Let There Be Calamities
The Krishna consciousness movement is giving all facilities so that people may come here, chant, dance, live very peacefully, take krishna-prasada, and be happy, but people will not accept it. That is called misfortune. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, portraying the people of this age, therefore said, "I am so unfortunate that I have no attachment for chanting Hare Krishna." Lord Caitanya prayed (Sikshashtaka 2):
Krishna, the transcendental holy name of God, has all potencies, Lord Caitanya said. Krishna has unlimited potencies, and similarly in the holy name of Krishna there are unlimited potencies. Krishna has thousands and thousands of names, of which the name Krishna is the chief, and there are no hard and fast rules for chanting. It is not that one must chant at a certain time. No. At any time one may chant. Furthermore, Krishna's name is identical with Krishna Himself. Therefore the holy name of Krishna is Krishna.
We should not think that Krishna is living in His abode, Goloka Vrindavana, and that His name is different from Him. In the material world, of course, in the material conception, a name is different from the fact it represents. But in the absolute world there are no such differences. The name is as potent as Krishna is. We have a tongue, and if we use this tongue to chant Hare Krishna, we shall immediately come directly in touch with Krishna, because the name Krishna and the person Krishna are not different. We may think that Krishna is far, far away, but in fact Krishna is within us. He is far away, but at the same time He is the nearest. But even if we think that Krishna is far, far away, His name is present. We can chant Hare Krishna, and Krishna will immediately become available. Krishna is available in this easy way, for which there are no hard and fast rules. We can chant at any time and immediately get Krishna. Just see the mercy of Krishna!
Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, etadrisi tava kripa bhagavan mamapi durdaivam idrisam ihajani nanuragah: "My dear Lord, You have given me such generous facilities by which to contact You, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attachment for these things. I have attachment for so many other things, but I have no attachment for chanting Hare Krishna. This is my misfortune." Krishna is so magnanimous that He is present before us by the transcendental vibration of His name, which has all the potencies of Krishna Himself, and if we remain in contact with that name we shall get all the benefits of Krishna's benedictions. But still we are not inclined to chant the Hare Krishna mantra. This is our misfortune.
A devotee, however, is never disturbed by dangers, reverses, or calamities. Rather, he welcomes them. Because he is a surrendered soul, he knows that both dangers and festivals are but different demonstrations of Krishna, who is absolute. In the sastra, the Vedic literature, it is said that religion and irreligion, which are complete opposites, are merely the front portion and the back portion of God. But is there any difference between God's front and God's back? God is absolute, and therefore a devotee, either in opulence or in danger, is undisturbed, knowing that both of these are Krishna.
-----------------------------------------------Written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
No comments:
Post a Comment