Qualities Enacted in Spiritual Association of the Lord

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

Notes from an evening program with His Holiness Mahavishnu Gosvami Maharaja, in London, July 6, 2008. Maharaja shared from his vast treasure house of transcendental realizations, concerning the qualities of the Lord and His devotees enacted in spiritual association.

THE LORD IS EQUAL TO ALL
There is a Hindi poem by Surdas, who was blind, where he is glorifying the equality of the Lord.

prabhu more avagun chit na dharo
samadarasi hai naam tihaaro chaahe to paara karo
ek lohaa pooja me raakhat ek ghar badhik paro
paaras gun avagun nahi chitavata kancan karat kharo

He prays, "Dear Lord Krishna, please do not consider my bad qualities. You are known as Samadarashi, You who are equal to everyone. So if You want, please liberate me. One piece of iron is used in puja, another one is laying at the blacksmith's place. But the touchstone doesn't consider this, but turns both into gold."

Another analogy: When the gutter joins the Ganges River, it also becomes the Ganges. So even though we are so full of bad qualities, when we join Krishna we become pure like Him. We have experience: A laborer’s daughter who came to the Rajkot temple was analphabetic. But somehow or other she started chanting, and after one year she could speak English.

SAVING TIME FOR SERVICE TO KRISHNA
Once a king invited Surdas to sing bhajans at his court. After ten bhajans the king stopped him and said "now you sing bhajans about me". But Surdas was not happy and declined. The king immediately arrested him and sent him to jail. But Surdas was not afraid. He said: "don't again invite me to your court, because you have wasted my time from performing devotional service."

(Maharaja asks a disciple's son) How much do you sleep everyday? 10 hours. Then half your life is wasted. Say you live for 70 years. 35 years of your life will be wasted in sleeping. And 20 years in sporting, 20 years in invalidity in old age, 5 years for brushing teeth… (Maharaja chuckles)
So where is the time for Krishna?

So, please, we must do one thing: simplify things. Then we'll have time for devotional service to Krishna.

Please try to remember this: C-D-E-F-G
C: Cleanliness – cleanliness is a must, without cleanliness we cannot be
D: Disciplined – cleanliness gives disciplined life, a prerequisite for
E: Education – education is needed
F: For
G: God – everything ends up in Him. As He says: "Those who know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts" (iti matvaa bhajante maam / budhaa bhaava samanvitaah).

So whatever is our duty, we must do it nicely, then Krishna will like us. Otherwise He will not like us. So only if Krishna remembers you, you can chant. So we should follow all these things – C-D-E-F-G – then we can chant.

WHERE THE LORD LIVES

harih sadaa vaset tatra
yatra bhaagavataa janaah
gaayanti bhakti-bhaavena
harer naamaiva kevalam
"Lord Sri Hari forever dwells wherever devotees whose hearts are fixed on Him and free of all impurities uplift their voices high and sing His Name in ecstasy. The Holy Name of Sri Hari is surely all that is."

Once Narada Muni went to find Krishna. After traveling for a long time, he finally met Him. Narada Muni asked the Lord that "In the future, if I want to see You, is there any simple way I can reach You; any address, any phone line?" Krishna replied:

naaham tisthaami vaikunthe
yoginaam hrdayesu vaa
tatra tisthaami naarada
yatra gaayanti mad-bhaktaah
"O Narada, I am not in Vaikuntha nor am I in the hearts of the yogis. I remain where My devotees glorify My name, form, qualities and transcendental pastimes."

So this Abyssinia Court (Maharaja's place in London) is now Krishna's address. And if you chant at home, that is also Krishna's address.
Just chant:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

When we chant, Krishna, He has millions of phone lines, but He answers all of them.

Chant,

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna

Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama

Hare Hare

and be happy.