WE ARE MERE DUST AT HIS LOTUS FEET #Blog0036

 

We are mere dust at His Lotus feet

"मैं क्या था तूने क्या बना दिया

मैं तो खाक सा था ज़र्रा और मेरी क्या थी हस्ती

यूं ठोकरे खा रहा था, तूफ़ान में जैसे कश्ती

मेरा कौन आसरा था, तेरी बन्दगी से पहले

मुझे कौन पूछता था तेरी बन्दगी से पहले

मुझे कौन जानता था, तेरी बंदगी से पहले

मैं बुझा हुआ दिया था, तेरी बंदगी से पहले 

कृपा की बयार बहती है और तिनका बयार के बस होता है 

बयार=air, तिनका=straw

video 1 < click to listen

video 2 < click to listen

video 3= < click to listen

“मैं आ तो गया हूं मगर जानता हूं तेरे दर पे आने के काबिल नहीं हूं

तेरी मेहरबानी का है बोझ इतना

सिवा दिल के टुकड़ों के ना कुछ पास मेरे

मैं कुछ भी चढ़ाने के काबिल नहीं हूं

यह माना कि मालिक हो तुम दो जहां के

झोली मैं फिर भी कैसे फैलाऊं आगे

जो पहले दिया है वही कम नहीं है

उसी को निभाने के काबिल नहीं हूं”

(याचक संकोची भी हो, संतोषी भी हो)

याचक = seeker, संकोची= hesitant, संतोषी=satisfied

video 4 < click to listen

video 5 < click to listen

video 6 < click to listen

video 7 < click to listen

video 8 < click to listen

Bhagvat GIVE UP DESIRE FOR UNNECESSARY PRESTIGE AND MONEY,12th June

Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
THOSE IN HUMAN SOCIETY WHO ARE INTELLIGENT SHOULD GIVE UP THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF LAMENTATION, ILLUSION, FEAR, ANGER, ATTACHMENT, POVERTY AND UNNECESSARY LABOR. THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF ALL OF THESE IS THE DESIRE FOR UNNECESSARY PRESTIGE AND MONEY.

PURPORT
Here is the difference between Vedic civilization and the modern demoniac civilization. Vedic civilization concerned itself with how to achieve self-realization, and for this purpose one was recommended to have a small income to maintain body and soul together.

The society was divided into brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaisyas and shüdras, and the members of this society would limit their endeavors to meeting their minimum demands. The brahmanas, in particular, would have no material desires. Because the kshatriyas had to rule the people, it was necessary for them to have money and prestige.

But the vaisyas were satisfied with agricultural produce and milk from the cow, and if by chance there were excess, trade was allowed. The shüdras were also happy, for they would get food and shelter from the three higher classes. IN THE DEMONIAC CIVILIZATION OF THE PRESENT DAY, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO QUESTION OF BRAHMANAS OR KSHATRIYAS; THERE ARE ONLY SO-CALLED WORKERS AND A FLOURISHING MERCANTILE CLASS WHO HAVE NO GOAL IN LIFE.

According to Vedic civilization, the ultimate perfection of life is to take sannyasa, but at the present moment people do not know why sannyasa is accepted. Because of misunderstanding, they think that one accepts sannyasa to escape social responsibilities. But one does not accept sannyasa to escape from responsibility to society. Generally one accepts sannyasa at the fourth stage of spiritual life.

One begins as a brahmachari then becomes a grhastha, a vanaprastha and finally a sannyasi to take advantage of the duration of one's life by engaging oneself fully in self-realization. Sannyasa does not mean begging from door to door to accumulate money for sense gratification. However, because in Kali-yuga people are more or less prone to sense gratification, immature sannyasa is not recommended.


Srila Rüpa Gosvami writes in his Nectar of Instruction (2):
"ONE'S DEVOTIONAL SERVICE IS SPOILED WHEN HE BECOMES TOO ENTANGLED IN THE FOLLOWING SIX ACTIVITIES:

(1) eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required;

(2) overendeavoring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain;

(3) talking unnecessarily about mundane subject matters;

(4) practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically;

(5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Krshna consciousness; and

(6) being greedy for mundane achievements."

A sannyasi should have an institution meant to preach Krshna consciousness; he need not accumulate money for himself. We recommend that as soon as money accumulates in our Krshna consciousness movement, fifty per cent of it should be invested in printing books, and fifty per cent for expenditures, especially in establishing centers all over the world.

The managers of the Krshna consciousness movement should be extremely cautious in regard to this point. Otherwise money will be the cause of lamentation, illusion, fear, anger, material attachment, material poverty, and unnecessary hard work.

When I was alone in Vrndavana, I never attempted to construct mathas or temples; rather, I was fully satisfied with the small amount of money I could gather by selling Back to Godhead, and thus I would provide for myself and also print the literature. When I went to foreign countries, I lived according to the same principle, but when Europeans and Americans began to give money profusely, I started temples and Deity worship.

The same principle should still be followed. Whatever money is collected should be spent for Krshna, and not a farthing for sense gratification. This is the Bhagavata principle.

Bhagvatam LAKSHMIJI ALWAYS REMAINS WITH NARAYANA - MONEY SHOULD BE USED FOR KRISHNA, ONLY THEN LAKSHMIJI WOULD BE HAPPY, 11th June

Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
THE BRAHMANA CONTINUED: I AM ACTUALLY SEEING HOW A RICH MAN, WHO IS A VICTIM OF HIS SENSES, IS VERY GREEDY TO ACCUMULATE WEALTH, AND THEREFORE SUFFERS FROM INSOMNIA DUE TO FEAR FROM ALL SIDES, DESPITE HIS WEALTH AND OPULENCE.

PURPORT
GREEDY CAPITALISTS ACCUMULATE WEALTH UNDER SO MANY MISERABLE CONDITIONS, THE RESULT BEING THAT BECAUSE THEY COLLECT MONEY BY QUESTIONABLE MEANS, THEIR MINDS ARE ALWAYS AGITATED. THUS THEY ARE UNABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, AND THEY HAVE TO TAKE PILLS FOR MENTAL TRANQUILLITY TO INVITE SLEEP. AND SOMETIMES EVEN THE PILLS ARE A FAILURE. CONSEQUENTLY THE RESULT OF HAVING ACCUMULATED MONEY BY SO MUCH LABOR IS CERTAINLY NOT HAPPINESS, BUT ONLY DISTRESS. WHAT IS THE VALUE OF ACQUIRING A COMFORTABLE POSITION IF ONE'S MIND IS ALWAYS DISTURBED? Narottama dasa Thakura has therefore sung:

"I AM SUFFERING FROM THE POISONOUS EFFECT OF MATERIAL ENJOYMENT. THUS MY HEART IS ALWAYS BURNING AND IS ALMOST ON THE VERGE OF FAILURE." THE RESULT OF THE GREEDY CAPITALIST'S UNNECESSARY ACCUMULATION OF WEALTH IS THAT HE MUST SUFFER FROM A BLAZING FIRE OF ANXIETY AND ALWAYS BE CONCERNED WITH HOW TO SAVE HIS MONEY AND INVEST IT PROPERLY TO GET MORE AND MORE. SUCH A LIFE IS CERTAINLY NOT VERY HAPPY, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SPELL OF THE ILLUSORY ENERGY, MATERIALISTIC PERSONS ENGAGE IN SUCH ACTIVITIES.

As far as our Krshna consciousness movement is concerned, we are getting money naturally, by the grace of God, by selling our literature. This literature is not sold for our sense gratification; to spread the Krshna consciousness movement we need so many things, and Krshna is therefore supplying us the requisite money to advance this mission. The mission of Krshna is to spread Krshna consciousness all over the world, and for this purpose we naturally must have sufficient money. Therefore, according to the advice of Srila Rüpa Gosvami Prabhupada, we should not give up attachment to money that can spread the Krshna consciousness movement. Srila Rüpa Gosvami says in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.256):

"When persons eager to achieve liberation renounce things which are related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, though they are material, this is called incomplete renunciation." Money that can help in spreading the Krshna consciousness movement is not a part of the material world, and we should not give it up, thinking that it is material. Srila Rüpa Gosvami advises:

"When one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Krshna, one is rightly situated above possessiveness." (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255)

Money is undoubtedly coming in great quantities, but we should not be attached to this money for sense gratification; every cent should be spent for spreading the Krshna consciousness movement, not for sense gratification. There is danger for a preacher when he receives great quantities of money, for as soon as he spends even a single cent of the collection for his personal sense gratification, he becomes a fallen victim.

The preachers of the Krshna consciousness movement should be extremely careful not to misuse the immense quantities of money needed to spread this movement. Let us not make this money the cause of our distress; it should be used for Krshna, and that will cause our eternal happiness. Money is Lakshmi, or the goddess of fortune, the companion of Narayana. Lakshmiji must always remain with Narayana, and then there need be no fear of degradation.