\n<\/p>\n
\u015ar\u012bmad Bh\u0101gavatam 1.1.8<\/p>\n
vettha tva\u1e3f<\/a> saumya tat sarva\u1e3f tattvatas tad-anugrah\u0101t<\/p>\n br\u016byu\u1e25 snigdhasya<\/a> \u015bi\u1e63yasya guravo guhyam apy uta<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Translation: And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n PURPORT: The secret of success in spiritual life is in satisfying the spiritual master and thereby getting his sincere blessings. \u015ar\u012bla Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura has sung in his famous eight stanzas on the spiritual master as follows: “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master. Only by his satisfaction can one please the Personality of Godhead, and when he is dissatisfied there is only havoc on the path of spiritual realization.” It is essential, therefore, that a disciple be very much obedient and submissive to the bona fide spiritual master. \u015ar\u012bla S\u016bta<\/a> Gosv\u0101m\u012b fulfilled all these qualifications as a disciple, and therefore he was endowed with all favors by his learned and self-realized spiritual masters such as \u015ar\u012bla Vy\u0101sadeva and others. The sages of Naimi\u1e63\u0101ra\u1e47ya were confident that \u015ar\u012bla S\u016bta Gosv\u0101m\u012b was bona fide. Therefore they were anxious to hear from him. [END]\n \n<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Vaisesika Das: (mangalacarana, etc.) I was asked to speak about qualities of a leader and I found in this verse a formula. Always good to work from a formula because formula means you can use it over and over again and pass it on to others. Principles and formulas are very handy that way and in this verse we find the secrets to leadership. And here the sages at Naimi\u1e63\u0101ra\u1e47ya are exalting S\u016bta Gosv\u0101m\u012b for his qualities and they are saying that snigdhasya you have achieved these qualities because you have been affectionate towards your spiritual masters and they have been affectionate towards you. And this is very sweet because now guhyam they gave their secrets. Bhurijana Prabhu had said one time that if you approach a great personality who holds Krishna in his or her heart and you render service, <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n tad viddhi pra\u1e47ip\u0101tena paripra\u015bnena sevay\u0101<\/p>\n upadek\u1e63yani<\/a> te j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e3f j\u00f1\u0101ninas tattva-dar\u015bina\u1e25 Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (4.34)<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n What happens is the heart melts and the contents of the heart come flowing out to you. Already the \u015b\u0101\u015btra says the hearts of pure devotees are melted because of their constant contact with Krishna. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n eva\u1e41-vrata\u1e25 sva-priya-n\u0101ma-k\u012brty\u0101 \n<\/p>\n druta-citta means their hearts are soft and \u0100c\u0101rya Vi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura says they are liquefied like a river of rose apple juice. And you can get that juice if your render service and Tukaram Prabhu just before class was telling me at the Gurukula he found out that this secret is also know there. That if the students serve their teachers without motivation, the teachers become so obligated, they feel so grateful that they don\u2019t have anything else do except teach them everything they know. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n And we can all experience this, when someone approaches us with unmotivated love and gives us some service with no expectation of return, what can you do? You toss and turn all night thinking how can I repay this person? Even if it\u2019s the simplest thing, just a gesture, a conscious gesture that the person has given you their heart out of love, you have no choice, you have to give them your heart. guhyam \u0101khy\u0101ti p\u1e5bcchati, and this is how S\u016bta Gosv\u0101m\u012b became a leader he became self-effulgent because he had served his spiritual masters in this way. tad viddhi pra\u1e47ip\u0101ta pra\u1e47ip\u0101ta means in humility he had bowed his head. The best place to keep your head is on the ground. <\/p>\n One time I just did a little bit of da\u1e47\u1e0davat parikram\u0101 in V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana, after the first half hour I felt this is a befitting place to be flat on the ground. I can\u2019t get any lower than this and I felt open to all the gifts of the universe when I was that low. tad viddhi pra\u1e47ip\u0101tena paripra\u015bnena and then the relevant questions and seva service. These are the three that unlock the hearts of great souls and \u015b\u0101\u015btra says <\/p>\n \u015bu\u015br\u016b\u1e63o\u1e25 \u015braddadh\u0101nasya v\u0101sudeva-kath\u0101-ruci\u1e25 <\/p>\n sy\u0101n mahat-sevay\u0101 vipr\u0101\u1e25 pu\u1e47ya<\/a>-t\u012brtha-ni\u1e63eva\u1e47\u0101t \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (1.2.16)<\/p>\n When we serve the great devotees, unmotivated devotees, great service is done and by such service one gains affinity for hearing the messages of V\u0101sudeva. They infuse the humble and submissive disciples, snigdhasya out of affection, there is shared affection between the teachers. So here we see S\u016bta Gosv\u0101m\u012b taking a leading role because of his qualities and in the Nectar of Devotion, in the Bhakti-ras\u0101m\u1e5bta-sindhu, there is a description of how qualities emerge from one who is chanting Hare Krishna in the association of devotees. Millions of verses but Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu says ceto-darpa\u1e47a-m\u0101rjanam, the heart is cleansed and \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam says, <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Yasy\u0101sti bhaktir bhagavaty aki\u00f1can\u0101 <\/p>\n sarvair gu\u1e47ais tatra sam\u0101sate sur\u0101\u1e25 \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (5.18.12) <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n That when one practices unmotivated devotional service one develops the good qualities of the demigods or the demigods want to live with such a person or the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes obligated to such a person. All these three things- the meaning of sur\u0101\u1e25. And when those good qualities emerge, there is a list of the auspicious qualities beginning with the eradication of all distress, the awakening of auspiciousness, pure devotional service immediately puts one into transcendental pleasure, it is rarely achieved, those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation, want nothing to do with it and it is the only way to please Krishna. And regarding the quality of auspiciousness it relates to leaders and it relates to our movement. And how we lead in the world and how we lead in our families, and how we lead anywhere that we go. Auspiciousness is defined by the fact that the person who is developing this quality of auspiciousness has affection for all living entities. This is the defining quality of someone advancing in devotional service through serving their spiritual masters, through chanting the holy names of the Lord, through hearing \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam in advanced association, auspiciousness awakens within the heart. \u015breya\u1e25-kairava-candrik\u0101-vitara\u1e47a\u1e41, white lotus of golden fortune, who wouldn\u2019t want that?<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n And that auspiciousness means that the devotee has affection for all living entities. <\/p>\n yas tu sarv\u0101\u1e47i bh\u016bt\u0101ny \u0101tmany ev\u0101nupa\u015byati<\/p>\n sarva-bh\u016bte\u1e63u c\u0101tm\u0101na\u1e3ftato na vijugupsate \u015ar\u012b \u012a\u015bopani\u1e63ad 6<\/p>\n yasmin sarv\u0101\u1e47i bh\u016bt\u0101ny \u0101tmaiv\u0101bh\u016bd vij\u0101nata\u1e25<\/p>\n tatra ko moha\u1e25 ka\u1e25 \u015boka ekatvam anupa\u015byata\u1e25 \u015ar\u012b \u012a\u015bopani\u1e63ad 7<\/p>\n One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks and quality one with the Lord becomes the true knower of things. What then can be illusion or anxiety for him, one who always sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord and sees the Supreme Lord within everything, never hates anything or any being. In other words he has affection for all living entities and everyone has affection for him. dh\u012br\u0101dh\u012bra-jana-priyau priya-karau, the Goswamis are defined as in not having any enemies and they were appreciated by the ruffians and by the advanced gentle people. And so auspiciousness means that one has the capacity to reach out and assist others. To give others what is in within one\u2019s heart, guhyam \u0101khy\u0101ti p\u1e5bcchati, and one becomes free from the propensity to envy others, <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n nind\u0101di-\u015b\u016bnya-h\u1e5bdam \u012bpsita-sa\u0144ga-labdhy\u0101, Nectar of Instruction 5<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n mentioned by R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b in the fifth verse of the Nectar of Instruction that this is the hallmark of the pure devotee, nind\u0101di-\u015b\u016bnya no more propensity in the heart to criticize others. In other words no more envy. Envy m\u0101tsarya is the all-pervading dread disease of the material world. It gets on you and it contaminates the heart and the consciousness, and when one becomes purified of m\u0101tsarya which is defined by J\u012bva Goswami as the inability to tolerate the eminence of another. Ouch, that hurts. Whereas, nind\u0101di-\u015b\u016bnya-h\u1e5bdam \u012bpsita-sa\u0144ga-labdhy\u0101, one who has become advanced in devotional service, the awakening of auspiciousness \u015breya\u1e25-kairava-candrik\u0101-vitara\u1e47a\u1e41, the white lotus of good fortune is opening, auspiciousness is opening, has the appreciating capacity to take in all living entities. In fact Prabhup\u0101da mentions this, this is another sutra. We just read this the other night from the Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta \u0100di-l\u012bl\u0101 4.34 in the purport Prabhup\u0101da says,that \u201cone\u2019s advancement can be measured by one\u2019s appreciating capacity.\u201d How much can you appreciate?<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n And Queen Kunti says \u015b\u1e5b\u1e47vanti g\u0101yanti g\u1e5b\u1e47anti s\u0101dhava\u1e25 \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (1.5.11) that devotional service is marked by appreciating the service of others. If one can do that then, one can advance in devotional service simply by appreciating capacity because as we appreciate others we assume their qualities. Voltaire said when you appreciate others you are able to imbibe their qualities. It actually opens your heart and you can take them in. Otherwise if you envy them you are completely blocked, you can\u2019t have anything. You don\u2019t get anything, nothing for you. And so an advancing devotee in Krishna consciousness is able to appreciate all living entities and give affection for all living entities, appropriate affection for all living entities, appropriate affection for all living entities. And is able to distinguish who are the innocents. How can I pour in as much mercy as possible? They have an appreciating capacity and they have something to give. They have received the gifts and they know exactly what to give. So leaders have this affectionate capacity and appreciation and also there is an attraction. A leader becomes attractive, according to R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b when auspiciousness is born then a person becomes naturally attractive, we call this self-effulgent. <\/p>\n And therefore real leadership means that someone is controlling their senses, and because of controlling their senses, no drinking water under water on a fast day, dry fasting for the benefit of my audience, and then when I take a dip in the Ganga I drink hardly underneath the water and I pop my head back up thinking now I have satisfied myself but the effulgence wears off. Effulgence is gone rather Krishna says,<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n <\/a>r\u0101ga-dve\u1e63a-vimuktais tu vi\u1e63ay\u0101n indriyai\u015b caran<\/p>\n <\/a><\/a>\u0101tma-va\u015byair vidhey\u0101tm\u0101 pras\u0101dam adhigacchati Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (2.64)<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n If one is able to strictly observe the process of devotional service, control one\u2019s senses, then he gets the complete mercy of the Lord.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n <\/a>pras\u0101de sarva-du\u1e25kh\u0101n\u0101\u1e41 h\u0101nir asyopaj\u0101yate <\/p>\n <\/a>prasanna-cetaso hy \u0101\u015bu buddhi\u1e25 paryavati\u1e63\u1e6dhate Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (2.65)<\/p>\n Then the misery goes away. The mind becomes joyful and the intelligence becomes fixed. And this spiritual intelligence because we are to guide as leaders, by intelligence and organization. And intelligence means one has controlled one\u2019s sense and therefore has a clear idea of what to do and what not to do. And how to lead others spiritually. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n n\u0101sti buddhir ayuktasya na c\u0101yuktasya bh\u0101van\u0101 \n<\/p>\n And if you don\u2019t have spiritual intelligence by controlling your senses, then what can you do? You are simply lost in the whirlpool of the material life, and in this world, the leaders of this world are the senses. They are the masters of this world. Everyone is controlled. Mucukunda told, he was a great king. But when he came home he was ruled by his wives, and his senses, he had to follow them the bad masters, the senses.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n k\u0101m\u0101d\u012bn\u0101\u1e41 kati na katidh\u0101 p\u0101lit\u0101 durnide\u015b\u0101s \n<\/p>\n R\u016bpa Gosw\u0101m\u012b says the advancing devotee regains his spiritual intelligence, it\u2019s the greatest victory anywhere in the world otherwise any other victory is business as usual.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n <\/a>prak\u1e5bte\u1e25 kriyam\u0101\u1e47\u0101ni gu\u1e47ai\u1e25 karm\u0101\u1e47i sarva\u015ba\u1e25<\/p>\n <\/a>aha\u1e45k\u0101ra-vim\u016b<\/p>\n <\/a>h\u0101tm\u0101 kart\u0101ham iti manyate Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (3.27)<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Business as usual, no different than anybody else but somebody who conquers the senses and gains the spiritual intelligence by sincere endeavor to please Krishna, then the devotees says, for how long and how many ways have I obeyed the bad masters of my senses? They never gave me time off, I never questioned them and they never gave me mercy. But I continue to follow them in all cases, in all circumstances but no more, uts\u1e5bjyait\u0101n atha yadu-pate s\u0101mprata\u1e41 labdha-buddhis Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101 (22.16). I have gained my intelligence by the mercy of my spiritual master and now I want personal service, now I want to serve the Lord. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n And it is from this intelligence that one must lead that one knows that every living being must be engaged in Krishna\u2019s service and therefore we live by the \u201cfan the spark\u201d principle that wherever we see a spark of Krishna consciousness, wherever we see the tiniest desire to serve Krishna we must fan it until it becomes a flame and then a conflagration and that is the business of International Society of Krishna Consciousness to fan the spark everywhere we see it. In fact there is a mantra that, \u201cOne must encourage the heck out of everyone.\u201d That\u2019s the way to live because if \u2018heck\u2019 gets in one, then it\u2019s not good. In fact \u2018encourage\u2019 comes from the word \u2018cour\u2019 which means heart, and the heart becomes impaired by the weakness, h\u1e5bdaya-daurbalya\u1e41, weakness of heart means I cant move, I can\u2019t make it in this process of devotional service, therefore we have to encourage the heck out of everyone. That\u2019s the way to live, that\u2019s the way to lead, in fact! <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n In fact even in the secular world, the way to encourage people catch them doing something right! There was a great book called \u201cOne minute manager\u201d, came out in the early 80\u2019s. \u201cOne minute manger\u201d tiny little book, tells you about how to manage, how to lead. It says, \u201cLeaders should go around trying to catch somebody doing something right.\u201d And when you do encourage them! Encourage the heck out of them!! and then the leaders also are prone to empowerment, they give empowerment to everyone. Empowerment means that I am willing to give power to others. Harry S Truman, one of the great Presidents of United States said that \u201cIt is remarkable how much you can get done when you don\u2019t care who gets the credit.\u201d That is a mantra to meditate on. For leadership, the quality of a leader, \u201cI am willing to give away my credit to others. I don\u2019t care who sees it because I know Krsna sees it.\u201d He is there within the heart, He knows everything and therefore devotees are willing to give away at every second credit to others. That is what \u2018moves\u2019 a movement, empowering others. Movement means someone has to move it. It moves on the basis of this empowerment because the heart is pure. One doesn\u2019t have to get the credit. I don\u2019t need the stamp, I want to see it done, one way or the other.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n So S\u016bta Gosv\u0101m\u012b had imbibed these qualities from his spiritual masters. He had become self-effulgent and now he is leading from his heart with true spiritual quality and that\u2019s what we must do also. I am going to make a couple of more comments and then take some questions and reflections.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Prabhup\u0101da gave a very succinct, usable powerful direction for \u2018how to lead\u2019 to one of our greatest leaders, Karandhara Prabhu back in 1971 or 72. He wrote him a letter and he said, \u201cYou must create an environment in which devotees will do service that is individual, spontaneous and voluntary. And you must also continually create a fresh challenge so that devotees will want to rise up and meet it.\u201d Individual, spontaneous and voluntary! <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n There was a book written some years ago, it became very popular in the business world called \u201cFrom good to great\u201d. It was all about the corporate model, what made some companies great, and the others, there are many good companies in the world but what are the qualities of the great companies? Without going into all those qualities, I\u2019ll just say that the author, who is very learned in the science of business and management and so forth, had to write a different book for the social sector. That is his model and his ideas from good to great and what motivates the great corporates doesn\u2019t work in our kind of organization. He said there is a different kind of motivation a different model that moves us in our social sector, that is voluntary movements. We are all volunteers. There has to be a different kind of motivation that has to come from spiritual values, it has to come from encouragement. It has to come from creating an environment that the devotees feel that they can be empowered, that they can now take up the service. Why not? There is so much service to do. When we do sa\u1e45k\u012brtana there is unlimited service to do because it\u2019s a huge world and we haven\u2019t even touched it yet with the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana movement!! So everyone should be empowered. Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu said<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n y\u0101re dekho t\u0101re kaho k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-upade\u015ba<\/p>\n amara ajnaya guru haya tara ei desa Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101 (7.128). <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n You are all deputized, everyone! You are in! Go!! Go, Go Go! He said that. He sent His followers out. Go, Go Go! Go out there, do it, be empowered, take it up, make it happen and this is the mood of the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana movment. There is unlimited service to do, and if there\u2019s not a category that someone fits into, create a new category, give him service, that is mercy, give people service. We are only dying for service.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da says in the Second Canto of \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam in the purport of the catur sloki Bh\u0101gavatam that \u201cThe direct order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a manifestation of his internal potency and it is by that manifestation that one comes to see the Lord face to face.\u201d<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n It means that working in the sa\u1e45k\u012brtana movement, to serve the lotus feet of Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu with all one\u2019s heart and one\u2019s soul, and one\u2019s hands. We have, what is immemorialized on the walls of the restaurant in St. Louis, when Sura dasa the great Sura dasa Prabhu who now resides in LA, the irreplaceable great soul Sura dasa, he wrote \u201cYou can have a free meal here, if you just engage in \u015brava\u1e47a\u1e41 k\u012brtana\u1e41 \u2018scrub\u2019anam, \u2018mop\u2019anam\u2026 and that\u2019s what we do \u2018scrub\u2019anam, \u2018mop\u2019anam!<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n And one more thing because Navina reminded me to say this, that we must take a risk, we must risk we are gamblers spiritual gamblers, that\u2019s what we do. We gave up other kinds of gambling so have to do something. We eat prasadam to make up for meat eating and all kinds of other things. But we have to gamble and Mahatma Prabhu, tells how when the first devotees went out, sold their first big book, they took a risk. Took them out, they said it couldn\u2019t be done but they went out and tried and after they sold their first big book he said, \u201cwe felt like gamblers who had won money, big money for the first time and we couldn\u2019t be stopped we were on a roll.\u201d So we gamble. The biggest gamble is surrender to Krsna. I give up my personal vested interest in this world and what will happen if I do that? I don\u2019t know but I am going to gamble it away and I risk my peace of mind to preach Krsna consciousness. And when I do that life is exiting, everything else is predictable and therefore boring.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Hare Krishna!<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n (Applause.)<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Suresvara Das: Thank you for the very empowering class. I want to encourage everyone to read a certain letter. Srila Prabhupada said it better than Harry Truman, When Harry Truman said \u201cIt\u2019s amazing how much you can get done when on one cares who gets the credit.\u201d \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da said this in a very wonderful way. In 8 Nov 1965, there is \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da all alone in New Your city and he is writing this long letter to a sanyasi Godbrother of his and he is saying so many things and he is saying what\u2019s done is done, we have wasted so much time, there is so much fighting that happened but here I am in New York city, and I know you have access to resources, just consider me a worker in your <\/b>mission, and\u2026. just tell the devotees to read this letter to Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj, and you will read this amazing mood of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da and that\u2019s why we were moved by Prabhup\u0101da to work. Because it comes from him. That is all I had to say. Hare Krishna!<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Vaisesika Prabhu: Thank you very much!<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Bhakti Caru Swami: I was just wondering about this statement \u201cbr\u016byu\u1e25 snigdhasya<\/a> \u015bi\u1e63yasya\u201d and you Vaisesika Prabhu have been such a wonderful example of that. You have taken \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s instruction to your heart and throughout your life, you have demonstrated an absolute dedication to your spiritual master \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da. When no one noticed and you were working still you went out and distributed \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s books, this is such a wonderful demonstration of your loyalty to your spiritual master. And in this way you have demonstrated how to become a true leader and I think you are in the most wonderful position to speak on the topic of leadership and the qualities of a leader. And I thank you very very much for your dedication to \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da. HH Vaisesika Prabhu ki jaya!<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n (applause)<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Vaisesika Prabhu: I will graciously accept your words as a benediction and place them on my head, something to aspire to. Hare Krishna!<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Jagannath Das: how can a leader remain detached from wanting followers?<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Vaisesika Prabhu: By chanting really good japa and by chanting one chapter of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 a day. At least one chapter of G\u012bt\u0101. The power to be detached comes from the holy name. <\/p>\n <\/a>v\u0101sudeve bhagavati bhakti-yoga\u1e25 prayojita\u1e25<\/p>\n <\/a><\/a> janayaty \u0101\u015bu vair\u0101gya\u1e41 j\u00f1\u0101na\u1e41 ca yad ahaitukam \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (1.2.7)<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Concomitant with full concentration on the service of the Lord in the form of His name come knowledge and detachment. Knowledge means that I am not this body and therefore why would I want followers, I am a follower, I am not seeking followers. One has detachment means you get fortified.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n tac chraddadh\u0101n\u0101 munayo j\u00f1\u0101na-vair\u0101gya-yuktay\u0101 \n<\/p>\n The person who is fortified with the qualities of j\u00f1\u0101na and vair\u0101gya can move forward steadily in his or her service without being hampered by the false ego, which is the allurement for thinking that I am the enjoyer, I am the center. One enjoys being outside the center and making Krsna the center, when one realizes ones position through chanting Hare Krishna and experiencing that real relationship. And chanting one chapter of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 a day. Prabhup\u0101da gives many benedictions that if someone simply chants one chapter of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 a day, Prabhup\u0101da did it all the time. You can hear the recordings of him chanting chapters in succession. The G\u012bt\u0101 has so much potency. The G\u012bt\u0101-m\u0101h\u0101tmya is full of stories about the power of reading one chapter of G\u012bt\u0101. Just those who heard it, birds who were siting in a tree and heard the chapter and then became liberated and exalted and so forth, what to speak of someone who deliberately does it everyday. Many people have the G\u012bt\u0101, I know because we have asked a lot of people in India. Yes Yes I have the G\u012bt\u0101 but not many people read the G\u012bt\u0101 what to speak of do a chapter of the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 a day. You will be fortified, your intelligence becomes fixed, everything becomes clear. Hare Krishna!<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Rasikananda Das: I was meditating about what you mentioned about appreciation and how when we are judgmental or critical then we are blocked but when we appreciate then we become open. So I was wanting to know how to handle when you observe yourself being critical of another. What\u2019s the adjustment to be made?<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Vaisesika Prabhu: If you find yourself being critical of someone else that, then remember that first of all you can\u2019t do anything about it. What\u2019s the use of being critical when you can\u2019t change other people, it is a useless engagement! We only have a small circle of influence and that is ourselves. We can only affect ourselves, so when I use my energy in being critical of other people it doesn\u2019t change them, so why engage in it? Why waste energy in that way. And also it contaminates the mind and the consciousness. Even when we hear criticism of other devotees, then it shrinks our appreciating capacity. You hear something even some damnation by faint praise, and then it becomes more difficult to appreciate that person. So you have to control the tongue which is the beginning of yoga<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n ata\u1e25 \u015br\u012b-k\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a-n\u0101m\u0101di na bhaved gr\u0101hyam indriyai\u1e25 \n<\/p>\n Don\u2019t let it come out and when it comes into the mind you can step back from it and analyze it, and see why am I maintaining this in my mind. Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu admonished devotees, \u201cWhy do you keep in your heart which is the altar for Krishna these kinds of criticisms of others, it simple pollutes the heart.\u201d<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Kesava Bharati Maharaja: There is a wonderful quote from Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura about this question. He says, \u201cWhen the faults of others disturb you, look within, find your own faults and always remember no one can hurt you. You can only hurt yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n Vancakalpa. <\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n \n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" And because you are submissive, your spiritual masters have endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple. Therefore you can tell us all that you have scientifically learned from them<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11306\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nj\u0101t\u0101nur\u0101go druta-citta uccai\u1e25 \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (11.2.40)<\/p>\n
\nna c\u0101bh\u0101vayata\u1e25 \u015b\u0101ntir a\u015b\u0101ntasya kuta\u1e25 sukham Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 (2.66)<\/p>\n
\nte\u1e63\u0101\u1e41 j\u0101t\u0101 mayi na karu\u1e47\u0101 na trap\u0101 nopa\u015b\u0101nti\u1e25
\nuts\u1e5bjyait\u0101n atha yadu-pate s\u0101mprata\u1e41 labdha-buddhis
\ntv\u0101m \u0101y\u0101ta\u1e25 \u015bara\u1e47am abhaya\u1e41 m\u0101\u1e41 niyu\u1e45k\u1e63v\u0101tma-d\u0101sye Caitanya-carit\u0101m\u1e5bta Madhya-l\u012bl\u0101 (22.16). <\/p>\n
\npa\u015byanty \u0101tmani c\u0101tm\u0101na\u1e41 bhakty\u0101 \u015bruta-g\u1e5bh\u012btay\u0101 \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam (1.2,12)<\/p>\n
\nsevonmukhe hi jihv\u0101dau svayam eva sphuraty ada\u1e25 Padma Pur\u0101\u1e47a<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads2\/292013-02-28-11-3429.jpg\"\/)
By Vaisesika Das<\/strong><\/p>\n