Dear devotees, mothers and friends,

Greetings from my heart.

For this birth celebration of a great preacher, there are interesting things to meditate over. He taught that one should cultivate love, and therefore he is in the line of the Vaisnavas as he emphasized love for God.

From this love for Krishna comes all pure love for others. The other day we read something very beautiful that Sri Nrsmhadev said; He said to Prahlad that a pure devotee, wherever he may be, purify all his family and the country, however dirty that place may be. He also said that a devotee is never violent with the others, neither with the higher or lower animals. Amanina manadena, as Mahaprabhu said - this is a continuous exercise of love.

When talking about not committing Vaisnava aparadha, it means in reality that we must have appreciation for the devotees, not only not offending them. In reality, to not appreciate them is an offence. Therefore we should learn to appreciate them; that is spiritual life. It is a nature that we must acquire, although the normal is criticism and envy.

In the life of Jesus there are many very valuable examples, many things to learn. He was a true practitioner of spirituality, someone who wanted to control himself. To try to appreciate others is the formula to get out of this world of envy and competition. The characteristic of the spiritual world is that there is true appreciation for everyone, and it is because they perceive the soul. If we only perceived the soul, we could have appreciation for everyone. Therefore B.R. Srila Sridhar Maharaj told us: "Get deep into reality, there you will see the smiling face of the Lord. You will see that there is a favourable hand behind everything; that everything is moved by a friend, by someone who wishes your well." This vision is not easy to get, but we must endeavour for it, because this will take us to the real.

This sense shows us the platform of friends and enemies, but this should be rejected if we want to advance. We should disdain our treacherous mind. It cheats us, creating bonds that we must overcome for our benefit.

A Vaisnava life consists in creating this sentiment, I think it is important to understand this. We must learn this appreciation, to not let criticism dominates, neither politics, those are great dangers. Like that one becomes a Vaisnava, it is not necessary to be a great erudite, but to practice the cultivating of the heart. Trinad api sunicena. All of this is fundamental. We meditate on this and make an effort to sow this in our interior.

Gurudeva Paramadvaiti said that when you learn to appreciate other Vaisnavas, you will be living among saints. Sometimes one complains for not being with more advanced Vaisnavas, but when being together with them, one becomes envious. In this way there is no way to satisfy the mind. One says: I would like to be in a purer environment, but this means that oneself has to become purer. The purer one detects the pure desire of the others and cultivates it. It is like the good farmer who improves an infertile land and gets a good harvest. Taking away the bad elements makes a miracle of it, because he had the capacity to see the good.

And a Vaisnava is like this - he detects that there is something pure and beautiful in others, and this encourages him to fertilize this land through anartha-nivrtti.

What means anartha-nivrtti? It means to not give place to my bad tendencies. To not give them attention and not let them flow anymore; that they will dry and die with lack of attention. When the envy appears, do not give it any attention, even if there is reason for it in your mind, even if there is something reasonable, don't do it. Because the reason has different levels and the higher level for us is simply Acintya. Therefore it is Krishna that will make us see, dadami bhuddhi, He will give us reason, and the true reasoning and sentiment comes when this anartha-nivrtti grows. Nivrtti means to not let flow, to restrain. Krishna says that the desires come to us like rivers go to the sea, this is something continuous, but one should not attend it, then it will withdraw, but tolerate this stage, in this consists everything for us in this moment.

We should increase the firmness, tolerance and determination. We should not worry to increase the ecstasy, because that is not in our hands. The ecstasy will be Krishna's gift to us for our effort, and therefore our goal is nistha. Firmness and service. After that comes the reward given by Krishna to the devotee who endeavours. These are the words from Viswanath cakravarti Goswami.

We should advance to the position of firmness, to become unmovable like the great Himalayas. This is what we should learn from the Himalayas. Some yogis go there to become God. We mediate on this to become firm in our service to the supreme. Because the Himalayas is the house of Durga, Parvati and there is Lord Siva firmly meditating without any deviation. This is what we should learn from Siva, and not smoke marijuana like the monkeys.

Once Cupido went to test Siva, and Siva burned him with his sight. This is his resolution, this is anartha-nivrtti. Because of this, Siva is Guru, He is inspiration of firmness to be fixed in the Supreme. He has left everything to the Supreme and smeared himself with ashes in order to not forget that this is a world of death, everything transitory.

Back to these days of Jesus, we also should appreciate His determination. Our duty is the compromise to try to become pure, good servants. If you don't find much satisfaction or ecstasy, this is not your responsibility. Ecstasy will be given by Krishna's arrangement; it is the result that Krishna sends us when He wants.

The scripture says that if one does not experience ecstasy while chanting, it is because one has committed offences, but the desire to practice chanting is already an ecstasy. It is the grace of Krishna and His approval to our chanting. Therefore, each time that we take our japa, we should give it our reverences, because it is Tulasi, it is the superior world that permits us to contact Him. I tell you devotees, that it is our ecological mobile of sacred wooden that connects us with the Supreme. And this is our ecstasy. It is to be able to accomplish to Guru and Krishna. It is to be able to serve.

Our ecstasy is based on the gratitude for what we are receiving, since the slave does not ask for anything. Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaj says that we should increase our need. We are very much in need of purity and surrender, of free will to resist and advance. We must first understand our fallen position; this is our first advantage. When we capture this position, our supply will be more powerful, more sincere, and we care more about to not fall. We will be more humble.

Therefore, the perception of our anarthas is favourable, because it helps us to become more humble, to see us as more negative, and this is fundamental. The anarthas appear in this stage to increase our dependence on Krishna, on His service. When the demons attacked Vrindavan, there they called out for Him. We should do that; this is what we should do when the anarthas bother us. Pray to Him with great devotion.

Sometimes I even tell the devotees to bow their knees like the Christians, to pray with more humbleness. It is very important to develop the religious aspect of our consciousness, not only the philosophical side, because the philosophical side is to understand, but not necessarily to practice. Religious is to practice what one has come to understand; to put it into practice; to practice humility, tolerance, love for others without expecting anything back, and always chanting. This is the great advice of Mahaprabhu. He asks this religious practice from us, which will only happen when we awaken our need.

The anarthas in this sense become our friends, because thanks to the sickness you approached Sri Guru. But of course we will do good in trying to eliminate them, and there they themselves will be satisfied, because, like a sick body, it gets rest at dying. So we must eliminate the anarthas; it is the purpose why they are. In the same way as the tree is there to be cut down, so the world should let be used for Krishna, and the anarthas are there to be defeated. Then, behind every anartha is a virtue, a great virtue, as at the bottom of the shadow there is the higher object that projects it. Behind envy is love, behind egotism is charity, behind greed is generosity, and behind fanatism is amplitude. Behind lust is the desire to serve and behind pride is humility. So, at eliminating anarthas, we will not remain in emptiness as the mayavadis think, that in the stage of purity nothing is left, that there is nothing; it is not like that. There will be all the qualities of Bhakti, those that adorn the devas, the superior beings.

Srila Prabhupada said that Bhakti is like a queen who comes with her company of qualities, and in this way we should crown her in our heart, but therefore we must say goodbye to the ghosts of lust and anger, said Srila Rupa Goswami. Behind anger is understanding, the amplitude. One virtue projects light, and another projects another light, and in the end these lights will cross each other, and everything that the anarthas had shaded, will be illuminated with these virtues. Like as one candle lights the other, one virtue lights the other. In this way we begin to light the virtue of the service. That is sadhana; we will serve, even if we do not want, even with attachments and lust, it does not matter, but we will serve, to light that virtue that in its turn will bring us the strength, the association with the Vaisnavas. And in this way it will illuminate the panorama. It is a strategy.

First the body should be in the temple, and from there everything will start. To be there, one has to talk about Krishna, one has to think of Him, and this will bring love for Him. This is a strategy that goes from the grossest to the subtlest. In the beginning you can think in a gross way: “I will not leave the side of the devotees, even though my mind is not with them, it does not matter.” In this way we go from the more controllable to the more uncontrollable. From the incomprehensive we go to the comprehensive; Krishna gives you the comprehension to His superior logic, and in that way you can enter to the kingdom of Acintya.

Many gifts are waiting us if we live thinking of the birth of Krishna, and we live receiving the gifts of the words of the saints and the possibilities to service. From something very simple as it is to serve, Krishna makes a great miracle. That is the speciality of Krishna, to make miracles, something incomprehensive for us. In this way, without any doubts, we have all help from Krishna, let’s take advantage of this. With all the universal energy, Krishna wants to take us to the refuge of His lotus feet. This is His will, can you imagine! How couldn’t it be successful if it is His desire? You just have to surrender to His will.

It is like the wave that carries the surf; you should take advantage of this energy, taking the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. If there is any impulse downwards, it is like the one of a wave that tries to drown you, then with the greatest desperation you would like to get floating. In this way Krishna should be our air. Without Krishna there is only death; physical and spiritual death. And it is what Mahaprabhu is saying: “We have put all energy in the name for your disposition, come and take it!” You just have to chant it and there is the help. Chant and think and serve the Supreme. All the will of the Supreme is in our benefit; that is the great blessing of the Vaisnava and our only reason to be happy. To know that one is loved by Krishna and that one is so fortunate to be invited by Him. Not only by Him, but also by Mahaprabhu, by the most intimate part of His being. It is something very miraculous and great what He is saying, and therefore do not get discouraged or waste your grand fortune for nothing in this world.

Many miseries can come, but don’t let be discouraged for nothing; always rise up and continue towards your grand fortune. It is the moon of the grand fortune, the good star, says Mahaprabhu, if you want to know your astrological card, you have a good moon, the one that opens the white lotus of your heart. And it makes you marry with the truth.

Like the moon increases the sentiment of the lovers, in the same way Mahaprabhu has brought this special moon so we can begin our life of love with Krishna. And that is His Sankirtan movement, it is a love that demands a lot of efforts and work, but it will go well for us if we persevere in this determination.

After all we are following the greatest, so it is, nothing less than that. It is the path of the great, of the heroes of the spirit that want to take you to heir very battles. It is like you Kuruksetra; it was not only Arjuna - you also will have the world war in your life when you want to surrender to Krishna, what can you do? But for each Kuruksetra there is a Krishna talking with you as a friend, consoling you with His smile and asking you to not give up. Carrying the carriage of your life, because this life no longer belongs to you. Now you want a heroic life and Krishna will take you to the battle field, where is saved from the great war, the definite, the one that end with the weight of this world. After this war will come the great peace; it will be the life in service to Sri Krishna in the land of Vrindavan.

I think it is worthwhile; so say the wise - we do not walk towards deception, quite contrary. As Srila B.R Sridhar Maharaj would say: “We go towards the land of nectar”. We go with the chanting and the dancing of Mahaprabhu, making it hard for our anarthas. Andatha-nivrtti: nothing of anarthas, withdraw, we are fighting against you! Leave their shadow that they project and open the way for the light. With the chanting and the seva it will withdraw, because they are lazy in front of the good. The good by itself will take them away, the good acts in service to Sri Guru and Krishna.

I hope that the marathon is well everywhere, trying to make the message of our Acaryas vibrate more and more. I congratulate the effort of all of you and ask for blessing at your feet. We are already in the last days of the marathon and we have to take advantage of them. Here in Santiago the police are very much checking the devotees, but even with that they continue going for Sankirtan.

Dasanudasa
Atulananda das

Translation: Manah Siksa Devi Dasi