Selection From Harmonist (Part 1) - Page 2

Most people of the world forgetful of their own Home under the spell of the enchantress are running headlong in the opposite direction - in this performance again their intoxication, eagerness, concentration and firm determination are so intense that they have indeed very little opportunity to think about Home. But the voice of the Gaudiya Math, the flying red tinted banner of the Gaudiya Math arresting the ear and the eye of all persons is ever proclaiming- ‘Say ‘Krishna’, come along; this is the only alms we beg.’

‘Back to God and back to Home is the message of Gaudiya Math.’

“To arrest the pervertedly current tide and to redirect it towards the
Eternal Source is the seemingly unpleasant duty of the Gaudiya Math.”

The Gaudiya Math says. ‘All men of the world without exception are our kin - all birds and beasts, grass and shrubs are our kindred; whatsoever consciousness being wheresoever existing belongs to our Supreme Lord; we shall conduct our kindred from out of the spells of the enchantress towards Home. We shall not be showing for the time being sweet sympathy for them by enabling those who have fallen into the snares of the enchantress to get more entangled. Even if under the spell of the enchantress they fill heaven and earth with their loud protestations against our endeavours we will still proclaim the message of the ‘amrita’ to them.

Even if it be contrary to the current of thoughts of the religious or religiously minded people as that term is understood by the world, or appear strange or wonderful to them, we will still forever practice and proclaim those religious works, the ‘sanatan dharma’ made by God, the tidings of which are unknown to any of Rishis, gods, siddhas and men, - the dharma which although it happens to be hidden, pure, difficult to understand alone enables us to attain the ‘amrita’. - the dharma that is the supreme dharma of the jiva, the dharma to which all jivas without exception have a claim, the dharma to which everyone in the universe may become the heir. That dharma is the object as well as the method of our endeavours.

The current that is sweeping the world, the flood on which it is adrift - the famine by which it is distressed - the want, fear, sorrow, delusion by which it is mastered, oppressed and tortured - can be prevented, can be pulled up by the root, by the method of moving Homeward - or self-surrender at the holy feet of the sorrowless and fearless ‘amrita’. So long as we shall stay in the foreign land - the greater the distance and the speed with which we shall continue to run towards foreign lands and away from the direction of Home - so long and to the extent sorrow, fear and delusion will not leave us; they will on the contrary mock us like the delusive deer by their further and steady increase. The Sruti says -

‘Fear must result from the perception of a second entity different from
Godhead.’

Death cannot be abolished from this mundane world. By no amount of efforts of the united jivas of the whole universe the three fold misery can be banished to the Andamans. No one can extinguish the fire of Kavana’s funeral pyre - it is the water well cooled by contact with the Feet of Sree Ramachandra that alone has the power to quench it. Once the world is fairly embarked on the high tide of the Holy Name the insignificant worldly flood retire forthwith; if the alms in the shape of the gratification of the songs of Hari become easily procurable, the little famines will leave us for good as a mere attendant result. With the appearance of sorrow-delusion-fear-killing ‘bhakti’ (devotional faith), avidya (nescience) the root of every form of misery of the jiva is destroyed and the soul is well satisfied.

‘Bhakti’ is like fire. Nothing else can purify gold in the manner that fire can. Without ‘Bhaktiyoga’ (association of Bhakti) other forms of effort are meaningless like the attempt to refine gold by the application of tamarind, earth or ashes.

To imagine ‘arthabada’ in regard to the Holy name, or in other words, to imagine that the glorification of the Name is mere exaggeration of praise is that Godless intellectual attitude which gives rise to our belief in other tangible forms of effort. We think that the work of glorification, preaching etc. Of the Name of Hari is not conducive to the general good. Or again we may think sometimes that the glorification and preaching of the name is on a level with other kinds of effort. The first is ‘arthabad’ in regard to the Name, the second is the ‘aparadha’ ‘offence’ of believing the Name as being equal to other good works. To have faith in the Holy Name is very rare that we may leave it out of consideration; if we had faith even in ‘Namabhasa’ (the most dimly perceived Name) we would have never said that succouring the victims of floods is better than kirtan and prachar (singing and preaching God), - freeing the country from famines, opening of hospitals are better than preaching devotion to God. Hundreds of famines can be got rid of, not by ‘Namabhasa’ but, even by ‘Namaparadha’ (offensive taking of the Name). The ‘mukti’ that is not obtained in crores of births by ‘Brahma-jnan’ ‘knowledge of Brahman’ can be had by one single ‘Namabhasa’. This is no exaggeration, this alone is the only true message. Sree Gaursundar, the Saviour-of-Kaliyuga ‘Avitari’ the source of incarnations) by means of the ‘Namacharya’ (the teacher of the Name by his own personal example ). Sree Thakur Haridas borne testimony to it. Adopting The Jaina view aggravated by the bad logic of purveyors of vulgar news neither Chaitanyadeva nor any of His devotees was ever in a hurry to prevent flood or famine or to found hospitals, nor did they give any other advice to anyone except telling men at all times and places -

“In the Kaliyuga there is no other dharma except uttering the
name of Krishna.”

“Taking the Name in whatever place whether eating or sleeping,
irrespective of time, place, person - all is fulfilled.”

“Whomsoever thou meet’st, instruct him about Krishna, by My
Command being guru save this land.”

“Thou did’st proclaim the high Sankitana and cancel the worldly course of jivas moving or motionless.”

“Ye that are born as men in the land of Bharata, attaining the
significance of human life do good unto others.”

There is no other dharma of the jiva except kirtan (singing God). To the extent that one disbelieves ‘bhakti’ ‘devotion’ as denoted by ‘kirtan’ or the Holy Name - in other words those who think that all wants cannot be fulfilled by kirtan - to that extent are such people ‘nastik’. The degree of help one gives in the propagation of ‘bhakti’ as denoted by kirtan is the sole measure of one’s belief in God. On the other hand a man is a ‘nastik’ ‘disbeliever’ to that extent that he obstructs kirtan. As the Name has to be taken every moment even while eating or sleeping, as bhakti denoted by kirtan is the only dharma of the jiva as there is no other dharma except this, where is then time for getting rid of flood or famine or founding hospitals? Those who are claiming to be positivists are forgetful of the greatest of all facts viz, death - those who being fallen, like the blind man led by the blind, under the spell of the enchantress, loiter about like travellers without an objective, - it is such people that have time for work other than Hari-kirtan (singing Hari). All other efforts with the exception of Hari-kirtan are the cause of ‘sansar’ ‘the worldly sojourn’ - the road leading not to the East but in the opposite direction; on the other hand all-time Hari-kirtan is turning away from every other direction to face the East, or journey Home-ward.

The Gaudiya Math is the missionary of this all-time kirtan. The Gaudiya Math does not ask to destroy all efforts of the world but to deflect their course. The Gaudiya Math begs every one of us to offer his all to Krishna. The ’dhum dham’ or pomp and display of the Gaudiya Math is for the sole purpose of making all efforts of the world ‘Krishnapara’’ ‘having Krishna as their Goal’. The offering to Krishna comes first and after the offering has been made bhakti begins. The Gaudiya Math says ‘make the offering to Krishna first and after that has been done profess to be a ‘bhakta’ ‘devotee’. ’ The Gaudiya Math says - do not imitate the ‘kirtankari’ (one who does kirtan). ‘Dhang’ ‘burlesque’ is the other name of ’anukaran’ ‘imitation’. By arraying oneself in the trappings of ’Dhang’ or ‘shang’ ‘harlequin’, people can be deceived but no good is done either to oneself or to others. It is those who follow the ’kirtankari’ that are really their own benefactors or properly alive to self-interest, and also benefactors of others or mindful of others interests. They are not bl inded by considerations of undue personal advantages nor do they cheat others; and are, therefore, truly disinterested. It is by kirtan alone that the claims of self-interest, interests of others and disinterestedness are simultaneously satisfied.

‘Bhog’ ‘enjoyment’ or ‘Mukti’ ‘freedom from misery’ in the shape of prevention of famines etc. is gained by ‘Namaparadha’ ‘offensively taking the Name’ or by ‘Namabhasa’ ‘taking the dimly perceived Name.’ That by which crores of times greater eternal good is produced - whereby the lotus of the eternal well-being of the jiva blossoms forth - that ‘Sree Nama’ ‘Holy Name’ the Gaudiya Math endeavours to give away freely. They are earnestly trying to give away freely Krishna Himself.

In this world there are many persons who spread unwholesome doctrines after advertising their intention to give good advice; but most men are deceived by the idea that the actually pleasurable experience of the moment is the ‘good.’ In ‘Sanatan-Siksha (instruction to Sanatan) -

“Who am I, why doth the three-fold misery afflict me? I do not know
how good can be.”

In answer to the question ‘how can there be good’ the message of the ‘good’ that Gaursundar, the Expounder of the ‘Sanatan-dharma’ ‘traditional religion’ delivered to us regarding to only means of obtaining that ‘good’ if it once reached our ears we would not have considered ‘bhakti’ denoted by ‘Kirtan’ as weak and other methods as strong. Turning our face away from the direction in which the treasure would be easily found we would not have hurried towards the South for the bite of wasps, towards the West for the terrors of the Yaksha (the demon that guards worldly riches), towards the North for offering our lives to the fangs of the black snake. Our Home is Eastward, we are running with all speed away from the East towards other points of the compass:; and when the people of the East call out to us to turn back, deluded by the mirage we say ‘We will not listen to you, see what beautiful lakes full of the cleanest water lie yonder before our very eyes.’ Talking thus and being by degrees enamoured of that which only appears to our senses we are ever moving away from Home towards foreign lands. In those circumstances the doings of the Gaudiya Math sometimes seems to us and to those who are like-minded with ourselves as being contrary to our ideas. This is likely and need not cause any surprise; but all this not-withstanding the Gaudiya Math bearing its message, with its bright flag flying, emblazoning on it the words that attract our ears and eyes, is ever saying :-

‘The work that is not done for the sake of ‘dharma’ the ‘dharma’ that
is not performed for the purpose of ‘virag’, ‘renunciation’, the ‘vairagya’
‘renunciation’ that is not practised for the service of ‘Vishnu’, such work
‘dharma’ or ‘Vairagya’ whosoever practises is dead in life, ‘The ‘naimittic’
‘conditional’ ‘Karmya-Karmas’ ‘fruitive works’ are the cause of ‘Sansar-
bandhau’ ‘the bondage of the world’ or ‘Yoni-bhramana’ ‘birth-
journeys’; but those very works if they are done for God-head have the
power to destroy un-Godliness. The ‘bhagavajnanam’ ‘Divine know-
ledge’ associated with ‘bhakti’ ‘devotion’ denoted by ‘sraban, kirtan etc.
(listening to, singing etc.) is assuredly the unswerving fruit of work that
are performed in this world for pleasing God’.

It is this that is the subject of the propaganda of the Sree Gaudiya Math. The Sree Gaudiya Math by its practice proclaims that without the gratification of the senses of the jiva no real good can accrue either to oneself or to others. By invocation of ‘mukti’ ‘annihilation’ in deprecation of the pleasures of the senses of the jiva, God is not served. There are many hypocrite sects who counterfeit ‘bhakti’ ‘devotion’ by assuming the paraphernalia of the false devotee but are not aware that ‘bhakti’ is an impulse of the soul. Of these some for the purpose of filling their bellies, some for fame, or some again by imitating some other purpose serve to delude the people.

The Gaudiya Math says - in the name of dharma it is not proper to practise trade. Not using Hari to serve our own pleasures, our duty is only to serve ‘Sree Hari’. The Gaudiya Math says that imitating the devotee of Hari or putting the dress of Narad as in a theatrical performance is far from walking after the devotee of Hari or following Narad. The delightful tune. Time, cadence alone do not constitute the Hari-kirtan of the Gaudiya Math; those are found even in the performances of the gramophone or of harlots. ‘Chetanata’ ‘consciousness’ is necessary, the fiery life is necessary, simultaneous practice and preaching is necessary. The Gaudiya Math says that he who does not possess a pure character is not fit even to be styled man not to speak of being regarded as religious. The Gaudiya Math keeps at a distance from the five ‘Kalisthanas’ ‘abodes of quarrel’. The ‘Kalisthanas’ according to a text of the Bhagabata are the following - (1) dissipating games such as cards, dice etc.; trade or the profession of a trader in the name of dharma; (2) indulgence in luxuries such as betel, tobacco, wines etc,; (3) improper association with women or unusual addiction to one’s own wife; (4) animal slaughter; not to proclaim the truth to people but to deceive them by untruth; not to preach Harikatha ‘the word of God’ to jiva; in lieu of Harikatha to give other kinds of advice; (5) by cheating people or by accepting money that is earned by their labour from people in general to apply such wealth to the maintenance of wife and children or increasing the scope of one’s own enjoyment; not to employ everything the body, mind and speech of the jiva-life, wealth and intellect - in the service of Sree Vishnu who is the Proprietor of all things and the Supreme Lord of all wealth.

The shastra says, of all things the human body is the dearest to God; the human body is the giver of the ‘paramartha’ ‘highest good’ and is very difficult to obtain; and, therefore, while this body lasts, without being immersed in any other thing, not deceiving ourselves by thinking that any other method except sorrow-stupor-fear-killing ‘bhakti’ is productive of good, it is our duty unceasingly to practise devotion. Other forms of devotion to God are weak, the devotion denoted by kirtan is strong. Once the protection of the strong ‘bhakti’ is secured it gives to jivas the highest good with little effort on their part. Therefore by preaching kirtan at all times to induce by right of the highest kinship, the whole of the jiva to turn Homeward is true universal love, true help of others, true kindness and the true duty of life. The Gaudiya Math embracing all without exception the inhabitants of the universe, in sadness calling upon all to turn their face towards God to be preachers of this bhakti denoted by kirtan, says;-

“Ye the righteous, bidding goodbye to everything from a distance,
offer the devotion of your hearts to the feet of Chaitanyachandra.”

Associated-Counterpart

The Sanskrit word ‘Guru’ ordinarily means ‘heavy’ as opposed to ‘Laghu’ meaning ‘light’. In its technical and etymological sense, the meaning of the term is ‘One Who by His Super-human Personality and the light of great examples of the transcendent force of His devout character dispels the darkness of ignorance of the human-heart and transfuses Himself into the lives of those who unconditionally and sincerely surrender themselves to His Divine Feet.’ Such is the great Personality, the Highest Ideal, that bears the appellation of Guru in the Shastras. Hence the Sruti says:-

“To know the Godhead fully, one should completely and most humbly
surrender himself to the Holy Feet of a Guru, Who is versed in the
Srauta Shastras and is ever devoted to Brahman.”

Some may question this saying, ‘what can be more intolerable than to submit to another’s control over our conduct, nay, over the whole course of our spiritual life?’ Verily resignation, submission or a complete obedience come into direct collision with the ordinary activities, based on empiricism, of our misdirected free will which always leads us to the pursuit of the senses. It is easier to bear fasts and austerities or to part with any necessaries of life than to submit one’s will to that of another who is a close and devout follower of the Transcendent Truth. But to surrender oneself sincerely to the Highest Ideal is the greatest of all sacrifices and it is the only royal road to the Goal of Unbounded Eternal Bliss.