ALL GLORY TO SRI GURU AND GAURANGA

STOP WORRYING
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START LIVING

Saìkarñaëa Däsa Adhikäré

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Transcription:
Sulakshana Devé Dasi and Bhaktin Divya Priya

Compilation and editing:

Guru Vandana Devé Dasi

Fine editing and proof reading:

Bhaktin Aarushi, Bhaktin Lipsa, Bhakta Sudeep and Para Shakti Devé Dasi

Layout Design:
Anutham Hari Das

Cover design:
Bhakta Deepak

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Coordination in Printing:
Nanda Gopal Jivan Das

For bulk purchases: Golden Age Media (Nandagopal Jivan Das),

New Delhi, India, Mobile: +919310045060, email:ngjd.gkg@gmail.com
Website: www.goldenagemedia.org

Copyright © Golden Age Media All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced or copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means
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ate legal action.

Golden Age Media expresses its gratitude to the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
(B.B.T), for the use of the verses, quotes, purports, pictures and letters from His
Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda’s works. All such verses,
quotes, purports and letters are © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.
 Dedication

HIS DIVINE GRACE

A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI ÇRÉLA PRABHUPÄDA

www.goldenagemedia Founder-Äcärya of the

International Society for Kåñëa Consciousness

nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale

çrémate bhaktivedänta-svämin iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master,

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, who is very dear to Lord
Kåñëa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Saras-
vaté Gosvämé. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanya and deliver-
ing the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.”
 C ONTENTS

Introduction

Stop Worrying
1. Anxiety – The Unnatural state������������������������������������������������������ 2
2. It is intelligent to ask why I am worrying���������������������������������������� 6

Start Living, Culitvate Bhakti

3. How to become fortunate to get the seed?�������������������������������������� 10
4. A fortunate gardener receives, sows and lets the seed sprout��������� 28
5. Bhakti Creeper penetrates the Virajä River����������������������������������� 42

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6. Danger –Mad elephant������������������������������������������������������������������� 61
7. Cut the Unwanted Creepers����������������������������������������������������������� 74
8. Gardener tastes the fruit and thus become blissful������������������������ 92
9. Cultivate Just One crop������������������������������������������������������������������ 94

Çravaëaà Kértanaà
10. Glories of Çrémad Bhägavatam���������������������������������������������������� 111
11. Doubtless way of Success��������������������������������������������������������������127

Relevant Inquiries
12. Selected Queries������������������������������������������������������������������������� 158

About The Author.................................................................... 221

 I NTRODUCTION

oà ajïäna-timirändhasya jïänäïjana-çaläkayä
cakñur unmélitaà yena tasmai çré-gurave namaù
çré-caitanya-mano-'bhéñöaà sthäpitaà yena bhü-tale
svayaà rüpaù kadä mahyaà dadäti sva-padäntikam
“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master
opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful
obeisances unto him.”

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namas te ’stu dämne sphurad-dépti-dhämne

tvadéyodaräyätha viçvasya dhämne
namo rädhikäyai tvadéya-priyäyai
namo ’nanta-léläya deväya tubhyam
“O Lord Dämodara, I first of all offer my obeisances to the
brilliantly effulgent rope which binds Your belly. I then offer my
obeisances to Your belly, which is the abode of the entire universe.
I humbly bow down to Your most beloved Çrématé Rädhäräëé,
 PART – I

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STOP WORRYING
 CHAPTER 1

ANXIETY
THE UNNATURAL STATE

vande ‘haà çré-guroù çré-yuta-pada-kamalaà

çré-gurun vaiñëaväàç ca
çré-rüpaà sägrajätaà saha-gaëa-
raghunäthänvitaà taà sa jévam
sädvaitaà sävadhütaà parijana-sahitaà kåñëa-caitanya-devaà
çré-rädhä-kåñëa-pädän saha-gaëa-lalitä- çré-viçäkhänvitäàç ca
nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-svämin iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe
www.goldenagemedia
What is implied by the title of the lecture - “Stop worrying and
start living”? What it implies is, that in our present state, we
are worrying; we are not living. Another implication is that if
you worry, you are dead! True life means without worries.
So here we are in a death-like state of anxiety. That
is our present position. So what is the hope of coming
out of this death-like state of worries? The good news is
this: There are two types of states - a natural state and an
unnatural state. The death-like state of anxiety in which
one is full of so many worries, so many anxieties torturing
the brain day after day, week after week, year after year is
the unnatural state. The state of bliss, free from anxiety
– the Vaikuëöha consciousness - that true living state is
natural. In other words, it is natural to be alive and it is
unnatural to be dead.
 ANXIETY THE UNNATURAL STATE

Are we just chemicals?

Now what does that imply? “It is natural to be alive and
unnatural to be dead”. That implies that we are actually not
robots after all. You know that the scientists say that you are
not really a person. You know that? If you actually analyze
what the scientist is saying - you are not a person; you are just
a robot. Their vision of the whole universe is mechanistic. The
whole thing is just a machine - a chemical interaction. There
are no actual persons in there. It is a kind of interesting thing,
because they say we are only chemicals but the chemicals still
worry! Now, how can chemicals worry? Have you ever heard of
a worried chemical? So this whole conception they have - we
are only chemicals - doesn’t make any sense. It is unnatural.
If you analyze it in the most precise analytical way, what
it really boils down to is - we are in anxiety because we are
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misidentifying ourselves with that which we are not. In
other words, we are actually cognizant, primeval particles-
indestructible, indivisible, infinitesimal, anti-material
energy or as we say in Sanskrit, the ätmä or the jéva, the
soul.

How can you be that

something you are not?

The only reason we’re in anxiety is because we are misidentifying

ourselves with these chemicals. What is the first thing that you
hear when you come out of the womb? “It’s a boy! It’s a girl!
Wow!” Isn’t it? Of course we don’t understand the language at
that time but that’s the kind of talk that is going on. And then
as we grow up, we hear, “Be a good little boy”. “Be a good little
girl”. But you are not the body!

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 STOP WORRYING START LIVING

Just like you have that red sweatshirt on you. If I told you,
“You be a good sweatshirt! Whatever you do, you must be a
good sweatshirt!” “Well, I’ll try!” But how can you be a good
sweatshirt? I mean, that should start putting you in anxiety.
I am telling you to be something that you are not! How can
you be something that you are not? So the point is you are
being taught to try to be something that you are not. You are
naturally put into anxiety just by the very identity they pin
you with. They stick you with an artificial identity from the
very beginning of your existence in this particular life. So it
is natural that you are going to be in anxiety because you are
trying to be something you are not! This whole culture is based
on this nonsense.

The body is just a garment

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We are trying to be this body when it is simply a garment we are
wearing. It’s a great travesty of justice that such a wholesale lie
is being shoved down the throats of everybody on this planet.
Millions and billions of people are being duped and cheated.
No wonder people are in so much anxiety. They say, “Well,
if you want to be happy, you got to have some money. You
got to have a nice house. You have to have all these material
facilities.” But it didn’t make any sense to me when I went off
to college.
Here I was, in a pretty good school, small liberal arts school,
studying hard and making good grades. I was on the Dean’s
list regularly, you know the top students, and it didn’t make
sense. Here I am, working hard, to make good grades, to get a
good degree, to get a good job, to get a good wife, to get a good
house, to get a good car, to get some good kids… to get a good
coffin! A velvet lined coffin with good flowers once a year till

4
 CHAPTER 2

IT IS INTELLIGENT
TO ASK WHY I AM WORRYING

Way out of anxiety - Become intelligent

We live in a culture which is based on ignorance. The whole
culture is based on nescience. And as long as you remain in
nescience, you must be in anxiety. You may say, “But, isn’t it
said that ignorance is bliss?” That is true for the people who
are completely into ignorance – yes for them, ignorance is
bliss. People who think shopping at Walmart is the perfection
of their life – yes for them, ignorance is bliss. “When I go to
Walmart, I get really enlivened.” If you think shopping at
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Walmart is bliss, then right, you can have your bliss - Walmart
bliss. But an intelligent person is not satisfied with that kind
of bliss.
An intelligent person actually analyses, “Why am I
suffering?” He is in a better position than the person who
thinks he is happy. In other words, the person who is in the
state of illusory happiness - that is the worst state. That is the
lowest state of consciousness you can have. Someone who
realizes, “Hey, I’m suffering here. Why am I suffering?”- is in
a higher state of consciousness. Even though he is tortured by
his anxieties, he is seeking a way out of them. So his position
is better. He realizes this material world is a suffering position
and is looking for the answers.
That person who thinks he is happy…. Of course, his
happiness is fully dependent on all these material conditions.
 IT IS INTELLIGENT TO ASK WHY I AM WORRYING

As soon as he loses his job, he is in complete anxiety. He

thinks, “I have a job. I have money. I have my material sense
gratification. Therefore, I am happy”. But that happiness is
based on a temporary situation which can be finished at any
minute. The person who realizes that this temporary happiness
is useless, it’s a facade, it’s not real, is in a better position.
Because that person can then seek out, “What is the actual
means of happiness? What is the actual state?”

God is not cruel

It doesn’t make sense that God could be so cruel to give us an
existence which is simply miserable. Really doesn’t make sense
at all. You see how beautiful a lotus flower is? There is so much
beauty in nature, you see? And, if nature is so beautiful, how
life can be so ugly? It doesn’t make sense. If there is so much
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beauty in a sun rise, a beautiful mountain, or in a forest….
there is so much beauty actually within the creation, it doesn’t
make sense that life itself could be miserable. You see what I
am saying?
There seems to be something beautiful and wonderful to
existence. Being in a state of anxiety it is not beautiful and it
is not wonderful. So there is something unnatural, something
wrong about that state of anxiety. The intelligent person
analyses this - “Something is going wrong here. Something is
not right. Something needs to be adjusted. Something needs
to be fixed. I sense that there is a higher state of consciousness
completely free from anxiety and now I am not there. How can
I get from this state of anxiety to that state free from anxiety?”
Such a person will become serious then, to know what the way
out of the anxiety is.

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 STOP WORRYING START LIVING

When the student is ready, the

master appears

He is helped out by a very special person. That person is

called the caitya-guru, the spiritual master within the heart. In
other words, the Paramätmä, who is sitting there in your heart
accompanying you through millions and millions of lifetimes,
He knows when you are ready. He knows everything about you
- every thought, every feeling, and every aspiration. He knows
you intimately well. When you are actually serious to get out of
this suffering condition, what happens is -
brahmäëòa brahmite kono bhägyavän jéva
guru kåñëa prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja
[CC Madhya 19.151]

“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering

throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being
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elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going
down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions
of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets
an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master
by the grace of Kåñëa. By the mercy of both Kåñëa and the
spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper
of devotional service.”
That spiritual master within your heart manifests externally
as the spiritual master without. And then by the mercy of that
external spiritual master and the internal spiritual master,
Kåñëa Himself, you get a seed called bhakti-latä-béja the seed
of the bhakti creeper within the heart. The bhakti creeper then
gives you a channel or a means of actually escaping the world of
anxiety and regaining your original position of transcendental
existence beyond all anxiety.
(Lecture ISKCON Scarborough, Canada, 01-10-2013)

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 PART – II

START LIVING
www.goldenagemedia
CULITVATE BHAKTI
 CHAPTER 3

HOW TO BECOME
FORTUNATE TO GET THE SEED?

Now we will do deep sea diving in the nectar of Caitanya-

caritämåita.

brahmäëòa bhramite kona bhägyavän jéva

guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja
[CC Madhya 19.151]

TRANSLATION
"According to their karma, all living entities are wandering
throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated
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to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into
the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering
living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to
associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kåñëa.
By the mercy of both Kåñëa and the spiritual master, such a
person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service."

PURPORT
When we speak of brahmäëòa, we refer to the whole
universe, or to the cluster of many millions of universes. In
all the universes, there are innumerable planets, and there are
innumerable living entities upon those planets — in the air,
on land and in the water. There are millions and trillions of
living entities everywhere, and they are engaged by mäyä in
suffering and enjoying the results of their fruitive activity, life
 HOW TO BECOME FORTUNATE TO GET THE SEED?

after life. This is the position of the materially conditioned

living entities. Out of many of these living entities, one who is
actually fortunate (bhägyavän) comes in contact with a bona
fide spiritual master by Kåñëa’s mercy.
Kåñëa is situated in everyone’s heart, and if one desires
something, Kåñëa fulfills one’s desire. If the living entity
by chance or fortune comes in contact with the Kåñëa
consciousness movement and wishes to associate with that
movement, Kåñëa, who is situated in everyone’s heart, gives
him the chance to meet a bona fide spiritual master. This is
called guru-kåñëa-prasäde. Kåñëa is prepared to bestow His
mercy upon all living entities, and as soon as a living entity
desires the Lord’s mercy, the Lord immediately gives him
an opportunity to meet a bona fide spiritual master. Such a
fortunate person is fortified by both Kåñëa and the spiritual
master. He is helped from within by Kåñëa and from without
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by the spiritual master. Both are prepared to help the sincere
living being become free from material bondage.
How one can become this fortunate can be seen in the life
of Çréla Närada Muni. In his previous life he was born of a
maidservant. Although he was not born into a prestigious
position, his mother was fortunately engaged in rendering
service to some Vaiñëavas. When these Vaiñëavas were resting
during the cäturmäsya period, the boy Närada took the
opportunity to engage in their service. Taking compassion
upon the boy, the Vaiñëavas offered him the remnants of their
food. By serving these Vaiñëavas and obeying their orders, the
boy became the object of their sympathy, and by the Vaiñëavas’
unknown mercy, he gradually became a pure devotee. In the
next life he was Muni, the most exalted of Vaiñëavas and the
most important guru and äcärya of Vaiñëavas.

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Serve both the book and the person Bhägavatam –

nañöa-präyeñv abhadreñu
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
bhagavaty uttama-çloke
bhaktir bhavati naiñöhiké
“By regularly attending classes on the Çrémad Bhägavatam and
by rendering service to that person who is a living embodiment,
who is Bhägavatam personified - the spiritual master, all that is
inauspicious within the heart becomes destroyed practically to
nil. And thus the loving service unto the Supreme Personality
of Godhead who is praised with transcendental hymns becomes
established as an irrevocable fact.”
So we serve the spiritual master and we study the
Bhägavatam. This is what it means by bhägavata-sevayä. There
is book Bhägavata and the person Bhägavata. Both are very,
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very important. From the book Bhägavata, we learn how to
recognize who is the person Bhägavata and from the person
Bhägavata we know what the bona fide book Bhägavata is. So
from one we learn of the other, and by this two - the person
Bhägavatam and the book Bhägavatam - we can become perfect.
We become liberated souls.
So the verse again - “That very Çrémad-Bhägavatam I shall
recite before you because you are the most sincere devotee
of Lord Kåñëa. One who gives full attention and respect to
hearing Çrémad-Bhägavatam achieves unflinching faith in the
Supreme Lord, the giver of salvation.”

How important is this unflinching faith?

This question is answered in the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad,
chapter 6, text number 23.

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 SELECTED QUERIES

the scalpel. So we need to become expert preachers who can

instruct people in such a way that they can see their faults and
rectify them and be grateful. But if they simply get angry when
we correct them then that’s not good. That’s our fault also.

So what is the art? How do you do that? We are willing to take

instructions from those people whose motives we trust. They
are sincerely trying to help us. Those people we are willing to
take instructions from even if I don’t like the instructions but
if I trust that person who is my genuine well-wisher then I will
take it anyway even if I don’t like it. If I trust this person, my
genuine well-wisher I will take that instruction. So the key is
you have to deal with people in such a way that they really feel
that you are the well-wisher of them, that’s the key. You have
to treat others in such a way that they really know that you
truly love them, you truly care about them, and you have no

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dire desire to exploit them in any way; you simply want to help
them. We have to deal with the other devotees in that way that
they feel this person is so loving and kind; he is my true well-
wisher. I don’t like to hear from somebody who doesn’t like me
but if you like me I will like you. And if I like you I am willing
to hear from you. So in this way you have to develop good
relationships amongst the devotees, become a likable person
by liking others.
Prabhupäda liked everyone. He was very kind. He had a
wonderful feeling of compassion towards all living entities
seeing them all in relation with Kåñëa; of course that is a
Mahä-bhägavat. Those of us who are madhyamas have to make
distinctions between the Lord, the devotees, the innocent
and the envious. We serve the devotees. We preach to the
innocents and we avoid the demons. But amongst the devotees
and innocent people also we should be very much in the mood

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of giving, very much in the mood of loving dealings with

everyone. Trying to always express loving dealings in the way
we reciprocate. In this way if you cultivate good relationships
then people will be willing to hear from you and they won’t be
offended.­­­­­­
Q. We are engaged in purification process so every day some
dirt gets out from our heart. Can it come back and how?
A. Sure. The elephant bathes right and what does he do when
he gets out of the water, he rolls in the dirt. So you have to be
careful. Don’t roll in the dirt. You are bathing in this process
of Kåñëa-bhakti. Now don’t roll back in the dirt by engaging in
sense gratification, very simple thing. If you go back to sense
gratification, you get loose then you will become polluted. You
have to strictly follow the rules and regulations of bhakti. How
to get the higher taste? That is described in the Bhägavatam -

www.goldenagemedia çuçrüñoù çraddadhänasya

väsudeva-kathä-ruciù
syän mahat-sevayä vipräù
puëya-tértha-niñevaëät
[SB 1-2-16]

Bhägavatam says “By serving those persons who are completely

free from all vice, great service is done by such service one gains
an affinity for hearing the messages of Väsudeva.”
So that’s the key. Find first those devotees who are purely
serving without any material motives in the mission of
Prabhupäda. There are many. They are everywhere in our
movement. Our movement is loaded with sincere devotees.
They are trying their best to serve Prabhupäda’s mission. Serve
these devotees. Sincerely serve them and by that service to
these pure minded devotees you will develop a great taste for
hearing about Kåñëa, talking about Kåñëa.

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 SELECTED QUERIES

Q: Is one not fit for chanting if he has not properly heard

from his spiritual master or who does not follow the regulative
principles. I am not initiated or have a spiritual master; does
that mean I am not known to Kåñëa?
A: Actually Kåñëa is sarvajïa. He knows absolutely everything
and about everyone. Whoever asked this question, Kåñëa
knows you very well. He is sitting in your heart. He has
been travelling with you for millions of billions of lifetimes.
He knows every life you have gone through. He knows every
detail about everything you ever thought about in all of your
billions of lifetimes, anything you ever said, and anything you
have ever done. He knows perfectly everything about you. So
now Kåñëa, He wants you to come back to Him. He has been
waiting for that day when you will come and associate with His
devotees as you have come now. You are now here so Kåñëa is
seeing “Oh, this is very wonderful now I hope that person will
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surrender unto Me. So let Me give them all the facilities and
just hope they will take it.” So that is Kåñëa’s position. He is
like the parent knowing everything about the child’s runaway
activities and just hoping and hoping and hoping this child
will come back to Me.

Q: One of my friends is in Kåñëa consciousness for about

twenty years. He chants the Mahämantra but doesn’t believe
in Prabhupäda’s philosophy. You said in the morning that even
if that person chants Hare Kåñëa once he should not be hurt.
He says that he will give lectures but he doesn’t believe in
philosophy. What should I do? He listens to the prayers other
than ISKCON also.
A: If someone doesn’t want to hear from a bona fide spiritual
master, that means they are infected with false pride. Their
chanting will never become perfect. They will never realize

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absolute requirement is the mercy of guru and Kåñëa. That is

the absolute requirement. So that is the relationship between
sukriti and good fortune as described here in the Caitanya-
caritämåita Madhya lila chapter 19 text 151 purport.
Q: Aren’t we part and parcel of Kåñëa and His son, then why do
we need a spiritual master to seek His attention? His attention
should always be there as we are His son as His own part.
A: Who needs a guru if we are already Kåñëa’s son? Why
somebody is introducing my own father? I am His son; He is
my father. Why do I need someone in between? My dear Father
- here I am. Why do I need somebody to introduce me to Him?
Well, why don’t you ask Kåñëa?
He says –

ye me bhakta-janäù pärtha na me bhaktäç ca te janäù

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mad-bhaktänäà ca ye bhaktäs te me bhakta-tamä matäù
This is stated by Kåñëa to Arjuna. It is quoted in Ädi Puräëa.
Kåñëa clearly states, “The one who is My devotee is, na me
bhaktäç, he is not My devotee but the devotee of My devotee is
actually My devotee.”
So, one may object, “Kåñëa, That’s not fair. I am your
dedicated son. I am willing to do whatever You say, so why do
You require me to go through guru to come to You. Don’t you
know I am Your fully surrendered son. I will do whatever You
want me to do. I don’t need a guru. I am willing to do whatever
You want me to do.” Then Kåñëa says, “My dear son, didn’t you
just hear? I want you to come to Me through My pure devotee.
If you are My dedicated son you will do what I say. How can
you claim to be My dedicated son if you don’t want to follow
My instructions? I am saying unless you are the devotee of My
pure devotee you are not My devotee. If you claim to be My

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son then why are you disobeying Me? Because your mood is
in disobedience, that’s why you are in the cycle of birth and
death. So give up your mood of disobedience and come back
to Me in just the way I have prescribed to you through My
devotee.”

Q: Do emotions and sentiments have a place in loving Kåñëa?

A: Do you think love can be devoid of emotions and sentiments?
Can you love someone without emotions and sentiments?
No! Love means emotions and sentiments. What is the proof
that we are supposed to have emotions? Prabhupäda told us
in San Francisco at the Ratha-yäträ. He said, “I am travelling
all over the world and I am seeing that everybody is building
skyscraper buildings in imitation of your country. Therefore
if you American people will sing and dance in emotional love
of God then the whole world will follow you and there will
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be no more problems.” This Kåñëa consciousness movement
means emotions. Prabhupäda said emotional love of God. It is
the awakening of the spiritual emotions.

Prabhupäda told one disciple who was crying in the kirtan

- that crying in the kirtan is crying of the soul. We are not
encouraging an artificial display of emotions - “I am feeling
so much love for God, can’t you see the tears are coming out
on my face? I am tasting mahäbhäva. Now you all will worship
me as pure devotee. And does anybody have a bidi?” They are
making a show of mahäbhäva with tears and then they ask
for bidi. They want to smoke a bidi after they have that little
display of mahäbhäva. [Laugh]

We are not interested in sahajiyä. Sahajiyäs are who say, “Yes,

I am feeling great spiritual emotions. My hair is standing on
end and tears are flowing out of my eyes like torrents of rain. I

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am a great transcendentalist. You all worship me and give me

dakshina. Come on, come on.” [Laugh] We are not interested
in the cheap show of artificial emotions.
But the fact is if you sincerely follow the instructions of Çréla
Prabhupäda you will have the awakening of spiritual emotions
within your heart. Our hardened steel-framed hearts will melt.
When Rädhäräëé sings the glories of Kåñëa, sometimes nearby
stones melt away as described in the Nectar of Devotion by
Prabhupäda. So this process does melt the heart. Our stone
like hearts melt in the emotional love for God. That’s a fact.
As we advance in Kåñëa consciousness, if you want to
achieve those divine spiritual feelings within your heart, you
must strictly follow the regulative principles. You must rise
early every morning. You must take your bath. You must observe
mangal ärati at the temple or at home. You must chant japa
mala every day at least 16 rounds. You must study Bhägavatam
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and Bhagavad-gétä. You must avoid illicit sex, meat eating,
intoxication and gambling. You must associate with the pure
devotees of ISKCON as much as possible.
In this way you will gradually, gradually, gradually; just as
the sun rises on a beautiful spring morning; you will have
the awakening of divine emotions within your heart. But
you have to be patient. It doesn’t come immediately. You
have to trust the process. You have to trust Çréla Prabhupäda
and put in time and energy. I have put in now 43 years in
this process and I know it is bona fide because I can feel
the transformation of my heart. Formerly I thought material
sense gratification was enjoyment, and now I am realizing
more and more there is no enjoyment except for Kåñëa,
Kåñëa, Kåñëa!
Q: My family and extended family has no devotees except me.
So should I break my relations with everyone?

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A: Why don’t you make them devotees? That’s what

Prabhupäda did. He came to America. There were no devotees
to associate with. He turned the non-devotees into devotees
and he relished our association. So if you are having difficulty,
your family is not Kåñëa conscious you make them devotees
then you will have so many devotee associates. If they don’t
want to become devotees then spend as much time as you can
at the temple. Stay away from home as much as you can.
Q: How can we be saved from envy, lust, jealousy and greediness?
A: You have to replace them with something better. You have to
transcendentalize all of your psychological tendencies. I asked
Prabhupäda that one time because I was serving Prabhupäda
in a remote temple and he never came there. Prabhupäda went
to other places like Los Angles, New York, Chicago, Toronto
even Dallas. Here I am in a temple where I am not getting

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Prabhupäda’s association. Later I was in Gainesville. I came
there after Prabhupäda had been there. He didn’t come back.
So what do you do if you are in a situation where you meet so
many devotees who are telling about wonderful time they had
with Prabhupäda on the morning walk, they were in darçan with
him. When am I going to get my chance to talk to Prabhupäda,
to see him face to face, have some personal reciprocation with
him? So I was pretty envious. I will be honest with you.
And I knew devotees are not supposed to be envious. This
is something wrong with me. I have a defect. I am envious
of my godbrothers who are getting all this association
with Prabhupäda. So what to do? How will I conquer this
envy? I got to conquer it. So who do I ask? I wrote a letter
to Prabhupäda and asked him. “Prabhupäda, I have this
problem. I am envious of my godbrothers who are getting
your association. What can I do to get free from this envy?”

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And he surprised me with his answer. He didn’t tell me to

give up the envy. He said, “Transcendental envy means when
you see Kåñëa is recognizing someone else more than you.
You should try harder so that Kåñëa will recognize you also.”
So that’s what you do with envy. “I am envious because this
devotee over here they always ask him to give the class, they
never ask me to give the class.” Well, why don’t you learn
some more çlokas prabhu, become more qualified? In this way
you can use envy in a transcendental way as Prabhupäda
told me. Why don’t you become greedy and lusty to see that
the whole world becomes Kåñëa conscious? Why don’t you
become angry at the cow killers and the baby killers? Preach,
preach, preach… to put a stop to their slaughter houses,
to put a stop to their abortion clinics. Use your anger for
Kåñëa. Use your greed for Kåñëa. Use your lust for Kåñëa.
Use everything.

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Q: How to always remember that we are servants of Kåñëa?
A: Refer to the verse by Lord Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Say the
verse often, when you are walking down the street; when you
are sitting down to eat prasädam-

jévera ‘svarüpa’ haya—kåñëera

‘nitya-däsa’ [Cc.ML 20-108]
“The constitutional position of living entity is he is the eternal
servant of Kåñëa.”
Say that verse often.
Q: Who is a pure devotee?
A: One who is strictly serving his spiritual master without any
deviation He is a pure devotee.

Q: You had mentioned that duplicitous behavior as being an

aparädha. But I was thinking that being straight forward can

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be more offensive. Even when dealing with the devotees I see

that when I am straight forward presenting my feelings makes
them feel offended with me.
A: If you have offensive feelings in your heart then you
don’t just spout them out. You take a humble position. You
say, “My dear prabhu, I am having some difficulty. I have
some bad feelings in my heart.” You don’t just say. “I think
you are a rascal. I think you are a demon.” That’s not what
it means to be straight forward and honest. You say “Prabhu,
I am having some difficulty with some bad thoughts in my
heart. Please help me to overcome them.” That’s what it
means.

It doesn’t mean whatever garbage you have in your brain

you just spout it out. “I think you are lower than stool of a dog.
I am just being honest prabhu. I am being straight forward.”
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That’s not what it means. Don’t misunderstand. You should be
kind and loving in all your dealings. If you are having difficulty
with bad thoughts say, “Prabhu, I am having some difficulty. I
have some negative thoughts in my brain. Could you please
help me?” That’s the idea.

Q: When a dékñä-guru accepts a disciple; does he takes on his or

her accumulated karma or only the karma from the initiation
forward?
A: All the karma from millions and billions and trillions and
quadrillions of life times is absorbed by the spiritual master and
passed on up to the disciplic succession. The spiritual master
takes every bit of your karma through him to Prabhupäda to
Bhaktisiddhänta to Gaura-Kiçora däsa Bäbäjé to Bhaktivinoda
Öhäkur; it goes all the way to Lord Caitanya. It goes all the way
to Kåñëa. At the initiation ceremony everything goes through
him. It is just like a wire transmitting the electricity. He sucks

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away all of your karma and leaves you little bit 0.001 percent
karma. That is called token reaction to help you stay serious
and realize this material world is a dangerous and nasty place.
I have to always be vigilant. So you are mercifully given a little
token reaction for your karma.
It is compared to just like here the fan blade is turning. Now
if you cut the fan off, will it stop immediately? No. Because of
the momentum that blade will keep turning for sometimes until
it gradually winds to a stop. So when you get initiated, you are
turning off the switch. But there is some momentum from your
previous karma. It is not as strong as fully whirling blade fan.
It is reduced. When you cut the electricity that thing slows
down and comes to a halt. It is not as powerful whirl when
the electricity is flowing through it. So initiation means you
are turning off the switch of your karma. You are not creating
any new karma so it is going to wind down to stop. But if you
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disobey your spiritual master, if you engage in sinful activities;
you are flipping the switch back on again and your guru has to
suffer if you do that. So don’t violate the regulative principles.
Q: Appreciating a quality required in a devotee - does this
require diplomacy?
A: No, it doesn’t. Appreciation is a genuine honest feeling.
It is not diplomacy - saying one thing and doing something
else. Appreciation is to actually see the wonderful qualities.
It is not a facade that you are faking it because every single
devotee has appreciable qualities, even the most neophytes
have appreciable qualities. So you have to be an expert to see
the appreciable qualities of that devotee. That’s not diplomacy.
That is compassion.
Q: If we have just started with Kåñëa bhakti and are not yet
pure devotees, and are aspiring devotees then how can we help
to bring difference in others?

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

His Grace Çrémän Saìkarñaëa Däsa Adhikäré, a direct disciple

of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda,
www.goldenagemedia
is well known for his internet based training program, The
Ultimate Self-Realization Course, through which he guides
more than 16,000 subscribers in over one hundred countries
every day along the pathway of spiritual perfection.
His Grace appeared in this world in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
on 7 November 1947, the tenth day (Daçamé) of the most holy
month of Kartik according to the Vaiñëava calendar. He first
met his spiritual master in 1971 and was initiated by him on 12
August of the same year.  Çréla Prabhupäda personally told this
new young disciple that he was pleased with his sincerity and
enthusiasm for spreading the Kåñëa consciousness movement.
Saìkarñaëa Däsa Adhikäré fully dedicated his life for serving
the order of his spiritual master to become a guru and deliver
the world. For the last 42 years he has uninterruptedly served
his spiritual master’s movement, the International Society for
Kåñëa Consciousness (ISKCON), in various capacities.
 STOP WORRYING START LIVING

In the year 2000, in recognition for his full dedication to

Çréla Prabhupäda’s mission, ISKCON’s Governing Body
Commission (GBC) gave him their blessings to initiate
disciples.
Since then he regularly travels throughout the globe with
his wife, Her Grace Çrématé Viñëupriyä Mätäjé, enlightening
his varied audiences with the supreme science of Kåñëa
consciousness, which has been so kindly bestowed upon him
by his spiritual master. He is especially known for his focused
seminars on Spritual purity, Pure devotional service, Gåhastha
life and Brahmacäré classes.
He is appreciated all over the world for his amazing capability
to address any question, argument or objection with a most
perfect and satisfying reply. His nectarean discourses are not
only enlightening but also philosophically enriched, profound
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and sufficient to bless any sincere seeker with transcendental
knowledge and enliven his spiritual life. One can sign up
for his free e-course at www.backtohome.com.
To know more about him, log on to:
www.ultimateselfrealization.com
www.spiritual-revolutionary.com
www.sda-archives.com.
 o know his travelling schedule, log on to:
T
www.ultimateselfrealization.com/schedule.
 o get in touch with him, write an
T
e-mail to: sda@backtohome.com.

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