Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
North Shore, Hawaii: December 25, 2006
In
Vrndavana he heard the name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Krsna, and when he went to Jagannath Puri he heard how the local persons
pronounce Krsna as Krusna, and in his language it became Christah, and
then Christ. The change in name is actually only a difference in
language.
When
Jesus returned to Galilee from India, he preached the same devotion he
had learned in India. By his mercy, his followers preached the mission
of God everywhere, and it was therefore gradually distributed in Western
countries.
There
are not many Gods – there is only One. In the Bible it has been
written: “God created man after His own image.” If the Supreme Lord,
God, has no form, then how can He create so many worlds and so many
forms? God has form. He has all qualities.
‘Christ’
means ‘Krsna,’ the one-without-a-second, the Supreme Lord. In the Bible
we see that God has a transcendental form. Jesus has called him father,
so there is some relation. We are refined Christians, because we
totally follow this understanding. Many of those who call themselves
Christians don’t truly follow Christianity, because they say that God is
formless, but the Bible actually tells that God has a form and that
form is transcendental.
Today,
on the birthday of Jesus, we are giving honor to him. He was a
manifestation of God called saktyavesa-avatara. God has empowered him,
and that is why he was able to preach everywhere.
Krsna
is very merciful – very, very merciful. He is so beautiful, His
qualities are transcendental, and the song of His flute is so sweet that
it attracts everyone. We have forgotten Him. We are His part and
parcel; that is, we are His servants or maidservants, whether we accept
this or not. We have forgotten Him, and that is why maya (the Lord’s
material, deluding potency) has taken us to this world.
No
one can be happy in this world, which is like God’s prison. Sri Krsna’s
deluding potency maya keeps those who have forgotten Him in this jail.
Anyone who wants happiness here is a foolish person, for no one can be
happy in jail. Only the watchmen – police of the jail – can be happy,
and they are devotees. Only devotees can be happy in this world.
Sri
Krsna has mercifully given this human body, which is like a very strong
boat. He has placed a captain in this boat, and that captain is Sri
Gurudeva. The strong, favorable winds (the instructions of scriptures)
are blowing the sails, and the resultant high speed of sailing is
sadhu-sanga, the association of devotees. For example, while you
remained in your homes, we came from India.
One
of God’s messengers was Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. Srila Swami
Maharaja went door to door, to islands in the midst of oceans, on the
top of hills, and in the depths of forests. He went everywhere and
preached. How merciful are Krsna and His associates!
Having
all these facilities, if you do not take the opportunity to realize
yourself, to realize that you are soul and that the Supersoul, Krsna is
present with you, then you are committing spiritual suicide.
So
don’t waste a minute’s time without worshiping Krsna. Always be engaged
in this way. The money, houses, dogs, cats, cars, and so many other
things you are collecting cannot give you any help at the time of death.
You will have to go alone, and where you will go, you don’t know. So
don’t waste time.
All
facility is available, so you are very fortunate. The only aim and
object of this life should be this: ‘How can I realize myself and Krsna,
and engage in the performance of pure bhakti.’
Krsna is causelessly merciful. He has all powers, and He has invested all His powers and qualities in harinama, His holy names:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Krsna’s
names are more powerful than Krsna Himself. These names can stop your
pain of endless birth and death, and give you love for Krsna. Chant and
remember the sweet pastimes of Krsna with great honor and strong belief.
Krsna
lives in Goloka Vrndavana with His associates – Nanda Baba, Mother
Yasoda, Sridama, Subala, Madhumangala, and the gopis, including Srimati
Radhika. He always plays there.
He
thinks, “My servants and maidservants have forgotten Me.” In order to
deliver them, He therefore descends with all of His associates in this
material world and performs so many sweet pastimes here. He is
unlimited, He is beyond the limitation of length and breadth, inside or
outside; He is everywhere.
All
worlds are within His belly, and yet Mother Yasoda binds Him with the
silken rope which holds her hair in a braid. He kindly picked up the
great mountain Govardhana and held it for seven days on His left pinky.
At that time He told all the Vrajavasis, “Come under Govardhana. I will
save you from the rains arranged by Indra.”
In
Vrndavana He killed so many demons, like Aghasura and Bakasura. He
killed Kamsa, who was as strong as 10,000 elephants. He also killed
numerous demons in Dvaraka, through Bhima and Arjuna; He killed so many
in the Mahabharata War, such as Dronacarya and Bhisma. All the warriors
had unparalleled strength, but they were all killed by Krsna. Paundraka
Vasudeva, Sisupala, Kalayavana, and many other demons were also killed
by Him.
At
the end of His manifest pastimes, He took with Him His associates from
Dvaraka as they were in the guise of their fighting and killing each
other. Thus He removed the burden of the Earth, and then ascended with
His eternal associates to His Goloka Vrndavana. He performed such sweet
pastimes. How merciful He is!
He
came as Lord Ramacandra, with Sita, Laksmana, Bharata, Sratrugna, and
Hanuman, and in that form He performed very heart-rending pastimes.
Ravana kidnapped Sita-devi, and Hanuman later discovered her
whereabouts. With the help of monkeys and bears Ramacandra built a
bridge over the ocean, and He killed Ravana and Ravana’s entire army.
Sita is Rama’s eternal spiritual energy, but He sent her away. This is a
very sad pastime, so why did He do this? He thought: People will hear
or read My pastimes, and thus engage in bhakti (devotional service) to
Me. Bhakti is so powerful that it is able to take out all the malice
from their heart, and manifest pure love (suddha-prema-bhakti) in their
heart. They will be liberated, and thus they will join Me in My service
and become happy.
Bhakti
is a very easy method to reach God. There is no need to do exercises
like the Mohammedans – sitting or standing and doing namaj. If you
cannot pray, then simply offering respectful obeisances will do: “O
Prabhu, namaskara.” If you sing God’s names and dance, or even chant
loudly while walking, or even if you chant softly in the mind, or even
if you name your dog or cat or cow Narayani, Narayana, Krsna, or any of
God’s names, you will be liberated at once, like Ajamila.
My
request is that you do not waste this human life. Don’t be always
engaged in money-making. Even if you become more wealthy than Bill
Gates, you cannot be happy. So try to engage in this very easy method of
bhakti. Then you will be liberated from all unhappiness, and you will
be happy forever.
Gaura-pramanande! -From Harikatha Newsletter
