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Haribol dear devotees, now we will start our chat of today. Spring has already come to Vrindavan and Giri Maharaj recently came from Argentina in his first visit to Vrindavan. Things in Vrindavan have slowed down a bit, because the brother of the chairman is artist and has made another initial proposal regarding Krishna Lila Park, so the debate continues, which is the best to do.

This week we have already made the plan of the tour for this year, and just making the initial proposal already fills me with joy to know that soon I will see all of you. The plan of the Ratha Yatras in Colombia is also very nice. Lord Jagannath inspired this plan. It seems He is determined and wants to give his mercy to all corners of Colombia, and here are coming three new Deities of Lord Caitanya in a few days. One of them I want to send to Tucuman, to mother Rati Manjari, since she has given so much effort for so long time. There is also two more Giri Govardhan travelling to Argentina.

When we arrive to Argentina for Radhastami, I have the desire to make a trip by land to the mela in Ecuador, and I am inviting the devotees, who want to make me company, to a great sankirtan journey, with a festival in each town. At the same time I am trying to inspire all the local devotees and also some for to come to the mela and the inauguration of the trulys in Peru. The inauguration of the Trulys in Peru is an event first of all for the people in general, because the principal inauguration of the devotees will probably be in the next mela in the month of May 2004, but of course, it depends of what all the devotees decide about the next mela.

The inauguration of the Ecotrulys is very important, because i have the desire to show to all Latin America the beauty of the Vedic culture and the Vedic planetary with all its functions and arts. It will witness about it. The Vaisnava academy receives a big support with projects of this character. For the credibility of our proposal is the mercy of Srimati Radharani to permit us to become more professional.

Krishna consciousness is something very beautiful. The vaisnava calendar is called 'the Wheel of Joy'. How many joys we can have, knowing of Radha Govindaji Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada! Every moment, if we are attentive, the vaisnavism reminds us of this great mercy. It is difficult to explain it in words, but I know that you understand anyway, even without being here.

The other day we went to visit a mayavadi yogi, which happen to be a new neighbour of Vrinda Kunja. He is quite famous in India, and when we went to see the temple, we met him. After we had left there, my spiritual brother Mahavegavati said: How lucky we are to have met Srila Prabhupada! He gave us the Vedic wisdom with so many details and despite of all, everything with eternal existence. The small problems are blessings for us to not fall in love with this material world, because, we get distracted so easily; especially if we associate with persons who do not have the minimum of conception about eternal love.

Imagine; if you say to the whole world that they are god, they get content and want to give you money. Like Rajnesh, who accumulate women and Rolls Royces… and with the captivating opulence for many people. But soon he went, and from his message, it was only illusion left for his followers who one day will return to God! Of course, also the impersonalists accomplish their function. Or rather, all have hi/her position in the plan of the Lord. Lord Shiva received the order from Lord Vishnu to expand the mayavadi philosophy so that the persons of the impersonal mentality would not disturb him.

About the bhakti process, the neighbour yogi proclaims: "First comes the adoration of Radha and Krishna, and then everything becomes one, and you become a part of the total sum". Nirvisesa sunyavadi. You saved us from the impersonalism and the emptiness that the whole world are so attracted to. But so many material atheists, and impersonalists as well, both ignore a very important fact, which is that the marvellous creation that surrounds us, cannot have been created without a conscious being behind. The probability that the world would be made and combined and executed by simple physical or chemical laws, has not the minimum of possibility of probability in the mathematics. But to explain that here, would take to much place, let it be guided by your intuition.

The construction of what we call life, and the organic components that permit to exist, contradict; it goes against all the physical and chemical laws of the inert energy. Life is too complicated to come from nothing or to be lila of an impersonal energy. Everything that is under influence, also must have its origin, at least in potency and capacity. Therefore I share the joy of being with the message that responds to the call from our heart, the call for true love. Something that always keeps us busy, and where there is neither deception nor injustice. Where everything nice that you see here, is Krishna found multiplied in the infinite.

God is under no law. This is the lesson of the Bhagavad-Gita and the Rasa dance. He is love personified, and He plants this love in you heart so that you also can participate in this great enjoyment. It is important to understand that the same science destroys the very atheist science and the impersonalism at the same time, because something so marvellous as life must scientifically have a marvellous reason. The idea, that this that is so marvellous would not have any feelings, no individuality, no characteristics, is just inconceivable. If the impersonal truth were so marvellous, that it could create something so marvellously impersonal, then such truth would not be very impersonal. It is just words. It is very abstract, until you find a pure devotee. There - at that moment - it turns to the most beautiful; a reason to dance, from the world where each step is a dance and where each word is a song.

It is only our ego, our apathy to recognize our own mistake and surrender from the heart to a superior, that causes the misery that we in the end dedicate to a dog, to a land or to sex with a person without values. Look, in the world of material love there are so much false surrender; like Ravana who offered Sita to abandon everything, all his other women and surrender only to Her, if She permitted him to gratify with Her. But on the contrary, he said that he would eat her. Sympathetic, eh…? If you do what I want, I will give up everything. Well, it is not so strange that this kind of personalities likes the idea to be God, and they cause disgust to the idea of being eternal servants. Nevertheless they accomplish their function in this world, and we try to accomplish ours.

Vaisnavas are the richest people, because they consider everyone to be eternal brothers and sisters. The materialist only accepts his own brothers and sisters and their compatriot. This while the impersonalists say that there exists no brother! :-) There is no father, no mother, no sisters or brothers, not even to talk about. Everything is just indescribable. But the individuality is the only form, or rather a giant gift, that lets us talk about these topics. But when you look inside of you, you will see a big thirst of pure loving relations. We are disposed even to abandon our physical security, fame and richness for our beloved one or for our child. So, we are indebted to Srila Prabhupada and to all Vaisnavas.

In Caitanya Caritamrita, Mahaprabhu makes excellent refutes to the impersonalism, and without any mercy from Lord Caitanya in this moment, it is very difficult to consider how to put devotion into practice to help people in this world. It is the duty for any person with a good heart to want to help the despaired and defenceless people. And they are all around us, and Srila Prabhupada - without any minimum of discrimination - invited everyone. The water searches for its own level, and the love of Srila Prabhupada is so special that it is capable to enter all levels, to touch all hearts that give a little attention. The world some time will be know as the world before Srila Prabhupada and the world after the appearance or Srila Prabhupada. In some moment, one will notice the change that was initiated by him. We can already see this change in certain symptoms, but the message of pure theism in a world that each day is more and more atheistic and superficial, is difficult to accept. And yet, we have received this task from Srila Prabhupada. We cannot limit our preaching to the Brahman aspect, of the vegetarianism and the reincarnation. We have to go to the kernel. A life without spiritual love, without having heard the divine name, of the pastimes and the fame of Lord Krishna would be unfortunate.

Well, here I end my words today, and you can ask questions.

Question: What should be our attitude before an impersonalist?

Answer: Invite him to hear about Krishna, eat prasadam and study the books. We can also get into debate on basis of the scripture without polemics.

Question: In the book of Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaja is said that the neophyte in the beginning of the bhakti, has an impersonal mentality; is this correct?

Answer GM: In the material world we have all been neophytes and the inclination to impersonalism is one of those tendencies. Srila Prabhupada always preached about this topic. One day a disciple asked why He so much repeated this topic, and Srila Prabhupada replied: Because we still are very impersonal.

Answer GA: That Is true. Once I read something very beautiful written by a spiritual brother, he said: If you do not pray to the Deity, it is because you still are an impersonalist.

Question: A person who, instead of serving Krishna, makes service of Krishna, is he an impersonalist?

Answer: Yes, he is mistaken, but it is not as bad as impersonalism, because at least this person realize that God has all powers, but he ignores the heart of the Lord.

Gurudeva Atulananda, would you like to make any comment about this topic?

Gurudeva Atulananda: Yes, the mayavadis are our competition in this kali, nevertheless that they practice seriously, study well the scriptures and do their fasting and their sadhana; it is a strong competition. Until now, many mayavadis have not come to the West, but it can happen in the future, and there we should be well prepared. For this Srila Prabhupada translated the books with such preoccupation and details, so we could be well armed.

The mayavadis are also very experts on presenting everything very well. Their classes of meditation and yoga, their retreats, their Ayur Veda, etc., are very expert. Therefore we should try to go forward when we can. What mostly could attract from the devotees, could be their good treatment of the persons, since the mayavadis generally are a bit more cold. Equally Krishna will make the water reach its level, like Gurudeva said.

Always your well-wishers,
Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti
Sripad Atulananda Acarya