Radhanath Swami's Lecture on Art of Tolerance

I sincerely offer my gratitude to all of the assembled personalities who have come today. I hope you can demonstrate the art of tolerance by tolerating me and my condition. This subject is infact of utmost importance because really one can measure a person’s character by their capacity to tolerate difficulties. Bhagavath Geetha describes in second canto who is actually a person of high character .

‘Matra sparshasthu kaunteya seethotsna sukha dukha dha
Agaman tham suthiskva bharata’

The non permanent appearance and disappearance of happiness- distress, honored - dishonored, pleasure- pain, victory-defeat, success- failure, and health-disease. They appear like the winter and summer season. One must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. We are living in a world of dualities. One cannot escape dualities, one must learn to adjust one’s consciousness and maintain integrity to despite dualities. Example is given of a coin, there is a head side and the tail side. If you want one side you automatically have to accept the other, they are inseparable .Distress is in separable to happiness. Pleasure and pain are inseparable attraction and aversion, honor –dishonor, Success-failure and these dualities will come upon anyone at any time.

One of the greatest problems that we face in life is we all want to be in control of our destiny today and tomorrow but the problem is no one is in control . They are our higher powers dictating circumstances upon every one. We have control over our future destiny by our activities today that is the laws of karma but what is coming upon us is something that is always not under our control ultimately we are all controlled by time. No one wants to become old, you loose your beauty, you loose your memory, and you loose your physical capacities .Does anyone wants to be old? But can any one stop the process. It is a humbling experience to live in this world because we are not the controllers, everyone wants to succeed but so many people fail. Every ones wants nice weather but we cannot control intense heat and intense cold. We are all subordinate, dependant to higher powers and those higher powers work on the basis of dualities. To tolerate dishonor is very difficult but it’s more difficult to tolerate honor, when you become dishonored you become angry or you may become depressed depending on the person and circumstances. We have seen some people if dishonored will pull out a sword and declare war against those offenders.

yes, other people just remove themselves from society , go to a lonely place and cry in depression . How to tolerate dishonor? It is very very difficult infact ‘Bhagavad-Gita’ explains that for one who is honored, dishonor is worst than death. But more difficult than that is to tolerate honor without becoming proud. According to Christian Bible St Paul had said Pride commit before fall. The very integrity of one’s humanness is destroyed when there is egotism, false pride. How to tolerate being honored without becoming proud without considering oneself superior to others and naturally offending others ,it is very difficult . Thus Krishna explains in this verse “The nonpermanent appearance of happiness, distress and dualities and their disappearance in due course are like the appearance and disappearance of a summer season, one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed really this is what Bhagavad-Gita teaches. One of the greatest themes to out the Gita is to how to learn to be tolerant. In the second chapter, 70th verse the key to success is given by Lord Sri Krishna himself in Gita . I would like share with you and then give some reflections on this particular subject.

‘Apuryamanam acala-pratistham samudram apah pravisanti yadvat
Tadvat kama yam pravisanti sarve sa santim apnoti na kama kami’

A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desire enters like the rivers and the oceans which I ever being filled but is always still can alone achieve peace and not the man , who strives to satisfy such desires. Bhagavad-Gita is explaining the consciousness of a person who is in elevated state is like the ocean. The ocean because of its vast depth is not disturbed by the changes that may take place surrounding it.

In the rainy season, sometimes the rivers are several kilometers in width where huge qualities of water are pouring into the ocean and in the summer season the rivers may become small trickles. Does either one disturb the ocean? not at all because of the oceans own volume of depth. Every one is looking for peace and satisfaction, if we do not find great satisfaction within ourselves then we are very much effected and afflicted by the circumstances surrounding us . The key to real peace is within not without. It is interesting, two days back I was in Bangladesh I read a newspaper there according to local newspaper, it explained how Bangladesh is the poorest nation in the world. Now this is very interesting because the BBC (British Broad casting company) did an evaluation of the whole world and their conclusion was that Bangladesh is the happiest country in the world. Now by material standards that just does not make sense because the world under the fever that money will buy happiness. Infact America was very low on the scale and they have a lot of money. How is it that the poorest country has happiest people. It does show some thing that the promise of happiness, the promise of satisfaction through acquiring more and more material things does not bring happiness.

In the Bhagavad-Gita Krishna explains that a happy person is one who is illuminated within, who rejoices within, who finds satisfaction within. I often speak of my meeting with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, she told me these poor destitute people who die in my arms in the gathos of Calcutta, I see light in their eyes. But she said when I traveled to New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Sydney and meets the wealthiest people in the world. I do not see that light in their eye. Real poverty is not of the belly that can actually be solved by giving food. Real poverty is of the heart. People’s hearts are lonely. They are un-fulfilled and because of that poverty of the heart it translates into so many other types of physical, emotional and social poverty within the world. A person who is finding happiness wants to make others happy with whatever they have. A person who has spiritual peace wants to share to give others joy. So inner peace is the very substance of satisfaction because satisfaction is of the heart not the mind and senses, they are always changing according to the circumstances we are in.

So here Geetha is explaining if within one’s heart one is experiencing the natural peace that is our own nature. We are not these bodies these bodies are temporary; they are subjected to the three foul miseries. Aadyatmika,aadibauthika, aadidaivika the miseries of the body and mind , the miseries created by other living beings and the miseries created by natural circumstances but the conscious force , the actual essence of our lives , our true self is illuminating this body and this mind with consciousness but its transcendent . It is such Anantha eternal full of knowledge and full of bliss, when the real wealth of the soul is uncovered then yes we enter into this vast ocean of spiritual satisfaction and then we are not disturbed by the dualities of material existence.

Now let us study the subject briefly Srila Prabhupad our beloved Guru Maharaj in one of his books speaks one line that I consider to be so very important to be understood by all classes of human beings. This one line goes beyond all sectarianism; it is a universal principle who is a great person. People love to adore great people or envy great people and people love to become great in their own ways some how or the other. But what actually is greatness Mahatma means great soul so what are the actual qualities of a great soul. Is greatness to have a lot of money? Some of the most degraded people in the world are millionaires and billionaires even today we see very wealthy people are funding terrorism, cruelty, innocent. Is that great? Is greatness fame? Being a good singer or being a good dancer or having a beautiful body or being very strong and athletic or being heroic .

Sri Prabhupad according to the universal principle of all spiritual paths describes what is greatness. One’s greatness has to be estimated by one’s ability to tolerate provoking situations. Every one please repeat after me.

“One’s greatness has to be estimated by one’s ability to tolerate provoking situations.”

It’s easy to make a show of being great but when you are challenged ,when provoking situations face you that is actually the test of the substance of your character and this the great scriptures give us as a constant theme . There are six enemies that exist within our own heart s and they are provoked by circumstances both within and without, what are those six enemies? Lust, Envy, Pride, Anger, Greed and illusion. A great personality is one who is able to tolerate these six urges. Love, lust is today quite fashionable , popular and even heroic to succumb to lust . A person is considered very manly to the degree ,they are just enslaved, weakens by lust and engage in such activities again and again and again . Isn’t that what most of the movies are teaching? In the cinema houses , in the televisions the great heroes are people who given to their passions and perform tremendous heroic activities in order to fulfill their passionate desires , this is the sign of a very degraded civilization that people are unentertained and look up to such inferior mentality . its very sad and we seek through out history how even people in very very high and high powerful positions are degraded by the provocation of lust . They are not able to tolerate the circumstances.

In the Holy Bible of the Christians and the Jews there’s a Samson he was the strongest man on earth but dalailama was very beautiful and he lost all of his power , all of his strength , all of his integrity because of all he could defeat hundreds of men with bare hands , the beauty of a women defeated him and he lost every thing and we have seen some of the greatest in the west one of the super star athletes tried whether innocent or guilty we will see but it happens all the time unable to tolerate lust . Entire, reputation, carrier every thing finished. Even we find recently one of the Presidents of the United States was under severe criticism. Yes, commander in chief of the armies, commander in chief or the Navy and the Airforce, commander in chief of the politics but not the commander in chief of the senses or the mind. That is the meaning of Goswamy, Goswamy means commander in chief of your mind and senses that’s very difficult . so yes, marriages are spoiled ,nations are put into ruination sometimes because people cannot control , they cannot tolerate the provocation of lust. But we have examples wonderful examples ,just recently I visited a place called Benapole. Benapole is just in the border of India and Bangladesh and that is where the great Haridas Thakur . He was provoked by the most beautiful Amaress an expert prostitute , he was alone in the seclusion of the moonlit light of the forest there was no one to see and for three consecutive nights she tried everything within her powers to seduce him but he tolerated . How did he tolerate? Because he was tasting the sweetness of the holy name as he was chanting the holy names of Lord Krishna he was experiencing some thing so high, so deep, so wonderful that the charms of this women were simple insignificant to him. Ultimately that prositute seen the depth of his inner satisfaction. It was so great that he was not in any way finding it difficult to tolerate her attack . She surrendered to him and within a few days that prostitue became like Hari Das Thakur . She became a saint by tasting the sweetness of God’s name , she found so much of inner satisfaction that she was able to tolerate but to transcend all of her previous conditionings. As a sensual maniac and she lived by the highest principles of spiritual and moral integrity and there is greed.

It is very difficult to tolerate the provocation of greed. Recently in Calcutta I was asked ti give a lecture in a Management Institute on ethics in business because today people are very much disturbed and even confused due to such unethical behaviour even by people in very high, high positions. Its difficult to tolerate temptations . Here in India very difficult to be honest not only in India in many parts of the world its just part of the life to take bribe. Taking a bribe is unethical your selling the character of your soul for little money and degrading the integrity of the whole nation that’s what its about . When it becomes something normal we can understand. Kaliyuga is full fledged effecting our world. In Enron the great scandal these people are so wealthy but they were cheating , cheating the same people who gave their entire lives to make them what they are today so that they can get a little more what did that to the moral of the nation ,if these people Volcom, Enron big big politicians just for a little more money or a lot lot more money they are causing pain to others that is greed people rob, people steel, people cheat, people lie , people even kill, provoked by greed. Our colleges should and must teach students how to follow proper ethics and morality otherwise they may be big , they may be rich but they will simply cause damage to the planet . It is a fact we can teach theoretically all about high moral and principles but unless we have conviction, unless we have inner realization then we are very much prone to be overcome by temptations for greed. In the country I am from its practically common that governors of state , Mayors of cities ultimately end up behind bars in jail because of their not able to tolerate the temptation of greed to make an extra money in an immoral way ruins lives. How to tolerate that greed? We must understand what is the real wealth, real wealth is in our integrity ,real wealth is in how the lord within our heart is seeing us . Prema dan the greatest of all the wealth is the wealth of love . Money cannot buy love, Fame and prestige cannot buy love, if we are loved and we love we are wealthy people and what is the ultimate love? The love between the soul and supreme soul or God because in that love we actually see all living beings equally and that is actually the means by which we can tolerate envy.

Have any of you ever been victimized by envy ? What is the root cause of that envy? Its the false ego ,we envy some one who we feel has more than us . It may be more wealth, it may be more knowledge, it may be more ability, it may be more prestige, it may be a higher position. Envy is such a deep seeded disease but envy cannot exist when there is even a trace of real love whether its love of God. we see every living being as part and parcel of God, therefore we are happy at an other persons success and we are we feel sad seeing another person suffer. To tolerate envy is very difficult but through purification of heart it becomes natural. There is the provocation of envy on a collective basis in the form of bigotry , secteranianism ,fanaticism because envy and pride are very much inseparable .

We are thinking I am a Hindu, I am a Muslim or I am a Christian or I am a Jew or I am a Zoroastrian or I am a Jain and because I am that , that means that is the greatest. Because if that is the greatest that makes me the greatest that’s what it is all about. Every one has their scriptural clothes to show that we are the way the truth and the light and there is no other way except through me, every one has these clothes, every one has their traditions, every one has their logic even in the circles of religion that I am the greatest , my religion is the greatest and every one else is subordinate or even evil . Yes, and look what it has done to the world religion is supposed to create a sense of seeing every living being with equal vision , religion is to bring about a spirit of compassion and love for every one. If you don’t love any one you cannot love God because religion is very opposite effects of its purpose, it creates secteranianism , bigotry and hatred towards others what does that mean inability to tolerate the envy of our heart in the name of God .

When I was in America I was conditioned to think that Americans are the greatest race in the world. But when I went to England and they think they are the greatest people in the world and then in Holland they thought they are the greatest people in world and in France greatest nation in the world and then there’s Turkey, Iran , Afghanistan ultimately India every nation thinks they are the greatest. Every nation holds their flag high yes, and what is the United Nations so many flags waiving high each nation thinking we are the great and the result so many wars , territorial wars, egoistic wars to tolerate this secteranianism this bigotry that is one of the greatest needs of today . Amongst the races there are the black people, yellow people, the white people, the brown people, the red people. The people hate each other because of their colour. In the 1960’s I grew up during the civil rights movement of Dr. Luthur King and it was a fact I saw with my own eyes if you are a different colour you are allowed to use the bathrooms or drink from the same water source as us, you cant go to the same schools as us because a person is born with a different colored skin so much hatred. when I was 18 yrs old I actually marched for the freedom of the black people and I was the only white person in the march . There was about 300 black people and me and the white peoples were throwing bottles at me calling me a traitor Hare Krishna . Insane, inability to tolerate envy see how its critically creating such pain and suffering in the world today .

Anger, it is very very difficult today be dishonored without becoming angry. When any of our desires are unfulfilled it brings about the sensation of anger and what people do in that frenzy state of anger. They say things, they do things that they may regret for the rest of their lives. Anger is the most difficult things of all provoking situations to control. There is an example in Srimad Bhagavatham of Prahalad Maharaj , his father Hiranyakashipu was so angry at his own five year old son simply because he believed in Vishnu as God. His anger was so uncontrollable not only did he curse him with horrible words but he tried to kill his son in so many ways but Prahalad has proposed forgiving , tolerate, loving towards his father because he was experiencing the depth of inner peace within his heart .

We give some examples of some great personalities who really tolerated provoking situations. There was a King name Ratidev he fasted for a long duration of time with his family for the welfare of his world now Rantidev was actually on the verge of death and he was living in a secluded place and he was brought a large quantity of food prasad to share with his family to break the fast. When he was just about to break his fast a brahmin appeared that brahmin said “ Oh Rantidev I am very hungry please give me food” he fed the brahmin to his full satisfaction . Then he sat down to eat his family anda person by caste classification a Shudra background appeared before Rantidev and said” I am very hungry please give me food”. So what did Rantidev do he fed his family and then fed that man who came. He sat down to eat and a person came with dogs a pack of dogs and said: Rantidev my dogs are hungry give them food and water”. Rantidev fed the dogs all the was left was that little water if he didn’t drink that water immediately he would die . It was life or death, when he was about to drink that water a chandala a person who is considered to be completely disgraceful to society by social conventions. That chandala appeared before him and said ‘‘ Iam very thursty will you give me some water.” Would you call this a provoking situation .Rantidev with folded palms prayed my dear lord Oh supreme personality of Goded” I do not pray to you for the eight mystic perfections,I don’t pray to you for self live amongst all living beings and let me suffer so that other living beings doesnot have to suffer . Birth after birth after birth my lord let me live for the welfare of the others, let me suffer and die for the welfare of the others. In giving this chandala my water I will be for ever be free from thirst , hunger, maroseness, lamentation and all the sufferings of material existences . With tears of gratitude in eyes he gave that water to that man that is greatness, that is tolerence. All of a sudden the brahmin all those different personalities that came to beg for him appeared before him and they all transformed into Devathas Demigods ,they gave him nice food and said we have apperaed befor you in this way we wanted to show the world what is a great person. One’s greatness has to be estimated by one’s ability to tolerate provoking situations because of Rantidev’s compassionate nature and the integrity to maintain his compassionate even in the most difficult circumstances the entire world under his regime. Was god conscious because he loved every living being without descrimination like a father.

Another provoking situation Maharaj Parikshith in Srimad Bhagavatham he committed a small offense against Semeeka Rishi a small offense due to that the son of semeeka rishi Shrungi was so outraged unable to tolerate the provoking situation of anger and an assault to the false pride that he had of being a brahmin and son of a great sage he cursed the king to die in seven days. He failed and when Maharaj Parikshit received the news that he was going to die in seven days he was great fall. He could have sent all his armies to kill that little brahmin but he dint. He accepted as the will of the God. He saw the good in it ,he saw the opportunity in it .A great person sees a positive oppurtunity in every situation that comes in their lives and never becomes dispondent . Human life is meant for self realisation. let me give the next seven days of my life to hear and chant the glories of Krishna and with a greatful and a happy heart Maharaj Parikshit sat on the bank of the Ganga and because of him we have the Srimath Bhagavatham . One of the most inspiring and greatest spiritual literatures in the history of the world.

There is a story of Ambarish Maharaj : Durvasa muni was offended by a slight mistake that Ambarish madeand was ready to kill him .Vishnu saved Ambarish. Durvasa muni who is such a great powerful sadhu ultimately for the offense of trying to murder this poor gruhastha family man . he was on the verge of death but Ambarish forgave him. Ambarish fasted for one year for the welfare of Durvasa muni the same man that tried to kill him that is tolerance infact forgiveness and tolerance are inseperable. The power to forgive another for their injustices and offenses against one is actual sign of real tolerance it is the quality of the great person. The power to forgive is of a greater strength than all the nuclear powers on earth today by billions of times because the power to forgive can liberate our soul and liberty so many other souls. But armies ,weapons and entire arsenal of the world cannot necessarily liberate any one . Jesus Christ forgave the people who cruicified him that was his last prayer .”Oh Lord forgive him they donot know what they do “ .

We have the story of Thakur Haridas, he was beaten with sticks through 22 market places he was beaten so severly that no man had lived beyond two or three such market places but as he was being beaten and whiped . He was praying for the welfare of the executioners and what did he do wrong nothing ,he was tried and convicted simply because he was trying to teach people how to love God in a different way then the government believed in God. That’s all he was teaching the same essential principles as their religion but with some different names and therefore he was sentenced to death . it is described that Vishnu the supreme Lord sent his shooter Vishnuchakra to sever the heads of the executioners because they were hurting his devotee . but because Haridas was praying so deeply from the core of his heart for forgiveness towards them . The Lord’s chakra was powerless to cause them any harm that is the power fo forgiveness . Lord Chaitanya taught us

‘Trinadapi Sunichena ------------------------
Amaneena Manadena Kirtaneeya Sardahari ‘.

That one should be more humble than a blade of grass more tolerant than a tree one should be eager to offer respect others and expect none in return. In this state of mind one can constantly chant the holy names let us examine the nature of the tolerance of a tree. A tree will stand in scrotching sun to gives shade to you and me and a tree will bare the freezing cold of the winter and give wood to create heat to you and me . A tree will even silently give up its life to give its body to build a house for you and me that is tolerance. What is a great personality ? one who is more tolerant than a tree. Now this may seem impossible but it is actually our nature .This is our inner nature where there is love spiritual love, there is unlimited tolerance, there is unlimited humility .

Today’s class is the art of tolerance we have examined some of the circumstances within and without that try our tolerance and some of the great personalities who have shown in the most maginificant way how they overcame these obstacles and maintain their character, their integrity and their principles even in the face of difficulties and we have also mentioned how people fall down due to the inability to tolerate provoking situations. So how does this apply to all of us today, this is the most important question. Most of you are young with lives ahead of you there would be many temptations, many provoking situations that will come upon you. First of all what do we value in our lives as sacred that is the very important question for us to contemplate otherwise we simply get lost , we just get caught up in the passions of the inner and outer world what is the foundational principle that we want to live by in our life . This is important , happiness comes from fulfillment , fulfillment is when our principles in our life are in Harmony .Hypocrisy creates a turmoil of agitation within our own hearts so really what is the principle that we want to live by to be a cheater to be a lier to given to lust, anger , envy , pride , greed and illusion or is our principle to be Narotham first class human beings to live with integrity, to live with character, to live with morality ,to live with ethics a person who could live by this principles is a hero. The gangsters, the mafia, the Mob people all those they are just ignorant weaklings that’s all . They may have big bodies big guns and they may control villages or they may control cities or control governments but they are all ignorant weaklings .Simply conquered at every moment by their lust, their greed and their ego no substance and they die and they have to pay for all their evils that’s all. There is nothing nice about that although in the cinemas, television they are heros being great fearless people simply fools. Better the strongest person is even a simple house wife who lives with dignity and character and that is a fact because it is so hard in this world.

In the age of Kaliyuga what is irreligion is taken to be religion and what is religion is taken to be irreligion but for our ethics, our character and our integrity to have a sustainable foundation by which we can tolerate the storms that will come upon us . We must have spiritual realization . An example if you build a house with a week foundation it will not tolerate the storms that may come upon it , it may fall. It may be big beautiful magnificant sky scraper with all luxury suites but when the storm comes it falls but if you have strong foundation it can withstand any difficulty . So in order to actually be able to tolerate provoking situations we must have a strong foundation and our principles, our morals , our ethics must be built upon that foundation. Our life must be built upon that foundation .Kolaveta sridhara was in utter poverty materially but he dint want anything else he was happy , he was offered many benedictions, he was offered wealth , he was offered fame ,he was offered power, he was happy in himself because he was tasting the nectar of sipirtual love that is wealth. so first of all it is very very essential that we must evaluate in our life what is sacred . What is of utmost importance? Is it just accumulating more fame,prestige, money is it enjoying more and more through the senses or is it living with character. Is it doing something wonderful for the worlkd by our example .

The greatest need in human society is people who live by good example.Yadyarajyayatistresasthaptha yeveytochana Bhagavad Gita tells what leaders do ,do the common people follow ? all of you who are hear will be the leaders of the society on one level or another . The example you set the others will follow your children and people around you . So yes, please evaluate what is of great value in your life, to live by truth or to live by illusion so the question is are you the body or are you the soul , if you are body then so many materialistic ways make sense but the conception that you are the body makes no sense at all. The body is a vehicle the soul is the person animating this vehicle. At the time of death the body is there where is the soul? where is the person ? Where is the life the beginning of truth according to Gita is to understand I am not body but this eternal soul that is considered to be truth. What are the needs of the soul? to live in harmony with the needs of the soul is the human life. To forget that principle is the life of the two legged animals and what is the nature of the soul ,is to love to have equal vision of compassion to all living beings whether one is business, engineer, house wife, teacher , student , swami , architect, farmer or what ever our occupation may be. To express our values, our love, our devotion to god and all living beings through our work that is the highest life that is natural life and in that life there is happiness in that happiness we have the power to tolerate all provoking situations. So two things are very important to strive by proper means to actually purifying our consciousness of lust , envy and anger , pride and greed and at the same time tolerate those provocations by strong intelligence by strong commitments and convictions . If I am convinced that some thing is wrong i will not get into it. At the same time as conviction, the purification of heart , the awakening of our original , natural love and that comes through spiritual purification. In this age of Kali the simple and subliming process of spiritual purification is the chanting of god’s name .

“ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare”
“ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”

Haridas Thakur was able to tolerate the most difficult provoking situations because his heart was pure, so yes you are all so fortunate you have such a wonderful opportunity in life to do such a wonderful for yourselves and wonderful for the world. By striving for spiritual perfection , by purifying your heart through proper association and the power of God’s name and while performing this wonderful wonderful purifying process you will have the strength ,the integrity to tolerate provoking situations, as they will come and maintain your principles . I thank you very much. Are there any questions:

“Hare Krishna” Before we begin the question answers I would like to welcome the special guests who are assembled with us, we have with us Sri T.C. Venkata subhramanyam he is the chairmen and managing director of Exim Bank, Sri P.A Macuanna chief manager Exim bank, Mr. Narender desai chair men APAL Group of industries, His holiness Chandra Mouli Swamy Maharaj, His grace Gowra Prabhu who is Sri Prabhupad disciple , Mr. Rajeev Dutta Sharma additional devision railway manager Western railway, Dr Hosangadi retired head of the department of Chemistry Bombay university , DR Reddy who is a cardiologist at Jagjeevan Ram hospital , Western Railway , Mr Naresh Saine SR. Divitional Signorant Telecom engineer, Mr. Kuldeep Nar programme manager Times foundation , Coordinating activity from Delhi and Bombay with a brighter vision, Miss Nidhi Gupta Prrogramme officer Times foundation Delhi . We would like to welcome all of these special guest s of our programme today by lovely Chanthing .
“ Hari Bol, Hari Bol, Hari Bol”
So now if there are any questions you may kindly address to his holiness Raganath Maharaj .
Thank You very much for the wonderful actual march.

Question: Under the Category of envy you were commenting how every religious tradition has this tendency to say we have their quotes we are the best . So we also say that our vedic culture it is the best and within their culture of many philosophies , Polytheism, Panthiesm or the philosophy of chaitanya Mahaprabhu that is the best so how is that any different than what other religious traditions are saying.

Maharaj says:” Hari “whats best Is that what actually brings about realization of unmotivated and unconditional love for God and compassion to all living beings ,any one can say we are the best but this is really the standard

“sarvyapaksho sarmop dharmoyathobhaktirmokshagey hoyatikiya pratheehartaatmasooprasithi”

This is Bhagavatham’s explaination of what is best and this is what we are talking about vedic culture . the fruit of all vedic literatures is in Srimadh Bhagavatam and Bhagavatham tells what is best . The supreme occupation for all Humanity is that which brings about wakening loving service to the Supreme Lord such service must be unmotivated, unconditional, uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self. So our thinking if we are the best causes us to be envious hateful, arrogant, then we do not understand about our own religion its superficial, its hollow, its egoistical. Yes, so if we understand if really what are own religion is then we will be a compassionate well wisher of every living being . As an example expression of our love for god so let us realize that before making judgments about every one else. Does that answer your question. Hare Krishna.

The Vedas do not tell us to become a Hindhu, the Vedas teaches to love God and that love must be unconditional , unmotivated , uninterrupted . the Vedas teaches to be a compassionate instrument of God’s love in this world . yes, that is supreme religion.

Question: “ Hare Krishna Maharaj” Maharaj I have heard that Vaisnava never gets angry, if he gets angry then some thing really wrong has happened and the person who is responsible for making him angry gets high reactions. So is it not that it should be opposite . I mean the way.

Maharaj says : Vaisnava ‘s get angry but they get angry for the right purpose you see that a vaishnava there Hanuman he was a great devotee did he get angry , he was very angry, he was very angry because Ravana stole Seetha but that anger was an act of love, an act of love for god. It was not based on unfulfilled lust, it wasn’t because of unfulfilled ego, it was an expression of selfless love for the benefit of all. Krishna insighted anger in Arjuna that was what Bhagavad Gita did . He can’t fight without being angry. Yes, Krishna tells Arjuna fight, Now how can you fight without being angry specially against the Gurus now Dhruyodhana was envious . Dhuryodhana when he saw that Bheema excelled him became envious of him that means he felled down because he was envy, but then Yudhistir Dhuryodhana stole the thrown that was meant for him and Yudisthir was completey non envious he was still willing to forgive and help Dhuryodhana when he was in a difficult circumstance. that is the difference between a great soul and another. The ability to tolerate provoking situations . Yes, so in that situation the war was inevitable and Arjuna fought but he did not felt ego or unfulfilled lust . He fought for the welfare and for the sake of others some times when a child is misbehaving the parent will become angry with that child out of love, out of care even act angry when they are not but to emphasise the point. Yes, so some times when anger is born of compassion and love and an act of service and that anger is pure . Many times Vyshav’s express that kind of anger to teach good lessons to emphasise certain points and to protect innocent but that is completely different from the Krodha which is one of the three gates of hell according to Geetha lust, anger and greed are the three gates to hellish existence but anger born of false ego and unfulfilled desires is extremely dangerous and difficult to overcome unless we have very high spiritual principles to live by. Is that answer to your question.

Question: Hare Krishna Maharaj” I want to know about satisfaction can I continue with this that means can I ask you a question on satisfaction , how a person can get satisfaction suppose there is a place where you can get complete endless satisfaction . So there are two ways either you can go to that place if it exists to endless satisfaction or he just follows his path and gets his satisfaction every time every each moment when he puts forward his legs can you tell me the difference? Either he should go that place or should follow his path. Some one in ISKON told me if we get satisfaction over here I f you come over here you will get complete satisfaction but I am considering this that I follow my path.

Maharaj: What is your path
Any how the path comes.

Maharaj: Any thing that will come will be your path.

Ans: If you want to reach a destination you must know the road that takes you there. Yes, if you get into an automobile and say I don’t know where I want to go and I don’t know which road to take either .I will just go and what ever comes where will you end up. Human life must understand where we want to go then we must understand what is the road will take us there. Satisfaction comes from a pure heart as long as the heart is slaved with disease of envy and false ego there can be no real satisfaction in life. It doent matter where you live, what you have and with whom you within satisfaction is within. Satisfaction is the nature of a pure heart. So how to purify your heart that is the path of Dharma, That is the path of Krishna consciousness that is the real path of spirituality. So we must follow that path, inorder to follow that path we must know the proper direction, proper association and proper principles to live by . no satisfaction is not necessarily living in this building or that building but satisfaction is in internal state of consciousness and there is a way of purifying our hearts to attain that state and if you follow that state you will find real satisfaction in your life . In our particular path purification of heart comes from chanting God’s name sincerely and by living by moral , ethical principles by developing a spirit of service than exploitation this is the path we are teaching that Krishna is teaching that all the avatars have taught by which there is eternal satisfaction but if you follow your own way then you will be bound up by your own Karma and by your own ego. However if you apply the principles of truth according to your life style according to your occupation you can achieve perfection, self satisfaction.

“ Griheythakur vanethakur sadha hari bole Thakur “

Krishna doesn’t teach to be a monk , Krishna teaches what ever you are doing what ever occupation, whatever varna what ever ashram . If you apply these sacred spiritual principles to your life you will attain every lasting satisfaction . in this very life but if we act vinscically according to our own ideas then we will simple have a life that is vinscical there will be no realization or revelation of treasure that are within our own hearts .

Maharaj: Do you understand, what do you study ?

Ans: Enginering

Maharaj: Engineering , so you want to be engineer but can you be engineer by living your own conceptions or you can be with an understanding of your eternal self . Apply the principles of Bhagavath Geetha to your engineering carrier. you will achieve satisfaction. If you apply your own wimps and you will simply live in the world of comic dualities, without any spiritual direction in your life.

And: Thank You Maharaj

Question: Hare Krishna Maharaj!
Thank You for the nice class. Maharaj I want to ask that a person can be tolerant in his feelings but can a nation a community, a sector can be tolerant ? Suppose a neighbouring nation attacks us or in that case?

Maharaj says: We can be tolerant but in a different way . Krishna taught Arjuna to be tolerant but he also taught him to fight that means we have to be tolerant of our own vises of the nation that you are to protect . That is the duty of the warrior, the sacred duty of the warrior is not to attack innocent people of another country but it is to protect the citizens of your own country . And it is your duty to protect , if a burglar comes in to kill your wife and children its your duty to protect them even if it becomes to be angry or violent . yes, it is your duty to protect but in the process we have to tolerate doing it egoistically , we have to tolerate our own vises and actually protect for the right cause. Is that answer to your question? Being tolerant doesn’t mean being week tolerance gives strength.

Question: Hare Krishna Maharaj . Its my first time out here my question Is not related to the topic , I want to ask a different question like what is the concept of death , if a person die where does he go ? is it any hell or heaven or is it like that means what is death . It is a question that usually haunts my mind. I want to ask this question.

Maharaj says: There is no such thing as death, Hare bol. The soul is eternal

“ Najayatheymariyatheybaka tadhya nahanyathey dheh naye sarire”

Krishna tells in geetha that for the soul there is no birth and there is no death. It does not lay when the body is laying . what we call death is simply a change

“Dehinosmin yatha dehi kaumaram yauvanam thatha thehanthara prapthirdhey yastrath namoyathey “

That the body soul is in the state of changing from childhood to youth to old age. Yes the souls is travelling through various changes of this body .At the time of death, the soul simply changes to another body. The body is changing in life and death there is a another change into another body.

“Vasamsi janaji thatah vihaya “

Krishna tells like death is simple a change of clothes the body is closed but that death which is really just a change of bodies is inevitable for all of us and for identifying I am this body there is nothing more fearful and painful than death. Yes, now what happens at the time of death, the soul has to leave this present body and has to be striped away from all of this attachments of the body, all of our relatives, our loved ones , our possessions . They are all instantly taken away at the time of death and where does the soul go . According to our activities and our desires the soul is transferred to a particular body . There are eight million 4 hundred thousand species of life according the Padmapurana within the universal creations. In every particular species of life gives a particular comic experience to the spirit souls. According to the quality which we live we think and we act we develop Karma then the soul is transported to a particular body where that Karma will be . Given to us or let us say the reactions of our Karma come upon us. Why are their so many species of life . There are birds, living out the karma that puts one in a body of birds. You can become insect there are also hellish existences for very very horrible sinful Karma. There are also heavenly existences for very very good and Bias Karma’s and within human life we see people just by providence they are born in miserable conditions and so many misfortunes come upon them and other people live in very effluent , fortunate positions. Where they are very intelligent very beautiful, and all good things coming to them these are all reactions to past Karmas and Past lives but ultimately Krishna explains in Geetha if we remember him at the time of death , then we return to Krishna . we resume our original natural identity where life is eternal , full of knowledge , full of bliss . So the goal of human life is to go beyond Karma as long as we are living within the realm of Karma then we have to take after birth after birth after birth to receive the reaction of our Karma’s good or bad. Yes, when we remember Krishna at the time of birth we transcend the cycle of Karma and enter the spiritual aboard where life is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss. That experience is not only beyond life in the spiritual world but it is present in our own hearts. In this very life we can attain that state that is why the chanting the god’s name is such a benediction. Because it helps us to fix our consciousness in remembrance of god at every moment purifies of our inclinations for our sinful activities for our egoistic pursuits gradually promotes a healthy state of consciousness a state of consciousness which creates compassion , love and service towards god and all others . When we are serving the supreme those activities are beyond the karma, they are transcendental but through this process our consciousness becomes pure and at the time of death we return back to home God. Otherwise for every immoral act we perform we will have to pay the price and for every moral act we perform we will have to pay the price. So to liberate ourselves from this cycle of materialistic karma is the most intelligent and the rarest pursuit dedicate our lives to. Is that answer to your question.

Question: Hare Krishna Maharaj! Many times the situation is such that we are unable to tolerate and we are influenced by wrong things but after the impact of that situation we think that we should be out of such wrong things. So, how could we give up those wrong things just like to start a fan we need to switch on the button. In the same way we want to give up those wrong ways but how do we start giving up those wrong things.

Maharaj Says: The best and easiest way is to replace wrong things with right things we must tolerate the conditionings that we have towards the wrong things and simultaneously divert that energy to performing right activities and cultivating right thoughts. Yes, if you tell a child to stop playing with dangerous things the child will constantly be crawling back to those dangerous things but if you give the child a better thing to play with then it is easy for them to give up so similarly the mind by nature is very active and dynamic . It needs engagement “idle mind is Devils work shop”. Yes, so we must learn to be tolerant and resistant to negative activities to negative thoughts. How to do that? by simultaneously engaging them with positive activities and positive thoughts, you can go to the liquor store to become intoxicated and you come to temple and become intoxicated chanting god’s name but if you are conditioned to go to the liquor store, if you are just standing on the street your mind will drag you there , yes but If you come hear you chant and you dance which you will be doing in few minutes you will be intoxicated with something very good and then it becomes very easy to tolerate the bad. So the art of living really is to dovetail our propensity and positive loving service of the lord. Is that answering your question. Hare Krishna.

Question: Hare Krishna Maharaj! Can we change our destiny?

Maharaj Says: At every moment your every word and every deed is creating your destiny, we are responsible at every moment for what we speak and what we do and what we think will induce us in words and action , if we always think of Krishna our destiny will be Krishna , if we are constantly thinking about the temporary pleasures of the world according to how we are thinking about those pleasures that will determine our destiny . I think we should end because it’s late. I wish to thank you very very much. Hare Krishna.
So let us express our gratitude to his Holiness Radhanath Maharaj taken his valuable time and inspite of his very bad health and given us such fantastic insights into the topic “The Art of Tolerance” so let us express by loudly chanting

“ Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare”
“ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1206