
Him by signs. Don't surrender to a fool or a rascal. Find one who is coming in disciplic
succession, one who is fully convinced about the Supreme Absolute Truth. If you find such a
person, surrender and try to please him, serve him and question him. Surrender unto Him is
surrender to God. Question to learn, not to waste time.
The process is there, but if we waste time by intoxication we will never see Him, the
unconquerable Lord. Follow the principles and slowly but surely, without doubt, you will
know. "Yes, I'm making progress," you'll say. And it is very easy, and you can execute it and
be in a happy mood. Study, take part with music, eat prasadam. And no one can cheat you by
this process. But if you want to be cheated—go to the cheaters.
Try to understand it from the authoritative source and apply it in your life. Amongst the dying
mortals, you will become the most intelligent because you are freed from sinful actions. If
you act only for Krsna, then you are freed from all reactions. You will have no anxiety over
what is auspicious or inauspicious because you will be in touch with the most auspicious.
This is the process. Ultimately, we can get in touch with Krishna. Life will be successful.
Anyone can adopt it, because it is very simple.
Krsna Consciousness: The topmost Yoga system
Discovery:
1) How can we know the Supreme Truth through the tongue?
Understanding:
1) Why are people in the material world anxious? How do they try to get rid of their
misery? Why don’t those things work for them?
2) What is the process of becoming happy?
3) Who should we be submissive to? Why should we be submissive?
4) How should we apply the principles of Krsna consciousness in our daily lives?
5) What will be the result of application of these principles in our lives?
How will this make us happy?
Application:
1) Share with everyone what different spiritual activities you are engaged in and what
you are experiencing by performing them.
Week 16 Bhakti Vriksha
Preaching is the Essence
Lord Chaitanya personally demonstrated the importance of preaching: To deliver
all fallen souls, the Lord traveled from country to country. He personally tasted the
transcendental pleasure of devotional service, and He simultaneously spread the cult of
devotion everywhere.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally traveled to different regions of India to spread the
bhakti cult throughout the country….by His personal behavior He has given an example for
devotees to follow. That is, one should broadcast the cult of devotional service….A Vaisnava is
especially interested in para-upakara, doing good to others. Prahlada Maharaja was also
interested in this. He did not want to be delivered alone; rather he wanted to deliver all fallen
souls, who are bereft of knowledge of bhakti and who misuse their intelligence for the
temporary benefit of the material body. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu also wanted His mission spread
all over the world.
Prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama
Sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama
“In every town and village, the chanting of My name will be heard” Following in His footsteps,
we are trying to broadcast His message throughout the world. By His mercy, people are taking
this movement very seriously. Indeed, our books are extensively distributed in the Western
countries, especially in America and Europe…. The followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu may
therefore take this movement seriously and broadcast it throughout the world. From village to
village and from town to town, just as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself did.
Cc. Madhya 25.264 (Madhya: 9, p.438)
