Seventh Discourse
Page One

Naath sakal saadhan main heena
Kinhi kripa jaani jan dina
So kachhu dev na mohi nihora
Nij pan raakheo
Jan man chora

Let us keep our minds, intellects and ego aside, and learn a few things about Nisaadhanta.

Bhakti is bound to emerge in the heart of the person who listens to the Bhagavad-katha.  If by listening to discourses of the Lord, devotion does not arise in you, then it can mean only two things: Either you have not attended the discourse, or you have not truly listened to the katha. But then there is so much to do in the world, that the very fact that you have come to a katha means that you have a heart throbbing with love for the Lord!. If you and I did not have bhakti in our hearts for the Lord, we would be else-where.  We can therefore safely conclude that somewhere hidden in our core resides  faith and love. These emotions become apparent in a katha. If we learn a few things about life in a discourse, then maybe these dogmas can enrich our existence

Shastras and Sant
Scriptures and the Spiritual man.

There is much recorded in the scriptures. But it is easier to understand the wisdom of the scriptures through a sadguru, (a Master) rather than when one reads the scriptures oneself. It is rightly said that the saint or sadguru is the previous janam (incarnation) of our scriptures.  Mahaprabhuji, Shankar, Nimbaark, Ramanuj, Chaitanya, surely seem to be the previous incarnation of the scriptures. The wisdom of the scriptures become embedded in the core of great saintly personalities, and when truth becomes such an integral part of a human heart then it cannot help but strike its mark. I keep saying in different kathas that though the sun's rays are hot, they cannot burn cloth. But if one amasses the rays at one point through a glass, and keeps cloth or paper close to it, then you will soon find smoke emanating from the material or the paper.  A sadguru, a spiritual man does a similar thing with the scriptures. Therefore take utmost benefit from satsangs,  in this age of Kali, that we are passing through!

Satsang and Seva
Spiritual company and service

It is evident from the scriptures that what one receives in Kaliyuga from satsang and seva is unequalled in proportion to anything else.  One receives so much from service!  I believe that:

"Seva Svabahav se hoti hai
Prabhav se nahin"

Which means that service comes through ones intrinsic nature not through influence.  By influence one is able to perform ritualistic worship.

'Seva' is a beautiful word according to the 'Vaishnava Samrpradaya'.  "Seva" means that we should learn about the nature of the needs of the one whom we are to serve.  If the Lord offers you the chance, sweep the hermitage of a saintly personality, clean his objects of worship, The dust of the place where these saintly people reside is more valuable than heaven itself.  Great power lies where their feet touch the ground.  What I am trying to say is that one should serve and put in ones efforts to achieve the Lord but the ultimate rung is that of Nisaadhanta.  Sri Krishna, in the Srimad Bhagwad, says:

Na saadhayati maama yogo
Na saankhyam dharma Udhava
Na swadhyaayasta pastyaago
Yatha bhaktirma morjita

Which means that I am more pleased by one who tries to achieve me by devotion rather than by yoga or the knowledge of deep spiritual thoughts and doctrines.  What a great statement made by Sri Krishna.  We are not criticizing deep knowledge  or/ and yoga.  Here Krishna has spoken from the depths of His heart to Udhav, his close friend and confidante.  This particular statement was spoken before one had entered the age of Kali,- Kaliyuga started after Sri Krishna physically left the world.  If devotion was the most dear means to achieve the Lord then, then  how much more importance will it hold now, that we are immersed deeply into Kaliyuga -. a time when passion does not stop shooting its arrows. Greed has us bound and anger robs our peace.  We have to become free from the above three enemies.  But that will only happen by the Lord's grace.  Passion does shoot its arrows!  Goswamiji says :

Kaam ka teer hai
nari nayan

Which means that the arrows of passion are the eyes of a damsel.  Anger does not allow us to rest, to sleep! and the rope of greed is tied tight around our neck! And man cries out to the Lord that without His grace man cannot be freed.  That proves that though man puts in his efforts, he is not able to free himself from these enemies.  There are people who have been on the spiritual path for years, some as long as 25 or 50, yet their desires have a strong hold on them.

I met an elderly man of 70 years who said to me - I am following the principles laid down by you, without breaking any of them, but I feel the desires within me more intensely.  I told him, "Continue on your spiritual path, desires will intensify, they are not going to disappear by this effort of yours - they will only burn away with the Lord's grace but there will surely come about one benefit: your desire may intensify but it will not bring about your downfall.  Your spiritual pursuit will prove to be an armour to protect you!  You will not be allowed to fall by your Sadguru, sometimes the Lord protects you in the form of a child, or in any other form of His choice.

Shubh Chintak
A well-wisher

Man gets confused when so many problems come his way.  At times he loses control and a friend comes to his aid and comforts him by taking him out to tea or for a stroll.  Similarly when a spiritual pilgrim reaches a downfall, he is protected by the Lord.

Sakha Sochu
Tyaagahu bal more.

The Lord says - 'You are my friend, why don't you give your worries to me?' Sometimes the Lord comes in the form of a child.  It so happens at times that when parents fight, and the father walks away from the house, it is a child coming from school who stops him and lovingly brings him back home.  Similarly when a spiritual pilgrim falters them the Lord in the form of a Scripture or a Sadguru helps him.  You must have heard the following lines of Mahaprabhuji:

Chinta kaadaapi na kuryaat
Niveditmapi kadaapi iti

Mahaprabhuji says : When you have surrendered your mind and soul to the Lord, then what do you have to worry about?  He is a true spiritual pilgrim, who does not worry, who only prays.

Hari sharanam
Hari sharanam

Which means I have surrendered to the Lord.

Suppose you were to be asked by your Guru in whom you have placed your full trust, to perform a certain service for him for five days in a place that may not be very comfortable, I am sure that you will do it more willingly, because the desire comes from one you love and trust. Then why don't you feel the same way when placed in difficulty. That order has come from the Lord, so execute this willingly and do not worry about the outcome.

Mahaprabhuji claims that he who surrenders to the Lord is not allowed by the latter to lose his ways midst the labyrinths of the world.  Mahaprabhuji explains in the 'Subodhini' which is his interpretation of the Srimad Bhagwad, how Sri Krishna protected his devotees from all sorts of calamities.  His devotees did not perform any difficult penance in order to be protected thus, but they surely did one thing and that was - 'Surrender to their Gopal'. Surrender to Him all their worries and every -day dilemmas. However you will have to work on your negative tendencies,   you will have to control your anger- but after having done your best when you surrender to the Lord then he destroys Putna (the demoness of anger) for you.

There is a story in the Pushtimarg about King Aashkaran.  He would visualize his offerings to the Lord.  Once he was offering rice and dal to the Lord.  In his mind he saw the soup spilling.  As he opened his eyes later, he noticed spilled lentil soup on the ground.  If visualization can bring about such results then what about real surrender!  A real disciple does not think of leaving the world.  In fact, he brings the Lord into his world.  He feels that the Lord should sit, stand, eat and sleep with him!  The time comes when the devotee feels that whatever happens in the world, happens because of the Lords will.  Why do you think that a true spiritual pilgrim is at peace all the time - Because he is in  tune with the Lords will.

I met a couple whose Radha and Krishna had been stolen.  They were so unhappy.  I explained to them that all happens with the Lord's will.  How can anyone steal the Lord of Lords unless it is His own will to be stolen?  He is a true believer who believes that whatever happens , happens because of the Lords desire.  The inmates of Vraj did nothing in terms of penance and worship, but they always remembered that in their every act , be it ever so mundane, the Lord was always with them. 

Suppose someone falls into the well, you'd probably throw the rope to help him come up, but if it is your beloved you'd probably jump into the well to help him out.  If you can do that, what about the Lord.  If you surrender to him all of you, he will surely jump into the well to help and ease you out.

The Lord is the Param Pita The Lord is the Father of Fathers.

You must have heard the story of Akbar & Birbal. Once Akbar asked Birbal, "Why does the Lord Himself have to incarnate over and over again" Isn't He powerful enough to order his subordinates to perform that task for Him?  Birbal said that he would give an appropriate answer at the right time. After the lapse of about a week Birbal ordered a statue to be made in the semblance of Akbar's own Son. The statue was placed on a boat and at the precise time when Akbar was looking, Akbar's son was pushed out of the boat into the sea. Watching the above, Akbar immediately jumped into the sea. When Akbar realised that what had fallen into the sea was statue of his son, he was annoyed with Birbal for having pulled such a prank on him. Birbal said "This is in answer to the question that you had posed to me. Last week why did you not ask your servants to jump in . Akbar protested! Birbal explained, that when the Lords "very own" are in peril, He incarnates Himself to save them rather than to order His subordinates to do so.

Brahm Sambandh
Connection with the Lord

Guru Nanak & Chaitanya claim that if you replant rice from one field to another, you will have a harvest. Modern day Saints say that all you have to do is to move your plug from one socket to another and you will connect with the Lord!.

So do not worry, just believe that all that happens occurs with the Will of the Lord!. If you worry, you are insulting the Greatness & Power of the Lord!. The people of Vraj never worried because they surrendered their worries to the Almighty.

The Lord's Wish & Grace

There was a man who chanted the Lords name all his life until he reached the age of 90.  At that point he became so physically weak that he was unable to pray anymore.  He felt that this was a matter of great misfortune - after all, he had prayed all his life and at the time when he should be praying the most, he was unable to do so.  It is said that at the moment of his death, the Lord appeared to him & said "It does not matter if you cannot chant My name anymore, I shall pray for you".

Kabira man nirmal bhayo
Jaiso Ganga neer,
ab pichhe pichhe Hari phire
kahat Kabir Kabir
Mala japo na kar japo
jivha japo na Ram
Sumran mera Hari Kare
ab main paava vishraam.

Kabir says - I do need to pray to the Lord anymore- Now He thinks of me and follows me all the time, everywhere.

What I am trying to say, is when you surrender to the Lord - He will worry about you. If you want to test the Lord, ask for some problems every 3 or 6 months which will be an examination of how you have lived your life, and observe how He comes, to your aid and remains by your side during your time of trouble. Didn't Kunti ask for difficulties? She knew that whenever there would be difficulties the Lord would be standing by her side, because it would be His responsibility to steer her across.

But what to do when desire, anger does not leave you. I say continue to pray, it will become an armour and will save you from downfall. When a great devotee like Naradji can become a victim of desire, then what about us? You must have heard the story when Naradji was angrily going along his way with his mind full of desire. The Lord met him half-way and saved him from downfall. So what I am trying to say that for His true devotees, the Lord does not drop the rope. He himself jumps into the well to bring him safely outside.