A lot of blessings of Gouranga Radhika Gopinath from Ecuador. We are very content to go towards you from the temple in Quito. The presence of Srila Prabhupada in our life. He has been the reason to help us control our mind. It is so difficult to control the mind, as Krishna Himself confirms. But by being engaged in the service that Srila Prabhupada gave, it is possible to control the mind. Srila Prabhupada said it with much emphasis, that if not our mind is engaged in doing well for others by preaching, we will become hippies again. This is not a threat, but a reality.

We can see it with the devotees who do not take care of their spiritual life and go back to the crazy ramblings that this mundane world offers. Really, the mind and our heart demand something nice for our life. It requires something encouraging, something that connects our heart with the purpose of our existence. The proof of this is when we find something very nice – then the mind becomes quite calm and starts to cooperate. It starts to feel happy in the service, but with no doubt, the world is dangerous. One gets distracted from the devotional purpose and gets involved at once. One becomes critical and begins to justify his own mayas with pretexts, contemplating the difficulties of others.

The mind has to be directed

The mechanism of the mind was created by the Lord Himself and is represented by praduymna. The mind wants to be devotional. It feels much happier making plans for serving Krishna, but if there is no plan to serve Krishna, the same mind proposes suicide or any other madness. The mind has to be directed, and therefore in the spiritual life, we accept the spiritual master above the mind. Thus, when we experience some problem in life, in our family relations, or that we want to change ashram or become angry with something, or we are attacked by envy, lust or greed, it is at that time when we most need to consult with an advanced devotee.

However, this is not always possible so soon, and this is why the Sadhus of confidence are there. If the decision is very important, then we have to be patient and wait for our Spiritual Master to ask him personally. But most of the spiritual problems are very small and insignificant, and can be solved with one single reading of Siksastakam, some well chanted rounds and a conversation with a dedicated devotee. Besides this, if the spiritual master has to take care of all insignificant problems, there will be no time left after this for the important problems.

One also has to ask the Spiritual Master through immediate meditation. One sits in front of his photo or his picture, on which one put the mind, and starts to think: “What would I do in this situation if my Guru were present in front of me?” If you still have not any clear answer, you can ask “What would my Guru do in this situation?” And more, you can ask the conclusion of this with a devotee that you trust and whom also is trusted by your spiritual master. I tell you this, because there are also many people who speculate too much, and not even practice seriously, and thus their advices are also not of much clarity. Or they can simply be erroneous.

Happiness in service

The optimism and the enthusiasm is something very important, and we see that the devotees, who are engaged and very responsible, generally are characterized by vigour and happiness in their service. Sometimes I feel a heavy load on my shoulders, sometimes it is so heavy that I cannot carry it, but when I see the face of one single serious devotee who is trying to serve Srila Prabhupada, I immediately feel alleviated. And when I see the children of the devotees that do not know anything of our mental roles, I see how ridiculous it is to get discouraged, because the children need a lot, a lot, a lot… because they are a part of us who are older.

It is our fortune that we can serve the youth. It is our fortune that we can serve Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. There is no reason to lose this fortune. One has to be well carried away by Maya to forget the impacts of the law of karma, the nice wisdom of the reincarnation and the responsibility for each act. What to speak of the life practiced in Krishna consciousness, which is accompanied daily by chanting, dancing, listening to wonderful instructions from the scriptures and eating delicious prasadam.

I still remember in my young days when I asked my mother why I was suffering so much (from different diseases). “Why me? What bad have I done?” And she could not give me any answer in this respect. I still can see her uncertain face in front of me when I made this question. And when I met my Spiritual Master, everything became clear at once. He said that I suffered for having been such a rascal in the past. First you make a mess, and then ask “why do I suffer?” And if you want to stop suffering, then stop make a mess.

And how can I live happily without making a mess? Well, Srila Prabhupada gave us the key: Serve Krishna and deliver the message of pure love, the message of justice and mercy. Make something nice of your life and don't be a wailer. Do not complain for yourself. Make something really nice. The Spiritual Master will show you how to make it applicable for all, brahmacaris or grihastas.

Enthusiasm in service

The enthusiasm to serve is also a gift, but if one reads the Srimad Bhagavatam with attention, I can catch the enthusiasm from there, and also by thinking of what my spiritual masters did for the world. Because enthusiasm to serve Krishna gives a lot of protection, and the entire world has the right to find a service in which one feels enthusiastic. But be careful – laziness and idleness are never enthusiastic. One moves hardly to eat.

Lord Caitanya gave us such a panorama when He said that in each village of the world they should listen to the holy name of the Lord. What a sweet view! And it is not any exaggeration. In life I have went to the most insignificant small villages and have met people enthusiastic to receive Krishna. And more, they have been so enthusiastic that they wanted to start preaching in this village. In preaching there is no single reason to lose enthusiasm. It is just that without preaching there will be no result. And more, bringing the message of the Spiritual Master means practically that every day or week you get a new friend, some happy person to receive your words. If one cultivates these friendships, something which also means work, he is surrounded by the most pleasant people he can imagine.

Compromising relation

Everywhere and wherever I go, I meet so wonderful people, and I don't tell you this to flatter. I tell you because it is the pure truth. And not recognizing it, would be the most unfortunate thing. I meet the most wonderful people with a strong desire to serve Krishna, and they even tolerate me. They even give the feeling that I have some value, that my work is important for them. They make me feel something so nice, simply by the inspiration they feel from Srila Prabhupada.

Of course, this kind of relation is also compromising. With love one is obliged to conduct an appropriate and exemplary life, because a sannyasi practically has no privacy, and even less he has a secret life. If a sannyasi has a secret life, he is not a sannyasi, and the private life that he has, is while chanting the rounds or studying the books. As for the rest, a sannyasi, or rather a brahmana, is like a doctor on duty. People can call him anytime of the day. "We need you... Can you come, please" And one cannot say “I am tired”. It is a great mercy to be called to help others in their spiritual life.

All can participate

This system is wonderful and perfect, and all the devotees can participate. Like a grihasta… When he earns some money, he immediately takes apart what he wants to donate to the mission of his Spiritual Master, because he knows very well that in this way he can participate in making wonderful things – things that he possibly could not do personally. Because as a grihasta is busy doing so many things, but the Spiritual Master and the devotees in the temples can do nice things every day, and if one does not participate in this, he will feel like away from it.

Imagine a pujari or a cook or a sankirtaner in a yoga monestary! They are active from getting up for mangal artik till the late night, working enthusiastically in detail and with joy. They attend with enthusiasm everyone who comes to the temple (one supposes), and at the end of the day, they receive as compensation for their sacrifice the joy of having done it; the glory of having dedicated a whole day to Krishna and courage to do the same thing the next day. This is extraordinary. It is a transcendentalist who has overcome all the selfish desires for at least one day. Who can compare with him? Not anyone who simply works hard to accumulate some dollars for his private pocket. It is not comparable. But if he who earns accepts the instructions of Srila Prabhupada, and apart form maintaining the needs of the family, which is also devotional service, gives his serious donation of the efforts he has made, he is so blessed and so participating in the loving mission, as one who went out to distribute books. Everything is a question of consciousness. But the one who went with the books has one additional advantage: He could directly give the holy name, the holy message to plenty of people.

Connected with the mission of the Spiritual Master

The most important criterion though is if one is connected with the mission of the Spiritual Master according to His will or not. Even reading Srimad Bhagavatam can be Maya. So extreme is the understanding, that in spiritual life one should serve under the guidance of the Spiritual Master and the devotees. In other words, what most protects a person and let him control the mind is the personal compromise he has with his guardian. The spiritual protection comes through the heart to heart compromise. If you understand what Srila Prabhupada wants, how can you ignore it? How could you not be attentive to his will? The personal compromise is so important, because we are persons, and the service to the Spiritual Maters is also the service to other persons. "I serve my Spiritual Master, he is in India, and here I don't even want to see the devotees." This is a perfect example of a cheater, someone who has not understood anything. Because Krishna, this Lord whom you say you want to serve, He lives in the heart of everyone, and He is very much present in the heart of the devotees.

Here in Ecuador I serve the devotees of Ecuador, and thanks to the chat I can simultaneously serve all of you, because here in the temple everyone has gathered to receive the class and Adu Purusa is typing. My compromise is with the people whom I see feel it, that listen. My Krishna and my Prabhupada are in you. And if I behave badly, immediately my master would notice through you. The loving eyes of the Supreme Lord will always be on our heads. “om tat Vishnu paramam padam” We are never lost to His sight, and this is nice to know. Therefore we want to serve Him by serving the devotees, and serving the devotees by preaching to make more devotees. I feel sad when there are few devotees, because I want to serve many devotees. So I go and preach with the hope that someone more will become a devotee. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to His devotees: “Go to the whole world and tell everyone the message of Krishna.” And if my Spiritual Master is satisfied, my life immediately is the greatest joy.

Loving relationship

Therefore I want that my Spiritual Master knows what I am doing. I also want to know where he is and what he will be doing, because this is a loving relationship. In the mundane world, for example, if the mother does not know where the child is, she gets mad. If the husband does not know where the wife is, he gets worried or jealous. But anyway, if I love somebody, I want to know where this person is. I want to know how he or she is and how I can help. If I do not feel this, I really don’t know what you will be thinking or feeling. Thus we must consider it as a gift from Krishna if we have someone in our life for whom we can feel something like that, and who inspires us to practice sadhana and to preach the glories of the holy Names.

In the world of egoism it is quite different if you love someone. They only want to know what present you have for them, or they want to know why you were not with them, while in the spiritual life love means that they ask you where you have been preaching or why you were not preaching. Preaching, practicing, sharing, feel real affection for other devotees, be attached to the service that the Spiritual Master has given me, to be ready to sacrifice myself for it, to be very attentive – these are gifts that we get from our spiritual guardians. And we love them very much for this, because with these gifts they help us to control the terrible mind, this potential madman which has controlled us for so long.

Spiritual affection

Krishna comes to your life through spiritual affection; through the compromise you have for the Deity, or rather with everyone who crosses your way in life. Brahminic life means that you should be a lighthouse, transmitting the light of Truth in your neighbourhood. This is very nice, and it is tangible. Krishna is ready to give this occupation to all of us. Be an advanced devotee with all delight of your heart, grihasta or brahmacay, be a happy example. Understand that everything in this world is made of the mercy of Krishna, and you owe Him everything. Even each breath you owe your dear Lord Krishna, and it is so pleasant to breathe, try it! Close your eyes and take a deep breath and exhale slowly... and again inhale deeply and remember that without oxygen we will die in a short moment.

Krishna gives us life so we can learn to serve with love, and there is no other important task. Srila Prabhupada is the angel, who came to give us this loving message, and he left to go to Lorrd Krishna, and there he is waiting for us. If you want to go to the Supreme Lord Himself, he will help you, but if you prefer to got to Paris or visit the pyramids in Cairo, you can also be born there. Man proposes, God disposes. And God saves those who save themselves.

All these words that I have spoken this morning is nothing but reflections of gratitude that I have for my Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada. I can tell you that my mind was getting mad before meeting him, and this had already gone quite far. So, if he had not come to save me and give mi Bhagavad-gita and the devotional service, I don’t know what would have become of me, but for sure, I would not been here. And his protection is valid although it is 29 years ago since my Spiritual Master went to Goloka Vrindavan. But I have never felt completely defenceless or abandoned, because he continues to live with us in his instructions and his blessings. He has come through all the wonderful people for whom he has let me talk to about Krishna and my Spiritual Master.

Faith and spiritual philosophy

The faith and the spiritual philosophy is very important and nice, but in the end the most important is what you will do with it. It will change the environment around you. You have nice faith, much philosophy, but you do not do anything, neither for you or for the others. It would be sad to guard the philosophy instead of plant, because one who plants faith will find his own faith strengthened. It is difficult in this world to have faith. Many times I see in the faces of the people who look at me and listen to me, that intellectually they can understand what I say, but their faces express “so much faith? I have to change my life so much? I don’t think so, I can’t do it…”

Faith is a gift from Srimati Radharani, and the only way to enter this mystery is by serving the devotees. One who serves the devotees and chant from the core of his heart will enter the world of sukriti, of piety. The more one desires this connection and consciously do more service to the devotees, the stronger faith becomes, and it will make you able to dedicate personally, spiritual dedication – hopefully day after day, year after year.

Srila Harijan Maharaj used to challenge the devotees, saying “Let’s see who is trying to do service in one year or in ten years. Let’s see who ends his days chanting Hare Krishna” Because, this is just mercy, and the mercy is manifested through the devotees and the Spiritual Master. Without them we would not have Bhagavatam or temple or devotional service, we would not have the holy Name and even less prasadam.

It is convenient to take care of the plant of devotion and water its root, the root of devotion, so this plant can grow and grow, and so that we can become instruments of the Spiritual Master and the love of Krishna. So, please, sing and dance, as Sri Sri Gauranga Nityananda have brought, and share the joy of the faith with all who give their arm to turn or rather give their ear to hear.

Thank you very much, here I end my words this morning from Quito.

Always your well-wisher,
B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami

Translation: Manah Siksa Devi Dasi
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