H.G. Gauranga prabhu – Brahmachari Class – 13/11/06

H.G. Gauranga prabhu – Brahmachari Class – 13/11/06

Based on Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya Lila Chapter 3 – Gundicha Marjana

How should we approach Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes?

(i) with faith, and

(ii) with analytical study

Lord Chaitanya’s pastimes are of two kinds:

(i) As the Supreme Personality of Godhead

(ii) As an ideal devotee

He set an example from the front as a leader

For example, Mahaprabhu cleaning the Gundicha temple. Similarly, Shrila Prabhupada also read books, chanted and did service to set the right example. Giriraj Maharaj says in Bombay Prabhupada would forgo eating sometimes in order to work for Krishna.

How to perform service:

1. With Enthusiasm:

Inspiration means intelligence provided by the Lord within) e.g. Hamsaduta Swami was BBT Trustee even though he dropped out of school. BBT is like the heart of ISKCON, and Hamsaduta Swami was made trustee – Prabhupada would say it didn’t matter that he wasn’t academically gifted because he was enthusiastic to serve. Enthusiasm is important and infectious.

2. With Absorption

One should relish the challenge otherwise one’s mind will be distracted. In the Age of Kali, attention span is less and we keep lamenting for the past and pondering the future. In contrast, the devotee should always be in the present (nothing but pleasing Krishna now)

3. Systematic and Organised

Lord Chaitanya would collect all the dirt with His own chadar and throw the dirt out. Shrila Prabhupada spread Krishna Consciousness using organization and intelligence. Lord Brahma created material bondage through planning, so we cannot escape the material world without intelligence. Books are important in this regard. Even in Chandigarh prison, prisoners wrote books describing how to make a 5 mile tunnel so that they could escape jail. If escaping jail requires so much intelligence, then imagine how much intelligence is needed to escape the material world. The movie Escape to Victory shows how planning is the key to escaping a prison house. After all, the entire Shrimad Bhagavatam is about how to implement the philosophy of the Gita. Lord Chaitanya being covered by dust is a demonstration of how effort is needed – we need to set goals and parameters.

• Shrila Prabhupada for example set a two month deadline for printing all seventeen volumes of Chaitanya Charitamrita.
• Radhanath Swami sacrifices even sleep in order to keep to deadlines
• Prabhupada and Tamal Krishna Maharaja would eat together like two businessmen sorting out a deal. Tamal Krishna Maharaja would hand over the cheque from the distribution of Back to Godhead magazines in the Radha Damodara Sankirtan Party.
• If there is no planning, there is unnecessary anxiety and no peace of mind when carrying out service.