Nisaadhanta
Second Discourse - Page Two

To achieve the Lord

Naath sakal saadhan main heena
kinhi kripa jaani jan dinha

The words "kinhi kripa" means "by your grace" The devotee says to the Lord, "It is only because of your grace that I have bee able to come to you".

There is a story that Sharbhang was invited by Indra (the king of paradise) himself to go to heaven. The point I am trying to make is, that it is possible to reach heaven respectfully invited by its king- But to reach the Lord one requires His grace.

I am repeating the example that I gave during my discourse in Kurukshetra: You may want to speak on the telephone with someone -But if the  person on the other end, does not want to talk with you , there is only one thing that you can do. -give him your telephone number and ask him to call you back.

Your telephone number should have 8 digits (the 8 aspects of devotion) :

1. Shravanam (Listening to the Lord's name )

2. Kirtanam (Singing the Lord's praises)

3. Vishnu smaranam (Thinking of the Lord or remembering Him always)

4. Paad sevanam (Worship of the Lord's feet )

5. Archanam (Worship through ritual,puja)

6. Vandanam (Prayer,prostration)

7. Saakhyamaatma (Making the Lord ones friend)

8. Nivedanam (Making offerings to the Lord)

The number given to the Lord for Him to call you has many digits like the telephone numbers of people in big cities. Tell Him "Call me when it pleases You, I will pick up the receiver " What I am trying to say is this: , whenever one makes an effort to reach the Lord, the ego in a subtle manner, does appear in the aspirant , so serve the Lord with the belief that " I am doing nothing-whatever.  It seems I am never accomplishing the task given to me by the Lord.

Bharoso in charnan kero
Sri Vallabh nakh chandra chhata bin
Sab jag maahi andhero
Saadhan aur naahin ya kali mein
Jaso hot nibhero
Surdas prabhu dwividh andhero bina mol ko chero

A dialogue between Janaka and Yajnavalkya

There is a passage in the Upanishads where King Janak asks Yajnavalkya " What light does a man require in order to be able to live in this world ?" Yajnavalkya answers "Any child would know that answer. Man is able to live and work because of the light of the sun "

Janaka then asks "What happens when the sun sets or when there is no light  emanating from the moon and stars ?"Yajnavalkya answers" Then one lives by the Atmajyoti (the light of the Self ) Janaka asks again "How to recognise that light ?"Yajnavalkya answers " Every one walks on Mother Earth in which lie buried precious gems, minerals, etc, only one who makes a study, (a serious seeker), would be able to find them. Similarly, in order to find the light of the Self  one requires a Sadguru (a true Master.) The Shiv Sutra by Surdasji, confirms the above statement:

Sri Vallabh mukh chandra chhata bin
sab jag mahi andhero
Surdas prabhu dwividh andhero
bina mol ko chero

Why has Surdasji called himself "Bina mol ko chero?" which means that he is a servant of the Lord without any merit, and as such he has no value.-Surdasji believes  that he is worthless, and hence, if the Lord were to consider selling him, He would get nothing. So it is better for the Lord to keep him at His feet.

Tulsidasji says in his 'Vinay patrika" that a man's actions are like trees and their fruit is effort and fatigue.  To enjoy the fruits of your tree you would have to work hard. You would have to plant the seed and water the sapling, and care for it for many years. It may be  that you will not be alive, when the tree starts bearing fruit.- This does not mean that you do not perform your duties towards your wife, family and children? NO! Fulfill your obligations to your family, and then tell them," Come to my heart where my Lord resides and have His darshan!"

One day as I was returning from Nagpur I was asked by a devotee "It is so easy to get attached to one's family. How to have similar attachment to the Lord?" I answered :

Prem prem se hota hai
aur prem nem se hota hai

It means: You receive love from love, and you receive love from performing regular religious rites.

Tulsidasji has said the same. If you cannot stick to your regular practices then bring the ones you love into your heart, but with the condition that they can enter into your core only to do the darshan of the Lord who resides there. I am trying to say that Tulsidasji also believes that he does not trust anyone else occupying his heart for any other reason.

Naahin aavat aan bharoso
yeh Kaalilaal sakal saadhan taru
hai shram phalani pharoso.

Tulsidasji has lost faith in the happiness that the world and its pursuits bring, because he believes : Actions are trees and its fruit sheer weariness.

However one must remember that trees give shelter and allow you to rest. Similarly your good actions also reduce the pain that you might have to suffer because of your previous bad deeds. Sometimes a good deed might even destroy the result of a bad karma, but the final verdict lies in the hands of the Lord. So stay under the shelter of the tree - Sometimes it gives solace to your tired bones and you feel peace. Your good acts may lead you to Heaven; where you may be surrounded with comforts with very little to do and that may turn out to be dull and boring.  The best solution therefore is to offer all your actions (fruit) to the Lord.  Sometimes when one travels abroad, one sees a new fruit, and the label informs you that its consumption will supply with this or that vitamin.-But what to do with fruits (results of your actions) that you know nothing about?

OFFER THEM TO THE ALMIGHTY . OFFER THEM TO MY KRISHNA!

The Lord  Your Foundation Stone

One must destroy the source through which the desire to sin arises. But our seeds of desire are still intact, and hence they are bound to sprout. The only way is to have unbroken faith in the Lord. 

.You have heard about Draupadi. When Dushasan dragged her by her hair to the court to disrobe her, -It was Krishna who saved her from dishonor by adding 999 saris to the one that she was wearing. Draupadi saw the form of Krishna in the heap of saris. She fell to her knees and massaged the Lord's feet with her hair.  It was like she was purifying the hair that had been defiled by the touch of cruel Dushasan as he had dragged her to court.  Touching a lady's head in the form of blessing by her elders and guru is appropriate but to pull her hair is disrespectful and a kind of malediction. That pain Draupadi healed by the soothing touch of Krishna's feet.

What I am trying to say is this: Before Krishna came to miraculously save Draupadi ,she cried, prayed and cajoled; it was only when she felt helpless and defeated that she handed over her difficulty to Krishna; and her Krishna did not let her down. He came in the form of saris and saved her from dishonor.  So take the refuge of the Lord.

Saadhan aur nahin ya kali mein
Jaaso hot nibhero

which means there is no other way to achieve the Lord except:

Sadguru sharanam
Krishnam vande Jagadgurum

Take the refuge of your Satguru or that of Guru of gurus- Lord Krishna.

I have recited the Lord's katha for years, I have seen the world, done so much! Yet I must say that all this doing does not get you the Lord. Because having knowledge and people around you can give you an ego. If you say that I will not talk despite having knowledge or I will not share the gifts that God has given me then also you will be accused of being egoistic.

So then what is the solution? Like a child fall at the Lord's feet, until He picks you up and makes you His own!

Naath sakal saadhan main heena
Kinhi kripa jaani jan dina

Mahaprabhuji teaches:

1) Vairaagya and Sarvadaan which means Renunciation and giving. If you want to learn about renunciation in depth then you should read Shankarachaaryaji . I like the way a sage explained it : He said " If you have something that someone else wants, give it away to him "The above is easier said than done . However that is vairaagya and sevadaan.

2) Vipatti mein vachanpaalan which means to honor your word even when you are undergoing hardships.

3) Gyaan aur sthaan mein vinamrata which means that you must have humility knowledge and/or wealth and therefore enjoy a certain status.

To believe that you are incapable of offering any  service unto the Lord without His inspiration and help, is Nisaadhanta.  To believe that you own nothing, (intellect or attributes) with which to endear yourself to the Lord is Saadhan-hinta or Sharanaagati.  

A child when he learns talk or walk needs to learn certain rules but later it comes naturally to him.  It is similar in your Spiritual travel. Initially you may have to follow certain rules but once you have the gyaan or knowledge it will become a second nature to you.

A lady sister once asked me :"Whenever I used to previously hear your discourse , I would cry with sentiment but now-a-days I don't feel the same emotion."

I answered her " Give the pose according to the angle from which the Lord wants to photograph you , which means you cry with emotion that's fine, you do not, that is also alright. The Lord wants to see you in your different hues and colours"

Devotees usually implore to the Lord "Make me a tree, a bamboo stick or even a rock of your beloved mountain Giriraj; I only ask that you are pleased with what I become"

So I tell you, you just continue on your path, cry sometimes and laugh sometimes and allow your heart to be purified and the rest will be taken care of by the Almighty.

A Spiritual lecture (Bhaagwad katha)

Listening about the Lord, bathes and cleanses the heart and thereby purifies it. Without a katha your heart cannot blossom. I have already told you that the Lord keeps the speaker and the listener near His heart!

Now-a-days when I look at my listeners, I. do see glimpses of more devotion, more joy.

The Lord is considered the "Uttam Shloka" or the "Ultimate Word" What is there to consider beyond Him?"  No wonder people run to Katha (lecture ) after katha! Listening to kathas your heart gets purified, joy escalates in your life. Remember what I told you yesterday, that if you let go of good thoughts for even a fraction of a second, adverse thoughts conquer you! So keep your heart clean .

Would'nt you like to  keep your room spotless even though you had no one to help you? So you make the attempt to keep your heart clean. Remember to hold on to His feet knowing that you are worthless and He will provide you with the inspiration on how best to serve Him! and He will groom you like a king would, a village belle that he would want to marry.

Remember that the gopis , Shabri, Bharatji reached a point where all the means that they had employed to achieve the Lord failed ,yet they continued to love and wait,- and the Lord came to claim His own.

Chitvat panth raheo din raati

Just gaze at the path through which the Lord comes

Let us sing the Lord's name for a while:

Sri Vallabh Vithal Giridhaari
Yamunaji ki Balihaari