Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

The mood of hope against all hope, could also be called the mood of  separation. What hope

do I have of ever seeing Krsna? We saw Srila Prabhupada for a very  brief time and those moments

in time should be sufficient to whet our appetites for “more”.

Whenever Prabhupada would come to some city, the devotees would run  there in

ecstasy and madness sometimes, almost like what we read in Krsna book  when the

gopis of Vrndavana or the queens of Dvarka would come to meet with  Krsna.

So we , who were there, all remember these feelings very acutely, and to  hear Srila Prabhupada

say that the feelings of separation are even greater than feelings  of meeting, is not

comprehensible to this limited mind I presently possess.

The devotees were literally mad, some of them, in meeting with Srila  Prabhupada,  So all we can do, at present,  is just “imagine” what is  in store for us when we finally arrive at the stage of “separation” !! And it is  just this mood that one is supposed to cultivate, following in the  footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. .

And finally this mood of separation can be made possible only by  hearing from the mouth of a realized soul.

This is the Paramahamsa path recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Here  below, is the evidence…

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das

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Antya 14.37 …  Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed  by practical example how one can cultivate the mood of Radharani and  the other gopis in separation from Krsna. Devotees absorbed in this  mood do not like to see Krsna anywhere else but Vrndavana. Therefore  Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu lamented, “I found Krsna in Vrndavana, and now  I have again lost Him and come to Kuruksetra.” Unless one is a  very highly advanced devotee, he cannot understand these  intricate feelings. The author of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta,  however, has tried to explain this divyonmada as far as possible, and it is  our duty simply to appreciate it as far as possible.  Therefore the author has made the following request in verse 11:

                tate visvasa kari’ suna bhavera  varnana                 ha-ibe bhavera jnana, paiba prema-dhana

   “My dear readers, simply try to hear this  description with faith and love. That will help you to understand  transcendental ecstasy, and at last you will achieve love of Godhead very  easily.”

Antya 14.14   Unfortunately, at the present time a group of  so-called devotees maintain that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the enjoyer and  that they are enjoyers as well. They have actually deviated from devotional  service to the Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu manifested Himself to show  that cultivation of love for Krsna in separation is the easiest way  of success for all living entities. Despite  this fact, there are some theosophists who declare that because Sri Caitanya  Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, such cultivation is easy  for Him but difficult for the living entity and that one can  therefore approach Krsna in any way he likes. To nullify this  idea, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu demonstrated practically how one can achieve  love of Krsna by adopting Srimati Radharani’s mood in separation from  Krsna.

TLK Vs 30          Perfect Knowledge Through  Surrender       The process of  approaching and understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead was also  discussed between Ramananda Raya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. First,  Ramananda Raya explained the process in terms of varnasrama-dharma. He said  first of all that human life is meant for approaching Lord Visnu through the  rules and regulations governing varnasrama-dharma. Caitanya Mahaprabhu  replied that it is very difficult in this age to execute the rules and  regulations of varnasrama-dharma. It is very difficult to be a brahmana in  this age, and it is practically impossible to revive the old  varnasrama-dharma culture. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore said that this  method is not very practical. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has been called by Srila  Rupa Gosvami “the most munificent avatara” because He distributes love  of Krsna free of charge. First of all, we cannot even understand  Krsna; therefore there is no question of loving Him. If we do not  understand someone, how can we love him? The love is very far away, but  Caitanya Mahaprabhu is so kind that He distributes krsna-prema, love of  Krsna, to whomever will take it. In His life, Caitanya Mahaprabhu cried  for Krsna and showed how one should be mad after  Him.                            yugayitam  nimesena                           caksusa  pravrsayitam                         sunyayitam jagat  sarvam                           govinda-virahena me

   “O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment  to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes  like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in  Your absence.” (▼Siksastaka 7)    Without Krsna, one should  see everything as vacant. This is Radharani’s frame of mind, but this is not  possible for an ordinary living being. It was possible for Caitanya  Mahaprabhu and a few devotees, His immediate disciples like the six Gosvamis,  who were following in His footsteps. They worshiped Krsna in separation  and sought Krsna everywhere.

         he radhe vraja-devike ca  lalite he nanda-suno kutah           sri-govardhana-kalpa-padapa-tale kalindi-vane  kutah         ghosantav iti sarvato  vraja-pure khedair  maha-vihvalau          vande  rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri jiva-gopalakau

   “I offer my respectful obeisances to the six Gosvamis, namely  Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami,  Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami and Sri Gopala  Bhatta Gosvami, who were chanting very loudly everywhere in  Vrndavana, shouting, ‘Queen of Vrndavana, Radharani! O Lalita! O son of  Nanda Maharaja! Where are you all now? Are you just on the hill  of Govardhana, or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamuna? Where  are you?’ These were their moods in executing  Krsna consciousness.” (Sad-gosvamy-astaka 8)

   The Gosvamis never said, “We have seen Krsna.” This  is the recommended process–worship in separation. We should awaken  our lost Krsna consciousness in this way and become mad after Krsna in  our separation from Him. This is called krsna-prema, and this love  was distributed by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We should not try to  understand Krsna by our small knowledge. Since we are imperfect, how can  we

speculate on Krsna? There are many people like jnanis and  theosophists who try to understand the Absolute Truth by speculation, but  this is not possible.

                    athapi te deva  padambuja-dvaya-                       prasada-lesanugrhita eva  hi                     janati tattvam  bhagavan-mahimno                     na canya eko ‘pi ciram vicinvan

   “My Lord, if one is favored by even a slight trace of the  mercy of Your lotus feet, he can understand the greatness of Your  personality. But those who speculate in order to understand the Supreme  Personality of Godhead are unable to know You, even though they continue to  study the Vedas for many years.” (Bhag. 10.14.29) Even if one speculates  for many years, he cannot understand Krsna. One has to receive the  mercy of Krsna through the spiritual master, and this is the  path recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sthane-sthitah  sruti-gatah tanu-van-manobhih (Bhag. 10.14.3). Another name for  Krsna is Ajita. No one can conquer Krsna, but Krsna can be conquered by  His devotee. One should be submissive and say, “Krsna, I am very  poor. I have no means

to understand You. Please be merciful upon me. Please allow me  to understand You and surrender.” This is wanted. Krsna is very  merciful, and when He sees that someone has surrendered, He will help  from within.

SB 4.24.53  .. Lord Caitanya wanted to impress upon Ramananda  Raya that simply by executing the duties of varnasrama-dharma one is not  guaranteed liberation. Finally Ramananda Raya referred to the process of  bhakti-yoga: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih (Bhag.  10.14.3). Regardless of one’s condition of life, if he practices  bhakti-yoga, which begins with hearing (sruti-gatam) the  transcendental messages of the Lord through the mouths of devotees, he  gradually conquers the unconquerable God.    God is  known to be unconquerable, but one who submissively hears the words of a  self-realized soul conquers the unconquerable. The conclusion is that if  one is serious about liberation, he not only should execute the  occupational duties of varnasrama-dharma but should also engage in  bhakti-yoga by beginning hearing from a realized soul. This process  will help the devotee conquer the unconquerable Supreme Personality of  Godhead and become His associate after giving up the material  body.

SB 4.24.69 P …    “Devotional service cannot be  checked by any material condition.” (▼Bhag. 1.2.6) Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu  also recommended this process:

                  jnane prayasam udapasya namanta  eva                 jivanti san-mukharitam  bhavadiya-vartam               sthane sthitah sruti-gatam  tanu-van-manobhir              ye prayaso ‘jita jito ‘py asi tais tri-lokyam

   (Bhag. 10.14.3)

   duty and still lend his ear to receive the message of the Lord  from realized souls. The Krsna conscious movement is based on  this principle, and we are opening centers all over the world to  give everyone a chance to hear the message of Lord Krsna in order to  go back home, back to Godhead.

SB 4.30.33    Dear Lord, as long as we have to  remain within this material world due to our material contamination and  wander from one type of body to another and from one planet to another, we  pray that we may associate with those who are engaged in discussing Your  pastimes. We pray for this benediction life after life, in different  bodily forms and on different planets.

                                PURPORT

   This is the best benediction that a devotee can ask  of the Supreme Lord. This is also confirmed by Sri Caitanya  Mahaprabhu: sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih (Bhag.  10.14.3). One may be in one position or another according to  destiny, but in any case one must continue to hear about the activities  and pastimes of the Supreme Lord, regardless of circumstances. A pure  devotee does not pray for liberation or for cessation of the cycle of birth  and death because he does not consider that important. The most important  thing for a devotee is getting a chance to hear about the pastimes and  glories of the Lord. The devotees who engage in the service of the Lord  in this world will have the same opportunity in the spiritual world also.  Thus

for a devotee, everything is in the spiritual world, for as long as  he can hear about the pastimes of the Lord, or wherever he can chant,  the Lord is personally present. Tatra tisthami narada yatra  gayanti mad-bhaktah. When the pure devotees assemble to chant, hear and  talk about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the place where  they assemble becomes Vaikuntha. For the devotee there is no  need to pray to the Lord for transferal to the Vaikuntha world. A  pure devotee can create Vaikuntha or Vrndavana anywhere simply by chanting  the glories of the Lord without offense.

SB 9.18.2 P…Maharaja Pariksit was involved in politics, but because at  the end of his life he heard Srimad-Bhagavatam from Sukadeva Gosvami, he  attained perfection very easily. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has  therefore suggested:

   (Bhag. 10.14.3)

   Regardless  of whether one is in the mode of passion, ignorance or goodness, if  one regularly hears Srimad-Bhagavatam from the self-realized soul,  one is freed from the bondage of  material involvement.

SB 2.9.18 P… 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 paramahamsa path, as practically realized and shown by the  great spiritual master Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma has personally  recommended this paramahamsa-panthah in his own words as follows:

                  jnane prayasam udapasya namanta  eva                 jivanti san-mukharitam  bhavadiya-vartam               sthane sthitah sruti-gatam  tanu-van-manobhir              ye prayaso ‘jita jito ‘py asi tais tri-lokyam

   Lord Brahma said, “O my Lord Krsna, 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 sadhu, 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.” (Bhag. 10.14.3) That is the path of the  paramahamsas, which was personally followed by Lord Brahma and later  recommended by him for

Conclusion—all the above is very nice, but what if  one does not have

much taste or inclination for “hearing from the pure devotee??? Here is  the

answer below….

SB 1.2.16 T        susrusoh  sraddadhanasya                           vasudeva-katha-rucih                         syan mahat-sevaya  viprah                          punya-tirtha-nisevanat

                              TRANSLATION

   O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are  completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service,  one gains affinity for hearing the messages of  Vasudeva.