Transcription made by Janeswari Mataji and Ananya Mataji
(Check - Missing Part)
Gour Govinda Swami:
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare
ānanda-līlā-maya-vigrahāya hemābha-divya-cchavi-sundarāya tasmai mahā-prema-rasa-pradāya Śrī caitanya-candrāya namo namas te
One mother was there. She had a small son, six, seven years old son. She thought of her son should take some education, get some education. So, she wanted to admit her son into primary school, but that school was something, far away, not so far. Some, one furlong, two furlong, you understand furlong, half a mile away from the house. So, she admitted her son into that primary school and told the son, "You every day should go to the school in the morning and get education there." There are teachers and some boys were also there of same age as your age.
So boy started going. So on the way, there is jungle. He had to pass that way. In jungle there were some ferocious animals. Tigers were there; snakes were there. And small child, he was afraid of. So see, and so that child came to his mother and said, "Mother, while I was going through that jungle, I am very much afraid. So many ferocious animals are there. How can I go to the school? I can't go."
Mother said, "Why are you afraid? Don't you know? Your friend is there, he is Gopāla. Why don't you call your friend? He must help you." Do you understand? "He must help you. You need not be afraid. Your friend is there, Gopāla. Why don't you call Him?"
"Oh, my friend is there? Oh, yes. He is there. When you feel yourself to be afraid, you come, 'Oh my friend Gopāla, my brother Gopāla, Oh, I am in a fearful situation. Where are you? Please come and help me.' You just say this thing, all right?"
So child did that thing. When he was passing through that jungle, when he felt that he's afraid, he's called out, "Oh my friend Gopāla, my brother Gopāla, where are you? I am in a fearful situation. Please come, please come. Help me."
So Gopāla appeared. "Yes, I am here. Why are you afraid? What do you want?"
"I want to go to the school, but it's about jungle, it is danger"
"All right, don't fear. Come with Me." So every day, Gopāla was helping him. Do you understand?
So once the teacher said that they were, then in school also they sometimes perform some festivals like Gaṇeśa pūjā, Sarasvatī pūjā. Some pūjā also they offer, festival. The teacher collects some money, candā, what do you say, fees from the students and they perform that festival. Once this festival is, I don't know, in India they perform Gaṇeśa pūjā, they offer pūjā to Gaṇeśa, Sarasvatī, who give them education, vidyā. They perform.
But that boy was very poor, there was nothing. There was nobody in their family, only that mother and the son. Very poor. No money. So, teacher said, "Alright, you should bring. You are poor. Alright you, no enough money so you should at least bring fifty paise. Fifty paise, half of the rupee."
So that child came and told his mother, "The master, the teacher has said that I have to pay fifty paise for the performance of that pūjā." But they had nothing. Even single paise was not there. So mother said, "Alright, you tell the teacher that we have no money, it's very poor, but I'll bring milk."
And then the child said, "Who will give us milk?"
"Oh, your Gopāla, your friend, you ask him. He tends cows. He can supply as much milk as your teacher wants. Do you understand? Yes, you tell the Gopāla."
So what his mother said, he accepted, "Yes, I must tell my friend, Gopāla, and brother." So in the forest, he called his brother, his friend, "Oh, Gopāla, where are you?"
Gopāla appeared, "Yes, I am here. What do you need?"
"Oh, my teacher has said that I have to pay fifty paise, but we have no money. But my mother said to ask you that you will give us milk because they need milk and as much milk they need, you must supply."
"Oh, yes, I must supply. I must help you. I'm always there to help you."
So, on that day, pūjā day, when he was passing through that jungle he called his friend, Gopāla, "Oh, Gopāla, today is the day, please give milk." So Gopāla came with a pot. Do you understand? Like small lota, but earthen pot. Filled with milk. He said, "Alright, take this milk, give it to your teacher. And this pot will give you as much milk they want. This will never be empty. This will never be empty." Do you understand?
So, he took and gave it to teacher. “Teacher, I have brought milk. My friend, Gopāla, has given this. Would you like?"
"Oh, this is small amount of milk. We need much milk. Ten buckets of milk. This small, little small pot you have given."
"No, no, no, this will never empty. You bring ten buckets and pour out. Ten buckets will fill." This teacher did it, amazing, the ten buckets were filled. So much milk. Do you understand?
Then the teacher asked, "Oh, where did you get this wonderful pot? This never it gave us ten buckets of milk."
"Oh, my friend, Gopāla, gave me."
"Your friend, Gopāla, who is He?"
"Oh, He's there in the jungle. He stays there. Every time at the time of need, I call Him. My mother has said, so I call him, I get his help. Whatever I need, He gives. When I am in a fearful situation, I call him, 'Gopāla, Gopāla, O my brother, O my friend, Gopāla.' He appears, He comes, helps me, protects me, leads me to the school, and He gave this thing."
Who is He? Such a friend He is? He said He is friend to one and all. He said, 'I am friend to one and all.' Yes. suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ. Kṛṣṇa says that in Bhagavad-gītā, I am the only well-wishing friend of all living entities. He's not only my friend. He said He is friend to one and all. Who calls in time of need, in time of dangers, time of calamity. Any time, if he calls, He is there ready. He is prepared to help.
Do you understand this story? And the child gets the help. But you are worrying. He is worrying, he is worrying, she is worrying. What shall I do? What shall I do? What shall I do? I need so much money. How to do? I can't collect. I can't do this thing. I have to do this thing, I have to do this thing, I have to do this thing. I have so much problem. So much hindrances, so much obstacles. Oh. But you don't ask Gopāla. Gopāla is ready to help you, but you are not asking him. Do you understand? If you are asking, still why Gopāla is not coming? Yes, someone? Yes, yes, I am asking, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, Oh, Kṛṣṇa, please help me, please." But Kṛṣṇa is not coming and helping me. What happens to you?
Devotee: Not simple.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: That small child immediately got the help. Gopāla appeared for him. But you can't? Why you can't get the help of Gopāla? Why Gopāla doesn't come to you?
Devotee: Because I never asked.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Never asked? You never ask Kṛṣṇa? Never call him?
Devotee: Not for money.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: No, not for money. Not for anything else?
Devotee: Just, I've always asked just for spiritual benefit, but not for Lakṣmī.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Not for Lakṣmī? You are always worried for Lakṣmī. Many times, you are telling me, "Oh, what shall I do? I have, I cannot collect money, I have to do, I have someone debit to pay back." You say. So? (laughs) Is there any difficulty? What is the reason? Because you have no faith in Gopāla and Kṛṣṇa. Do you understand? You have no faith. The question of faith. Small child is, he has strong faith. As soon as his mother said, he put faith. Strong faith, unflinching faith, and he got. But you cannot put faith.
Now in America, many many people have lost faith. We were talking that thing. Do you understand? Isn't it? They have lost faith. Why you have lost faith? Faith. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says ādau śraddhā. First thing is śraddhā, faith, unflinching faith. śraddhāvāl labhate jñānaṁ tat-paraḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śāntim acireṇādhigacchati [BG 4.39] Isn't it? Gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, śraddhāvān, who has faith. śraddhā’-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya [CC Madhya 22.62]
What do you mean by śraddhā? First thing is śraddhā, ādau śraddhā. Rūpa Gosvāmī says, Then the next thing. So what do you mean by śraddhā?
Devotee: Firm faith.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Śraddhā means strong faith, unflinching faith. śraddhā-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya . Sudṛḍha means very strong. dṛḍha-vratā bhajanti mām. Those are very strong. Do you understand? That's strong faith. They do bhajan. Śraddhā means very strong faith. Strong faith in what? Sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Isn't it? sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. What sādhu says, guru says, śāstra says, Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā. Do you understand? Says in Bhāgavatam. We should put strong faith in it, unflinching faith. And also, viśvāse pāiye, tarke haya bahu-dūra [CC Madhya 8.309]. This viśvāsa, śraddhā. If a strong faith you must get. No faith, do you understand? You have faith, but not strong, soft faith. Anytime it breaks, you feels yourself disappointed, depressed. Why? Why? Why such feeling? Why disappointed? Why depressed?
Because you have no faith in Kṛṣṇa, and no faith in sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya. Do you understand? You have lost faith. Therefore, feel disappointed, depressed. This most important thing is faith, and it has been stressed, Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavatam. All ācāryas have said. And Rūpa Gosvāmī begins with that, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo’tha bhajana-kriyā, tato’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ, athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati, sādhakānām ayaṁ premnaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15-16]
It's gradual. Do you understand? And Mahāprabhu said the same thing. ucca saṅkīrtana kari śraddhāra pracāra. Do you understand? ucca saṅkīrtana kari śraddhāra pracāra.
My Guru Maharaj came to West. What he had? A strong faith in Kṛṣṇa, strong faith in the words of his guru, strong faith in the holy name of the Lord. Nothing else. Had he anything? No. It's Kṛṣṇa strong faith. Do you understand? Gopāla. Do you understand? But you people lack faith. You have some faith, but not strong faith. Do you understand? Strong faith. It's soft faith. Should develop strong faith. 'śraddhā'-śabde viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya.
If you can develop Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, all your work, all your duties, what you say, "This is my duty to do," all your obligations, everything finished. No more is there left out. kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. All your work, all your duty, all your obligations are finished. No, nothing is left out. Then? Where is it left out? I have to do these things. I have to, I have duty. This is my duty. This is my responsibility to maintain my family, to take care of my wife, to look after my children, look after my family, maintenance of that thing, this thing. Huh? It says, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya, all your work is finished. Now, how it is left out?
All say in the lips, in the lips they say, but in the heart, 99.9% people have no faith in it. Isn't it? Vanacārī.? Do you understand? Gaura Vanacārī.. He is Gaura Vanacārī. Traveling in Gaura Vana, Vrajavana. He's Gaura Vanacārī. Yes. What Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu has said. ucca saṅkīrtana kari śraddhāra patha. Chant loudly! Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare, Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma, Rāma, Hare, Hare. Inculcate śraddhā! Unto those people, those who have not developed śraddhā. Do you understand?
That my Guru Maharaj did. When he first came here, he came here with a pair of karatālas. He only chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa. He goes to a park. Chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa. The hippies are rolling on the ground. Naked, half-naked hippies, taking strong drugs, LSD, marijuana, becoming mad, rolling. My Guru Maharaj, playing karatālas, chants. Do you understand? Thereby, he inculcates śraddhā. Coro-veśyā-śaṭha. The thieves, the prostitutes, the cheaters. Do you understand? Sādhu, first he does so. That is Mahāprabhu's instruction. Agre śraddhā diyā. Do you understand? First inculcate śraddhā to them.
Then śraddhāvān, when you find out they have developed śraddhā, faith, strong faith in the holy name of the Lord, strong faith in Kṛṣṇa, strong faith in this sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, then they are eligible now to be initiated. Do you understand? If no śraddhā, then that, we have that nāmāparādha, isn't it? Śraddhā-hīna jane nāma upadeśa. Don't give them nāma upadeśa if he is lacking in śraddhā, isn't it? We have that nāmāparādha.
So, agre śraddhā, first śraddhā. How can one develop śraddhā? That is another question. Therefore, we do loud saṅkīrtana. He is doing that thing; very nice you are doing. Then you can divide this thing. Don't feel yourself desperate. Mahāprabhu is there. Kṛṣṇa is there. Śrīla Prabhupāda is there. Do you understand? Don't feel yourself desperate. Move, move, move! Chant loudly and fill the atmosphere with this transcendental sound vibration. You understand? And you should have full and complete faith in the holy name of Gopāla, Kṛṣṇa, Mahāprabhu definitely. Don't feel yourself at any circumstances, any moment, desperate. There is no question of pessimism here in this Mahāprabhu's movement. No question at all. No question of pessimism. This is all optimism.
It's all optimism. Now, this thing is going on in America, what I saw during my tour. Yes, I feel very sorry. I'm crying in heart. I'm crying in heart. What happened? When Guru Maharaj came here, he first came here, he sowed the seed here. Now what happens? They have lost faith now. Huh? It's a sorry state of affair. Vicious thing. How that small boy immediately developed śraddhā in God. "Gopāla, where are You? My mother has said. Please come." Immediately, Gopāla appears helping.
Dhruva Mahārāja you see, five-year-old boy, Dhruva Mahārāja. Huh? When he asked his mother Sunīti what his mother said? "Oh, yes. Nārāyaṇa is there. If you get the mercy of Lord Nārāyaṇa, then your desire will be fulfilled." That means you'll sit on the throne of your father, your debarred. Do you understand? "Yes, Lord Nārāyaṇa. All right, where is He? I have heard saints and sages, they go to forest to get Him. Oh, I must go! I must go!" His mother said, "Yes, I must go and get Him!" Do you understand?
Five-year-old boy, you see. And when he said, "Oh, forest, very dangerous place. Many fearful, ferocious animals are there, tigers, lions, snakes. Very danger, you are small boy, what you will do? Don't go." "No, no. My mother said Nārāyaṇa is there. I must go there and find Him there." Do you understand? He didn't listen to anybody. So strong. This question of strong, determined. His name is Dhruva. Dhruva means determined. He's determined. His determination never shakes, never shakes, never shakes. Do you understand?
So, Rūpa Gosvāmī therefore says, utsāhān dhairyāt niścayād, tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt, sato vṛtteḥ saṅga-tyāgāt, ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati [Upadeśāmṛta 3] Isn't it, Banachari Maheshwar? You see? You see how Rūpa Gosvāmī, Mahajanacarya, what he says, utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt. Utsāhān, enthusiasm. Niścayād, determination. Yes, I am determined to achieve this thing. I must achieve. That Dhruva took up. Yes, I must meet. I must meet that Nārāyaṇa and get mercy from Him, from His own lips. Do you understand? I must. And dhairyāt, he should have patience. Don't lose patience. Don't lose patience. This most important thing, this determination, strong faith and strong determination.
Nothing will be impossible. Kṛṣṇa is there always to help you. He's there in your heart. He tests you. He tests you. How you have developed strong faith in Him? Or shaking faith. Faith is shaking, not strong faith. How you are determined. Do you understand? So, He creates everything. He has supreme will. He has supreme will. By His mere willing, creation, maintenance, destruction takes place by mere willing. He has supreme will. Do you understand? So, we are complete dependent on His will. We are complete dependent on His will. Tomāra chayechi nirbhar koriya. I am completely dependent on your will, O Kṛṣṇa.
So He tests. All right, I'll test you. How you have developed strong faith on Me, how you are completely dependent on My will. So Kṛṣṇa tests you, but you are lacking faith. And Kṛṣṇa knows, Oh he has no faith. He only speaks from the lips. In the heart, he has no faith. Do you understand? Everything takes place according to the will of Kṛṣṇa. If He doesn't will, a blade of grass will not shake. Do you understand? This question of faith, but why do we lack faith? Dhruva immediately put faith, strong faith. He was not afraid of any situation. Do you understand? "Nārāyaṇa, where is that Nārāyaṇa? Where is that Nārāyaṇa?" That story is, "Oh, my friend Gopāla is there. Oh, Gopāla!" You see? "Yes, my Gopāla, my mother has said Gopāla is there. He must help me." Yes, he got. Dhruva's mother said, "Yes, Nārāyaṇa is there. If you get His mercy, kṛpā, then all your desires will be fulfilled." You see? But we can't put faith. What is that? What is the reason?
Devotee: material, material desires. Prabhupāda says..
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Why the small boys, children, put faith, but why you are grown-ups cannot put faith?
Devotee: Simplistic, simplicity.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: You are crooked, they are simple. Do you understand? Small boys, very simple. Simplicity is Vaiṣṇavism. All ācāryas have said this thing. Simplicity is Vaiṣṇavism. Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja stresses upon it. Saralatā hi vaiṣṇavatā. Simplicity is Vaiṣṇavism. Those are real Vaiṣṇava sādhu, they are as simple as child. As simple as child. Do you understand? Yes. There is no question of crookedness, kāpaṭya. In Sanskrit, we say kāpaṭya is crookedness. Do you understand? It's duplicity, pretentiousness. It's all kāpaṭya.
Our heart is filled with it. We are not at all simple-hearted persons; we are very crooked persons. Duplicity is there; crookedness is there, pretentiousness is there. And Kṛṣṇa is there in heart. He knows what is there in you. You cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. But child is very simple. Immediately call, Gopāla, where are you? Gopāla, Yes, I am here. The child is very simple. As soon as he grows up and mixes and associates with the grown-ups, those who are very crooked, he develops crookedness. Otherwise, in beginning child is very simple. Yes, simplicity. That is Vaiṣṇavism. Do you understand?
Therefore, we say, Sādhu Guru Mahājana, they are Patita Pāvana not Kapata Pāvana. Do you understand? They are Patita Pāvana not Kapata Pāvana..Do you understand me? Patita Pāvana means those who have degraded. If some say, Oh, shall we put blind faith? Shall I not think of anything? Shall I not apply my intelligence to it? Shall I not deliberate on it? Whatever Sādhu says, whatever Śāstra says, shall I put blind faith? This question is raised. We have intelligence. We have our own deliberation. We must think about it very seriously before accepting. That means what? What will you deliberate?
What Kṛṣṇa said or Śāstra said, Mahājana said those who have no four defects. You are a conditioned soul, you have four defects. bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā, karaṇāpāṭava [CC Ādi 7.107]. Isn't it? You understand? bhrama-pramāda-vipralipsā-karaṇāpāṭava. Your senses are defective. Then what will you think in your mind that is defective thought. It's not perfect. Isn't it? What you perceive through your senses, that is defective sense. Perception is defective. Isn't it?
‘Oh, we have been cheated so many times. Now, we won't put faith in anybody. No Sādhus are there. We can't see any Sādhu.’ Can you see Sādhu? Have you vision to see Sādhu? Conditioned soul, defective vision you have. How can you see a Sādhu? Huh? You are after such principle motto, "Seeing is believing. Seeing is believing. If I see, then I'll believe." Isn't it? You have this motto. You are after this principle. Seeing is believing. “Can you show me? Can you show me the Lord? Then I'll believe. Have you seen? Oh yes, I've seen. Yes? Can you show me? Then I will believe."
But you are not prepared to admit that you are blind man. You have no vision to see the Lord. If I show you, how can you see without vision? But you are not prepared to admit that thing. You are such a crooked person, such a pretentious person, such a duplicitous person. You are always trying to hide your defects, hide your defects. You are not prepared to admit it. Where is your simplicity? Always trying, you are always trying to hide, to hide your defects. Then this is proof that you are not at all simple. You are a crooked person, isn't it? Do you understand me? Huh? Yes.
Be simple with open heart, clear heart. Open heart, say, "Kṛṣṇa, I am yours." Immediately Kṛṣṇa will accept you. Immediately He is there in your heart. Once say this thing with open heart. Do you understand? With open heart. "Kṛṣṇa, I am yours." Say. Crying in your heart, say. Immediately Kṛṣṇa will accept you. That will not be difficult at all.
But you can't do this thing. Heart is filled with such filth, such duplicitousness, such duplicity, crookedness. Heart is never simple at all. Kṛṣṇa knows it, so how can you develop strong faith? Therefore, this is the only reason, lacking faith. Then want to see, then now want to see Sādhu. Huh? We never see any Sādhu. We can't find any Sādhu. And there are no Sādhus. How these things are going on? Kali-yuga. It is Kali-yuga, most degraded age. Most degraded age, most sinful age. Still, still there is a Ekapada Dharma. Isn't it? Still there is a Ekapada Dharma therefore it is going on. Otherwise, we would have been finished, destroyed. In Satya-yuga, there are four pāda’s, isn't it? You understand?
Devotee: One leg. One leg is remaining of the..
Gour Govinda Swāmī: In Satya-yuga, there are four legs. Dharma had four legs. Tretā-yuga, three legs were there. Dvāpara-yuga, two legs were there. Kali-yuga, there is one leg. Therefore, these things are going on and we are here. Do you understand? So name, holy, holy, holy name came, therefore this yuga-dharma, therefore. You understand? Kali-yuga. But we have no belief in it, we have no faith in it. We are such crooked persons. No simplicity at all. Only we speak through the lips. In the heart, there is something else, something different, and Kṛṣṇa knows your heart because He is there in your heart. You can't cheat Him.
This simplicity is Vaiṣṇavism. This is only thing required, only thing required. Make your heart simple. Do you understand? Drive out, throw out all this filth, all this filth. Crookedness, duplicitousness, pretentiousness. Yes. And immediately you will get Kṛṣṇa. That is all. Therefore, say with open heart, open heart, once say, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, I am yours." You will find that next, how Kṛṣṇa accepts you. Do you understand? But you can't, you are not saying that. You are saying from the lips, not from the heart.
That is those stories, story of Dhruva, story of that small boy, many stories, because they are very simple. Immediately, they accepted what their mother said. They put complete faith on it. Complete faith, unflinching faith. aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani [BG 9.3] Gītā. Isn't it? aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Those who have no śraddhā, no faith, they cannot approach me. Again and again, they will fall down here to this mṛtyu-saṁsāra. Do you understand? It's a question of śraddhā. Question of śraddhā. And that is the first requisite, first requisite. And it's simplicity.
If you are simple at heart and they raise that question, shall we blindly put faith? Yes. Blindly put faith. Blindly put faith and you get the result. Why are you saying blindly put faith? What is that? You are blind. You are blind, but you are not admitted that you are blind. Do you understand? You're bending on this defective vision. Heh? You are blind. Those who have vision, they see, they say. ārja-vijña-vākye nāhi doṣa catuṣṭaya. Those who are Mahājanas, Sādhus, they have no four defects. They see and they say. Why don't you put faith in their words? Unflinching faith.
And you, you are saying that, "Oh, I must think about it. I must deliberate on it, what they say, if I'm convinced, then I'll apply it." This is all duplicity. This is all crookedness. You're lacking faith, you see? You are not admit. Prepare to admit that you have defect, four defects, your senses are defective. How can you see? This is just reverse. You think yourself, "I am the seer. I will see," but you are not the seer. Without vision, how can you see? How can you see without vision? To see, vision, proper vision is required. Isn't it? But you have no vision. What you have that defective vision? How can you see the Lord? How can you see the sādhu who is free from defect?
Who is in that transcendental platform, that we say fourth dimension. It's all question of fourth dimension. You are limited to three dimensions. Do you understand me? What is your name, prabhu?
Devotee: Apurva.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Apurva prabhu, you are limited to three dimensions, length, breadth, and height. Can you think of fourth dimension? Can your mind think of? Conditioned mind, material mind, can it think of? So how do you say that, I will see, I will examine, then I will accept? Such nonsense. Such nonsense. How can you think of the topics are matter that takes place in fourth dimension when you are limited with three dimensions? Then you have to put faith only, nothing else is there.
Put faith. Mother says, child puts faith. Yes. Mother says, “Child, he's your father.” He immediately, "Yes, he's my father. Mother has said. Simple child. And mother is authority. Isn't it? So, sādhu, mahājana, śāstra, they are authorities. But you have no faith. Then how can you get? Faith is the most important thing. All right, if you put blind faith, still you get. Still you get. Because what sādhu, mahājana say, they are free from defects. What they say, that is real truth. mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. Understand that is truth. You put blind faith and you get the result. If putting blind faith, if you suppose you go to hell, still sādhu, mahājana will go to hell to deliver you. They are Patita Pāvana not Kapata Pāvana.
[43:30 - 50:59 (missing to be added)]
Devotee: We have a long drive.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes, yes.
Devotee: Thank you very much.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Haribol. So, any question?
Devotee: How to genuinely develop this simplicity? How to develop simplicity?
Gour Govinda Swāmī: How develop the simplicity? Associate with such sādhu who is very simple by nature. As my Guru Maharaj came, I said, how he inculcated and why you are lacking now. Because of you are not associating with sādhus. And you say, "We cannot see sādhu. No sādhus are now." That is the whole trouble with you.
Devotee: But if you're duplicitous in the heart and you're not simple, then you're blind, you can't see who is sādhu.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes. How can you see? You are blind.
Devotee: So how, so how are you going to associate with sādhus if you don't know who is sādhu?
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Therefore, say if sādhu comes, you are blind, you have no faith in him, you want to be see, you want to see, you want to be seer, just opposite. So you cannot get any benefit. You cannot associate. If sādhu comes chants here, speaks kṛṣṇa-kathā, still it will never enter into your ear. No, it will never enter. You cannot get any benefit. You don't do sādhu-saṅga at all. Though you come here, though you sit here, just you are posing, you are just pretending, you are such a pretender. This sādhu's kathā never enters into your ear. You have no faith. Do you understand?
Yes, so they cannot get any benefit. They are pretending, sitting, I find, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, then quick getting up and going out. This is what you see, because they have no faith. They are not simple at all. They want to see, to be seer, but they are not the seer. This is the whole trouble.
Devotee: To have the simplicity and this faith, one should be more like a child, like as dependent on his parents.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: As, as, as, as simple as child.
Devotee: So if we have like some intelligence that if we do this or that and they,
Gour Govinda Swāmī: What intelligence you have, it is impure intelligence, not pure intelligence.
Devotee: So he has to give that up?
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Give up everything! Throw it off! Throw it off! Just throw it off. Make your heart clean, open. Jesus Christ says, "Empty thyself, I will fill thee." Empty thyself, I will fill thee. But you are not emptying. All this crookedness, duplicity, enviousness, all nasty things are filled to the brim. To the brim. Then how can he fill in? No space at all. Do you understand? What's your name, please?
Devotee: Chakra Pundit, I see.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Chakra Pundit. Disciple?
Devotee: Brahmachari.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Accha. Anyhow, do you understand, Chakra Pundit Prabhu? Then how he can fill in you? It is all filled in to the brim. First, empty yourself. Throw it off. Yes. Then you will get. All right, thank you.
Devotee: Thank you very much.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes?
Devotee: So in order to not be pretentious then I could say, "Well, then I should follow my heart and fulfil my material desires. But not pretend that I'm a devotee. Why don't I do what I really feel like doing?”
Gour Govinda Swāmī: No, don't pretend as, that, "I am a devotee." Why pretend? Be real devotee.
Devotee: No, I'm saying I'm really not, if I'm really not a devotee, really I want to engage in sense gratification, but I pretend to be a devotee, so..
Gour Govinda Swāmī: That is the whole trouble with you. Why are you pretending? Don't pretend. I said don't pretend. Don't pretend. "I'm not a devotee at all, but I want to be a devotee. How can I be a devotee?" Do you understand? Cry in your heart, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, I want to serve you. I want to be a devotee. Your devotee. But I have so many material desires filled in my heart. What shall I do? If you won't help me."
With open heart, you say this thing mother, before Kṛṣṇa. Yes. Then Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, you see. He has supreme will. He'll act. He'll fulfil your material desire in such a way that you'll never again ask for it. Take the example of Dhruva Mahārāja. He had material desire first. Isn't it? He had material desire first. sthāna-abhilāṣī, he wanted to occupy the throne of his father, isn't it? Therefore Tapasyi-stito ’ham, Therefore he went out to the jungle to do tapasyā. Do you understand that?
Simple child, but a simple child. Kṛṣṇa knows, Nārāyaṇa knows, "Yes, Dhruva is now very eager to get Me." So He made arrangement, so He met His guru, Nārada Muni. Do you understand? So Nārada Muni Guru also says, "You are a simple child, small child. You cannot do any tapasyā, very hard task. Many, many great, great sages, saints, thousand, thousands of years, they had undergone some severe tapasyā, still they couldn't get. How can you get? You want to sit on your father's throne. All right, come with me. This time your father will never refuse. You come with me."
He said, "No, no, no, I don't want that thing. I want that Nārāyaṇa. If you know something about Nārāyaṇa, please tell me. Otherwise, you go. I don't want to hear anything from you." What to speak of? What to speak of? The throne of my father, seat of my father, I want much higher place than that. My father has not got, my grandfather has not got, my great-grandfather has not got. I want such a place. Can you give me? I want that Nārāyaṇa." He's so strong, so determined. Do you understand? His father is Uttānapāda. Uttānapāda's father is Manu, his grandfather. Manu's father is Brahmā, the great-grandfather. So he expressed that desire, "I want such a seat that my great-grandfather has not gotten." So everything is fulfilled, you see.
Nārada Muni saw, "Oh, though he was a small child, he's five years old, but so strong, so determined." Do you understand? So determined, so strong, so Nārada Muni became so much pleased. Then he said, "Yes, I have, I know this mantra. You take this, you, uh, do japa of this mantra like this. This is the regulations you follow and this is the form of Lord Nārāyaṇa." He gave. "You meditate on it. Go to that Madhuvana, sit down there, do that thing what will, his guru says, see?"
Did accordingly as it is. Do you understand? And within six months, Lord Nārāyaṇa was pleased with him and appeared before him. When he opened his eyes and saw the figure, "Oh, I'm meditating this form and Guru Mahārāja has said it's Lord Nārāyaṇa." Do you understand? So he paid obeisances. Then he wanted to offer some prayer, but he didn't know. He didn't know. He doesn't know what is prayer to be offered. So he had not gone to any school, college. No education at all. And Lord Nārāyaṇa could understand it immediately, "Oh, yes, Dhruva wants to offer some prayers." So immediately touched his conch shell on his forehead. Then all Vedic knowledge came to him. Do you understand? And you'll find in Bhāgavatam, Dhruva's prayers, how it's filled with all Vedic truth. How he uttered.
Mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ - if he is deaf, dumb. He's dumb, cannot utter a single word, but he became an eloquent speaker of Veda. Now he speaks Veda. This is mercy, causeless mercy of Lord Nārāyaṇa. Do you understand? That is what. Then he asked, "All right, ask for the boon." And then, "What boon you want?" Then he said, "No, no, I don't want any boon from You." Do you understand? sthānābhilāṣī tapasi sthito ’haṁ tvāṁ prāptavān deva-munīndra-guhyam kācaṁ vicinvann api divya-ratnaṁ svāmin kṛtārtho ’smi varaṁ [Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 7.28] He said that thing. In Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, you find this verse. That Dhruva says. Apurva Prabhu, do you understand?
‘I had this desire of this place, and therefore I was doing tapasyā. I was just searching after a few pieces of glass, but I found invaluable gem.’ Do you understand? "I find You." Do you understand? "All my desires are fulfilled now. I have no desire at all. Even great sages, great munis, great demigods, they cannot get You. I got You. So I have no desire at all. All these material desires are gone now."
Do you understand, mother? So Kṛṣṇa will fulfill in such a way your material desire, you'll never ask for again. But all his desires were fulfilled. Dhruva planet was created for him. Do you understand? Even which is superior to the planet of Brahmā, because Brahmā's planet abode is destroyed when there is complete destruction, but Dhruva planet will never be destroyed. And he had that, expressed that desire. And Lord Nārāyaṇa said, "No, now you go and sit on the throne of your father and rule for 36,000 years. Then that planet I have created for you. Then you will go to that planet with your mother, stay there eternally, do my bhajana there."
But Dhruva didn't feel very happy. He didn't feel, all his desires were fulfilled, but he didn't feel. Rather, he condemned himself. "Such foolish I am. Such foolish, such rascal I am. I asked for all these things, Nārāyaṇa." Now he says. Do you understand? Do you understand, mother?
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: So that is that. All right.
Devotee: thank you.
Devotee: Gurudeva, I have one question. You say, like the example of Dhruva Mahārāja, he fully surrendered. Sometimes maybe someone realize that something in the astrological chart. Of course, we don't rely on that, but-
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Give up everything.
Devotee: ... give up everything? But I heard Prabhupāda say it's possible we can surrender to Kṛṣṇa in one minute.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes, in one minute. Yes, in one second. Khaṭvāṅga Mahārāja surrendered in one second, and he got in one second. Yes. Śukadeva Gosvāmī told that thing to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. "You have seven days' time, enough time. Khaṭvāṅga Mahārāja had only one second. In one second, he surrendered, he got. You have seven days' time." You see? That is in Second Canto, Bhāgavatam, you will find. Yes, Khaṭvāṅga Mahārāja. Yes.Yes.
Devotee: We feel we want to surrender. We want to surrender but -
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Because you are not simple, so not surrendered. Be simple and surrender.
Devotee: We want to surrender and be Kṛṣṇa conscious like that.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes. Be simple. What is this? Throw off all these things. Empty yourself. Empty your heart. Cleanse your heart. All nasty things, throw off.
Devotee: This word, mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ, this verse.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes.
Devotee: If one is really devoid of knowledge of śāstra, he just can't, he hears Sanskrit and can't figure out what..
Gour Govinda Swāmī: No, it is mercy. Śrī-guru dīna-tāraṇe paramānanda mādhava. It is mercy of Mādhava, mercy of Guru. No previous qualification is needed.
Devotee: So if one gets that mercy, that means once he hears He will remember?
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes, he remembers and Kṛṣṇa is there in the heart, He will, He will prompt you.
Devotee: Then he has to study the verses first? Study first for the whole-
Gour Govinda Swāmī: He will develop such interest, such inquisitiveness, such thirst for it, knowledge, tattva-jñāna. He will develop such thing. So he will be up and doing, "Where is that sādhu? Where is that sādhu? Oh, I must go and associate and hear from him." sādhu-saṅge kṛṣṇa-kathā ei mātra cāi, saṁsāra jinite āra kona vastu nāi. Only to associate with sādhus and hear kṛṣṇa-kathā, that is everything. Nothing else is required. But people are so crooked, they cannot put faith , you see?
Devotee: I'm feeling like Guru Maharaj, what you were saying just now, I feel like somehow or another, Kṛṣṇa is giving me mercy through you. I can feel the mercy. And it's inspiring me to want to surrender more.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes, complete, unconditionally. What more? Complete, unconditionally.
Devotee: Sometimes devotees, senior devotees in different temples have seen my condition..
Gour Govinda Swāmī: What senior? Apparently senior.
Devotee: Older devotees have seen my condition of being, like, anxiety and collecting Lakṣmī, and they start thinking that maybe you've given me wrong order. And they're saying, "Oh, you should tell your guru that you should just do book distribution." Of course, I have that desire, but I have to have the faith that, that the order of the spiritual master is coming from Kṛṣṇa.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: I said, yes, to distribute books. I don't say, "Don't distribute."
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swāmī That will please so much to Guru and Gaura.
Devotee: Same time, I have to collect a lot of Lakṣmī.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes.
Devotee: And I can't understand how to do both. I can't understand how to do both.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: You should have everything. When someone, very inquisitiveness You understand? Pray to Kṛṣṇa. Pray to Him. Yes. Please prompt him to take this book. First offer him book. ‘Oh nice picture, Kṛṣṇa is there’.Yes. This thing, alright? The last thing, as a shopkeeper, he has many things. Do you understand? But what customer wants? Mm.
Devotee: I have to supply.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Do you understand?
Devotee: Yeah.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: He says, "This is pakkā māl hai. Pakkā, very good. Pakkā." Do you understand? But this price is this thing. And he's reluctant. "No, I'm not supposed to." All right, then next thing is this is here. You take it, this price is there. So he's just showing him varieties. Let him take something. He should not go without taking. Let him take something. He should actually be in the consciousness of cultivating people who are favourable.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes.
Devotee: Meeting people to sell them book, and get their names, and visit them again.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yes, again. Get such people, get such people, then you are strong, some followers. Then all right. Do you understand? And Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence if you are very eager to serve Guru and Gaura crying in your heart. Definitely. Definitely. Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence. But you are deliberating, "My guru said this thing, but I want to do this thing." Then he says, "Oh, tell your guru do like... This is what?" You have no faith, no simplicity at all. Do you understand?
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Can't you understand this thing? So.. Always thinking, always thinking, always thinking, and many times asking the same question, same question, same question still your weakened mind dull brain or duplicitous heart, crooked heart cannot accept it.
Devotee: Well, I get more and more understanding from you. The more, different angles.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. This is, this is what that we are not at all simple. First instance, we cannot accept it, so we're deliberating such thing, and such thing, such question, such question. You see? You see? This is proof.
Devotee: (laughs)
Gour Govinda Swāmī: But immediately the small child says, "Oh! Yes! Hey, Gopāla, where are You?" Immediately. He has never asked anything. Who is that Gopāla? Where is he? How he looks? What is it? Never asked. "Yes, Gopāla, my friend, my brother where?" Immediately. No other question is there. Do you understand me?
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swāmī: It's a simple thing, but it's very difficult on your part to understand the simple thing, because you are crooked. Simple thing cannot be understood.
Jaya Prabhupada! Gurudeva ki Jaya !