Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 4, Chapter 22, Text 24.

ahiṁsayā pāramahaṁsya-caryayā
smṛtyā mukundācaritāgrya-sīdhunā
yamair akāmair niyamaiś cāpy anindayā
nirīhayā dvandva-titikṣayā ca

[Her Grace Vishna Priya Mataji our Guru mataji is asking: Are you going to record the purport?

His Grace Sankarshan Das Adhikari our Srila Gurudeva starts reading the purport: A candidate for spiritual advancement must be non-violent, must follow in the footsteps of great... ( kindly note Srila Gurudeva has a hearing problem) He responds to Guru Mataji -What is it?

Guru mataji repeats once again: you are recording the whole purport?

Srila Gurudeva: I'm a host.

Guru mataji repeats once again: I understand that… you are recording the whole purport?

Srila Gurudeva: What is the purport? I am getting there.

Guru Mataji repeats in a little louder voice: I am saying are you going to record the purport?

Srila Gurudeva: Am I going to read the purport?

Guru mataji in a louder voice : Record?

Srila Gurudeva: Of course… Of course, we always record the purport, it's a standard thing…. Translation… Prabhupada's purport the essence is the finest nectar, the sweetest nectar…Purport or translation]

A candidate for spiritual advancement must be nonviolent, must follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas, must always remember the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must follow the regulative principles without material desire and, while following the regulative principles, should not blaspheme others. A devotee should lead a very simple life and not be disturbed by the duality of opposing elements. He should learn to tolerate them.

What a great instruction for us struggling neophytes!!!

Purport

The devotees are actually saintly persons, or sādhus. The first qualification of a sādhu, or devotee, is ahiṁsā, or nonviolence. Persons interested in the path of devotional service, or in going back home, back to Godhead, must first practice ahiṁsā, or nonviolence. A sādhu is described as titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ (Bhāg. 3.25.21): a devotee should be tolerant and should be very much compassionate toward others. For example, if he suffers personal injury he should tolerate it, but if someone else suffers injury the devotee need not tolerate it. The whole world is full of violence, and a devotee’s first business is to stop this violence, including the unnecessary slaughter of animals. A devotee is the friend not only of human society but of all living entities, for he sees all living entities as sons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He does not claim himself to be the only son of God and allow all others to be killed, thinking that they have no soul. This kind of philosophy is never advocated by a pure devotee of the Lord. Suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām: a true devotee is the friend of all living entities. Kṛṣṇa claims in Bhagavad-gītā to be the father of all species of living entities; consequently the devotee of Kṛṣṇa is always a friend of all. This is called ahiṁsā. Such nonviolence can be practiced only when we follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas. Therefore, according to our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we have to follow the great ācāryas of the four sampradāyas, or disciplic successions.

Trying to advance in spiritual life outside the disciplic succession is simply ludicrous. It is said, therefore, ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who follows the disciplic succession of ācāryas knows things as they are (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2). Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: in order to understand the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12). The word smṛtyā is very important in spiritual life. Smṛtyā means remembering Kṛṣṇa always. Life should be molded in such a way that one cannot remain alone without thinking of Kṛṣṇa. We should live in Kṛṣṇa so that while eating, sleeping, walking and working we remain only in Kṛṣṇa. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness society recommends that we arrange our living so that we can remember Kṛṣṇa. In our ISKCON society the devotees, while engaged in making Spiritual Sky incense, are also hearing about the glories of Kṛṣṇa or His devotees.

Srila Gurudeva shares: That was a business we once had where we had book distribution. We had Spiritual Sky incense. All the time we used to get Spiritual Sky incense from Los Angeles and we would sell it to different stores here in Austin and make some money. So it used to be the way to make money… Spiritual Sky incense… incense where we had books… book distribution...

The śāstra recommends, smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇuḥ: Lord Viṣṇu should be remembered always, constantly. Vismartavyo na jātucit: Viṣṇu should never be forgotten. That is the spiritual way of life — smṛtyā. This remembrance of the Lord can be continued if we hear about Him constantly. It is therefore recommended in this verse: mukundācaritāgrya-sīdhunā. Sīdhu means “nectar.” To hear about Kṛṣṇa from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhagavad-gītā or similar authentic literature is to live in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Such concentration in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by persons who are strictly following the rules and regulative principles. We have recommended in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement that a devotee chant sixteen rounds on beads daily and follow the regulative principles. That will help the devotee be fixed in his spiritual advancement in life.

It is also stated in this verse that one can advance by controlling the senses (yamaiḥ). By controlling the senses, one can become a svāmī or gosvāmī. One who is therefore enjoying this supertitle, svāmī or gosvāmī, must be very strict in controlling his senses. Indeed, he must be master of his senses. This is possible when one does not desire any material sense gratification. If, by chance, the senses want to work independently, he must control them. If we simply practice avoiding material sense gratification, controlling the senses is automatically achieved.

Another important point mentioned in this connection is anindayā — we should not criticize others’ methods of religion. There are different types of religious systems operating under different qualities of material nature. Those operating in the modes of ignorance and passion cannot be as perfect as that system in the mode of goodness. In Bhagavad-gītā everything has been divided into three qualitative divisions; therefore religious systems are similarly categorized. When people are mostly under the modes of passion and ignorance, their system of religion will be of the same quality. A devotee, instead of criticizing such systems, will encourage the followers to stick to their principles so that gradually they can come to the platform of religion in goodness. Simply by criticizing them, a devotee’s mind will be agitated. Thus a devotee should tolerate and learn to stop agitation.

Another feature of the devotee is nirīhayā, simple living. Nirīhā means “gentle,” “meek” or “simple.” A devotee should not live very gorgeously and imitate a materialistic person. Plain living and high thinking are recommended for a devotee. He should accept only so much as he needs to keep the material body fit for the execution of devotional service. He should not eat or sleep more than is required. Simply eating for living, and not living for eating, and sleeping only six to seven hours a day are principles to be followed by devotees. As long as the body is there it is subjected to the influence of climatic changes, disease and natural disturbances, the threefold miseries of material existence. We cannot avoid them. Sometimes we receive letters from neophyte devotees questioning why they have fallen sick, although pursuing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They should learn from this verse that they have to become tolerant (dvandva-titikṣayā). This is the world of duality. One should not think that because he has fallen sick he has fallen from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness can continue without impediment from any material opposition. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa therefore advises in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14), tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: “My dear Arjuna, please try to tolerate all these disturbances. Be fixed in your Kṛṣṇa conscious activities.”

vande ’haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-
kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca
śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-
raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-
sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-
lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

A wonderful, wonderful purport! Prabhupada has really let the mercy go in this …flowing…flowing us with an ocean of mercy.

A candidate for spiritual advancement must be non-violent: This is why we have no meat eating. Meat eating is very violent. Unless the animal dies a natural death, which they don't do, they are all murdered. You can't buy any non-violent ahiṁsā in the market… this is a cow that died naturally…. and these are all hiṁsāviolent…all this meat in the market is all from violence. So therefore, we practice vegetarianism, we don't eat meat. Even non-violent meat, Krishna doesn't accept it. So, we don't even… because we only eat what is offered to Krishna…therefore, we don't even eat non-violent meat… we don't take. Because they want to eat meat, these meat eaters, let them eat the meat of animals that die naturally. That will not be the horrible sin of killing the animal to get the flesh. But to come a higher level, only take the Krishna's … only the prasādam, fruits, vegetables, dairy products and grains.

You must follow the footsteps of great ācāryas: Not that you can do it on your own. “Well, I may become self-realized, I'll do it my own way. I'll become a guru in my own way. I will become self-realized, become a famous guru, but I will do it all my own way…” No, you cannot, you must follow in the path of previous ācāryas. Prabhupada quoted different verses here in his purport from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, ācāryavān puruṣo veda, one must follow the disciplic succession of ācāryas to know things as they are. In other words, if you try to do it on your own, you come up with a twisted understanding. We cannot figure this out on our own. We have to take it as it is coming, as it is passed down to us from the previous ācāryas… as Prabhupada has gotten it from his spiritual master, he has gotten it from his spiritual master, who has gotten it from his spiritual master…. back, back, back all the way to Krishna, the original spiritual master. So don't try to invent your own process of self-realization. It will be a failure, guaranteed. You may become famous… so many famous so-called gurus who have so many followers and make so much money, but at the time of death where are they going? They are not going back to God, their followers are not going back to God either. So, what is the use of being a famous guru with many followers and a lot of money if you are going to hell? What's the use of it? It's better to be a simple, humble, unknown person following the footsteps of the previous ācāryas and then you go back to…at the time of death, you go back to home, back to Godhead. Prabhupada also puts in the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad1.2.12, Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet one must approach the bona fide spiritual master to understand the transcendental science. Why would one not want to approach a bona fide spiritual master? Thoughts, ego, that's all…. very proud, puffed up, I don't take any lessons from anybody. So, such a person is a slave of his own mind, his materialistic mind. He is a puppy dog in the hands of his mental concoctions. So, we avoid such so-called gurus and we don't follow in their footsteps. Rather we take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession.

Must always remember the nectar of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of God: Actually, there is unlimited nectar. What does nectar mean? It is sweetness. Something is very very, nectar means something very very nice, like we have nectarine, named after nectar, very very sweet wonderful fruit, nectarine. So nectar means something very sweet and very wonderful, the finest essence. There is sweetness, which is very nice, but nectar notches it up to a higher level than sweetness. The sweetness and then higher than that is nectar. It's nectarine, nectarian, nectarian... So, we want to remember the nectar pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead…how He lifted the Govardhana Hill, how He went to the forest, and during the day He herded with the cowherd boys, herded the calves and later on the cows. We want to remember these nectarian pastimes of Krishna. In this way our heart becomes… we become happy, we become joyful. So, you taste the nectar, remember the nectar, you taste the nectar, remember the nectar of Krishna consciousness, Krishna's pastimes, the nectar of Krishna's teachings. Actually, His teachings are also His pastimes. Giving Bhagavad Gita is also a pastime of Krishna. It's not just a philosophy, it's a pastime. ..words spoken by Krishna to his disciple Arjuna on the battlefield  of Kurukshetra. So Bhagavad Gita is also a lila. You say, “I just read lila? I don't read philosophy.” Oh, wait a minute. The philosophy is also lila. You don't say, “well, I am only into lila, not into philosophy”. Philosophy is, just like here, the Srimad Bhagavatam, it's a lila. Sukadeva is enlightening Parikshit, the seven day Bhagavatam class. So you can't say I am only into lila, I am not into teachings. The teachings are given, the teachings are given in the pastime.

One must follow the regulated principles without material desire: Not that... “I want this, this, this and this, therefore I chant Hare Krishna because I want a new house, I want a new car, I want a wife, I want a husband, therefore I am chanting Hare Krishna, so I get a nice husband or a nice wife.” No, we don't chant Hare Krishna for any material purpose. We chant Hare Krishna mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, to get the awakening of pure love of God within our hearts. Come back to our original natural state of consciousness. You see Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition of the mind. It is an awakening of the original natural energy of the living being. So, it simply means you are getting back to being who you are. Stop trying to be what you are not, which you have been trying to do for millions of lifetimes trying to be what you are not. You can never be happy or satisfied trying to be what you are not. So why go on trying to be what you are not when you can never be what you are not and you can never be happy trying to be what you are not. So why continue to try to be a materialist trying to be your body, trying to be this or that, American or Indian or whatever, trying to be something in this material world, you can't ever be that thing because it's not you. So instead of trying to, or foolishly trying to be what you're not, just take the natural easy process of getting back to being who you really are.

Should not blaspheme others: It is interesting how Prabhupada makes the distinction. On one hand we do see the faults of the Christians, for example and Prabhupada points out their faults here. We do see their faults, but at the same time, we don't criticize them. “ You shouldn't worship Jesus. This is not a good thing. You should just chant Hare Krishna.” No, we tell, it's very good you're worshipping Jesus, now learn how to do it perfectly. We encourage them, it's very good you're worshipping Allah, now try to do it perfectly. So we encourage them to continue what they are doing but now we encourage them to make your life successful, perfecting your Christianity or your Mohammedanism, Islam or your Buddhism or whatever you are doing, learn how to do it perfectly. Krishna consciousness is the perfection of all religions. It doesn't negate other religions. Actually, religion is only one. Become a lover of God. Whether you call him Krishna or Allah or Jehovah, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you actually come to the point of pure love of God. So you can do it as a Christian, that's great. I know I've personally told many times that Jesus … Jesus brought me to Krishna consciousness. So for me it is very easy to see that there is no difference between Lord Jesus ,the preachings of Lord Jesus and the teachings of Bhagavad Gita, because … the teachings of Krishna… Jesus brought me… to Bhagavad Gita.

So, we live a very simple life: We don't need to compete. They have a saying… an old saying in America, keeping up with the Joneses, “ If they have 2 cars, we need to have 2 cars, they have a swimming pool, you got to keep up with the Joneses”… that was the old idea back in the 50s. You have to keep up whoever the richest person in your neighborhood is, whatever he is sporting you need to sport it also, he has this you need to have it too. You got to keep up with the Joneses. Don't let them defeat you by having a better house or a better car. They have a new car every year, you should get a new car every year also. You got to keep up with the Joneses.” So, we are not interested in this competing in the material world because someone says, “I have a big house, I have a big house, I have a lake and a boat dock and everything” … “I need to have it too”. No, we don't need all these things. All we need is Krishna consciousness. You come naked and you go naked. What's the use of trying to accumulate things here unnecessarily? We should simply accumulate whatever is necessary to serve Krishna. That's all. We don't need … give it up, we don't need it. Keep it simple, simple..

And as far as all the difficulties we go through here, we shouldn't think, “well, why am I getting sick or why do I have this problem with my arm if I'm Krishna conscious? What's wrong with Krishna consciousness? I'm chanting 16 rounds every day and I find that I have this pain in my arm. What's wrong with Krishna consciousness? What's wrong with Krishna? I should be free from all material pains if I'm chanting Hare Krishna”. No. That's not the proper understanding. As long as we are in this material world there is going to be duality. Happiness and distress, pain and pleasure are going to be there. We have to learn how to transcend them by detaching ourselves from misidentification with this bag of bones and blood. We have to learn how to detach ourselves from it. As Prabhupada said very nicely, one should not be happy or distressed over desirables and undesirables knowing that such feelings are just created by the mind. We're being affected by these dualitiesbecause of our mental concoction, still thinking “I am the body”. To get free of the bodily conception is just something out there in the material energy that I am using in Krishna's service. That's all it is. It is not me. It is a tool I have been given and whatever may happen with it, ultimately it will be destroyed. At death everything will be finished. Temporary tool, that doesn't last forever. So whatever condition it's in, it's alright. Whatever Krishna does, it's alright. Whatever He gives me, it's okay. How about that story, whatever Krishna does is alright?

[Srila Gurudeva asks Gurumataji…Nice story, you remember that story? Whatever Krishna does is alright? Remember that story, Devi? Whatever Krishna does is alright, remember that story?

Guru mataji: Minister and the King.

Gurudeva : What?

Gurumataji: Minister and the King..( little loudly).. Minister and the King

Gurudeva: Oh, yah that is right. You told this story the other day ...it is a nice story… Whatever Krishna does is alright, I told the story too, I remember... we won't tell it again, we don't want to be too repetitive here.]

That's the proper mood, whoever Krishna arranges, that's His perfect mercy. Whether I'm with sickness or health, poverty or wealth, fame or intimacy, whatever Krishna may arrange for me, that is the perfect arrangement to facilitate me, to help me awaken the love of God within my heart and to help me to be successful in propagating Krishna consciousness. On the order of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, to whoever you meet…to whoever you meet, instruct them in the teachings of Krishna, in this manner you become guru, you deliver the people of this country. So, we have an order to surrender to Krishna and an order to propagate Krishna consciousness. So, learn that everything is special mercy of Krishna, to facilitate you in awakening your Krishna consciousness and pushing forward the Krishna consciousness movement.

So let's see we have more coming in…That was just looking over the verse, now we can go back to the purport and go even deeper into it.

Devotees are actually saintly persons, probably because they are non-violent. They have so-called saints who eat meat, for example. It's like you have the Pope, you know …you have popes, bishops in the Christian church, supposed to be great saintly persons and yet they are eating meat. So that's not a saintly person. Somebody eating meat is not a saintly person…even if it's chicken, you're not eating cow but still a saintly person will not eat meat, you won't eat flesh of animals. Devotees should be tolerant and compassionate towards others. Even if somebody is being offensive towards me for example, “I should be very tolerant, thinking well I actually deserve worse, this I'm getting a milder, I'm getting, I actually deserve to be treated much worse than this, but I'm getting this minimization of what I actually deserve.” So one should not hold grudges …“if somebody mistreats me, so I might say this is all by Krishna's arrangement and actually I deserve much worse mistreatment because of all my past sinful activities and because I have taken to Krishna consciousness, Krishna has given me a little token of what I actually deserve to help me remain sober…little token of that reaction… so little sample that I actually deserve, like a little tiny taste of what I actually deserve”.

Devotee is a friend of all living entities. He sees everyone as his brother, whether it's a grasshopper or a fly or whatever it may be, a tree, a human being, he sees all living entities as his brothers. We are all, Krishna is our father and we are all brothers and sisters here. He sees everyone in the transcendental platform. This living entity here is actually a devotee of Krishna. He has forgotten it. Everyone is actually a devotee of Krishna. Every living entity throughout all existence is a devotee of Krishna. Since they have forgotten it, they are covered. They are sleeping in the lap of maya witch thinking, “I am this, I am that, I am this and that”. But actually, when everyone comes back to their original position, they are all devotees of Krishna. Every living entity… they are devotees of Krishna.

Really a wonderful purport!!! I really like the word Prabhupada used here, ludicrous. It's like ridiculous is one thing, but ludicrous is stamping it up to a much higher level. This ludicrous means extremely, extremely ridiculous. Trying to advance in spiritual life outside of the disciplic succession is simply ludicrous.

(Gurumataji: Crazy.

Gurudeva: Yeah.

Gurumataji: Isn't this just crazy?)

Absolutely insane. It was nice taking this little trip back in time to the old days when we had spiritual sky incense. It's actually very nice incense made in Los Angeles. They would hear… packing the incense… there would be Krishna Katha broadcast in the room. They could hear kṛṣṇa-kathā. The idea that always has kṛṣṇa-kathā going on is very good. Either you can, like you can take a walk, you can hear a lecture of  Prabhupada where you are taking a walk or when you are riding on the airplane you can hear a lecture, or you can read. So the idea is to always stay connected or you can just remember Krishna when you are doing this service. “Let me do this in a very nice way to Krishna. Let me do this in a way that pleases Krishna”. The idea is always be connected with Krishna. Don't ever be disconnected from Krishna. The Krishna consciousness means, what is that word, smṛtyā, …”Always remember Me”.. whatever the Sanskrit is. Always remember Krishna. That's the point. Always remember Krishna and never forget Krishna.

(Guru Mataji: Always remember Krishna and never forget Krishna. )

That is right. That's the key. And what if you forget Krishna? Well, “oh I forgot Krishna” … you just remembered Him. I know that you forgot Him, now you remember Him again. So, you can keep an eye on yourself, “ when am I forgetting Krishna? Now I just forgot Krishna, but I remembered Him”. By not observing that you forgot Him, now you remembered Him. So always be in perspective seeing “am I Krishna conscious or not?” Because by doing that you will always be Krishna conscious. It might be always observant of my own mental state “Am I Krishna conscious now or not?” Immediately you are Krishna conscious by always seeing that you are Krishna conscious. So how to always be Krishna conscious? There are so many ways. You can chant Hare Krishna, you can chant, remember different pastimes, you can chant different slokas, you can just pray to Krishna, talk to Him, “My dear Krishna, I am in great great difficulty right now. My mind keeps going here and there and everywhere.” You see… Here Prabhupada mentions again the 16 rounds, “We recommend”, actually Prabhupada...it is an order from Prabhupada, but now he's saying very gently, “we recommend that a devotee chant 16 rounds of the beads and follow regulative principles”. Of course, for those who are not yet disciples, it's recommended. Once you're a disciple now, you're under the order, you made a vow to do it, there is no question of “I am recommended to do it”. No, you are ordered to do it. Except in the order of the spiritual master, to chant 16 rounds and follow…chant atleast 16 rounds and follow the regular principles. You say,” I am duty bound by my vow”. It is shocking to me to see that sometimes many, many people, they get initiated, they give their… they... then they stop, they give it up, they break their vow. It just shows that nothing is sacred in this age. Your word is not even... that's the last thing left in this age. There are four principles, austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. These are the four characteristics, the four saintly qualities,austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness. So, in this age, austerity, mercy and cleanliness are finished. A little bit of truthfulness is left. You have to tell the truth. That idea is there but it's going away. At last, like the leg on the calf, you see, the four legs. And this leg is the only leg left in, its quivering… it may collapse. So truthfulness is finished, tightly finished, there's no truthfulness. That's why people make a marriage promise, what do they say, “to Heaven… until death do us part”. That's the vow they take in marriage. Until death do us part, then they break their vow. So now we see also the vow to the spiritual master. They think, “ well, I don't like this guru very much, I like this one better because he gives me more leniency for sex life, for enjoying sex within marriage, so I'll take him as my guru and reject my initiating guru.” So there is nothing sacred. “I can give up my guru, I can give up my spouse”, nothing is sacred. Honesty is now…They have a saying, honesty is the best policy, but now they take dishonesty as the best policy. They are taking dishonesty as the best policy now. In Kali Yuga it becomes more and more degraded.

So we have a question coming in. Let's see if we have...

( Srila Gurudeva reads the questions in the chat box and replies)

Hare Krishna Das:Kindly enlighten, does tolerance mean one always makes sure that devotion is not impeded, irrespective of one's taking action or not against external situations.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: So sometimes we have to take action against external situations. Whatever is favorable to Krishna consciousness. It's like that time we had a robbery in our Miami temple. Some action had to be taken against the bandits. And the treasurer grabbed a gun to shoot them actually. As soon as they heard the gun was coming they ran ..ran out the door. So that was the way  to take action. Even taking a gun sometimes. We have seen how that was the right thing to do in that situation for Krishna consciousness. They had to go to the gunpoint demanding money and it was Krishna's Lakshmi, not their money. So by showing their force they ran. So we have to take practical steps, whatever is favorable to Krishna consciousness in that situation. It means taking action against an offender, it sounds like we have to do that. So how to judge each and every action, what is the proper thing to tolerate or take action, what to do in each situation? Well, you have to be Krishna conscious and then Krishna will give you an understanding. And you can't send an email every time, “well Gurudev in this situation, should I do this or that”? Yeah, you …there's no time. You have to act instantly. So you have to be Krishna conscious and then Krishna will give you the intelligence how to deal with that situation.

Bhakta Sunil: Please tell that in mundane dealing what should be balanced between tolerance and dealing strongly with non-devotee.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari:Again, you have to be …the same answer. Like that time I gave the example when I was handing out ‘Simply Wonderfuls’ on University Avenue in Gainesville. And I was in total bliss giving everybody a ‘Simply Wonderful’ up and down the street. But when a smart aleck hippie hit me, he hit the bowl and all the sweets flying out in the street. So should we just be tolerant? Well, no, I decided it's time to take strong action. I put my finger right in his face and at the top of my lungs I said, “you better get out there and pick up all those”… I'm not going to imitate, it'll hurt your ears, But I said,“you better get out there and pick up all those sweets right now.” I pointed at his face like, he didn't do it, I would kill him. With that intensity I ordered him to pick up all the sweets and it worked. He actually overcame the offense by picking, I helped him, he got them all picked up before the light turned green and the sweets didn't get run over by the cars. So, it's not going to be a strong action, you just have to be Krishna conscious and then Krishna gives you intelligence what to do in this situation.

Amala Purana: What is the difference between non-violence explained here as a good quality and non-violence that Arjuna was advocating in the beginning, I will not fight and Lord Krishna rebuked him.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Killing the cows is definitely not a violence that we want to do. But sometimes violence is necessary in Krishna's service, like for Arjuna it was necessary. Sometimes it may be required, like the Miami robbery, the devotee pulled a gun to shoot the robbers. So sometimes violence is required to protect the devotees. Sometimes we have to, if someone comes to kill the devotees, we can use violence to kill the aggressor if necessary. So again, it's a matter of being Krishna conscious. The same answer again.

Bhaktin Allison: What happens if a person has relations with a guy and they didn't mean to especially, and they didn't mean to especially when they were trying to get initiated?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: That question needs to be written correctly. You haven’t, re-write it to make it clear what you're asking. What you're, it's not clear what you're asking. Try to write it again. Actually, outside of marriage there is no sex relations. And even within marriage we use sex only for procreation once in a month max after changing 50 rounds of Japa at least. So relations with a guy is a very dangerous thing because in this material world everybody is after sex pleasures, sex sex sex so, relations with a guy is a very dangerous thing. Actually, you have to have no relations with a guy. If you want to become my initiated disciple, you have no relation with the guy, with any guys. First you become initiated devotee and then possibly you can get a husband. But no relation with guys if you want to become my initiated disciple. That would be a disqualification if you are getting initiated, if you have relationship with a guy. Because guy mean sex. And sex is illicit outside of Krishna conscious marriage. Anything else? …

Question in the chat box: Would somebody be forgiven if someone has relation with someone by accident and is not intentional?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari:  Well if you put yourself in a situation where you're alone with some man and “I accidentally had sex because he did it on me”. No then you shouldn't be alone with him. Don't be alone with any man. Because man means lusty. And lusty means he'll try to douche you into having sex with him, even though you shouldn't do it. So you shouldn't, if you're having a relationship with men, you're not ready for initiation. Should be avoiding men. Krishna is all you need; all you need is Guru and Krishna. You don't need these lusty men. If there is some accident or fall down, you made a mistake, (Guru mataji in the background: How can it be a mistake?) but if you agree to some manner of trying to seduce you, you gave in, alright I'll agree to be seduced, that means you're also guilty. The thing is if you've had any relations like that, you are not ready for initiation and if you become free from them for a year, no relations, no sexual relations for a year then you can become initiated. But if you had relations in the last year, less than a year from now you need to wait for initiation. You should not be alone with men, because men mean sex. Sex is illicit. They have sex for fun, sex for pleasure, it's illicit and one cannot be a disciple if you are having illicit sex. Whether they seduce you or you seduce them, it doesn't matter. If you are having illicit sex you are not ready for initiation. Ok…

(Guru Mataji ( low voice ): Boyfriend is not recommended).

Sankarshan Das Adhikari:  Guru Mataji is saying boyfriend is not recommended. Give up relationship with boyfriend. 

(Gurumataji in low voice Boyfriend means sex).Because Boyfriend means sex.  Boyfriend means sex…

(Guru mataji:  It's automatically sex

Gurudeva: Huh?

Guru mataji:  It's automatically sex, keeping a boyfriend).

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Having a boyfriend means sex. Definitely sexism. Okay..

Damayanti devi dasi: I have a problem. I don't read so often. How can I become more stable on that?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Then you read every day? Simple then? Unless you've read you must put a book there and read it….. If you haven't read, you don't even eat. You make a very strong… “I must read every day”. For example, Prabhupada said read the Nectar of Devotion 3 or 4 times. That's his instruction he gave to us, read the Nectar of Devotion 3 or 4 times. So you must make it a habit to read. Better you don't eat if you are not reading. Make your reading more important than your eating.

Lila Manjari: Can one get a glimpse of that unlimited nectar in Krishna's pastimes that one can become attached to taste it again and again and let's not be bothered by the demands of the mind and senses.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Sure, you can actually get it, you can actually get so much nectar from Krishna's pastime that you want to taste it. One can definitely come to that stage where you are getting so much nectar you want to taste that nectar again and again and again and again. And the eating and sleeping mating and defending are not very important anymore. I just want to taste the nectar of Krishna's pastimes.

Lila Smriti: Hare Krishna Srila Gurudeva! Is real attachment to Holy names manifest into enthusiasm for service?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Absolutely, because service to Krishna and the holy name are non-different. If you are enthusiastic for service, I can guarantee your taste for the name is definitely advancing… if you are becoming enthusiastic for service.

Bhakta Gabriel ( informing about the messages in the chat box):  There were some questions above also but they were not answered.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Let's see if I can find them Bhakta Gabriel. Let's see Bhakta Gabriel. Oh wow, even I missed Rob. Let me grab Rob because I didn't see him.

Rob: Is there a symbolism of the beads? Is there a significance of 16 rounds or 108 beads?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Actually, there are 108 gopis that are very special gopis in Krishna. So, 108 is a special number. And there is also 108 Upanishads as well. The special scriptures called the Upanishads, 108 of them. So, 108 is a very significant number. And as far as 16, well actually the real standard is 64 rounds every day. But when Prabhupada came to America he asked these young devotees if they could do 64 rounds they couldn't do it. He said, okay 32. They said, okay we can't do that either. So, 16 is a concession to us Westerners who can't focus that much. 16 is a concession. And the beads, the beads are very powerful, especially after initiation when the spiritual master chants on one's beads. There is a special potency coming down from the whole disciplic succession. The spiritual master chants on the beads not simply on his own behalf, he's chanting on behalf of all the previous ācāryas, the whole disciplic… the potency of the entire disciplic succession becomes present in the beads. So, when you chant on the beads, we are actually… you don't have beads yet Rob…we can get you some beads… We have beads here.

(Guru Mataji: He has the beads already; Gurudeva: Oh, he has the beads already.)

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Ok and actually every day… Rob, every day you chant on the beads, they become more purified, more potent. So yeah, the beads definitely, they carry spiritual potency and the more you chant on them, the more they become potent and they help you to focus on the holy name. So, the beads are very special.

(Guru Mataji (voice is low): Is that the bead he brought from the temple or some other beads?

Gurudeva: What is it? Huh..

Guru Mataji: What kind of beads he has? What kind of beads he has?

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: I don't know.

Guru Mataji: Got it from the temple?)

Sankarshan Das Adhikari: Rob, did you get the beads from us? Here it is. (from the chat box) Yeah, they are from us...(They are from you guys. (to the Austin temple devotees) )

Yeah, okay. Yeah, good.

Now Bhakta Gabrial I'm looking for your question. I'm looking for it, I don't see it. Maybe I would suggest Bhakta Gabriel that you retype it. I don't see it here, it's not anywhere up here. So type in it again for me Bhakta Gabriel.

(Guru mataji : He didn't have it.

Gurudeva : Oh he didn't have it.

Guru mataji : He was asking for others)

Sankarshan Das Adhikari :OK. Amala purana …

This is a general question. It's a Leela Manjari's question. What question I didn't answer? So far as I can see, I've answered all the questions so far except for Amala purana which is a new one. Okay.

Amala purana: If we need to travel to some place then it is a must to carry the initiation beads with us?.. so we can carry some other Tulasi beads so we may not lose the original beads?.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Well I'll tell you what I do, I travel all over the world and I carry my initiation beads with me but I have a special vest, a special vest that protects your passports and everything from thieves. They call it a security vest. My beads go inside my security vest. Even in plane crashes I'm not going to lose my beads. Those beads stay on my body. They never leave my body inside my security vest. They go inside an inner pocket. Even a pickpocket cannot get them. One of my godbrothers, he was Bhakti Marga swami, he carried his beads with him, he was in Cuba doing... one of his famous walks and some thief saw this bag on his hand and thought it was something valuable, he ran by and grabbed it and lost his initiation beads. So, it's a very unfortunate thing. But I keep my beads inside the security vest, I wear it constantly. They never leave me when I'm traveling. So, I recommend, my example is… my recommendation is my example is even more powerful than what I may say. My example is my initiation beads go with me wherever I go and I have the same beads going back to 1971, that's 52 years, I still have those beads, I'm chanting on them every day, except for a few days when they broke and I had to chant on some other beads. All of my beads were being restrung. But these beads are with me now, I've restrung them at least twice, I think twice now I've restrung on them, maybe more, they're very pure and I keep them with me.

Bhaktin  Allison: …. this is some private thing, a very private thing, you say I have another …but am I still taking initiation because it was by accident… What? I don't know what was by accident, you had sex by accident? Maybe this is some private thing, if you had sex by accident…huh… you gave in to it.

(Guru Mataji: It's not accident.)

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : I mean if you agreed to it, unless you were out and out raped, somebody forcibly raped you… If you wasn't raped, you agreed to it.

(Guru Mataji: No, association ..first is the man).

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : If somebody raped you, that's different.

(Guru Mataji: Forcefully they coming and doing.)

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : Yeah, forcefully. But if you are associating and he did it. If somebody, if a woman is raped, you're walking down the street and some man grabs her and rapes her, that's not her fault, but if you agree to associate with a man, you were kissing and hugging, you've already given in, you agreed and then you go a little further to sex, it goes further to sex and it was your, it wasn’t accident. You're having, if you were associating with a man for kissing and hugging and sexual enjoyment, you'd already agreed to it. It wasn't an accident. Just got a little further, that's all. So, you have to let me know. Better this is some private thing, better you don't write it publicly. Very private thing. You let me know what happened exactly, but not here in class, but in private email.

(Guru Mataji : She's asking if she has to wait for another year…if that has happened).

Sankarshan Das Adhikari : This is a private thing, better I don't… this is very private.

(Guru Mataji: It's a private thing. If she has done it, she'd have to wait.)

Sankarshan Das Adhikari :  If you had sex, you'd have to wait. No sex life for a whole year. That's our standard now. It becomes clear to be completely celibate for at least a year. Is there anything else? Because I don't want the karma. If I take you as my disciple and you are doing this kind of nonsense, I get heavy karma, heavy reaction. I have to take some to do, I have to pay. I can't be burdened by such karma. Having these illicit things. You have to give up these things. Okay so if there is nothing else we can stop here.

Thank you everybody for tuning in.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare

Srila Prabhupada ki jai.