Gour Govinda Swami: Strong faith, unflinching faith, cannot be shaken in any circumstances. That is faith. It is known as Śāstrīya śraddhā. There are two types of Śraddhā, Śāstrīya śraddhā and laukik śraddhā. Faith in the words of sādhu, śāstra guru, guru is śāstrīya śraddhā. One has to develop this Śraddhā, and Śraddhā should be very strong, unflinching, unflinching. Laukik Śraddhā, there's a good faith in the words of material scientist, material philosophers, material people. That's laukik śraddhā. We reject it.
One should develop such faith, then he is eligible to tread this path, path of spirituality and path of devotion. Otherwise, no question at all. This is like a foundation. And foundation should be very strong, then there will be building, a mansion. You build it. Otherwise, if foundation is not strong, It's defective, then it will collapse, all structure will collapse. Whole structure will collapse, isn't it? Foundation should be very strong. Then you erect a skyscraper with it. A skyscraper? Otherwise, the all, whole structure will collapse.
Therefore, Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī said, "Ādau Śraddhā, First thing is śraddhā." Unflinching faith in the words of sādhu, master, guru. Then comes sādhu-saṅga.
koṅ bhāgye koṅ jīve śraddhā dādi hoy
tabe se jīve sādhu saṅga pora
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta)
If someone is fortunate enough, has developed Śraddhā, faith in the words of sādhu, master, guru, he comes for association with sādhuṣ, otherwise they do not come. They chant, but we won't come. Yes. It's the first thing. By the association with sādhuṣ, Vaiṣṇavas, one will develop Bhakti. Bhaktis tu bhagavata saṅgena parijāyate. How can one develop Bhakti? Only by Bhakti Saṅgha. The association of Vaiṣṇava, Bhakta, sādhu, one can develop Bhakti. No other means is there. No other way is there.
If someone is serious, "Yes, I must develop Bhakti because this human, rarely achieved human birth is meant for it." The achievement of Bhakti, pure Bhakti, sura Bhakti, that means to get Kṛṣṇa. One can approach Kṛṣṇa through śuddhā Bhakti, pure Bhakti. So this human, rarely achieved human birth, is meant for that. Development of sura Bhakti, eventually, get Kṛṣṇa. He's very serious, and has unflinching faith in the words of sādhu, master, guru. He is a very fortunate person. He comes for sādhu-saṅga. Otherwise, nobody will come. This is the first thing needed. Ooh. So types of Śraddhā is there. Mm.
Differences, differentiations. Komal Śraddhā, Śraddhā is there, but it is soft, it is not strong. It's Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, he's a neophyte. By association with the Uttama-adhikārīs, Mahā-Bhāgavatas, very, very elevated devotees, Vaiṣṇavas, those who have strong faith, unflinching faith, they are known as... and very efficient, in Śāstra, Śāstra-yukti. Nobody can shake them. They're fixed. Strongly fixed. They are uttama-adhikārī. By the association of uttama-adhikārīs, elevated devotees, that neophyte devotee could make gradual development, makes your alleviation. Then sooner or later he will become a Uttama-adhikārī. The one who has dṛḍha Śraddhā, very strong faith in words of sādhu, master, guru and fixed on it and very expert in establishing Śāstra-yukti, śāstric, evidences. Proficient in this philosophy, He is Uttama-adhikārī.
But a person, mm, doesn't know so much Śāstra-yukti, but he has strong faith in the words of sādhu, master, guru, he is Madhyama-adhikārī. A person who has very soft faith, he is Kaniṣṭha-adhikārī, a neophyte. There are three types. Mahāprabhu has said, and the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta has said,
śraddhā-śabde—viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya
kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya
This definition, Śraddhā means strong faith, unflinching faith in what? Kṛṣṇa Bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya.
If you develop Kṛṣṇa Bhakti, pure Bhakti for Kṛṣṇa, then all your duties, all your obligations are finished. No more left out. Unflinching faith in this statement is Śraddhā. Unflinching faith in this statement. If you can develop pure Kṛṣṇa Bhakti, then all your obligation, all your duties are finished. No more left out. Finished.
What is left out? Your Ātmā. What is left out? Oh, I have my duty for my wife, my children, my neighbors, my birthplace. Isn't it? Isn't it? This all. My deśa, my land. So many, so many. That means you have not Śraddhā. You have no unflinching faith in this statement.
Only speak from the lips. In the heart, you have no faith. And if you examine, you will find out of 100 persons, Only 0% will come out that one who has real faith in this word in heart, this statement. They all speak from the lips. No real faith in this statement.
Kṛṣṇa Bhakti, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya, develop your Kṛṣṇa Bhakti, pure devotion, pure Kṛṣṇa Bhakti, all your obligations, all your duties are finished. No more. Isn't it? Yes. 100%. People have no faith in it. They speak only lips only. In heart, there is no faith.
So before accepting Mahā-prasād, we utter this, thing, caution, words of caution. Sādhu savadhān! O vaiṣṇavas, sādhuṣ, be cautious!
mahā-prasāde govinde nāma-brahmaṇi vaiṣṇave svalpa-puṇya-vatāṁ rājan viśvāso naiva jāyate
You follow me? Mahā-prasād, prasād offered to Kṛṣṇa, Jagannāth, it becomes Mahā-prasād, with great mercy. It's not material food. It's transcendental. Kṛṣṇa has tasted it. Lord Jagannāth has tasted it. It's not material food. It's transcendental.
It never becomes dried up. It never becomes stale. Because it's transcendental. It's not material. You may take it for a thousand, thousands of miles. Still it will never be polluted, never becomes polluted. This is Śraddhā, strong faith. With this faith, if you accept, then you will gain transcendental quality, develop transcendental qualities. Your consciousness, heart will be purified.
If a tinge of doubt in it, oh, some bad odor is coming out. It has become polluted. If some tinge of this thought will be there, you will be punished because you commit aparādh. If you still take it, then you'll find there will be diarrhea, cholera, and you will die.
But no doubt at all. Strong faith. No, this is transcendental food. This is not material food. This is Lord Jagannāth's mercy, Kṛṣṇa's mercy. He has tasted it. This faith, strong faith if you take it, you'll find, ooh, the result that your consciousness or heart will be purified. Very soon you will develop Bhakti. Yes.
This is a question of Śraddhā. Govind, deity, worshipable deity, installed deity in the temple, nāma, vigraha, svarūp saccid ānanda moya, there's no difference between, the name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Himself, and installed deity. Three are transcendental, and this is faith. One was no faith. He's a faithless person. He must be perished.
Nāma Brahma, that means holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma, Rāma. abhinatva nāma nāmino, there is no difference between the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself, especially in Kali Yuga, nāma rūpe Kṛṣṇa Avatār. There is no other incarnation in Kali Yuga but name incarnation.
Kṛṣṇa has incarnated Himself in the form of His holy name, one who has complete faith, unflinching faith in this statement. He's Śraddhā vanadanam. He is Bhakti-adhikārī. He is eligible for Bhakti. Otherwise, he has no eligibility. Vaiṣṇava is sādhu completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, completely surrendered unto holy name is Vaiṣṇava, is sādhu. Yes.
One who has developed faith, he is a very fortunate person. Very quickly, he will develop Bhakti and quick development in there, advancement in there.... but svalpa-puṇya-vatāṁ rājan viśvāso naiva jāyate. But those who have no Sukṛti, they cannot put faith in this. They cannot put faith in this.
Mm. Mm, Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākur has said in Āmnāya Sūtra and Jīva Goswāmī, Śrīla Jīva Goswāmī has said in Bhakti-sandarbha, ah, [...]. In Bhakti-sandarbha, Śrīla Jīva Goswāmī said, "Śraddhā means unflinching faith in Vedic inference, evidence." Sādhu-śāstra-vākya, that is Śraddhā.
Hmm. Śraddhā and Śaraṇāgati, Śraddhā and sur- surrender, same thing. One who has unflinching faith, he, he will surrender. One who has no faith, he cannot surrender. He cannot surrender.
Last concluding instruction Kṛṣṇa gave in Bhagavad-Gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. This is the last concluding instruction. Then previous, form er instructions are canceled and the last thing comes. That stands.
That is more powerful, between former and later. Later or latest instruction, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. Giving up all the rights of Dharma, just surrender unto me. And don't fear.
If you have some fear or apprehension that if I give up also the Dharma, then I'll commit some Adharma or Pāp, if such apprehension is there, Kṛṣṇa says mā śucaḥ. Don't fear. I'll destroy all your sinful reactions. So you should put faith in Kṛṣṇa's words. Then you'll surrender. Otherwise, no, you cannot surrender.
This is what you should understand. Oh. Unless you surrender unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, we cannot have any auspiciousness at all. Surrender unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa is all auspicious. Faith, strong faith in this statement is Śraddhā. This is Śaraṇāgati. This is surrender. And one who has unflinching faith in it is Śraddhāvan Vyaktī. You follow my words?
Śraddhā-vana jana hoya bhakti-adhikārī. When a devotee of Śraddhā, he's eligible for Bhakti. He can tread this path of Bhakti. Otherwise, he cannot come to this path. He cannot tread it. He cannot tread it if he's lacking faith. Hmm.
Some may say, some people, many people are there, they only pretend. They are pretenders. They will pretend that they have surrendered, but they have not surrendered because they have no faith in the words of sādhu, śāstra guru vākya. They are pretenders. Some say, "Can anybody compel somebody?" Yes, you put faith in it. Is there any compulsion in it? Many people say so. We say, "No, there is no compulsion."
You may put faith in it or may not put faith. That is up to you. As you sow, so you'll reap, isn't it? As you sow, so you'll reap. If you cannot put faith, you have... If there is doubt in it, then you will perish. That is the result. If you put faith in it, strong and unflinching faith, you will surrender.
Then you'll develop Kṛṣṇa-prema Bhakti and get Kṛṣṇa, and your human life will be successful. You'll achieve supreme perfection, go back, come back to Godhead. You will never come back here again and suffer here. You won't be involved in the cycle of birth and death, isn't it? As you sow, so you'll reap. That is what. There's no question of compulsion.
Those who have much Anartha, those who are not simple-hearted persons, those who are duplicitous persons, crookedness and duplicity is there, they have no faith. They have doubt in the words of sādhu, master, guru. They have doubt. Saṁśaya-ātmā.
It is said, oh, ah, a duplicitous person, a person with many Anarthas, a person lacking Sukṛti, Though he sees a sādhu, still he cannot put faith in his words. Then he says, "All right, if you say this truly exists sādhu, all right, I have gone there, I've seen him, but he cannot make me put faith in his words. I cannot develop faith. No, he's not a sādhu at all." He may say like that.
Example is, Those are gross materialistic persons.... non-devoted, atheist. If they come to the temple, they see arcā-avatār, installed deities, still they have no faith. They say, "Oh, they are idol worshipers. They are worshiping idols. They are pāṣaṇḍīs. Then, then you say, "Oh, it's not, it's not different from Kṛṣṇa." How can you say?
sākṣāt vrajendra-nandana, you are not idol, you are directly son of Nanda Mahārāj, you say. But that person, "W-whoa, whoa, I cannot develop such thing." So he's not that, is it? Shall we accept it? No. Because he's a duplicitous person, ah, he has no faith in it, oh, and we say Tulasī kṛṣṇa priyāsī, we worship Tulasī Devī, every morning and evening, isn't it?
It's not a mere plant, it's very dear to Kṛṣṇa and if we get her mercy, then we'll immediately develop Kṛṣṇa, Prem Bhakti, get Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, we worship. But these are theist, materialistic persons say, "Oh, you have, they're worshiping a plant." All right, if your Tulasī is a Kṛṣṇa, very dear to Kṛṣṇa-priyāsī, and you worship, how is it a dog comes... when a dog comes, see Tulasī plant there, he just raises his feet and passes urine here on it.
How is it that is Kṛṣṇa? If his Kṛṣṇa, she is Kṛṣṇa-priyāsī, very elevated you say, how a dog passes urine on it and she doesn't do anything? You follow my point? So is it Tulasī... Then Tulasī... Well, let me prove that Tulasī is not Kṛṣṇa because a dog passes urine on it. Because it's a dog, a very inferior animal. It's true.
Consciousness is very, very polluted conscious- low consciousness, coward consciousness. How to say? You are a human being, you have achieved a rarely achieved birth. Your consciousness is something higher consciousness. So this instruction is given to you, not to a dog. A dog cannot understand it. If a dog passes urine on a Tulasī plant, but do you prove that Tulasī is not Kṛṣṇa-priyāsī? What is this nonsense? Such people are there.
Mahāprabhu said, Ahara dikile mukhe āise Kṛṣṇa-nāma pāpī āne Vaiṣṇavī. By seeing such a Vaiṣṇavī automatically name of Kṛṣṇa will utter in, in your lips, then you can understand he's the topmost Vaiṣṇav. All right, you say that Mr. X is top most Vaiṣṇav. "I went there but it, the name of Kṛṣṇa never uttered in my lips." How do you say so? Yes.
All right. You say Mr. X is top most Vaiṣṇav and you say, "Yes, if you go there, as soon as you see him, automatically name of Kṛṣṇa will be uttered in your lips." "Yes, I went there, but no Kṛṣṇa name is uttered in my lips, in my lips." How is it? Then he's not a top most Vaiṣṇav? What is this?
Because they are pāṣaṇḍīs, they are māyāvādīs, they are great offenders? So if they say such a Mahā-Bhāgavata? Still the Kṛṣṇa will never be uttered in them. As for example, Mahāprabhu, Mahāprabhu is Supreme Lord, even that fisherman was catching fish in the sea? He caught up Mahāprabhu in his net. Mahāprabhu was fainted and floating in the sea. As soon as he touched the body of Mahāprabhu, he became ecstatic, danced and chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa and danced?
But Rāmacandra Purī, you see, Rāmacandra Purī criticized Mahāprabhu, a great offender. And this pāṣaṇḍīs, materialistic persons, in Navadvīp, they criticize Mahāprabhu. Then Mahāprabhu is not Mahāprabhu? No ecstasy, ecstatic symptoms manifest in that person, then Mahāprabhu is not Mahāprabhu? Can you say so? That means if you have no faith, though you see the person still you can develop in. Faith is most important, first thing. If you have no faith, you cannot do sādhu-saṅga.
Though you come here, sit here, this word will never enter into your ears because you have no faith. You're a doubtful person, you are a duplicitous person, you are a crooked person, you have no faith in the words of. Though you come, still you cannot have, cannot do. Rather a faithless person, hmm, will criticize. They have criticized Mahāprabhu, they have criticized Kṛṣṇa, they have criticized Lo- Lord Rāma, they have criticized Sītā, they have criticized Rādhārāṇī. Yes. All Yugas there are, and there are many in Kali Yuga. Hmm.i
Most important is simplicity, simplicity of Vaiṣṇavism. A simple-hearted person-... immediately develops Śraddhā. A crooked person, a duplicitous person, Kāpatya, he cannot develop. Saṁśaya Ātmā is a doubtful body. Saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. He must perish.
Ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca saṁśayātmā vinaśyati. Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-Gītā, "Kasal chahidi bhakta bhāvi śraddhate guṇa gāhe." Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says develop your Śraddhā. Be simple-hearted and put unflinching faith, strong faith in the words of sādhu, Śāstra, guru. Then very quick development, quick advancement you will make in the path of devotion.
Really, if you do sādhu-saṅgha, you're attracted for sādhu-saṅgha. And by the... you get the mercy of sādhu and very quickly your Anarthas will develop... destroyed, come to state of Niṣṭhā, then Ruci, then Asakti, then Bhāv, then Prem. Oh. Oh. So this Śraddhā is most important and first requisite, and this is foundation, and this should be very strong and unflinching. Then quick development there. Sādya-vastu, ultimate end, means an end. End is Prem. End is Prem. Sādya-vastu is Prem. And you have it without delay.
But yes, the foundation is weak. Foundation is not strong. That means Śraddhā is weak. Śraddhā is not strong, unflinching. There will be no building at all. Never built up. You cannot see the end Prem at all. If you only pretend, you're a pretender, only pretending. And you will become a cheater and you will be cheated. Cheater and cheated.
Therefore, Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī says, "Adau śraddhayā." And guru first test this thing, whether the disciple has developed Śraddhā in it or not. Śraddhā in the holy name, Śraddhā in the, words of sādhu, Śāstra, guru. Unflinching faith first. Then he will accept him to give him Harināma. Otherwise, no. No Śraddhā, no. Then guru will be offender. Nām-aparādha. He will commit Nām-aparādha.
Being guided by some greed. "Oh, that is a wealthy person. Jagadātmā is a wealthy person. If I anyhow become my disciple, if you gi- give me so much money, wealth." But he is lacking faith. Then guru will become offender. Yes, therefore this caution is there. Mahāprabhu said that thing. Śāstra said that thing. Hmm. Hmm.
Don't accept such disciples. Bahu śiṣya na kariba. Don't accept so many disciples. And don't accept such disciples being guided by greed, material greed. He is Śraddhā-hina nana. He has no faith and you have accepted him and given him Harinām. Then you get offended. And very soon that person will be fallen. Yes, he will fall down. Yes. He will lose his Bhakti-sukṛti. He will lose it. Definitely he will lose it. This question is there. You follow?
So the test is there. Test. Yes. Then we have this, oh, what? Oh, period. Testing period, time, one year time. For one year, guru will test. For one year, śiṣya will test. Yes. As long as you have not developed strong faith in the words of this person, so soon accept him. Oh, there are no faith in his words.
Yes, if I want, I want Kṛṣṇa, the ultimate gain is Kṛṣṇa. I want Kṛṣṇa. Whether this person can give me Kṛṣṇa? Has he gotten Kṛṣṇa? Has he gotten? Yes, you must test. Has he gotten Kṛṣṇa? I want Kṛṣṇa. That is ultimate gain. That's it. This human life meant for it. And 100% Kṛṣṇa, not 50% Kṛṣṇa or partial Kṛṣṇa. Complete Kṛṣṇa. 50%, 60%, 75% Kṛṣṇa, 90%. No, no. 100% Kṛṣṇa. Has he gotten? Can he give me?
These disciples, guru is testing whether he has developed faith, strong faith in the words of sādhu, Śāstra, guru. Unflinching faith. Whether he will ungrudgingly accept my discipline. Very strict, severe discipline I inflict on him. Then how can he become disciple? This guru test. Then acceptance. Other than no acceptance. Then everything will collapse. Instead of good, bad things will come up. Result will be reversed. Both guru and śiṣya will be offenders. Offenders. That is result. Thank you.
Now we have a question and answer period. (crowd murmuring) (crowd cheering)... yes?
Devotee: You're saying if we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then there's no obligation.
Gour Govinda Swami: No obligation.
Devotee: That's our only business.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes.
Devotee: But, um, especially in India, people will say, but in Gītā, Kṛṣṇa says in 17th chapter-
Gour Govinda Swami: What?
Devotee:... that, austerity of the mind-
Gour Govinda Swami: Mm.
Devotee: ... that means to serve mother and father.
Gour Govinda Swami: (laughs) Who says like that?
Devotee: In Gītā.
Gour Govinda Swami: Oh!
Devotee: In Gītā, in Chapter 17. No.
Gour Govinda Swami: Mm.
Devotee: Chapter 17.
Gour Govinda Swami: Oh.
Devotee: Says that the austerities of the mind mean to serve-
Gour Govinda Swami: Ah.
Devotee: ... the Brāhmaṇas.
Gour Govinda Swami: Ah.
Devotee: To serve, uh, uh-
Gour Govinda Swami: Mm-hmm.
Devotee:... those who are the spiritual master-
Gour Govinda Swami: That's true.
Devotee:... the senior, and the mother and the father. He so, orders that you should serve mother and father then.
Gour Govinda Swami: Ah. Spiritual master is the real father and mother. Because material father and mother is not real, they are unreal.
Devotee: Mm-hmm.
Gour Govinda Swami: You're supposed to serve real father and mother. That he says.
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. Eternal. And they are eternal.
Devotee: Then the small period, though, is, is they argue that say serve mother and father in this world it says?
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. Supreme Father, Supreme Mother, sei sei parama bandhu sei pitā mātā. He is my supreme friend. He's my Father. He's my Mother. [...] One who has developed Prem Bhakti at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. He is my eternal father and mother, real father and mother, is my supreme friend, everything. If you serve him, then all fathers, crores, crores fathers, last, last sons are served. Yes?
Devotee: In the ninth chapter, 17th verse, it says, "I am the Father of the..." Ahaṁ pitā jagato, I'm the Father of the universe, the Mother to support the grandsire. Kṛṣṇa is saying, "I'm the Father. I'm the Mother.".
Gour Govinda Swami: Ah, Kṛṣṇa says I. Yes. Kṛṣṇa says, "I."
Devotee: And Śrīla Prabhupāda says here, Guru Mahārāj, that, one should worship the Brāhmaṇas, the spiritual master, superiors like mother or father, who are conversant with the Vedic knowledge.
Devotee: Yes, they're conversant in Vedic knowledge.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. They're not conversant. Pitā maho sasya. He's soon not to be father, he's soon not to be mother if he cannot instruct this Bhakti Tattva? Then that father and mother.
Devotee: Then that father and mother-
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes.
Devotee: Well, in India, they'll say, "Yes, we are conversant." (laughs)
Gour Govinda Swami: Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. They say only everything, "Yes, we know, we know, we know."
They say on everything; "We know." What will you teach us? We know. We know. Oh. So puffed up fellows, yes. The one who knows, he says, "I don't know anything."
Devotee: Well, they go as far as saying they know that Śloka. (laughs)
Gour Govinda Swami: No, you know, to establish themselves, but they don't know the purpose of that Śloka, what is the purport here.
Devotee: Yes.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes, they don't know. (laughs) So many dumb... number of such people are very, very great. Great in number, great in number. Mm-hmm.
Devotee: Guru Mahārāj, could you also argue in that case, what you said just then, that sarva-dharmān parityajya, so all other instructions are canceled.
Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. All other instructions are canceled. Yes, all canceled. Only surrender, finished. Surrender unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, surrender unto holy name, finished, latest. That is latest instruction, you see?
Devotee: Jay Śrīla Gurudeva!