Illegal Happiness

On Thursday 29 March 2007 I gave a presentation on this sublime, ecstatic self-realization science to a classroom full of students at Sofia University. The students loved it and asked for further information. Many of them came out into the hallway after the lecture to inquire further about this liberating process. There was only one person who did not like it. This was the teacher. She was very disturbed that I made a presentation that was so appealing to the students. She told me, "You have made it too popular." 

I have to admit that it is very difficult for me to present Krishna consciousness as some dry boring academic pabulam. Every word of this philosophy is overflowing with unlimited oceans of nectar. To package it as some insipid trivia tolerable to the envious would be very, very difficult.

When I explained what had happened to Stanu Prabhu, one of our local devotees, he told me that during the communist era here in Bulgaria a group of devotees had gathered illegally in a house to have to a Krishna consciousness program. The neighbors complained to the police after the program. Their complaint was that all the people came out of the meeting looking so happy. This mood of happiness being illegal is still hovering over Bulgaria at Sofia University. We hope to change that.

College Lecture by Sankarshan Das, Sofia University, Bulgaria

Audience at Sofia University, Sofia, Bulgaria

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: What are the Qualities of a Pure Devotee?...

Honestly as a new comer into the Krishna Movement reading your "Thought for the Day" on a daily basis through the Internet gives me a great deal of joy and sense of belonging. It instructs me to strive and get closer to the Lord God Krishna, the greatest experience ever since I was born. My little question is: What are the good characteristics of a pure devotee(s)? I will be glad to know this from you my Lord.

Your Obedient Servant,

Nze

Answer: There are Twenty-six Qualities...

I am very happy that you are feeling inspired by my humble attempts to serve the mission of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. The 26 characteristics of the Krishna's pure devotee are described as follows in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita (Madhya Lila 22. 78-80):

krpalu, akrta-droha, satya-sara sama
nidosa, vadanya, mrdu, suci, akincana
sarvopakaraka, santa, krsnaika-sarana
akama, aniha, sthira, vijita-sad-guna
mita-bhuk, apramatta, manada, amani
gambhira, karuna, maitra, kavi, daksa, mauni

(1) He is very kind to everyone.
(2) He does not make anyone his enemy.
(3) He is truthful.
(4) He is equal to everyone.
(5) No one can find any fault in him.
(6) He is magnanimous.
(7) He is mild.
(8) He is always clean.
(9) He is without possessions.
(10) He works for everyone's benefit.
(11) He is very peaceful.
(12) He is always surrendered to Krsna.
(13) He has no material desires.
(14) He is very meek.
(15) He is steady.
(16) He controls his senses.
(17) He does not eat more than required.
(18) He is not influenced by the Lord's illusory energy.
(19) He offers respect to everyone.
(20) He does not desire any respect for himself.
(21) He is very grave.
(22) He is merciful.
(23) He is friendly.
(24) He is poetic.
(25) He is expert.
(26) He is silent.

Silent means he only talks about Krishna and he does not advertise himself as a great devotee.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Little Sparrow Who Conquered the Ocean

Image
In his purport to Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 6, Text 24 Srila Prabhupada wonderfully teaches us the power of determinations by telling us the story of the little sparrow who conquered the ocean: "As for determination, one should follow the example of the sparrow who lost her eggs in the waves of the ocean. A sparrow laid her eggs on the shore of the ocean, but the big ocean carried away the eggs on its waves. The sparrow became very upset and asked the ocean to return her eggs. The ocean did not even consider her appeal. So the sparrow decided to dry up the ocean. She began to pick out the water in her small beak, and everyone laughed at her for her impossible determination. The news of her activity spread, and at last Garuda, the gigantic bird carrier of Lord Visnu, heard it. He became compassionate toward his small sister bird, and so he came to see the sparrow. Garuda was very pleased by the determination of the small sparrow, and he promised to help. Thus Garuda at once asked t
Read more

Heart Melting Reunion with Amarendra and Gayatri

Image
On Friday 26 June 2015 I was blessed with the greatest good fortune of meeting with two of the dearest devotees of my entire life, His Grace Amarendra Prabhu and his good wife, Srimati Gayatri devi dasi. I am eternally indebted to these great souls for how much they helped me in my spiritual life when I was a young devotee. When I was young brahmacari monk in 1973 I joined with the two of them in Gainesville, Florida. We were a three person preaching center, and they were just like a mother and father to me. I had so many wonderful Krishna conscious experiences in their association that I can hardly begin to describe them here. But at least may it suffice for me to say for now that Gayatri taught me what it means to be a soft-hearted devotee of the Lord and she gave me my first cooking lesson, teaching me how to make cauliflower pakoras, and Amarendra taught me the art of how to preach strongly, intelligently, and coolly to defeat opposing arguments. Recently Gayatri almost died. But
Read more

Who is this Krishna?

Image
Krishna is not a myth, nor is He an ordinary historical personality. He is the Supreme All-Attractive Personality of Godhead. He is the oldest of all while simultaneously maintaining the form of a 16 year old youth. He is all-attractive because he exceeds everyone in all of existence by possessing unlimitedly all the qualities that are attractive namely power, beautify, renunciation, knowledge, wealth, and fame. There is no one who equals or excels Him in the possession of these attractive qualities. This is why is accepted by all enlightened spiritualists as being God, the original source of all existence. The perfection of our existence is to re-establish our long forgotten loving relationships with Him. There Is No One More Amazing Than Krishna Video for the Day Don't Be a Hypocrite Answers According to Vedic Wisdom Question: Was Krishna a Real Person? Was Krishna a real person who lived on Earth? Ray Galindo Answer: He Was and He Still Is My Dear Ray, Pleas
Read more