6th May 2016 Lecture 3
  • Yamaraja is death personified, and he does not get stopped by anyone.
  • The chanting of the Holy Name is not restricted.
  • No rule given in the Vedas ever get in the way of devotional service. They only get in the way if we think they have the same value as bhakti - we trip over our own low consciousness.

  • It had never happened before that Yamaraja's plan had been thwarted.
  • This even took place just so that people can develop faith and go back to Godhead.
  • Yamaraja specifically mentions Sri Krishna.
  • Vraja-bhakti is the most hidden.
  • Bhakti is the only thing that is beyond.
  • Even highly elevated persons like Vyasadeva are bewildered without bhakti.
9th May 2016 Lecture 1
  • Yamadutas request to receive answers if they are qualified.
  • In pure goodness one can know Krishna, and one can be in pure goodness by the mercy of Guru and Krishna. We have to actually want it.
  • Krishna can give Himself, but we have to want Him. Otherwise if He just gives we will lose Him in no time.
  • Mahajanas are all pure devotees.
  • For Vishnudutas there is no time and space. For Yamadutas there is time and space, but they just move very quickly.
  • Modern academy, science, politics etc are religions.
  • Vedic system is goodness. Made-up religions are always in the modes of passion and ignorance.
  • Atharva is the miscellaneous Veda.
  • Religion opposed to the Vedic version should be corrected, but those not opposed should be left in place.
  • Devotees don't accept culture due to lack of training. One who has been exposed to culture notices it.
  • Goodness is generally beyond the scope of the Western culture.
  • When some devotee becomes aware of an aspect of culture and practices it, interest arises among others.
  • Madhyama chants namabhasa consistently, neophyte just here and there.
  • Even a neophyte can give uttama effect in preaching by following the proper process.
v.1-10
  • If we don't want an answer but just want to make a point, then we ask a rhetorical question.
  • We should study Bhagavatam with faith, knowing that Bhagavatam can answer all questions. We should not just be inquisitive to know about a person who is bothering us. We should ask with the scope of establishing a relationship with the Lord in the form of Srimad Bhagavatam.
  • The Vishnudutas means by consciousness, not necessarily by 4 arms.
  • In the non-vedic concept there are all varieties of judgments.
  • If a superior does wrong and cannot protect us, we always have to see things all the way back to Krishna. The principle is that Krishna has to be pleased. It would have to be taken on an individual basis. Yamadutas saw the principle of authority on a superficial platform, without seeing back to Krishna.
  • For someone who emphasizes rights, no one else can have rights.
  • Superiors may have their problems, but if we become so upset about it, it's us who have problems.
  • If something has gone wrong, we often think it must be something extreme.
v.11-21
  • Before Yamadutas were only interested in pious dharma, but now they have asked about Narayana, so Yamaraja is very pleased.
  • Yamaraja was happy getting the opportunity to talk about Vishnu.
  • A press conference is all about questions and answers, but the journalists don't know how to ask proper questions because they just need to sell a good copy.
9th May 2016 Lecture 2
  • Up to now Yamadutas have not been qualified to know about Narayana, since they have not asked.
  • Professionals are quite comfortable with strong preaching, but devotees try to use soft preaching to catch them.
  • Our questions should not be just about ourselves.
  • Baladeva Vidyabhushana is direct, but more encouraging. Srila Prabhupada generally uses his approach.
  • 15:00 If one is always nice, no one notices. Now and again one has to use the fog horn.
  • Yamadutas thought Yamaraja was the controller of all living entities.
  • Everybody is bound to what they are supposed to do - out of fear.
  • Everybody is dealt with according to their nature.
  • More sophisticated is not necessarily more advanced. Still, madhyamas have their preferences of how they deal.
  •  We take brahminical position as the basis and standards. It's brahminical culture, but skills are according to our nature.
  • By offering shudra activities to the Lord one elevates one's consciousness to the brahminical platform.
  • Varnashrama creates a structure so that everyone is satisfied.
  • Brahminical culture is application of our nature within the system to elevate ourselves.
  • Everyone is worshiping the Supreme Lord according to their position within varna and ashrama.
  • Ultimately both spiritual and material world manifests due to the Lord's desire.
  • Prana-maya is about profit.
  • When we can see how Lord has entered everything as adhoksaja then we can explain Him to others.
  • There is so much happening that we don't see how the Lord and His devotees protect us. Things are done both for us and for others.
  • Material danger is only meant for nondevotees.
  • When we are fully surrendered, nothing affects us.
  • Devotee's karma looks like karma so to not disturb the minds of karmis and so that we are able to relate to it.
  • Real religious means connected to the Lord.
9th May 2016 Lecture 3
  • In society we live a natural lifestyle and we do not necessarily need rules. But in an environment that is unknown rules are needed.
  • Rules are also needed to keep the materialists quiet.
  • There are rules for everyone, but our consciousness may be within the 3 modes or not.
  • There are details of the rituals that are especially for karma-kandis. Even devotees may sometimes follow them, but without those fruitive desires.
  • Vedic concepts are solid - sages see the universal form and know how to work within that. Vedas are always practical, theory makes practice easier.
  • Even people who just function successfully within the material see primary and secondary.
  • 'Working hard to hardly work.'
  • Dvijas should see primary and secondary at least within the material. But devotees can see it within everything. Srila Prabhupada could deal in a most practical way in every situation.
  • In the West they are trying to articulate the secondary of the secondary.
  • The secondary does not change, what changes is our understanding of what is actually primary.
  • Forms completely engaged in Krishna's service are spiritual, but they are the secondary of the primary. Primary is love for Krishna.
  • Forms that Vedas recommend are closest to the secondary in the spiritual world.
  • Hladini-shakti is primary, Sandhini and Samvit are secondary. Love for Krishna, that experience is primary.
  • Only the secondary aspects of the spiritual world are reflected here.
  • Books in the material world almost always explain the secondary of the secondary, therefore there are so many books.
  • Material world is actually meant for devotees. Devotees follow dharma here, the form is that same as in the spiritual world.
  • While preaching, even while discussing secondary we always try to bring in primary.
  • Vyasadeva wrote all the Vedas, but he did not emphasize primary.
  • Bhagavatam emphasizes primary. If we understand Bhagavatam we can descend into any other subject matter.
  • Dharma and Sat-dharma is the same, but dharma is the secondary.
  • Metaphysics is the primary of the secondary.
  • Daivi-varnashrama means applying our physical and psychological nature to please Krishna.
  • There will always be 2, since everything goes back to the Lord and His energies.
  • There are masculine and feminine elements in both the masculine and feminine nature. Tradition defines what are natural forms.
  • Nowadays people always shift their positions, whatever is the most profitable.
  • Krishna is not from the spiritual world, He is the spiritual world. We exist, Krishna is existence.
  • Hermit woman can also be aloof from the pecking order, but they genuinely have to not care.
  • Dharma means Brahman and Paramatma, Sat-dharma means Bhagavan.
  • Demigods understand dharma, but not necessarily sat-dharma. Krishna is dharma.
  • Sat-dharma begins with sarva-dharman parityajya
  • Eternal religious principles have to be learned from Krishna Himself or His bonafide representative. If we repeat what we have heard, cit potency flows through us.
  • Favorable for bhakti is hearing from the Lord or hearing from Mahajanas.
  • When one is liberated one spends the rest of life helping others. Prarabda karma remains until one's time is over.
  • Anyone who gives knowledge is respected, but one who gives rahasya is more respected.
  • Srila Prabhupada focuses on rahasya, giving some skills along it.
  • Materialists' rahasya is gross sense gratification.
  • Krishna consciousness is only given to those who are interested. Others don't know it exists.
  • If one knows rahasya, one can see it in all branches of knowledge.
  • Seeing Krishna in His pastimes is valuable on the platform of prema or advanced stages of bhava, but we should see Krishna in everything.
  • Secret is connecting things to Krishna. The secret of all secrets is doing everything to please Him.
  • It is confidential because it can only be taught to those who are interested.
  • We think metaphysics is rahasya, but actual rahasya is doing things just to please Krishna.
  • Advanced people of all the sampradayas can discuss these points.
  • Sat-dharma is only there in the sampradayas. Other people give traigunya dharma.
  • Mantras received in the sampradayas carry the cit potency. Otherwise not.
  • Both those rejecting the Vedas and totally into Vedic are niyamagraha.
  • If we actually understand the mission we are not disturbed by the institution.
  • All heads of the universe are practicing sat-dharma.
 v.22-35
  • Direct devotional service is different from any other type or religion, but that the same time it is only bhakti that makes everything work. Bhakti is the primary religion.
  • We perform devotional service without gunas by following authority.
  • A shopping mall is like subterranean heavenly planets - no natural lights and always enjoying mood.
10th May 2016 Lecture 1
  • We may be performing devotional service in a mixed state, but we have to know that pure is the standard.
  • The process of chanting is so perfect that it will bring us to the perfectional state.
  • Bhakti itself will get the results of all other dharmas, but using bhakti just for other dharmas is offensive.
  • There are many people in the world who have done devotional service, therefore they are in good situations. But that remembrance has to be waken up. After much suffering people may come to us themselves, but that is not our Gaudiya process.
  • 'Fitting in' is only for our own material benefit. By preaching we get benefit and everybody else gets benefit.
  • We have to make an endeavor to get rid of offenses, then the Holy Name will take care of everything.
  • There is no religion other than to chant purely. We have to want it and have to make that endeavor. There is no other religion that will make it work.
  • Chanting is actually the only pure religion because all others have something to do with this world.
  • Freedom from all sins and liberation is achieved by chanting only one Name.
  • We are thinking that the benefit of karma and jnana comes from elsewhere, but bhakti just gives those as side points.
  • Ajamila got all the benefit not because of any qualification.
  • We have difficulty believing and seeing how we can get so much benefit for just one Name.
  • The actual thing is prema, other things just come automatically.
  • Technically the soul is always in a liberated state, it just identifies with matter.
  • Not really doing so well in devotional service, but having difficulty relating to materialists is the liberated position - tatastha.
  • We have to endeavor to do our service nicely, then results of prema will come.
  • Automatic is there if we do our part.
  • We have to read about personalities who have attained prema by following the process of bhakti.
  • We associate by hearing, then the rest of the process will happen.
  • Even in this world no one has ever seen a materially satisfied person, but still everyone is working so hard for it.
  • The Lord does all these wonderful activities, so that we may feel inspired.
  • The Lord is not 'fitting in,' but He does everything so tastefully that everyone is attracted. Krishna follows shastra.
  • One should have complete faith in bhakti. It increases the prema of the offenseless and purifies the offensive.
  • Jaimini - everything is about good work.
  • Yajnavalkya - one of the main writers of dharma-shastras.
  • Even greatly learned persons in dharma do not know the value of devotional service.
  • One feels that complicated rituals are better and superior rather than just chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord.
  • Devotees who go out asking things from karmis because they think that other religious processes are necessary for successful chanting of the Holy Name.
  • If there is faith there is so much experience. We should consult devotees experienced in service in how to deal with material energy.
  • Sankirtana movement will work even if we have nothing. Nice, if we can make it more attractive, but we cannot lose focus on chanting.
  • By sankirtana we perfect our life, but arcana is the perfect lifestyle for one performing sankirtana.
  • Deity worship requires 50% piety, yajnas - 75% piety.
  • By Bhagavata we can relate to Pancaratra, by those both we can relate to Vedic.
  • We don't give up Sankirtana mission to learn cheating dharmas.
  • By chanting we can take advantage of Pancaratra.
  • If one is not born in a high grade brahmana family, there is no question that one can perfect oneself by Pancaratra.
  • To make things work we simply have to be focused on our chanting.
  • Yamaraja is not giving reactions to devotees. If we did something wrong, Krishna corrects our mentality through the material energy. On an advanced level Krishna will take care of us personally.
  • Actual intelligence means there is purification. Scholars may have intellectual tools, but there is no purity, and no intelligence when it come to them personally being involved in Krishna consciousness.
  • Even an academically undeveloped person can have real intelligence.
  • Unless there is ajnata-sukrti, there cannot be interest in Krishna consciousness. Ajnata-sukrti only comes by association of devotees. Our movement is meant to give that association.
  • Anything can be connected to Krishna, but one actually has to connect it. And it's not that once connected it is now connected eternally.
  • There is no separate religion to purify the devotees.
10th May 2016 Lecture 2
  • Devotees are not affected by time factor. What comes to them is arranged by Krishna to make us more serious about Krishna consciousness.
  • But still we must make the endeavor to develop love of God.
  •  Duties towards Vishnu are the only duties of human life.
  •  Varnashrama brings one nearer to Lord Vishnu, since it regulates all activities in connection to Vishnu.
  •  Master takes responsibility for servant - that can be applied when people are honest.
  •  Being a leader is the 4th stage. First is hearing, doing, realizing, then helping others.
  •  Prabhupada wanted temples to have president, secretary and treasurer.
  • President works with people. The top has to be training people.
  • GBC should see that the presidents are trained.
  • Temple commander, secretary, treasurer are managing, president is leading.
  •  The standard is that the government takes the responsibility.
  •  The sankirtana mission is the greatest and the best. To be selfless is the best thing for our self.
  •  For Krishna doing things for Himself means doing things for His devotees. For Krishna even the sense of possession is just Himself.
  •  If we are chanting and something goes wrong it does not automatically become 7th offense, sinning on the strength of chanting.
  •  In sadhana we are looking for steadiness.
  • Even in bhava-sadhana one endeavors for steady absorption in the Lord.
  •  Even offensive chanting will gradually bring about stable chanting, and that will bring prema.
  •  The problem with sin is that it disturbs our steadiness in chanting.
  •  Bhakti is purifying the jiva, so mind will automatically become purified.
  •  Even the nice material life does not correct anything.
  •  We should try to be as steady as possible.
  • Religion is coming from Krishna, but only Him and those connected to Him can understand.
  • Maharaja Janaka was always doing yajnas and always in association with devotees, that's how he is a Mahajana.
  • Manu has documented the principles of dharma, but he is not attached to them, unlike Jaimini and Yajnavalkya.
  • We should take chanting seriously, so that others would also.
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