The ascending and descending process

 The ascending and descending process, by Haripada dasa

There are two processes to receive knowledge, the ascending and descending process, I will try to explain them. A person believes that by his mental and intellectual power he will understand everything, who am I, who is God, what is the material creation, etc., this is called ascending process, in relation to this I share a very interesting story, to Saint Augustine is considered the greatest philosopher of the Christian Church, this saint was walking along the beach speculating on various philosophical issues, and he saw a child who was making a hole in the sand with a shovel, the saint asked the child who was doing and the boy replied that I am going to put all the water of the ocean in this hole, and Saint Augustine laughed and said that it was impossible, then the boy said that it was more impossible to want to understand things through speculation, and that the only way to understand things is when God is pleased with you, he will reveal everything to you, the only way to understand things is through the mercy of God, there Saint Augustine understood the essence of spiritual life, let us not forget that we are all born with four defects, 1- we have the tendency to make mistakes, to err is human, 2- we have the tendency to fall into ignorance, 3- we have the tendency to deceive others and 4- we have imperfect senses. Descending process means that God or Krishna transmits all eternal truths to Brahma, the first created creature, then Brahma transmits it to his son Narada, Narada to Vyasadeva, Vyasadeva to Madhvacharya, etc., this is called guru parampara or disciplic succession, and this knowledge comes pure and does not change, that's why Srila Prabhupada who is the 32nd spiritual master of this guru parampara chain always said that the philosophy of Krishna consciousness is very easy because we don't have to invent anything, we just repeat the messages given to us by the predecessor spiritual masters.

There are four sampradayas or spiritual schools authorized by God or Krishna that transmit descending knowledge, 1- the Brahma sampradaya whose Acharya or founding Master is Madhvacharya, 2- the Kumara sampradaya, the 4 Kumaras, whose Acharya or founding Master is Nimbarkacharya, 3- the Laksmi sampradaya, whose founding Acharya or Master is Ramanujacharya and 4- the Rudra or Siva sampradaya, whose founding Acharya or Master is Visnuswami. One must receive spiritual knowledge and mantras from these 4 spiritual schools. When Srila Prabhupada's teacher named Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada was preaching Krishna consciousness all over India, when he met a guru he would ask you who has authorized you to be a guru, and then he would say that all these manufactured gurus are cheaters of first class. That is why Srila Prabhupada says in Srimad Bhagavatam, 4, 8, 54 that one should receive initiation from a guru authorized by the guru who preceded him.

Serious and sincere

 

Serious and sincere, by Haripada dasa

Srila Prabhupada always said that the devotee must be serious and sincere in his practices of Krishna consciousness, this also applies to mothers, serious and sincere means that one does not cheat himself or others, in other words, one is not a hypocrite, we in a practical way show Srila Prabhupada and God or Krishna that we are serious and sincere when we practice verses 2 and 3 of the Nectar of Instruction, there it is said that when someone gets too entangled in the following six activities, his devotional service is ruined; (1) Eating more than necessary, or accumulating more funds than required; (2) trying too hard for worldly things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talk unnecessarily about worldly matters; (4) follow the rules and regulations of the Scriptures only for the sake of following them and not to advance spiritually, or reject the rules and regulations of the Scriptures and work independently or capriciously; (5) associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in cultivating Kṛishna consciousness; and (6) coveting worldly achievements, and there are six principles that are conducive to the performance of pure devotional service: (1) be enthusiastic, (2) exert yourself confidently. (3) be patient, (4) act according to the regulative principles [such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam: hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛishna, (5) abandoning the company of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly ensure the complete success of pure devotional service.

In the Padma Purana it is said that so that we are not inhabitants of hell we have to be very careful with these 4 things, 1- see the Deity of Krishna as if it were a stone, 2- consider that the chanting of the Maha-Mantra Hare Krishna , Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare (the H is read as J for jot), is a mundane sound vibration, 3- see the charanamrita, or the water that washes the Deities as simple flowing water and 4- see the devotees from the material point of view.

Everyone's friend

 

 Everyone's friend, by Haripada dasa

Hare Krishna, I lovingly and confidently share a paragraph from a small book by Srila Prabhupada entitled Meditation and Superconsciousness:

We are looking for a friend to provide us with peace and quiet. That friend is Krishna, God. Just make friends with Him, and you will find that the whole world will become your friend. Since God is situated in everyone's heart, if you make friends with God, He will instruct everyone inwardly to treat you friendly. One who befriends the chief of police receives certain benefits. If you make friends with the president of the country, everyone will be your friend, since everyone is subordinate to the president. If you want something from an official, you just have to call the president and he will tell him: "Okay, help this man," and so everything is resolved. Just try to befriend God, and everyone else will become your friends. All people will become peaceful if they understand this beautiful truth, that God is the friend of all and that He is the supreme owner. Lord Chaitanya also explains this.

By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna I have been from 1984 to 2011 distributing Srila Prabhupada's books, I will have spoken face to face with more than 4 million people, in this transcendental activity one experiences that Krishna is the supreme controller and that one is his loving servant, in Guatemala twice Lord Nrisimhadeva saved my life, Srila Prabhupada always said that we should pray to Lord Nrisimhadeva for protection and blessings to be able to preach. Wherever you go you will see selfishness, hypocrisy and fighting, but as Srila Prabhupada says in this paragraph that all people will become peaceful if they understand this beautiful truth, that God is the friend of all and that He is the supreme owner. Lord Chaitanya also explains this.

Share, Part 2

 

Share, Part 2, by Haripada dasa

I share that yesterday I saw a video of Srila Prabhupada that spoke of swans and crows, this is very interesting, pure devotees of God or Krishna are compared to swans, swans have the ability to extract from a mixture of milk and water only milk and leave the water, likewise the pure devotees of God or Krishna have the ability to extract the spiritual part of everything and leave the material part, swans like to live in clean places, with clear water full of lotus flowers, likewise pure devotees of God or Krishna like good philosophy, take food offered to God or Krishna, go to temples where there is a peaceful atmosphere with incense, crows do not like that, People who are like crows do not like that, they go to dirty places, where meat, fish and eggs are eaten, nightclubs, where there is alcohol and drugs, it is a practical fact that birds of the same plumage fly together, crows they don't go where the swans, they don't like it, and swans don't go where crows are, they don't like it, another difference between people who are like swans and those who are like crows is that pure devotees of God or Krishna are free from lust and of greed, and those who are like ravens, are full of lust and greed.

Once some reporters went to do an interview with Srila Prabhupada, one of them told him that all great spiritual personalities like you do great miracles, what miracles you have done, Srila Prabhupada was surrounded by his disciples and he replied that you see all these people Before coming to Krishna consciousness they were addicted to all kinds of sinful activities, they ate meat, fish and eggs, they were addicted to alcohol and drugs, they played games of chance and they also had illicit sex, they were like crows, now They are swans, now they only eat prasada or food offered to God or Krishna, they only drink pure water, they do not play games of chance because they are completely satisfied with what they have, and if they marry they only have sex to procreate and if not they practice celibacy, Turning crows into swans seems a little miracle.

Srila Prabhupada's Men

 

 Srila Prabhupada's Men, by Haripada dasa

Srila Prabhupada's men are people who have decided to use their lives to please Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada's men are by nature meek and humble, but when they see that there are people who offend Srila Prabhupada they are like lightning bolts. In the same way that drug addicts cannot do without their drug, Srila Prabhupada's men cannot live without reading Srila Prabhupada's books every day. Srila Prabhupada's men are always making plans for people to be happy in Krishna or God consciousness. Srila Prabhupada's men are the smartest people because they are always chanting Hare Krishna. Srila Prabhupada's men love even their enemies. Srila Prabhupada's men never engage in sense gratification. Srila Prabhupada's men are the only people who have overcome lower taste by finding great satisfaction in higher taste.

Srila Prabhupada's men are assured of their return home, their return to Godhead. Srila Prabhuada's men use everything for the service of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga. Srila Prabhupada's men are obedient to Srila Prabhupada's instructions. Srila Prabhupada's men have no time for maya. Srila Prabhupada's men understand and accept that Srila Prabhupada is the Acharya through his books for the next 10,000 years. Srila Prabhupada's men establish relationships with other devotees based on spiritual love and trust. Srila Prabhupada's men are very careful to offend any moving or immobile living entity. Srila Prabhupada's men have found a taste in being the servants of others. Srila Prabhupada's men have decided that their love is for Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada's men understand and accept that many unauthorized people have used Srila Prabhupada for a living.

Srila Prabhupada's men understand and accept that Srila Prabhupada is our direct link to the guru-parampara. Srila Prabhupada's men understand and accept that Srila Prabhupada is the Jagat-guru the guru of the universe and to all devotees who have accepted Srila Prabhupada as the way, the truth and the life offer their respectful obeisances. Srila Prabhupada's men establish a friendly relationship and see all the devotees who have accepted Srila Prabhupada as their Gurudeva as godbrothers. Srila Prabhupada's men obey Srila Prabhupada's order to initiate on his behalf, they don't speculate.

Lead by example

 

 Lead by example, by Haripada dasa

Western educators say: “Don't follow me; follow my words ”; Or, put another way: "Do not do what I do, but what I say." Srila Prabhupada's life refutes this principle, as he applied all the instructions in his books in his own life and was a vivid example of them. There is not a single instruction in his books that he has not personally followed, and therefore there is no disparity between his writings and his life; between his actions and his words.

Srila Prabhupada taught us that a true spiritual master is one who preaches with his personal example, once Sanatana Goswami told Haridasa Thakura that you are the perfect devotee of God or Krishna, there are those who preach but do not practice and there are those who practice but not preach, but you practice everything you preach.

I share a beautiful verse from the Bhagavad gita, 3, 21, there it says that common men follow in the footsteps of a great man, whatever action he performs. And whatever guidelines he establishes through exemplary acts, the whole world follows them, and in the purport Srila Prabhupada says that the generality of people always requires a leader who can teach them through their behavior in practice. A leader cannot teach people to quit smoking if he smokes himself.

Srila Prabhupada always said that what people like the most is to be deceived and suffer, and he also said that one of the great impediments to expanding Krishna consciousness is the large number of deceivers there are, and how people She is so lazy to do the spiritual awakening they take advantage and tell people you give me 30 euros and I will give you a mantra and in six months you will be God, and people are so stupid that they believe it. That is why this society is one of deceivers and deceived.

The words convince, but the example drags. In the Jaiva dharma it is said that if someone gives religious advice without practicing it himself, it becomes a source of evil for the world.

Two thoughts to ponder:

1- Give good advice to a wise person and they will appreciate it and give good advice to a foolish person and they will get angry.

2- If you have nectar in your heart you will never give poison and if you have poison in your heart you will never give nectar.

The order of renunciation

 

The order of renunciation, by Haripada dasa

I share here another instruction of Srila Prabhupada that very few know and practice, in the Chaitanya Charitarita, Madhya lila, 25, 194, there Srila Prabhupada says that so it is mandatory to accept sannyasa or the order of renunciation at fifty years of age. The problem in Krishna consciousness is that there are no genuine renunciants, the sannyasis of now are only interested in offending Srila Prabhupada and his devotees, they deceive themselves and others and live as kings, the result of this is that all They go to hell.

Regarding this topic, the conversation between Lord Gauranga and his wife Visnupriya was very interesting, before Sri Gauranga took sannyasa.

In El Chaitanya Mangala, Lochana Dasa Thakura recounts hobbies that are not mentioned elsewhere. It tells the moving and last conversation that Lord Gauranga had with Vishnupriya Devi the night before taking sannyasa: "With a voice choked with emotion, said Vishnupriya, 'Tell me, 0 Prananatha (Lord of my life), is the rumor true that I heard that you will take sannyasa and leave me? If I lose His association, I will end my life drinking poison. ”Sri Gauranga replied with compassionate and soft words and told Vishnupriya that you are as dear to me as life itself, there is no need to worry, please listen to what I am going to tell you, because it will help you a lot, in this world only Bhagavan and the Vaisnavas or the pure devotees of God or Krishna are the only truth, everything else is illusion. Fathers, mothers, children, relationships between men and women they are illusory or temporary, Krishna is the master, the real husband of the whole world, do not lament, therefore, fulfill the true meaning of Vishnupriya and always think of Krishna within your cor azon

Krishna consciousness goes beyond the sannyasa order, so Sri Gauranga always said that I am not brahmachari, grihasta, vanaprasta or sannyasa, I am not brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya or sudra, I am aham brahmasmi, jivera svarupa haya , nitya krishna dasa, gopi kamalayor dasadasadasanudasa, this means that I am not the temporary material body, but eternal spiritual soul, I am the servant of the servant of the servant of the master of the gopis, of Krishna the Supreme personality of God.