Chant Hare Krsna and use all ones senses to serve the Lord

Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

 

Have you ever wondered about our senses, like our mind, our eyes, our ears, our nose, the sense of touch, and what we are supposed to do with them?

We all have heard that you should just chant Hare Krsna mantra, but what do we do with

ourselves when we are "done" with our rounds? None of us is Hari das Thakur who can

chant endlessly,and effortlessly, so we have to do things with our bodies the rest of the time.

 

That question and its answers has always bothered me somewhat. How does one

remain with Krsna , under His Daivi prakrti, even while he or she is going about daily work? Especially if

that work is not some Deity worship, or reading sastra, or doing something

like Hari nama or book dist or just preaching to someone about Krsna?

 

For the majority of the devotees in this world, we have to work at some

job to maintain ourself and families. So how do we go about this work

and at the same time expect to make spiritual advancement?

These questions are answered below by our acaryas, namely Srila

Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur,  Sri Narada Muni, Ambarish Maharaj and others.

 

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

-------------------------

 

Here below, Srila Prabhupada right away smashes any conception any of us might have about

how wonderful we may be in this present body. 

 

 770111tt.ida                                           
According to Vedic civilization, you are actually untouchable. Now we have come to touch
you; therefore wash you must first. You are untouchable. In Indian
civilization, dog is untouchable, and that is your best friend. So you
are not touchable. Therefore we have to wash you. And unless your
brain is washed, you cannot understand Krsna. So it is necessary. Is
that all right? Dog is your best friend. In India dog is untouchable.
So "Man is known by his company." If your best friend is dog, then
what you are? We can understand your position because you sleep with
dog, you eat with dog, your best friend is dog, so what you are? You
must be washed. It is a fact. Every woman, every man, has some dog.Jagadisa: Dog or cat.
Prabhupada: Mostly dog. So "Man is known by his company." Your
constant company is dog, so what you are? These are the way. Actually,
according to Vedic... Why they do not allow Europeans in the
Jagannatha temple? Because they are untouchable. According to Vedic
civilization, Europeans are untouchable. Muslims and..., untouchable.
Not only foreigners, even in their own country,[India] those who are not very
cleansed, they are untouchable.

 

So who amongst us can say we are not born mlecchas, those of so many unclean

habits? If the birth smaskaras were not performed by our parents before conception, then we

are all  "Kalau sudra sambhava"-born as sudras. And furthermore, who among us can say we have completely stopped all those previous unclean habits we were born with?

 

 Antya 3.124      The Glories of Srila Haridasa Thakura  
is further said in Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.1.40):

 

                        asamskrtah kriya-hina
                          rajasa tamasavrtah
                       prajas te bhaksayisyanti
                       mleccha rajanya-rupinah

 

   "In the age of Kali, mlecchas, or lowborn people who have not
undergone the purifying process of samskara, who do not know how to
apply that process in actual life and who are covered by the modes of
passion and ignorance, will take the posts of administrators. They
will devour the citizens with their atheistic activities.

" A person who is not purified by the prescribed process of samskara is called
asamskrta, but if one remains kriya-hina even after being purified by
initiation--in other words, if one fails to actually apply the
principles of purity in his life--he remains an unpurified mleccha or
yavana.

On the other hand, we find that Haridasa Thakura, although
born in a mleccha or yavana family, became Namacarya Haridasa Thakura
because he performed the nama-yajna a minimum of 300,000 times every
day."

 

We have previously written many articles about devotees keeping cats and dogs

in their "ashrams".  To keep these demoniac and dirty species of animals within

our living spaces is a mleccha habit, and if one wants to be Krsna or God Conscious,

he or she must give it up.

 

Bg 16.20 P          The Divine And Demoniac Natures      
   It is known that God is all-merciful, but here we find that God is
never merciful to the demoniac. It is clearly stated that the demoniac
people, life after life, are put into the wombs of similar demons,and, not achieving the mercy of the Supreme Lord, they go down and
down, so that at last they achieve bodies like those of cats, dogs and
hogs. 

 

Another point Srila Prabhupada makes is that if we dont follow the obligations of

purity we promised at initiation, then we also are still-- asamskrtah kriya-hina,

which  makes us- unclean mlecchas.

Antya 4.127      "The servants are always coming and going without interval. If I
touch them, I shall be ruined."

 

                               PURPORT

 

   Herein it is very clearly indicated that priests performing Deity
worship should be careful to keep themselves completely pure and not
be touched by outsiders. Sanatana Gosvami and Haridasa Thakura,
thinking themselves mlecchas and yavanas because of their past
association with Mohammedans, did not enter the temple nor even travel
on the path in front of the temple gate. It is customary for the
priests of temples in India not even to touch outsiders nor enter the
Deity room after having been touched. This is a very important item in
temple worship.

 

 

 Antya 4.129-130     "My dear Sanatana, although you are the deliverer of the entire
universe and although even the demigods and great saints are purified
by touching you, it is the characteristic of a devotee to observe and
protect the Vaisnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaisnava etiquette
is the ornament of a devotee.

 

The above verses were selected to build a framework for the following verses.

Namely, first define the condition, then give the solutions.

The main point we are trying to make is how to live our lives with our present senses so that these same senses do not drag us back into mleccha life or even ideally, another rebirth in the material world.

This would be optimal, but probably not realistic, so what to do in the meantime

while we are trying to become completely purified and qualified to personally

associate with God as His servant in our spiritual body.?

 

Sri Narada Muni gives us some clue as what has to be done:

  

          atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
           sevon mukhe hi jivadau svayam eva sphuraty adah

 

   "No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form,
quality and pastimes of Sri Krsna through his materially contaminated
senses. Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental
service to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and
pastimes of the Lord revealed to him." (Padma Purana).

 

And Srila Prabhupada says...

 

Bg 5.29 P      Karma-yoga--Action in Krsna Consciousness  
Everything depends on one's practical performance of duties in an
effort to control the senses and conquer the influence of desire and
anger. And, attaining Krsna consciousness by controlling the
above-mentioned passions, one remains factually in the transcendental
stage, or brahma-nirvana.

 

So we have defined the problem-our senses which must be controlled by Krsna and

not Maya devi, otherwise we will be dragged down into mleccha life or  better still upwards in

the life of one in the mode of goodness, typically the brahmana, which will still mean re-birth

again due to not all the senses being properly utilized for their owner- Sri Hrisikesh.

 

Now below we have taken a few words from Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhaktivinode Thakur where they so kindly and nicely explain what we should do with these material senses and how these

same senses can be made spiritualized thereby dissolving one's subtle body which

will negate re- birth again in the material world.

 

SB 3.25.33   Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living
entity without separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests
all that we eat.

 

 

Below we have a couple of paragraphs from Srila Bhaktivinods book  called Sri Caitanya Siksamrta

where he explains for those who are motivated to follow this process of bhakti yoga, how

to engage ones senses in daily life.

 

Cultivation through chanting is extremely powerful. There are five types of chanting: recitation of scripture, recitation of the Lord's names and pastimes, recitation of verses, submissive offerings and japa. Recitation of the Lord's names and pastimes may be done by song, narration, lecture or class. Submissive offerings are of three types: prayer, admission of lowliness and longing. Japa refers to soft chanting of mantra.

Cultivation of bhakti by using the sense of smell is performed by smelling flowers, tulasi, sandalwood, incense, garlands, and camphor that have been offered to the Lord. Smelling those items that have not been offered to the Lord only increase material sense attachment, and therefore must be avoided.

Cultivation of sight is performed by seeing the Deity, the devotees, the holy places, the temple, dramatic performances and pictures depicting the Lord. The sense of sight focusing on material forms can throw a person into the well of material life and therefore seeing material forms must be avoided. Whatever a person sees in the world, they must relate it to the Lord.

The devotee should become detached from the sensation of touch related to external objects, and take joy at touching the form of the Lord. Satisfaction can be gained also by touching and embracing the devotees. The sense of touch is very powerful, leading to sins such as illicit sexual activities. The devotee must vow that under no circumstances to touch anyone except devotees. Touch does not refer to bodily contact as such, but to bodily contact that produces sense pleasure in the heart. This principle should be applied not only the sensation of touch, but to all the senses.

The devotee can use the tongue in tasting food offered to the Lord and taking the water used to wash the feet of the Lord. The devotee does not eat anything except prasadam from the Lord. By tasting material foods, material conviction gradually becomes stronger. Remnants of the Lord and of the devotee may be eaten—both nourish bhakti.

Moving the limbs refers to dancing, paying respects, rising in respect, following after the Deity or devotee, going to the temple, parikrama, serving guru and Vaisnava, worshipping the Lord, bathing in holy water, putting on Vaisnava markings and putting the Lord's name on the body. The Vaisnava should pay respects by lowering eight parts of the body. When seeing the Deity or the devotee approach, the devotee should rise to their feet. When the devotee or Deity moves, the devotee should follow behind. The devotee uses their legs to go to the temple, the holy places and other vaisnavas' houses.

Worship refers to offering items to the Deity. The devotee should bathe in the water of the Ganga and Yamuna, put on tilaka according to the directions of the guru, and decorate the body with the names of the Lord.
In this manner the devotee on the path of vaidhi bhakti must cultivate devotion to the Lord by engaging the body. As the conditioned souls are bound by a body and must perform some necessary activities of the body, they should do them in such a way that they do not become materially affected. By mixing all those activities with devotion to the Lord, they are able to cultivate their relationship with the Lord.

 

 

 

SB 9.4.18-20   Maharaja Ambarisa always engaged his mind in meditating upon the
lotus feet of Krsna, his words in describing the glories of the Lord,
his hands in cleansing the Lord's temple, and his ears in hearing the
words spoken by Krsna or about Krsna. He engaged his eyes in seeing
the Deity of Krsna, Krsna's temples and Krsna's places like Mathura
and Vrndavana, he engaged his sense of touch in touching the bodies of
the Lord's devotees, he engaged his sense of smell in smelling the
fragrance of tulasi offered to the Lord, and he engaged his tongue in
tasting the Lord's prasada. He engaged his legs in walking to the holy
places and temples of the Lord, his head in bowing down before the
Lord, and all his desires in serving the Lord, twenty-four hours a
day. Indeed, Maharaja Ambarisa never desired anything for his own
sense gratification. He engaged all his senses in devotional service,
in various engagements related to the Lord. This is the way to
increase attachment for the Lord and be completely free from all
material desires.

 

                               PURPORT

 

   In ▼Bhagavad-gita (7.1) the Lord recommends, mayy asakta-manah

partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. This indicates that one must execute
devotional service under the guidance of a devotee or directly under
the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not
possible, however, to train oneself without guidance from the
spiritual master. Therefore, according to the instructions of Srila
Rupa Gosvami, the first business of a devotee is to accept a bona fide
spiritual master who can train him to engage his various senses in
rendering transcendental service to the Lord. The Lord also says in
▼Bhagavad-gita (7.1), asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu.
In other words, if one wants to understand the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in completeness, one must follow the prescriptions given by
Krsna by following in the footsteps of Maharaja Ambarisa. It is said,
hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam bhaktir ucyate: bhakti means to engage the
senses in the service of the master of the senses, Krsna, who is
called Hrsikesa or Acyuta.

 

Conclusion- Chant Hare Krsna and use all ones senses to serve the Lord

How to discharge Devotional Service-NOD

Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Srila  Prabhupada

 

Today while I was digging in my gardens,and pulling out the seemingly unlimited amount of weeds, I was thinking about this subject-

It states in the Caitanya Caritamrta that after chanting the Lords holy names, the reactional signs of

tears in the eyes and hairs standing on end should become evident.

So I asked my self-

self--why isn't this happening? What immediately came to mind was the below purport in the

Nectar of Devotion book.

-----------------

 

 

NoD 6             How to Discharge Devotional Service   

   Srila Rupa Gosvami states that his elder brother (Sanatana Gosvami)
has compiled Hari-bhakti-vilasa for the guidance of the Vaisnavas and
therein has mentioned many rules and regulations to be followed by the
Vaisnavas. Some of them are very important and prominent, and Srila
Rupa Gosvami will now mention these very important items for our
benefit. The purport of this statement is that Srila Rupa Gosvami
proposes to mention only basic principles, not details. For example, a
basic principle is that one has to accept a spiritual master. Exactly
how one follows the instructions of his spiritual master is considered
a detail. For example, if one is following the instruction of his
spiritual master and that instruction is different from the
instructions of another spiritual master, this is called detailed
information. But the basic principle of acceptance of a spiritual
master is good everywhere, although the details may be different.
Srila Rupa Gosvami does not wish to enter into details here, but wants
to place before us only the principles.
   He mentions the basic principles as follows: (1) accepting the
shelter of the lotus feet of a bona fide spiritual master, (2)
becoming initiated by the spiritual master and learning how to
discharge devotional service from him, (3) obeying the orders of the

spiritual master with faith and devotion, (4) following in the
footsteps of great acaryas (teachers) under the direction of the
spiritual master, (5) inquiring from the spiritual master how to
advance in Krsna consciousness, (6) being prepared to give up anything
material for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Sri Krsna (this means that when we are engaged in the devotional
service of Krsna, we must be prepared to give up something which we
may not like to give up, and also we have to accept something which we
may not like to accept), (7) residing in a sacred place of pilgrimage
like Dvaraka or Vrndavana, (8) accepting only what is necessary, or
dealing with the material world only as far as necessary, (9)
observing the fasting day on Ekadasi and (10) worshiping sacred trees
like the banyan tree.
   These ten items are preliminary necessities for beginning the
discharge of devotional service in regulative principles. In the
beginning, if a neophyte devotee observes the above-mentioned ten
principles, surely he will quickly make good advancement in Krsna
consciousness.   The next set of instructions is listed as follows: (1) One should
rigidly give up the company of nondevotees. (2) One should not

instruct a person who is not desirous of accepting devotional service.
(3) One should not be very enthusiastic about constructing costly
temples or monasteries. (4) One should not try to read too many books,
nor should one develop the idea of earning his livelihood by lecturing
on or professionally reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita. (5)
One should not be neglectful in ordinary dealings. (6) One should not
be under the spell of lamentation in loss or jubilation in gain. (7)
One should not disrespect the demigods. (8) One should not give
unnecessary trouble to any living entity. (9) One should carefully
avoid the various offenses in chanting the holy name of the Lord or in
worshiping the Deity in the temple. (10) One should be very intolerant
toward the blasphemy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, or
His devotees.
   Without following the above-mentioned ten principles, one cannot
properly elevate himself to the platform of sadhana-bhakti, or
devotional service in practice. Altogether, Srila Rupa Gosvami
mentions twenty items, and all of them are very important. Out of the
twenty, the first three--namely accepting the shelter of a bona fide
spiritual master, taking initiation from him and serving him with
respect and reverence--are the most important.

---------------

 

So after reading the above, my limited brain substance allowed me to ask this question:

If I am not avoiding ALL 10 of the offenses to chanting the Holy Name, then I am not

really even at the platform of sadhana bhakti-devotional service in practice.

 

I may say I am avoiding all 10 of the nama aparadhas, but what is the actual proof that

I am?

 

Here is what Srila Prabhupada writes:

 SB 2.3.24 P   . If there is no such change, the heart must be

considered steel-framed, for it is not melted even when there is

chanting of the holy name of the Lord. We must always remember that

hearing and chanting are the basic principles of discharging

devotional duties, and if they are properly performed there will

follow the reactional ecstasy with signs of tears in the eyes and

standing of the hairs on the body. These are natural consequences and

are the preliminary symptoms of the bhava stage, which occurs before

one reaches the perfectional stage of prema, love of Godhead.

   If the reaction does not take place, even after continuous hearing

and chanting of the holy name of the Lord, it may be considered to be

due to offenses only. That is the opinion of the Sandarbha. In the

beginning of chanting of the holy name of the Lord, if the devotee has

not been very careful about evading the ten kinds of offenses at the

feet of the holy name, certainly the reaction of feelings of

separation will not be visible by tears in the eyes and standing of

the hair on end.

 

 

One Conclusion:

Back to the basics of having the mentality of a beginning bhakta who just moves into the temple, is

always a good place to begin  and continue bhakti yoga.

 

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

HEARING THE RECITATION OF A PURE DEVOTEE

TRANSLATION. ‘One should taste the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam in the association of pure devotees, and one should associate with the devotees who are more advanced than oneself and endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord.

 

PURPORT. The words sajatiyasaye snigdhe sadhau sangah svato vare are very important items. One should not associate with professional Bhagavatam reciters. A professional Bhagavatam reciter is one who is not in the disciplic succession or one who has no taste for bhakti-yoga. Simply on the strength of grammatical knowledge and word jugglery, professional reciters maintain their bodies and their desires for sense gratification by reading Srimad-Bhagavatam. One should also avoid those who are averse to Lord Visnu and His devotees, those who are Mayavadis, those who offend the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra, those who simply dress as Vaisnavas or so-called gosvamis, and those who make a business by selling Vedic mantras and reciting Srimad-Bhagavatam to maintain their families. One should not try to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam from such materialistic people. According to the Vedic injunctions: yasya deve para bhaktih. The Srimad-Bhagavatam can only be recited by one who has unflinching faith in the lotus feet of Krsna and His devotee, the spiritual master. One should try to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam from the spiritual master. The Vedic injunction states: bhak- tya bhagavatam grahyam na buddhya na ca tikaya. One has to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam through the process of devotional service and by hearing the recitation of a pure devotee. These are the injunctions of Vedic literature--sruti and smrti. Those who are not in the disciplic succession and who are not pure devotees cannot understand the real mysterious objective of Srimad-Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.

(C.C. Mad 22-131)