{"id":72419,"date":"2019-03-07T11:47:25","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T10:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dandavats.tumblr.com\/post\/183287337966"},"modified":"2019-03-07T11:48:28","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T10:48:28","slug":"srila-prabhupada-igniting-the-spark-as-we-read-srimad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/?p=72419","title":{"rendered":"Srila Prabhupada\u2026 igniting the spark"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Srila Prabhupada\u2026 igniting the spark.
\nAs we read Srimad Bhagavatam we find that most verses speak directly about the process and instructions Srila Prabhupada gave us. One can\u2019t miss seeing how Srimad Bhagavatam is non-different from a person Bhagavat, their teachings being the same.<\/p>\n

Let us \u2018churn\u2019 the below verse from Srimad Bhagavatam.<\/p>\n

ucchi\u1e63\u1e6da-lep\u0101n anumodito dvijai\u1e25
\nsak\u1e5bt sma bhu\u00f1je tad-ap\u0101sta-kilbi\u1e63a\u1e25
\neva\u1e41 prav\u1e5bttasya vi\u015buddha-cetasas
\ntad-dharma ev\u0101tma-ruci\u1e25 praj\u0101yate <\/p>\n

Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me.<\/p>\n

(SB 1.5.25)<\/p>\n

By their permission: One needs qualification to read vedic scriptures. Even during vedic age there were conditions, based upon one\u2019s qualification, as to who all could read Vedas, Upanishad, puranas, etc. One simply can not pick them like an ordinary book and start reading them.<\/p>\n

If one had to have a qualification in vedic age then we can understand how many of us are qualified today in kali yuga to read our scriptures. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came , He openly gave Hare Krishna Maha mantra to everyone, irrespective of their qualification, class or creed, as everyone was unqualified. The lack of qualification itself became the qualification to receive unqualified mercy from the Supreme Lord. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu encouraged His associates to distribute the Holy Name to everyone, as far and wide they could.<\/p>\n

In the same glorious disciplic line came Srila Prabhupada who took upon the mission and desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and not just translated the two main scriptures for Kali Yuga- Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, but also pushed his disciples to distribute it all over world, irrespective of nationality, color, qualification, etc. , at a scale which is unprecedented in modern history.<\/p>\n

So not only we have the permission to read these scriptures but we also have the blessings of Srila Prabhupada and the entire parampara going up to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, rather we receive spiritual benediction by reading them.<\/p>\n

I took the remnants of their food: When we read Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books, which he said were his \u2018personal ecstasies\u2019, then in a way we are receiving his remnants.<\/p>\n

We can get a glimpse of the \u2018storehouse\u2019 these trascendental \u2018remnants\u2019 are coming to us, and what would be the result of \u2018eating\u2019 these remnants, by reading below verses from Caitanya Caritmrta<\/p>\n

The characteristics of Krishna are understood to be a storehouse of transcendental love. Although that storehouse of love certainly came with Krishna when He was present, it was sealed. But when \u015ar\u012b Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu came with His associates of the Pa\u00f1ca-tattva, they broke the seal and plundered the storehouse to taste transcendental love of Krishna. The more they tasted it, the more their thirst for it grew.<\/p>\n

\u015ar\u012b Pa\u00f1ca-tattva themselves danced again and again and thus made it easier to drink nectarean love of Godhead. They danced, cried, laughed and chanted like madmen, and in this way they distributed love of Godhead.<\/p>\n

In distributing love of Godhead, Caitanya Mah\u0101prabhu and His associates did not consider who was a fit candidate and who was not, nor where such distribution should or should not take place. They made no conditions. Wherever they got the opportunity, the members of the Pa\u00f1ca-tattva distributed love of Godhead.<\/p>\n

Although the members of the Pa\u00f1ca-tattva plundered the storehouse of love of Godhead and ate and distributed its contents, there was no scarcity, for this wonderful storehouse is so complete that as the love is distributed, the supply increases hundreds of times.<\/p>\n

The flood of love of Godhead swelled in all directions, and thus young men, old men, women and children were all immersed in that inundation.<\/p>\n

The Krishna consciousness movement will inundate the entire world and drown everyone, whether one be a gentleman, a rogue or even lame, invalid or blind.<\/p>\n

(CC Adi 7.20-26)<\/p>\n

And by doing so all my sins were at once eradicated:We all have experience how only by reading Srila Prabhupada books our propensity to engage in sinful activities decreased in no time. For many of us it was nothing less than a miracle!<\/p>\n

Thus being engaged: From thinking, feeling and to action, everything happens like magic. We immediately develop feelings to serve Krishna, whether it is voluntarily accepting some service at our local temple or a group, serving Krishna and Tulasi Maharani at home, we get quickly engaged in some service.<\/p>\n

I became purified in heart : The first shower of mercy on a new reader does not depend upon their good qualities or any qualification. We gradually develop some good qualities by the mercy and potency of Srila Prabhupada, and then they in turn become the cause of further mercy. This cycle is ever expanding.<\/p>\n

and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me: As we read, everything about this world, and the spiritual world, it all starts making sense, it is as if all the pieces of the puzzle are gradually falling into place. As we read Srila Prabhupada books we receive the knowledge flowing down from the scriptures.<\/p>\n

This knowledge repeatedly speaks about Sambandha jnana, Who am I, who is God, what is material energy and what is the relationship between all three of them. Once we get the Sambhandha jnana then our goal (prayojana) changes, and we feel internally inspired towards this goal and start the process- Abhideya.<\/p>\n

Only once: All this begins by reading just one book of Srila Prabhupada!<\/p>\n

So what really happens?<\/p>\n

When we read Srila Prabhupada books we get a very precious gift, they ignite a spark of faith and love for Krishna within us.<\/p>\n

So \u0101dau \u015braddh\u0101, how to increase. That is given direction by R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b. This faith, \u0101dau \u015braddh\u0101 tata\u1e25 s\u0101dhu-sa\u1e45ga. If you have little faith don\u2019t try to demolish it. Try to increase it. Just like if there is little spark of fire, if you fan it, it increases. Increases. And you have several times\u2026 In this temple, when there is yajsa performance we ignite fire. So we take a little small piece of wood and ignite it. Then gradually it becomes blazing fire. Similarly, this faith is just like little fire, and you have to fan it very nicely.<\/p>\n

( Lecture on BG 10.8 \u2014 New York, January 7, 1967)<\/p>\n

If you follow these principles, automatically the loving propensity will awaken. It is already there. It is not artificial. It has simply to be awakened by a certain process. So that process we are prescribing: to rise early in the morning, have ma\u00ecgala-\u00e4r\u00e4trika, worship Deity, offer foodstuff, eat prasadam, chant Hare Krishna. Anyone who will follow this principle, he will become purified. There is no need of education, because the devotion is already there.
\nBy following these rules and regulations, it will be awakened. As\u2026, as, as in this straw there is fire. Now you ignite it and just fan it, and the fire will come. It is already there, fire. But you know, you must know the process how to ignite fire. Huge fire will come. You can burn the whole garden from this straw. Is it not? So you must know the process, how to ignite fire. Fire is already there, in these trees, in these straws, in this grass. Fire is already there.That\u2026, that is the process. First of all, you must know that fire is already there. Now ignite. Then it comes smoke. Then burning, blazing. So the blazing fire is required. But that will come gradually, if you follow the process.<\/p>\n

(Lecture, 14th June, 1974, Paris)<\/p>\n

Because we are very minute spark of Krishna, as the spark has the chance of being extinguished out of the fire, similarly, being separated from Krishna, being entangled in this material energy, we have forgotten. Our spiritual quality, burning quality, just like fire, that is now extinguished. It is not exactly extinguished; almost extinguished. We have forgotten. But it can be again brought into the original position by fanning. Just like there is small fire in the charcoal. You fan it, and it will gradually become a big fire. So this Krishna consciousness movement is fanning that spiritual spark to come into full consciousness. Go on fanning like that.<\/p>\n

(Lecture, 22 Dec 1973, Los Angeles)<\/p>\n

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport to the above SB verse, SB 1.5.25 : Pure devotion is as much infectious, in a good sense, as infectious diseases.<\/p>\n

We need regular association of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books for us to be \u2018infected\u2019 by this transcendental infection.<\/p>\n

Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart, which are considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy is the association of the Bh\u0101gavatas. There are two types of Bh\u0101gavatas, namely the book Bh\u0101gavata and the devotee Bh\u0101gavata. Both the Bh\u0101gavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bh\u0101gavata is as good as the book Bh\u0101gavata because the devotee Bh\u0101gavata leads his life in terms of the book Bh\u0101gavata and the book Bh\u0101gavata is full of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bh\u0101gavatas. Bh\u0101gavata book and person are identical.<\/p>\n

(SB 1.2.18p)<\/p>\n

Our disease has been diagnosed, the remedy is there, now it is up to us to make good use of this abundant mercy and potency flowing via Srila Prabhupada books, by reading them every day.<\/p>\n

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga<\/p>\n

All glories to Srila Prabhupada<\/p>\n

Your servant,<\/p>\n

Giriraj dasa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Srila Prabhupada… igniting the spark.
\nAs we read Srimad Bhagavatam we find that most verses speak directly about the process and instructions Srila Prabhupada gave us. One can’t miss seeing how Srimad Bhagavatam is non-different from a person Bhagavat, their teachings being the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10650,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[152],"class_list":["post-72419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-media","tag-nectar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72419","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\/10650"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=72419"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72421,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72419\/revisions\/72421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=72419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=72419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=72419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}