NVD1
In New Vraja Dhāma, Hungary. Please let us know the author of this photo.
Bilvamaṅgala is a very qualified brāhmana. Now, one may say, 'Well, he is attached to prostitute,' this that, this that. But the point is is, there is more beyond morality that creates the individual. Because in the material world you are dealing with the senses, you are dealing with many things, and it says that even a person of great intelligence can be distracted if the sense goes in that direction. So that element is there, you have to see what is their knowledge, what can they do, what is their actual consistent practice, like that. So you can see, he was quite a qualified person.
(..)
The thread of that story is the Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura's, just his progress and his spiritual development and his focus on attaining the Supreme, that he had focus. But it was misdirected. And you only get that focus from proper training, you don't have that focus without some kind of background and some good karma. But then by the grace of the prostitute, it changed. In other words, by the Dharma-śāstra, it says, good advice can be taken from anyone. So even from a prostitute he can take good advice.
So she said, 'If you had that focus...' Because she has men coming to her all the time, and it's just some sensual... They are just sensually attracted, attached. And so, therefore they come to the prostitute to fulfill that need. But they don't have any specific focus on her, it's just... It is business, you know. So someone who has such focus that they have so much attachment for her, and for the prostitute it is business, so it's like 'Why would you be so attached? You are too focused, you have too much determination, it's over the top. ' Just like it mentioned here, you bring your dress, speech and thoughts in line, in consistency. She says, 'What I am and the reason people come to me, and what you are doing is inconsistent with that. You have the... How you are behaving and focusing is consistent with a sādhu who is focused on the Supreme Lord. They would do anything to get their sādhya.' So she was saying, 'Therefore you should now take your focus, your dhāraṇā, and put the Lord there as your meditation rather than me.' And so then, because he is intelligent, just because she said that, it created such a revolution in his heart, means he is a very qualified person. Otherwise, someone else would say, 'Aaah, no, you are just so nice, so beautiful...' and then, okay, doesn't matter, they are getting their money, so what do they care, the guy is so stupid, it's a waste of time, you know, she is not going to complain. But he moved on. So she doesn't feel, 'Oh, I lost a customer.' She feels that this person is now rightly situated.
From Lecture on Manu Saṁhitā, Bhaktivedānta Academy, Sri Māyāpura Dhāma
Comments
All comments.
Comments