This course is part of Sastra-Caksus, Year 2 and consists of 25 lectures, available on:

http://seminary.bhaktivedantaacademy.com/classes/noi-thematic/

Given in Bhaktivedanta Academy, Sridham Mayapur November-December 2011

The following are lecture notes briefly delineating its contents

• One should always be patient in devotional service and confident that Krishna will be merciful to us today or after one hundred years. Otherwise, there always comes a time when we think why it is taking so long.

TAT-TAT-KARMA PRAVARTANAT-ACTING ACCORDING TO REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES

• One should have unwavering attachment to ceremonial worship.
• One should worship the Lord with one's entire body. One should perform all activities with the aim to achieve the Lord.
• Even ordinary little things that we do during the day should be seen in connection to Krishna.
• When we offer obeisances to the Lord, our body, mind and words should all be engaged.
• Anybody can become a Guru, provided they meet the required qualifications.
• We make our own interpretation of the qualifications required for a Guru, therefore we throw out everybody.
• If Guru is a devotee of the Lord and always dependent on Him, he may lack some secondary symptoms (such as being a brahmana and being householder), but he is still qualified. Normally, only householders are gurus.
• We tend to see siksha guru more on a spiritual platform, but from diksha guru we expect emotional, leadership and other support. So it is actually better if diksha gurus are householder.
• Actually, diksha guru is not there to work out family problems, for that there is community, senior householders, vanaprasthas etc.
• One should not renounce initiation simply because some great souls like Jada Bharata did not take initiation. Since Bharata Maharaja had continuous consciousness for three births, he technically did not need another initiation.
• One who is not conditioned does not require diksha, but still they would take it to show example to others. One who is actually liberated is not at all uncomfortable with the traditional processes of elevation.
• Full surrender includes diksha.
• The 5 aspects of diksha.
• Guru, param-guru, para-para guru, maha-guru and parameshthi guru. It is the tradition of the pancaratra to worship 5 predecessor Gurus.
• Mudra-neckbeads, pundra-tilak, nama-name, mantra-Gayatri, yaga-worship of the Deity.
• To become a disciple, one must have faith in pure devotional service.
• The big temple in Mayapur was planned by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, so it is not a new project. But spiritual master himself should not become too involved in such projects, his disciples do.
• One should not lament too much when losing things and people.
• Worrying about the loss of interaction with dear ones, one is not interacting with Krishna.
• Demigods are respected, but not worshiped.
• Those who try to follow social etiquette and hear blasphemy of vaishnavas are gradually deviated from devotional service.
• Association with Vaishnavas is the most important, since in that association there will be Deity worship, hearing Bhagavatam etc.

SANGA-TYAGA-GIVING UP ASSOCIATION AND ATTACHMENT

• 2 types of sanga - association and attachment.
• 2 types of association - with nondevotees and with women.
• 2 types of attachment - attachment to prejudices and attachment to assets.
• Attachment should be gradually be given up, to not develop lust, anger and not to lose intelligence. The more attachment increases, the more the firm faith in the supreme goal diminishes.
• Nondevotees are those who are not subordinate to the Lord, the karmis and jnanis.
• All the attempts of the jnanis are to become independent of the Lord.
• Real friends and family members will consider Krishna consciousness if we explain it to them.
• Maharaja's father's reaction to him taking Krishna consciousness seriously.
• One should only associate with one's wife and that religiously; association of other women is not desirable.