Getting out of the 3 modes of material nature

SB 2.8.15 (P Mji):

* In this chapter, MP is inquiring about the modes of nature
* It is this inquiring behavior of his that took him back to Godhead
 - because of this, this SB was given to us
* The goal of life is to rise above the 3 modes and to reach the transcendental mode
* Everything that happens and everywhere it is all God's plan and in His power
 - it is all His arrangement through the modes of nature
* About the modes of nature
 - Spirit soul is pure. Just as rain water comes down and mixes with mud, it becomes dirty
 - Same with the soul, in material world, becomes mixed with goodness, passion and ignorance and so looses its pure state
 - because of this we surrender to the modes of material nature
 - every action has an equal and opposite action. It also creates a disposition in our heart according to our actions
 - The amount we pay, same type we get the body
 - Just as wind is pure. If it goes through a rose garden, it gets an aromatic fragrance, but the same wind passing through sewage carries a bad small
* The most important thing is to love Krishna, and that means to love every living entity similarly
* Laws of Karma will happen and they act all times, whether we believe it or not
* With that knowledge in mind, we should accept Krishna Consciousness. Then a window opens that can take us out of this cage of the 3 modes of material nature and get us out of this cycle of birth and death

Going beyond the 3 Modes is essential...

SB 2.8.13-14 (M Prji):

* Here, in this shloka the 3 different material natures are explained. Based on our nature, we are promoted to
different higher or lower planets
* SP although is emphasizing on the transcendental mode, beyond the 3 modes of material nature
* Unless we go to this transcendental mode, we cannot go back to Godhead
* BG. 9.25
* Actions of the different mode, SB 11.5.2-5
- Goodness: ...
 - Passion: ...
 - Ignorance: intolerant anger, stinginess, violent hatred, hypocrisy, quarrel, unhappiness, depression, sleeping too much, fear and laziness
* Results of these 3 modes, from SB 5.26.2
 - Goodness: religious and happy
 - Passion: mixed misery and happy
 - Ignorance: always unhappy and lives like an animal
* Based on these modes how people live, their destination is also decided
* But what is our aim here
 - Our aim is by listening to SB, to become transcendental
 - to go above the 3 modes, transcendental
* By chanting Hare Krishna, one comes to KC, then with reading Vedic scriptures like BG, SB, CC, our mind is cleansed
 - in this way one becomes more and more free from contaminations
* SB 1.1.22
 - regular hearing SB and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troubling to the heart is removed
* Then one gradually advances in KC

Krishna is everything, everything is not Krishna!

SB 2.8.11-12 (SA Prji, Boston):

* "O learned brahmana, it was formerly explained that all the planets of the universe with their respective governors are situated in the different parts of the gigantic body of the virat-purusa. I have also heard that the different planetary systems are supposed to be in the gigantic body of the virat-purusa. But what is their actual position ? Will you please explain that?"
* "Also please explain the duration of time between creation and annihilation, and that of other subsidiary creations, as well as the nature of time, indicated by the sound of past, present and future. Also, please explain the duration and measurement of life of the different living beings known as the demigods, the human beings, etc., in different planets of the universe."
* Parikshit Maharaj is inquiring from Srila SG on the topics of the SB
* Any Puranas (18)
 - Bhagavatha P has 18000 shlokas
 - Vishnu P had 23000 shlokas
 - more
* All of them have different contexts or lakshanas (sarga and prathi sarga)
* So here PM is asking about Sarga and prathisarga
* Krishna is saying, by me in my unmanifested form, this entire manifestation is being pervaded. All beings are in me, but I am not in them
* Since Vishnu is pervaded everywhere, some Mayawadi's say that Vishnu is everywhere so is impersonal. Cause anything with a shape must be limited
* But Krishna has wonderfully answered in BG, that He is in everything, but still He is not. He is the cause of all causes
* Krishna cannot be understood so easily
* Even one studies the Vedic scriptures completely, still Krishna cannot be easily found. But for a devotee, Krishna becomes easily accessible
* Eg: King is not there everywhere in the state, but still his authority exists everywhere and the Government runs well
* So Krishna is saying, I am infinite, yet have a spiritual form
* We have to carefully understand that Krishna is the source of everything, but everything is not Krishna. Hence Supreme Absolute Truth is simultaneously personal and impersonal

A real Spiritual Master...

SB 2.8.7 (R Prji):

* PM says: the transcendental spirit soul is different from the material body.
* This is the first instruction of Krishna to Arjuna in BG
 - dehinosmin yatha dehe..
 - nayanam chindanti....
 - antha vantha ime deha...
 - All of these instructions, start only when Arjuna says that I am a soul surrendered unto you
* Essence of BG is to surrender unto Sri Krishna
* Meaning of surrender: SBVT says, there are 6 ways
 - humility, dedication of self, -- , consciousness that Krishna will always protect me, doing favorable things, not doing things unfavorable to KC
 - Srila Rupa Goswami says the favorable and unfavorable things in NOI
* So doing these favorable and unfavorable things too, humility is required, as told by Sri CM
* And this process is clearly given to us by SP
* Now we come to the question of PM: Does he acquire the body accidentally or by some cause?
* So how did the jivas who were part and parcel of Krishna become conditioned
 - we will come to know of it as we read SB
* But some hint is given here
 - Karma ...
 - Serious students should ask relevant questions to the Spiritual master or to the self-realized souls
 - tadviddi pranipatena....
* SP also says: It is illegal to become a spiritual master if one is unable to deliver the disciple.
* So we can think how exhalted the Swami's of ISKCON are.

Faith in the words of SB and Spiritual Master!

SB 2.8.6 (M Prji):

* "A pure devotee of the Lord whose heart has once been cleansed by the process of devotional service never relinquishes the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, for they fully satisfy him, as a traveler is satisfied at home after a troubled journey."
* The last few days we are nicely listening to the glories of SB, which Brhmaji is narrating
* Glories of SB, very current and most appropriate for us
* SP exhibits this, how much faith he has on SB
 - He comes to USA just with a few SB's
 - He expresses the glorification in his prayers on the ship
* First few verses in the first canto of SB, also very nicely describe
 - taking us from the modes of ignorance and passion to goodness
* He had faith on SB. He never had faith on his own capacity, but he has ultimate faith on SB
* We have to develop that aspect within us
* Today, we are hearing that the devotee of the Lord never looses faith and enthusiasm to serve the Lord
 - this is surrender. Doesn't matter what circumstances are, he will always execute his duty
* SP's life is a lifetime in preparation
* He was always working towards that goal of preaching KC in the western world
* Even at 70 years old, SP had the enthusiasm to come across 7 oceans to preach KC
 - We, being a little sick, try to excuse ourselves from services to the Lord
 - we can see dedication here in SP!
* "One should make the order of the Spiritual Master as life and soul"
* Two points we can learn from SP's life
 - how he took up the word of SM as life and soul
 - how he not lost faith in the words of the SM and SB!

Constantly engage in reading SB...you will attain Krishna!

SB 2.8.5 (A Prji):

* A very powerful verse
* Krishna says in BG: He who meditates on...sure to reach Me.
* We have to remember the Lord all the time and this is possible by chanting the holy name of the Lord
* Mystic yogic ways may be useful for a short time, but will not last long
* Whereas chanting Krishna's name will purify us slowly but permanently
* Constantly engage the mind in chanting the holy name of Krishna, then it is certain that at the end of our life we will have same bodily constitution as Krishna
* A pure devotee does not only save himself, but also saves everyone around him
* The Lord is always within the heart of the living being, but He becomes manifested by one's devotional service.

Hearing regularly the SB..reveal the Lord!!

SB 2.8.4 (Kp Prji):

* "Persons who hear Śrīmad-Bhagavatam regularly and are always taking the matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Śrī Krsna manifested in their hearts within a short time."
* So here how the Supreme Lord can be seen within the heart, is explained about
* Krishna does not reveal Himself to everyone
* Kuntidevi says, you are existing everywhere, but you cannot be seen by everyone. That is because he is covered by Yoga maya
* But here Parikshit Maharaj is saying that the Lord can be seen within the heart
* So it is the Lord's mercy that He reveals Himself within our heart, through pure devotional service
* Because the anarthas within our heart exist, we cannot see Krishna within our heart
* The process recommended is hearing SB regularly, from pure devotees. Then all obstacles, within and without, are eradicated
 - we become then situated in the pure mode of goodness
* But we have to follow the process of hearing must be followed
 - but simply hearing from the professional reciters will not do any help
* So PM is asking SG to please continue to narrate the pastimes of the Lord, so I can completely become absorbed in KC and cleanse my heart completely from material impurifications
* With complete faith and in earnestness, we should regularly hear from the SB. We have to take the matter very seriously too and then in due course of time, one will see the Lord with the heart. That is the realization of Parikshit Maharaj himself

The Disciplic Succession!

SB 2.8.1 (K Prji):

* In the last chapter, we saw Lord Brahma instructing the great sage Naradamuni about the incarnations of the Supreme Lord and also asked him to preach it all over
* Here, Parikshit Maharaj is now asking how did Naradamuni do this
* The Lord is aguna, has no material qualities
* Only pure devotees like Naradmuni can instruct on the qualities of the supreme Lord
* He is a great devotee of the Lord and also he heard from the right source, Brahmaji
* It is very important for us also, that where we hear from and how we hear
* Vedic knowledge is like a ripened fruit, if it falls down, it will be damaged. So it has to be passed from one hand to another, in disciplic succession
* Thus, the supreme science is received through a chain of disciplic succession
* Hence, hearing from the Supreme Lord, or Brahmaji or Naradamuni is the same, cause the messsage is maintained the same
 - Same is hearing from a bona fide spiritual master in this disciplic succession
* Caitanya Mahaprabhu too stresses on this same aspect
 - The brahmana in Kurmaksetra wants to join Sri CM. Then Sri CM tells him not to leave his position, but to stay and distribute this message to whomever we come across
* We also learn this from SP's life, as to how to distribute this message of love of Godhead to everyone
* Message: abandon all varieties of dharma and just surrender unto the Supreme Lord Krishna
 - this is exactly what SP wanted all of us to distribute. And of course keep the message intact as it is coming in the disciplic succession
* Krishna says in BG, the greatest advantage of distributing this knowledge
 - pure devotional service is guaranteed
 - there is no servant more dear to me than he

Naradamuni ordered to spread the Message of the Glories of the Lord!

SB 2.7.52 (A Prji):

* In the verse we see that Brhmaji has asked Naradamuni to preach in all the directions
* Naradmuni is a brahmachari
 - one meaning is brahma mean the Lord, chari means one who goes around preaching. So Naradamuni true to his name was always going around preaching the message of the Lord
* In material concept
 - conception of the Supreme Lord as a person is tough to understand
 - impersonal void seems more easy for them to understand
 - But this is a fearful stage of life, without proper knowledge
* Such ppl are in the true diseased condition of life
* With so many types of philosophies about impersonal conception, many more are totally confused
* But by the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, one can come out of the confusions and follow devotional service in a most perfect way
* One must have desire for self-realization in the beginning
 - by execution of DS under guidance of SM will take one self-realization, slowly taking one krishna prema, the highest perfectional stage of life, being freed from all material attachments
* So Naradamuni was instructed by his SM, Brahmaji
 - then Naradamuni became a SM and continued to spread this message around for the purification of the entire material world

SB 2.7.51 (Ma Prji):

* Importance of hearing SB from a pure devotee and self realized soul is mentioned here
* The Bhagavata Puran?a is therefore the direct incarnation of the Lord in the form of transcendental sound, and one should receive this transcendental knowledge from the bona fide representative of the Lord in the chain of disciplic succession from the Lord to Brahmaji, from Brahmaji to Narada, from Narada to Vyasa, from Vyasadeva to Sukadeva Gosvami, from Sukadeva Gosvami to Suta Gosvami.
* Simple hearing is not all, one must also realize the text by hearing with rapt attention. Then one can realize
Krishna in every page of SB
* The secret of knowing SB is mentioned here
 - no one can give rapt attention who is not pure in mind
 - no one can be pure in mind, who is not pure in action
 - no one can be pure in action who is not pure in eating, mating, sleeping and defending
* Nityam bhagavata sevaya
* Two kinds of bhagavata seva
 - serving the book bhagavata and serving the person bhagavata
 - we need to serve both
* Guru is the highest bhagavata devotee, who is a tattva darshina
* Guruvashtaka also, we sing daily
 - by service if we can satisfy him, then my path for self realization is gauranteed
* One should not associate with proefessional SB recitors, that is one who is not in disciplic succession and who is not in bhakti yoga
* According to Vedic injunctions, SB can only be recited by one who has unflinching faith in Krishna, basically a pure devotee, Guru
* Only through the process of devotional service, one should and can hear the SB
* It is very important to read daily SB. Why?
 - Because the glorification of the SPG is performed in the parmapara system
 - It is done by those who are no longer interested in the material world
 - by repeatedly hearing, it will get imbibed in us

Our true ever well-wisher!

SB 2.7.50 (Sa Prji Boston):

* "My dear son, I have now explained in brief the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is creator of the manifested worlds. Without Him, Hari, the Lord, there are no other causes of the phenomenal and noumenal existences."
* SP being a wonderful vaisnava, he is also a kavi, a poet
 - In this purport too, SP most wonderfully writes these statements
* Potencies of the Lord are classified as
 - internal energy (everything in the spiritual stratum)
 - external energy (temporary material world made of 5 gross elements and 3 subtle elements)
 - marginal potency (the jivas, the living entities)
* Krishna is however aloof from all these energies
* We are allowed to play around these energies, especially the external energy
 - so when we fall down from the spiritual world, Krishna gives us this material world to try and Lord it over
everything
 - everything around us is differentiation of the material elements given to us and a representation of our false ego
* BG 9.4
 - maya tatam idam sarvam....
 - the mayawadi's always say that everything is Krishna, u and I are Krishna. But to refute this, Krishna is clearly stating this previous verse of BG
 - everything comes from Krishna, but everything is not Krishna
 - All beings are in Krishna, but Krishna is not in them
* Krishna is the source of all causes
* Then SP gives one more important point:
 - One should not deprecate the Supreme Lord for the creation of this miserable world, just as one should not blame the king for creating a prisonhouse in the government
* If something goes wrong, then we keep pointing here and there, finally we blame God.
 - But that's exactly what SP is saying here, don't blame Krishna
* Actually we are responsible for messing up the material world
* It is we who forced Krishna to making this material world, similar to the creation of a prison house, where the Government makes it only because of the disobedient people
* When we say Krishna I don't want to serve you, I reject you. Then the most merciful Lord gives us this material world for us to play as pseudo-lord
* Of course, only by the mercy of Guru, Krishna, SP, we have been served
* Purpose of the prisonhouse is
 - to punish and reformation of the person
 - So in one sense, the creation of this material world is to reform us and claim us back to the spiritual world
* SP writes: "Since He has no direct attachment to this material world, He is not to be blamed for its creation."
* Our true ever well-wisher in this material world is Srila Prabhupada (SP)

Benefits of the knowledge of the Spirit Soul!

SB 2.7.49 (Ss Prji):

* Two fundamental concepts
 - basic concepts of soul and the SPG
 - the body being material
* Krishna says in BG
 - for the soul there is neither birth nor death...
 - two kinds of souls, anu atma and vibhuatma. These 2 are situated on the same tree of the material body. Soul is trying to enjoy and supersoul/vibhuatma is just observing
* Many benefits of having knowledge of the soul
 - changes man's attitude for life
* ...
* Drawing millions of circles with a common circle, there will be no clash
 - similarly, if Krishna is the center for all, then peace exists everywhere
* Death is basically transfer of soul from one body to another
* Devotee has no fear of death cause he knows he is not the body and is only interested in chanting the holy name of Krishna
* Modern man is associating himself with the body, so is just pampering the body without giving any food to the soul
* Only loving service to God can awaken the identification with the soul
* With knowledge of self, self awareness can come in leading to self realization
* We need the courage to manage our own self
* It will let us go away from negative thinking
* This attitude can lead to going away from stress, anxiety etc.

Indra does not have to dig a well!

SB 2.7.48 (Kp Prji):

* Previously, Lord Brahma told:
 - What is realized as the Absolute Brahman is full of unlimited bliss without grief. That is certainly the ultimate
phase of the supreme enjoyer, the Personality of Godhead. He is eternally void of all disturbances and fearless. He is complete consciousness as opposed to matter. Uncontaminated and without distinctions, He is the principle primeval cause of all causes and effects, in whom there is no sacrifice for fruitive activities and in whom the illusory energy does not stand
* Now he is continuing to say:
 - In such a transcendental state there is no need of artificial control of the mind, mental speculation or
meditation, as performed by the jnanis and yogis. One gives up such processes, as the heavenly King, Indra, forgoes the trouble to dig a well
* Those who are engaged in DS, for them remembering the Lord is so easy that he heavenly King, Indra, forgoes the trouble to dig a well. Because for him, he is the controller of rain, what is there for him to dig a well then
* There is such a vast difference between yogic processes and devotional service
 - that is why the translation says: In such a transcendental state there is no need of artificial control of the
mind, mental speculation or meditation, as performed by the jnanis and the yogis

The Vedic Authorities..

SB 2.7.43-45 (A Prji):

* If we simply worship the original person, then we need not fear anything
* We can put an end to material life by one stroke
 - there is no need to follow all the difficult processes of hatha yoga etc
 - by accepting KC, we can immediately rise to the spiritual world
* Like a blacksmith, one big hammer stroke of bhakti will finish this material world for us
* If KC is not taken up, the hellish conditions of the world will continue like anything
* Surrender unto Krishna, will help reduce all the fog of material conditioning
* This can be done by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra
 - this will help us acquire the correct knowledge by which we can distinguish between what is essentially needed and what is just shown as needed for us
* Choice is ours

Prowess of Vishnu, not understood by Modern Scientists!

SB 2.7.40 (Ss Prji):

* Here, Brahmaji is explaining that no one can explain the prowess of Vishnu, not even the modern day scientists
* Personality of Godhead lives in each and every universe as Garbodakashayi Vishnu and Ksirodakashayi Vishnu
 - (more description given as we have heard before)
* Beyond this material nature, there is another spiritual nature
 - we do not know this material world itself, then how can we know the spiritual world
 - it can be known and understood only by hearing from the Supreme Lord Himself
* We cannot reach the Vaikunta planets with mechanical means
 - it can be reached only through the authentic descriptions given in the Vedas
* ...
* ...
* 7 layers of atmosphere
 - troposhpere,.., ionosphere
* This modern knowledge is like a witch who allures the common man initially, but finally inflicts all pain on the person
 - eg: Putana witch coming as a beautiful woman, but still trying to kill Krishna
* Modern amenities, technologies offer a lot of dazzle, but they somehow make us blind and we put blind faith into whatever is promoted by modern scientists
* It is only due to the deep rooted Vedic culture that a simple villager of India thinks not to commit any mistake due to the knowledge of Karma. But the modern man just goes ahead committing mistakes, without any knowledge that it will come back to him for sure

Guna Avatars of the Lord!

SB 2.7.39 (Kp Prji):

* At the beginning of creation there are penance, myself [Brahmā], and the Prajāpatis, the great sages who generate; then, during the maintenance of the creation, there are Lord Visnu, the demigods with controlling powers, and the kings of different planets. But at the end there is irreligion, and then Lord Śiva and the atheists full of anger,  etc. All of them are different representative manifestations of the energy of the supreme power, the Lord.
* The guna avatars are being explained here by Lord Brahma
* Creation is done by Lord Brahma
* Maintainence is done by Lord Vishnu
* Destruction is done by Lord Siva of this material world
* Different kinds of pralay's (destruction) exist
* All these incarnations are actually of Lord Krishna Himself. The power of the demigods, the supremacy of the mighty beasts, actually the source of all these is Krishna Himself
* Ultimately, the material creation is but a temporary manifestation meant to give the chance of liberation to the
conditioned souls, who are entrapped in the material world, and one who develops the mode of goodness under the protection of Lord Visnu has the greatest chance of being liberated by following the Vaisnava principles and thus being promoted to the kingdom of God, no more to return to this miserable material world.

Kalki Avatar of the Lord!

SB 2.7.38 (K Prji):

* This chapter, we have seen Lord Brahmaji telling about all the scheduled incarnations of the Supreme Lord, to Naradamuni
* Lord Krishna when came to this earthly planet, gave his instructions in the form of the Bhagavad-gita
* But at the end of kaliyuga, the degradation is so much that the Lord comes as Kalki avatara and kills all to 
relieve them of their sins
* We can see now that Kaliyuga is already degraded so very much, just 5000 years into this yuga
* In SB, 12th Canto, Chapters 1, 2 and 3, more details are given about how the kaliyuga will exist
 - that kaliyuga will be ruled by meat-eaters and more
* SB 12.2.1, the qualities that will reduce are very clearly mentioned
 - all good qualities will slowly diminished
 - max duration of life for human beings will become 50 years
* But very imp and good quality of Kaliyuga is also mentioned in the 12th Canto of SB
 - just by chanting the Holy name of Krishna, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, one can very easily get liberated
* Sri CM brought this forward and then Srila Prabhupada brought it to the whole world. We are very fortunate to be a part of the mercy of SP
* The supreme Lord coming as Kalki is also mentioned in other scriptures other than SB
 - Vishnu purana, Padma Purana, Agni Purana

Lord Buddha...

SB 2.7.37 (S Prji):

* Lord Brahma is explaining these incarnations
* He creates this universe, but knows that this is kind of a thankless job
* Purpose of the universe is to frustrate us in spite of all our efforts to be happy away from Krishna
* Since the universe's creation, there have been several philosophies spoken on God realization
* At one point, the Brahmins were using Vedas to promote animal killing and other such vices
* Lord Buddha came to correct this mistake among people
 - so he taught the basic common sense principles like be good and do good to other
 - he also taught principles of karma, non violence etc
* People liked it so much that they started worshipping Buddha himself
* SP comments that the definition of non-violence must be understood really well
 - non violence must be based on the principles of compassion
* We should respect all living beings, this is real compassion
* Being humble, prideless, having compassion for all living beings are the basic common sense principles
* That will help us achieve the ultimate goal of life