Just Do It

(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)

The following is a transcription of the speech give by our beloved Guru Maharaja in Singapore in the ‘Bhaktavatsala youth class’ program, on the following verse from Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.11-12:
mad-guna-sruti-maatrena
mayi sarva-guhaasaye
mano-gatir avicchinnaa
yathaa gangaambhaso 'mbudhau
laksanam bhakti-yogasya
nirgunasya hy udaahrtam
ahaituky avyavahitaa
yaa bhaktih purusottame
"The manifestation of unadulterated devotional service is exhibited when one’s mind is at once attracted to hearing the transcendental name and qualities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is residing in everyone’s heart. Just as the water of the Ganges flows naturally down towards the ocean, such devotional ecstasy, uninterrupted by any material condition, flows towards the Supreme Lord."

Maharaja was lucidly explaining the point on the natural flow of Ganges water towards the ocean. The Ganges water has got only one goal of existence and that is to rush towards the ocean. In the meantime, we have to understand one thing.

1. If the water is clean, the flow will be fast.
2. If it is too much dirty, then it becomes stagnant.

We have to derive our instruction from this. Our goal of existence is to go to Krishna and to always remember Him. If the life is clean, then the flow is very fast. This means improving our own behaviour and quality of life. We are getting dirty all the time with dirty association and all the inebrieties are forced on us. If the water is dirty, it is misleading. It is not useful and it is also not remaining in its constitutional position of flowing towards the ocean. Both the things are stopped. In this regard there is a very instructive story.

There was a nice river but it was very dirty because of all the industrial waste and other dirty things thrown into it. The flow was naturally interrupted. One boy was walking on the bank of the river and in the waters, he saw a golden necklace. So he showed the necklace to a man who came that way. That man wanted to grab the necklace and so he jumped into the river. He became completely dirty with all the industrial waste. But he couldn’t find the necklace. Then came another man and he also jumped into the river and tried but failed to get the necklace and they were very much surprised that they could see the necklace standing on the river bank but they could not get hold of it. Then came a third man. He heard everything and he pointed out that the necklace is not in the river but it is hanging on a branch of a tree on the river bank and what they were seeing is only a reflection of the necklace in the river water.

The thing we learn from the above is that as soon as our life becomes dirty, we think that the things which are really not there, exist. Because the water was stagnant, the reflection was very clear. The more dirty our existence is, you will be completely misguided by the things which are not there at all. Without exception we are running behind the reflections and reality is not there. Somebody like Srila Prabhupada fortunately comes in our life and shows us the real necklace and then we may get the necklace or at least try to get it. So remember that the water must be very clean for a continuous flow.

There is another secret. While rushing, so many people are waiting to take the help of the Ganges water. Millions of people take bath in the water; some are collecting the Ganges water, so on and so forth. But the main flow always rushes in spite of all these activities. So that way being very clean, we are useful to the people also and at the same time, our flow is towards the ocean. This is the thing to be learnt. We may try to be useful to everybody by guiding them to these Krishna conscious programs. Srila Prabhupada was trying very hard to write so many literatures and doing so many other things to help everyone, but even then his flow was continuous. So you may be doing some fruitive activity for your own maintenance and it has got to be done. But most of the time, please try to be useful to the society at large in whatever capacity you can and Krishna will give you the capacity.

The main flow should continue uninterrupted. Our flow is our constitutional position and helplessly we are following the attraction of Krishna. We cannot do anything else. If we try to do anything else, it is like running after the reflection. The reflections are clearer because the life is dirty. That is why reflections are there and reality is absent.

In order to come to the reality, our spiritual needs must be satisfied at any cost. As we are careful about our breathing, we should be even more careful about the performance of devotional service. This is much easier than breathing. That is why in the above verse it is said ‘mat guna shruti maatrena’- "just by hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead". We have to remember the word ’maatrena’ which Srila Prabhupada translates as ‘jus’. So we have to just do it and the benefit is there.

Chant,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

and be happy.