March 6 1974 Mayapur
Jayapatākā: Thailand. And there they would offer the people rasagullā, but they would put soy sauce on it.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Jayapatākā: They would put this bitter sauce on it. Then only they would take.
Prabhupāda: And in Burma, my Guru Mahārāja opened a branch. So when they were frying puri, the, nice ghee, all the tenants, “Oh! What you are…!?” (laughter) They cannot tolerate. But in Burma, there is a preparation which is called nafi. The nafi means that a, a big jar will be kept on the door, and whatever animals, insect, cockroaches will die, they’ll put in that. And during rainy season, it will be filled with water. And it will be kept for years. Then… And the bad smell was so terrible that if somebody would open the lid, it will immediately create very bad smell. So after some years, they will strain the water and keep in bottle. And when there is festival, they’ll supply it in small… That is called nafi. And they’ll take it very pleasantly. And when they were frying ghee, “Oh! What you are doing, this?!” Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that
nānā yoni sadā phire, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare,
tāra janma adhah-pate yāya,
karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa, kevala viṣera bhāṇḍa,
amṛta baliyā yebā khāya
Karma-kāṇḍa. There are three kāṇḍas: karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa and upāsanā-kāṇḍa. So upāsanā-kāṇḍa is bhakti. So instead of accepting this upāsanā-kāṇḍa, worshiping the Supreme, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66], if one takes to the other processes, karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-kāṇḍa, they are viṣera bhāṇḍa, they’re all poison pots. The result is, if they take to that path, then their, this transmigration of the soul, will continue, and they’ll have to eat all nasty things. Because this time you may be human being. And next time you may be hog. So this is karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa kevala viṣera bhāṇḍa, the all poison pots. Simply bhakti-kāṇḍa, we have to take. Otherwise our life is at risk. The jñāna-kāṇḍa is also not safe, because their ultimate goal of jñāna-kāṇḍa is to merge into Brahman. But there, they cannot stay. Because in Brahman simply it is eternal life, eternity, but there is no ānanda. but we are seeking ānanda. In the Brahman… Suppose if you are asked that “You will eternally live in this land, will you like that? You’ll never die. You’ll live eternally, but nobody will come here. Nobody will talk with you.” Will you like that?
The saying goes-“different strokes for different folks”. Same with religion and accepting a spiritual guide for your life. Unless we are careful and fortunate, we will walk down a road that will not produce the blissful effect for which we are looking.
Lectures : Bhagavad-gita 2.7-11 — New York, March 2, 1966
“Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of his spiritual master is that he must have realized the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters.”…
“Now, to take such guidance means the spiritual master should also be a very perfect man. Otherwise, how can he guide? .. Therefore one has to select a spiritual master whose order, carrying, you’ll not commit a mistake. You see? Now, suppose if you accept a wrong person as spiritual master, and if you, if he guides you wrongly, then your whole life is spoiled. So one has to accept a spiritual master whose guidance will make his life perfect. That is the relation between spiritual master and disciple. It is not a formality. It is a great responsibility both for the disciple and for the spiritual master.”
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das