The Lord's influence from the background

Practising life is to serve Guru, Vaiṣṇav, Bhagavān

What will we do? We must practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness practicing life? That is [a] life [of] service to Guru, Vaiṣṇava, Bhagavān. And don’t forget that life. That is [the] prohibition.

śrotavyādīni rājendra
nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.1.2)

Otherwise many [kinds of] questions [and different] many answers we will get everywhere.

When I come here I want to stay within [a] relaxed mood with the devotees. Why shall I get to relax with the devotees? That is [because the] devotees are practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then I have no problem. And I’m getting inspiration to see their mood of devotion. And I’m relaxing within [myself]. Oh I’m worried. Nobody wants any [kind of worry]. I also don’t want that. Then when I’m seeing the devotees are very happily staying and practicing [then] I am also feeling very happy. And Mohan [is] always telling [me] ‘You will relax, you will relax’. I want to be [in a] relaxed mood.

If you can turn one soul to Kṛṣṇa, that is infinitely greater then opening thousands of hospitals

Anyhow, our mission is very small here, everywhere [in the world our mission is in] the child’s age. We are living in the child’s age. Very few years. And Guru Mahārāj didn’t go anywhere. Then you are coming to hear Guru Mahārāj’s glories. And you met Guru Mahārāj and got inspiration. Then you are preaching everywhere. That is [the] method. Then which way will it grow very big. [It is] not possible. Then we are a few maybe, but we must be strong within our life. Then one day we can expect [that] we [are able to] do the service of the Guru and the Vaiṣṇavas. Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati Ṭhākur said,

[Bengali]

Sagar Mahārāj [translation]: If you can turn one soul to Kṛṣṇa, that is infinitely greater then opening thousands of hospitals.
Govinda Mahārāj: A hospital can give relieve from this mundane world, what must [all] be destroyed. But [the] spiritual body will get relief through the association of [the] Vaiṣṇava. And if you can do that, that will be the highest seva of [the] jīva-soul. Otherwise you will give some nourishment and some medicine for [the] mundane body and your body [endures] and [then] it must be destroyed. For that [reason the] whole energy of life [should] not [be] spent [for the mundane body]. Rather if you [would] spend your time to distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the jīva-soul, [and] if they will get it [even a] little bit, [then] they will be super-benefited. When consciousness is sleeping, if you’ll give [a] little [something] back to his consciousness, then what benefit is he getting? Super benefit. He is sleeping and seeing the dreams, many good and [also] bad dreams. But [this] is not [his] real position.

Wake up sleeping soul!

Consciousness is the real position of the jīva-soul. And if you can give that, then you can do something for Him. Prabhupad Saraswati Ṭhākur said that. And it is Mahāprabhu’s conception, no doubt.

jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gaurāchā̐da bole
kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśāchīra kole
(Aruṇodoya-kīrttan: 1)

[A] very simple song by Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur,

jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gaurāchā̐da bole
kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśāchīra kole

You are sleeping, but it is not sleeping time. Wake up, and do something! We are giving [a] very nice explanation to the immigration officer. “We [have] come to meet with my friends and their family.” “What are you going there for, and what have you come here for?” They are asking [this]. “Meeting with my friends and their family.”

sei se parama-bandhu, sei mātā-pitā
śrī-kṛṣṇa-charaṇe yei prema-bhakti-dātā
(Chaitanya-maṅgala: Madhya, 11.195)

He is the best friend and he is our father and mother, who can give devotion to the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It is [from] Chaitanya-maṅgala. Is it?

sei se parama-bandhu, sei mātā-pitā
śrī-kṛṣṇa-charaṇe yei prema-bhakti-dātā

The position of soul and supersoul

Any question you have, you can [ask].
Question: Can the supersoul in our heart directly influence our lives or is he just a silent watcher? Watching silently, neutrally?
Govinda Mahārāj: Generally [he is] watching silently and expecting [that] you will come forward first. Then he will help you. This is [in] general. But sometimes [he] can [have] influence over that jīva-soul. [He] can do that, but generally [he is] not doing it. That is [because] Kṛṣṇa is giving freedom to all the jīva-souls. Then [he is] not doing that. But [he is] expecting that we will come. When we will come one step, then he will come five steps. But this one step must come [from us]. [The soul] has freedom and it is given by Kṛṣṇa from birth. It is his birth right. That is not disturbing his position. And if you willingly serve, that is very good. Otherwise instead of [the Lord’s service] you serve for some [other purpose] that is, “na sa bhṛtyaḥ sa vai vaṇik,” (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 7.10.4) It is stated in [the] scriptures. It is not service maybe, it is business. But willingly if you try to come, that is the mood of service. And if [the] great soul wants to help him, he will get more help. Kṛṣṇa always wants to help him, help everybody. But [he doesn’t] disturb their freedom. But little tiny soul and tiny freedom, then Kṛṣṇa doesn’t want to disturb that. Children have some play-doll. Little doll this, that, that... But father-mother [are] watching that. And when they are playing father [and] mother getting happiness with that doll. That is their little freedom. They are making this, making that. But when they are behaving very good, father-mother very happy with their children.

The story about Śalagram-śilā and the meat seller

What is good and what is bad in front of Kṛṣṇa we cannot judge it actually. Only we can say [something about the] mood of devotion. [That] is very good. But what we cannot judge [is] what is good work and what is bad work. It is depending upon that person. One hunter (vyāg), every day, his business [is] selling meat. He is not hunting, but he [is] born in [a] bad family, [a] hunter family. Their business [is] selling meat, deer meat. [They are] going to the jungle, hunting and selling deer meat, [and] through that maintaining themselves. One hunter (vyāg) was very devoted, [a] devotee [of the Lord], but their family business is that. What he will do? He is not going to [the] jungle for hunting, but he is buying some meat [from] [those] who [are] hunting and selling that meat. And there was one stone, that is [because] he has no money. He is not preserving money, [so] he has no money to buy [a] counter weight [for his scales]. Then he has some stones and he measured [with them], and there was [a] Nārāyaṇ-śilā, Śalagram-śilā also. This story [is] in [the] scriptures.[A] Śalagram-śilā was there, but he didn’t know what is [a] Śalagram-śilā and what is [a] stone. But [the] measurement is very perfect. And he took that, maybe five hundred gram. Then he is selling [the] meat and one brāhmaṇ came to buy that meat. And he saw there [a] Śalagram-śilā weight. Then [the] brāhmaṇ told: “Oh-ho, what have you done? It is [a] Śalagram-śilā! You know, it is Nārāyaṇ!” And he was very afraid: “I don’t know, what is Nārāyaṇ, what is not.” “Oh-ho, it is much wrong. It is necessary to worship. Give me.” “Yes, I’m giving you.” He made there another stone [of] perfect weight and gave that Śalagram-śilā to [the] brāhmaṇ. And he apologised [in] many ways, “I have done much wrong, you forgive my offences...” like that. Then [the] brāhmaṇ took that Śalagram-śilā and washed [it] by Ganges water, gave Tulasī and worshiped Śalagram-śilā in his room. In his deity room he kept it very nicely, decorating it and apologising etc.

But in the night [the] brāhmaṇ [had a] dream [where] that Śalagram-śilā took [the] form of Nārāyaṇ and told to [the] brāhmaṇ: “What have you done? I was very happy with that man, [the] meat seller. I was very happy. Every day I am enjoying swinging, feeling very happy and he is giving me that dol (swing pastime) and I’m taking that dol. And you took me from there and [you are] worshiping, worshiping... What is this? I was very happy there. Give me back to him.”

How can we understand what will make Krishna happy from our mundane perspective?

And this is history. It’s stated in the scriptures. [Then] what is good and what is bad, we cannot say that. Which way Kṛṣṇa will be happy? Which way can we understand that, if [this] is [the] history? [And] it is in Mahābhārata I think, also.

Actually, [the] transcendental world is existing and this mundane world is [a] shadow. And it is existing, but like [a] shadow. We cannot feel and we do not know that. That is our difficulty. The real world, that world, is transcendental and it is existing. And always everything, [the] play, [is] going [on] there. But we cannot ignore that dream. Even if you give me one slap, that also [I] cannot ignore. We must feel pain through that. And which way we shall ignore it? But which way we shall say that it is [a] dream? When you are giving one slap, which way shall I think that it is [a] dream. And that is [a great] difficulty for everybody. Then to realise what is what [is] very difficult. [So to] blindly follow the scriptural advice and [the] sādhu, that is good.

Whom should we follow?

Yudhīṣṭhir Mahārāj said,

nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam
(Mahābhārata: Vana-parva, 313.117)

Who is [a] ṛṣi? What is the qualification of the ṛṣi? One who has one’s own thesis. Thesis means [a] different idea about some matter. But about the Lord, our conception of Brahma, [one] who has a different idea—he is [a] ṛṣi. Otherwise he is not recognized as [a] ṛṣi. Then, “nāsāv rṣir yasya mataṁ na bhinnam,” if we consider many ṛṣis, many conceptions, then whom shall we follow? It is very difficult. And Yudhīṣṭhir Mahārāj said, “dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ.”  If everybody will say, this is religion, this is religion, this is religion, this is religion… Everybody will claim ‘this is real’ and what is real, we will be puzzled.

And Yudhīṣṭhir said, “mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ,” then you follow the mahājan, [the] devotee. That is, everywhere [there are] many things explained in the scriptures and [also by] everybody. But for the devotional mood, one line everybody [has] shown. Even Śaṅkarāchārya. Śaṅkarāchārya was [a] māyāvādī, he preached māyāvād. But his ślokas [are] always showing devotion to Kṛṣṇa.

Surrender to Kṛṣṇa will give relief from all bad elements

bhaja govindaṁ bhaja govindaṁ
bhaja govindaṁ mūḍha mate
prāpte sannihite maraṇe [samprāpte sannihite kale]
na hi na hi rakṣati ḍukṛñ-karaṇe
(Śaṅkarāchārya)

Then everybody [is] showing the line of devotional worship. Then we won’t go this way [or] that way. We won’t take any advice from others. Only the advice of devotion to Kṛṣṇa, that we shall follow. And that is good for ourselves. One way [exists], and that is surrender. Surrender to Kṛṣṇa—that is very nice. That will give relief from all bad elements.