"Ambition-less"

jader pratishta, sukarer vistha,

jano na ki taha 'mayar vaibhava'

kanaka kamini, divasa yamini,

bhaviya ki kaja, anitya se saba

(Verse 2, Vaisnava Ke by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur)

TRANSLATION
(by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)
My dear mind, why are you so proud of being a Vaisnava? Your solitary worship and chanting of the holy name of the Lord are based on a desire for cheap popularity, and therefore your chanting of the holy name is only a pretension. Such an ambition for a cheap reputation can be compared to the stool of a hog, because such popularity is another extension of the influence of maya.*

My dear mind, while making a show of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra in a solitary place, you are simply meditating day and night about enjoying beautiful women and accumulating more wealth. What spiritual value does your solitary chanting have? On the pretext of performing solitary worship you are actually entangled in temporary material activities!

(second part of the verse translated by HH Jayapataka Swami)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad was a "simha-guru". He was known for his strong preaching style. This verse is an example of how strong an Acharya can get. Note the use of words ' stool of a hog', considering the fact that the hog itself is a very unclean animal and stool of a hog represents a very very pitiable condition indeed.

In this connection, Srila Prabhupada's words are notable. Once in America, Srila Prabhupada was meeting the parents of a devotee. The father commented on the devotees' general lack of ambition. So, Srila Prabhupada said, "devotees do not have any ambition." One of his disciples considered this as a negative thing and tried to interject by saying, "it means devotees have no material ambitions." Srila Prabhupada immediately corrected him saying, "no, no, devotee has no ambition, either material or otherwise. He considers himself a lowly servant, thats all."

So, lets make the prayer to Lord Krishna to make us "ambition-less"

Control in Varnasrama dharma system

The members of the four divisions of human life, namely the brahmacari, the grhastha, the vanaprastha and the sannyasi, are all meant to become perfect yogis or transcendentalists. Since human life is not meant for our enjoying sense gratification like the animals, the four orders of human life are so arranged that one may become perfect in spiritual life. The brahmacaris, or students under the care of a bona fide spiritual master, control the mind by abstaining from sense gratification. A brahmacari hears only words concerning Krsna consciousness; hearing is the basic principle for understanding, and therefore the pure brahmacari engages fully in harer namanukirtanam—chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord. He restrains himself from the vibrations of material sounds, and his hearing is engaged in the transcendental sound vibration of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. Similarly, the householders, who have some license for sense gratification, perform such acts with great restraint. Sex life, intoxication and meat-eating are general tendencies of human society, but a regulated householder does not indulge in unrestricted sex life and other sense gratification. Marriage on the principles of religious life is therefore current in all civilized human society because that is the way for restricted sex life. This restricted, unattached sex life is also a kind of yajna because the restricted householder sacrifices his general tendency toward sense gratification for higher, transcendental life. (BG 4.26 Purport)

About the mind and the senses.......

As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence. (Bhagavad Gita 2.67)

Srila Prabhupada says in the purport : "Unless all of the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, even one of them engaged in sense gratification can deviate the devotee from the path of transcendental advancement. As mentioned in the life of Maharaja Ambarisa, all of the senses must be engaged in Krsna consciousness, for that is the correct technique for controlling the mind. "

From the study guide by Bhurijana Prabhu : A mind surrendered to the urges of the senses carries away a man’s discrimination. His intelligence will thus be stolen by the unfavorable winds of his uncontrolled senses. The senses, however, once subdued, create favorable breezes.

Avoid the gravest danger........

Dusta mana ! tumi kiser vaisnava ?

Pratishtar tare, nirjaner ghare,

tava 'hari-nama' kevala kaitava

My dear mind, what kind of Vaisnava are you? Simply for false prestige and a material reputation you sit in a solitary place and pretend to chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but this is all cheating.

"The method of controlling the mind is given in the Bhagavad-gita. This has been very systematically explained by the spiritual masters following Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The mind must be engaged in unmotivated and uninterrupted devotional service to Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind should be absorbed in constantly meditating upon and serving the Lord's lotus-feet. Devotional service is the only real means to effectively control the mind.However, even experienced persons engaged in devotional service are sometimes misled by the subtle illusions seated in the mind. Therefore, Srila Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvati Thäkura has kindly explained how one aspiring to advance along the path of Krsna consciousness should control his mind, and avoid the various traps of illusion that the untrained mind may fall into.The spirit soul guides the mind through the intelligence. The intelligence in turn is guided by the instructions of the spiritual master. Thus the intelligence can properly train the mind for making steady progress in Krsna consciousness. The mind must be made aware of the strict standards of pure devotional service. Once trained, the mind will not accept less than pure devotional service.The bhakti-yogé aspiring to advance in Krsna consciousness must always survey his mind to insure that it is not straying to some dangerous place off the Krsna conscious path. This constant care is essential as spiritual life is as sharp as a razor's edge. Even a slight deviation due to carelessness can place us in the gravest danger."

From "Vaisnava Ke"

A Bengali Poem by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupäda

with Verse Translation and Extensive Quotes from

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedänta Swami Prabhupäda

Founder-Äcärya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Verse Translation and Commentary by His Holiness Jayapatäka Swami

Yoga at the Speed of Light

Yoga at the Speed of Light
By Linda Johnsen
Courtesy & copyright Yoga International

It is amazing how much Western science has taught us. Today, for example, kids in grammar school learn that the sun is 93 million miles from the earth and that the speed of light is 186,000 miles per hours. Yoga may teach us about our Higher Self, but it can't supply this kind of information about physics or astronomy.Or can it?

Professor Subhash Kak of Louisiana State University recently called my attention to a remarkable statement by Sayana, a fourteenth century Indian scholar. In his commentary on a hymn in the Rig Veda, the oldest and perhaps most mystical text ever composed in India, Sayana has this to say: "With deep respect, I bow to the sun, who travels 2,202 yojanas in half a nimesha."A yojana is about nine American miles; a nimesha is 16/75 of a second.Mathematically challenged readers, get out your calculators!

2,202 yojanas x 9 miles x 75 - 8 nimeshas = 185,794 m.p.s.

Basically, Sayana is saying that sunlight travels at 186,000 miles per second! How could a Vedic scholar who died in 1387 A.D. have known the correct figure for the speed of light? If this was just a wild guess it's the most amazing coincidence in the history of science!

Gajendra's prayers

" Since an animal such as I has surrendered unto You, who are supremely liberated, certainly You will release me from this dangerous position. Indeed, being extremely merciful, You incessantly try to deliver me. By your partial feature as Paramätmä, You are situated in the hearts of all embodied beings. You are celebrated as direct transcendental knowledge, and You are unlimited. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

(Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 3, Verse 17 - Gajendra's prayers of surrender)

...then your Guru Maharaja will be glorified."

You can eulogize your Guru Maharaja, but you have to learn it and face the public and be strong to defend yourself. That is success, not by praising your Guru Maharaja. You'll praise your Guru Maharaja. That is not very difficult. But be victorious to the opposing elements. Then you'll praise your Guru Maharaja best. At home you can praise your Guru Maharaja, and Guru Maharaja be satisfied, 'Oh, my disciples are praising me.' That is good, respectful. That is the qualification. But you have to fight. Then your Guru Maharaja will be glorified." (Srila Prabhupada to Harikesa)

from " A Transcendental Diary Vol. 1" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu

"If You Just Read this One Book"

Entering Srila Prabhupäda's quarters was always an enlightening experience. Sometimes Srila Prabhupäda sat and read his books. Whenever he read, it seemed as if someone else had written his books because he didn't read with the mind of an author looking for editing mistakes or grammatical errors. He read them with the relish of a pure devotee reading the pastimes of the Supreme Lord to whom he was completely attached.One day, I went into Srila Prabhupäda’s room to perform my duties. He was reading Bhagavad-Gitä As It Is. After offering my obeisances, he looked at me and said, "If you just read this one book and understand, you will become Krsna Conscious in this very life."

A few months later when I went into his room, he was reading Nectar of Devotion. He looked at me and said, "This book is so nice. Just by reading this one book you can become Krsna Conscious." Srila Prabhupäda taught us by his example. He did everything that he asked of us. He requested us to read his books, so he read them, too.

From "Srila Prabhupada Uvaca" by HG Srutakirti Prabhu