Wholesome and Wholehearted

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Caracas, Venezuela
20 September 2009, evening

Question: Could you please explain how important the rules and regulations are in our devotional practice?

It is a very good question.

As I have told before, first it is necessary to have sukriti, but you all have already got it, otherwise how would you come here without any sukriti? Then, there comes faith from the sukriti—there are four types of faith, and it is necessary to have a strong faith. Through that faith, you will get good association, and through the good association, sadhu-sanga, you will get some sravanam, kirtanam (you will hear and chant, or practise). Sravanam and kirtanam remove all bad things from your your heart.

You take initiation and think that everything is finished, but it is not so. Actually some seed is put into your heart, and just like when you plant some seed in the soil, you must protect it and look after it—you must water it regularly and check every day how it is growing.

Question: What is the true conception of renunciation?

It is also a good question, but Srimad Bhagavatam says, "Bhog tyag, tyag tyag" ("renounce enjoyment, renounce renunciation"). It means that you must do everything for service for the Lord—it is not necessary to renounce anything, not necessary to practise phalgu vairagya (false renunciation). You can continue your job, you can take care of your baby, you can take care of your husband or your family, it is not a problem, but you must do it only for the Lord. You do not have to leave your house and your job—you do your job, but that job must be for the Lord. You must always help your family—your husband, child, and so on—to serve Lord Krishna, Lord Gaura Nitai.

Question: I have one more question. How can a woman be successful in Krishna consciousness?

It is said in Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat that in this age of Kali, women and those who belong to a lower cast will get Krishna first, they will actually advance quicker—by the service to the Lord. But do not become proud! [His Divine Grace laughs.]

Question: If a person lives far away from the temple and the devotees and does not have proper facility to, for example, to cook or offer proper bhog to Krishna, what service can they do then?

What do they eat then? Do they fast the whole day? Whatever you have, you must give it to the Lord. If you only drink water, then you can give water to the Lord, He will happily accept it. "Bhakter jinish Prabhu lutiputi khay": Krishna does not want some big prasadam from you—whatever you can give to Him, even if it is some banana skin, He also accepts it. It is necessary to give your heart.

Question: There exists such a term as "Krishna mythology," does it have any value?

Who knows Krishna? Even Brahma cannot recognise Him! Only those who have got some mercy from the Lord can recognise Him.

One day, Narad Goswami came to Brahma and said to him, "Brahma, do you know that your Master has already come to Gokula?" Brahma thought, "It is my country, my world, but my Master has come and I do not know about it?" At first he could not believe it, but then he thought, "Narad Goswami is saying it, so I must believe it. I must go there and see for myself."

Brahma came to Gokula and saw Krishna playing with some cowboys. He hid somewhere and observed everything from afar—He wanted to see what his Master was doing. He had watched for a few minutes, when suddenly he saw one of Krishna's friends (perhaps, Subal or Sridam) take an apple, eat half of it, and then give it to Lord Krishna saying, "O Krishna! Take it!" Brahma was surprised, "My lord is taking from others' mouth?! It is impossible! When I offer food to the Lord I always make sure nobody touches it, but He is taking from others' mouth?! Maybe that boy pretends he is Krishna, I will teach him a lesson!"

What happened then? Nanda Maharaj had 900,000 cows whom Krishna would look after, and Brahma created some illusion and put all the cows into a cave. When Krishna saw the cows were missing, He went to look for them. He searched and search but He could not find them. When He came back, He saw that all the boys were not there too (Brahma put them all into another cave). Then Krishna thought that it could be Kamsa's job, that he had done something that day—He sat in meditation and saw, "Oh, it is Brahma's job! He wants to test Me—OK, no problem."

Then, Krishna created all the cows and all the boys from His own body and continued living like this for one year. When Brahma came back in a year and saw that everything was continuing as before, he admitted, "I cannot do anything." He then came Krishna and prayed to the Lord, "Please forgive me, please forgive my offences."

So, even Brahma himself cannot understand Lord Krishna, how will you then understand Him? Only those who are surrendered to the Lord, who have got some mercy can understand Him.

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