Sunday, May 10, 2020
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan - May-9.
Love for Everybody and for Nama
See that the atmosphere in your home is pure, peaceful, and holy. It should altogether be so agreeable and surcharged with affection that a visitor should feel reluctant to leave it. Acquire learning, all types of amenities, a good house, and all kinds of prosperity, live in royal comfort if you can afford it; but believe firmly all the while that it is all the will of God; keep your heart overflowing with love and gratitude for Him. Never waste time in futile argument. Public esteem is highly dangerous; one easily gets addicted to it and pursues it; in course of time, the action which gave rise to that esteem stops, and the esteem dies down, but not the hankering for it. Even the bravest of warriors is a victim of some passion or desire which ultimately leads him to ruin. He may outshine others in his particular prowess or skill, but to his particular weakness he falls an easy prey. Do not be trapped by sensuous love, nor succumb to envy and hatred; such love is as pernicious as hatred.
To forget God is always harmful, whether caused by comfort in life or by misery. Never play the hypocrite; I would by far prefer your doing nothing to indulging in hypocrisy; indeed, I would implore you never to pose as a saint.
Do your duty towards everyone, and always remember nama, and be ceaselessly aware of His presence and power. The company of the saintly is necessary for this purpose. Many of us assert being in saintly company; but, then, how can we justify our being no better than other, common people, in our behaviour? The obvious answer is that we have not devoted ourselves to what they love, namely, nama.
After imparting the Supreme knowledge, Lord Krishna directed Uddhava to go and meet the gopis (milkmaids) of Gokul. On seeing how indissolubly their identity was merged into God, he was so convinced of the ease, simplicity, charm and efficacy of the love for nama, that he returned to the Lord, praying for the grant of that love, in place of dry, harshly logical Knowledge. So I would urge you to implore Rama for nothing but true, intense love for His name. Love for nama should, indeed, be the sole and last desire of any person.* * * * *
Friday, May 8, 2020
Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-May.8
Maintain Constant Consciousness of God
An old, worn shoe needs repairs every now and again. Our body, in advanced age, similarly, suffers from one trouble and another. This is only natural. We should give it the treatment it needs, but should not worry. Indeed, the physical trouble and handicaps should be turned to good account by making us more aware of the presence of God. Illness and old age should be used to divert the mind from the body and the world and its activity, towards God and spiritual thought. If we can maintain awareness of God, we shall be able to enjoy happenings in His creation – even the perils and difficulties – as we enjoy watching the changing fortunes of a sporting event. One who knows swimming will not find fun in just tame, straightforward swimming; he will dive now and then, change his course, and so on, to create interest. Similarly, one who lives ever conscious of the presence of the Lord will enjoy even the devious course of events in His creation.
Once we recognize a thing and understand its nature it ceases to cause a feeling of dread. Similarly, passions and desires lose their dread once we recognize them and their nature. If we always remember that everything that happens is by God's will, all that we have to do is to control our reactions and responses. Actually it is we ourselves, that is, our reactions and reluctances, that obstruct our progress on the path of spirituality. Since God is omnipresent, He is also where our responses spring from; consequently, remembering the Name of God gives a proper direction to the responses. We should always remember the Lord or the sadguru and pray to Him in all humility, "These temptations I cannot resist and overcome except by Your grace. My experience has convinced me that there can be no peace or happiness but with You, and yet my responses, untrained and uncurbed, obstruct me in my approach to You. This is sheer ignorance on my part. I realize that my ultimate goal is to know You, that is in the last analysis, my own true self. Be You gracious and grant me that my mind and heart reside at Your feet. I desire nothing but what You will; let Your name ever be on my tongue. I shall try my best, but do You help me."
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