AFFECTIONATE GUIDANCE: CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Treasures

In the last few days I have received four new publications from our devotees around the world, but I am finding that so few of our devotees are reading our books. It is not that these are to be opened and looked through, or read once; but they are to be read daily and repeatedly. I have been in the Mission now for fifty years and I am still reading Srimad Bhagavad-gita. By this I am surprised how much new light and inspiration is coming to me from the Gita.

Now we have so many books from our Mission, around two hundred publications, but the devotees must constantly read and re-read these. This procedure is good for our devotees, and it is my desire that they will do so.

This special type of knowledge, this Krishna consciousness, will come to the prisoners sleeping under maya. Now with this consciousness they have woken up, a revolt has broken out in the prison, and they are escaping.

Everyone must follow the four regulative rules. This is one of the rules of our society. We are following Srimad- Bhagavatam, and there this ruling is given, so there is no question about it.

Actually it is not four, but five regulative principles, and everyone must follow that. We are not to digest anything in this mundane world, but everything must be offered to Krishna. Hence the fifth regulation is so important. Indeed within gold is the residence of all the other four forbidden activities: illicit sex, gambling, meat eating and intoxication. So how to live without storing gold? We will take Prasadam.

In the time of Gaura-Kisor Das Babaji Maharaj a devotee got married. He said, "Very good. That man will serve that girl in a variety of ways thinking she is one of Krishna's Gopis." So everywhere we have some possibility to see everything in relation to Krishna. But that is very hard. One type of vision is bhoga, one is tyaga, and one is bhakti: enjoyment, renunciation and dedication.

We shall try to live in the plane of devotion, the plane of dedication. That is our goal. If we can do fully, we shall be benefited fully; and if we can do partly we shall be benefited partly. But we are not to lose our vision. Our vision will always be to that ideal level.

The line of Srila Guru Maharaj is very clear, but to follow the line is not so clear. I know that my service is to make harmony and take all the devotees within one ship. I consider my disciples as my friends. I never say, 'You are my disciple,' but I consider them as my friends. They are helping me to proceed in the line of Krishna consciousness to the goal.

If we can go together in one ship that is very happy for us. We are making a society, therefore it is not good if in each country there are three or four parties. Rather, it is very good if together as one party they will follow our principle.

No doubt a few will go out from the shelter of the umbrella, but what can we do? We are not masters of this universe. We can only try to do good for others. If they will listen, that is very good, but if they won't listen then there is nothing we can do.

Above everything the will of Krishna will act. Man proposes, God disposes; therefore we cannot control and we cannot do everything. But we will try as much as possible by us, and we shall try sincerely. Without diplomacy or duplicity we shall try to do good for others and ourselves.

"As Acharyya my situation is that the good of all the disciples will come to me, and everyone's bad will come to me also. That is my situation. We cannot make miracles, but the main thing is that we shall at least give encouragement so none will leave the line of Krishna consciousness.

One who does 'seva' but is always thinking about his own interest must be ignored by bhakti, and bhakti will not go to him.

Is it necessary to have any ingredients to worship? One's own tears are the best ingredients.

If we want to serve Srila Guru Maharaj exclusively and not see anything else, then we will be relieved of all troubles. But we must try to serve Guru very attentively, only then will we get that chance, otherwise we will be cheated.

My principal directive to all the devotees is to try to avoid Vaisnava-aparadha, and thereby continue happily your practising life.

Om tat sat

Contents

Section 1 — 'Siddhanta'
1 The Divine Service of Krishna
2 In Praise of the Devotees
3 Secure at Home
4 Our Life-line of Devotional Practice
5 Affection
6 Going Deeper
7 Transcendental World
8 Divine Service
9 Transcendental Knowledge and The Fortunate Soul
10 A Life of Service
11 Emotion or Devotion?
12 Our Lord’s Beloved Power
13 The Plane of Dedication

Section 2 — 'Biographical'
14 Srila Madhavendra Puripad—the Sprout of Love Divine
15 The Appearance of Sri Gaurasundar
16 The Flow of Mahaprabhu's Line
17 In Praise of Srila Narottam Das Thakur

Section 3 — 'Our Devotional Line'
18 Message to Massage the Devotees' Hearts
19 Harmony is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's conception
20 The One Channel of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
21 The Eternal Service of Sri-Gaura-Saraswati
22 The Voice of Sri Chaitanyadev
23 Puri Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Jagannathdev, and His Dham
24 A Day at Hapaniya
25 Caringly Educating
26 Address to the Assembled Devotees

Section 4
27 Excerpts from Letters
28 Treasures

Appendix 1
Appendix 2