Excerpt from the lecture by HH Nira\u00f1jana Swami<\/p>\n
Baltics Winter Festival, January 17, 2014<\/p>\n
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The following is a partially-edited transcription of an excerpt of a lecture given on January 17, 2014, at the Baltics Winter Festival\u2013Chanting with Feeling.<\/p>\n
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Today I wanted to read and speak from a few quotes about the Holy Name. Some of them I have read recently and found a lot of significance to them, not only to myself butt hose with whom I shared them. A lot of times the devotees struggle to make their chanting relevant. The previous speaker, Dh\u012bra-\u015b\u0101nta Prabhu was using the word \u2018mechanical\u2019, and he was explaining how to avoid being mechanical.<\/p>\n
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The quotes I am going to present today are from \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvat\u012b\u1e6ch\u0101kura, and he is quite incisive in his presentation. The one thing I\u2019ve really noticed when reading a lot of these references given by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta is that he is cutting and very clear. When I use the word \u2018cutting\u2019, I mean he really makes it very clear what is bhakti, and what is not bhakti. Sometimes he presents it in a way \u2018what is useful\u2019 and \u2018what is useless\u2019. Sometimes, if we are not careful in our own discrimination, we may not be able to see something as useless, the way he sees it. We may gravitate towards a certain understanding about bhakti, which may become promised. And it\u2019s compromised because we can\u2019t fully surrender, and when we hear about full surrender, it\u2019s disappointing because of our own limitations. Or, it may not be disappointing, but it may also be fearful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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As Dh\u012bra-\u015b\u0101nta Prabhu was saying before, \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Hari\u2013One who takes away. \u201dWhen we hear that, sometimes we think, \u201cWhy should I let K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a take these things away?\u201d And we become a little fearful about what could possibly happen if we chant too sincerely. We have this sense that if I chant too sincerely, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a may take something away\u2013and I am not ready for that! But although K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is Hari (One who takes away), when one cultivates firm faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and in His Name, one finds that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a not only takes away our obstacles but He also takes away our fear!\u00a0<\/p>\n
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And that\u2019s encouraging. When that begins to happen, then a devotee actually experiences progressive advancement in his faith. That\u2019s why K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a very clearly state sin the 18th chapter of Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 \u2018surrender and don\u2019t fear\u2019. He says, m\u0101 \u015buca\u1e25for avery good reason. [Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 18.66] Generally we think, \u201cSurrender is going to bring us a fearful state\u201d, and that\u2019s why K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says, \u201cDon\u2019t fear. Don\u2019t worry\u201d.<\/p>\n
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We were recently reading a verse from the 4thCanto of the Bh\u0101gavatam, where the Lord is addressed as Hari-\u012b\u015bvara. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was breaking down these 2 words to hari and \u012b\u015bvara, with \u012b\u015bvara meaning \u2018controller\u2019. He says, \u201cBecause the Supreme Lord is the supreme controller, He can give full protection. He can also eradicate all the obstacles on the path of devotional service.\u201d He also says, \u201cHari means \u2018the Lord who takes away\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
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So, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a not only takes away obstacles on the path of devotional service, which are generally our attachments, but He takes away our fear of losing them. And when a devotee experiences that freedom from fear, it\u2019s liberating. When that happens, the devotee actually feels encouragement and gratitude towards the Lord.<\/p>\n
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Sometimes K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a puts His devotee in a very difficult situation, and the devotee begins to ask, \u201cWhat did I do to deserve this?\u201d But as we know, the Lord minimizes the suffering of His devotee. Sometimes the devotees have a false understanding, or false conception, to think, \u201cIf I am surrendered to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a means I shouldn\u2019t have to suffer. \u201dAnd then they become doubtful, \u201cIs K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a really protecting me? Why is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a doing this to me? I am suffering! I surrendered so much to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2013why should I have to suffer?\u201d<\/p>\n
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But, the Lord minimizes the suffering. And minimization of the suffering means that we deserve a lot more than what we got. But minimization also means that whatever suffering the devotee has to experience now, presently, is actually burning up his previous reactions to sinful life, so that his future is bright\u2013and in that way also K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is minimizing the suffering of a devotee. That\u2019s why K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a saysm\u0101 \u015buca\u1e25… \u201cDon\u2019t fear! Your future is bright! Why are you fearful?\u201d<\/p>\n
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When a devotee has firm faith in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s words, he understands, \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is so kind that He is giving me just a small token in comparison to what I deserve. I have the faith that whatever K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a does is always for my benefit. And my fear goes away! \u201dM\u0101\u015buca\u1e25…\u201cDo not fear! I will relieve you from these sinful reactions.\u201d But it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that the reactions are gone now.\u00a0 They are minimized by the grace of the Lord. The future is bright!<\/p>\n
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Therefore, as Bh\u0101gavatam states, the devotee always goes on glorifying K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and he goes on serving Him with his body, mind and words. And then certainly, mukti-pade sad\u0101ya-bh\u0101k [\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam 10.14.8], he becomes a bona fide candidate for liberation.<\/p>\n
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So when K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 18.66, \u201cSurrender unto Me, and I will deliver you from sinful reactions\u201d, the components of that surrender, as explained by \u015ar\u012blaVi\u015bvan\u0101tha Cakravart\u012b \u1e6ch\u0101kura, are given in the previous verse.<\/p>\n
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man-man\u0101 bhava mad-bhakto<\/em><\/p>\n mad-y\u0101j\u012b m\u0101\u1e41 namaskuru<\/em><\/p>\n m\u0101m evai\u1e63yasi satya\u1e41 te<\/em><\/p>\n pratij\u0101ne priyo \u2019si me<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAlways think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.\u201d[Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 18.65]\n <\/p>\n That is our surrender. \u201cJust Remember Me. Worship Me. Offer your homages unto Me. \u201d And what else does He say? \u201cYour future is bright! Surely you will come to Me. \u201dTherefore He says, \u201cWhen you surrender in this way, and when you abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender your mind to Me, then you have no reason to fear\u2013you will come to Me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And that is the activity of Lord Hari, when that fear is taken away by remembrance of the Lord. Lord Hari is the \u2018One who takes away\u2019, but He also takes away our fear because generally, it\u2019s the fear which is the cause of so much anxiety. As \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da explains, \u2018fear\u2019 means to not know what lays in the future. That\u2019s why we fear. \u201cIf I do this, what\u2019s going to happen? If I get on the plane, is it going to land? \u201dFear comes from the anticipation of the unknown. Not only that, but when we hear, according to the statements from\u00a0 \u015b\u0101stra, that every living entity has a stockpile of reactions, where some are pr\u0101rabdha (manifest) and some are apr\u0101rabdha (not yet manifest), sometimes we become anxious. \u201cWhen is that going to happen? When is that disruption to my life going to appear?\u201d But K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says,m\u0101 \u015buca\u1e25… \u201cDon\u2019t fear. Just surrender and remember Me. I\u2019ll take care of you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201dSurrender can be a fearful state, but it also can be a very joyful state. Because when that fear goes away, one feels so relieved that K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is there. \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is protecting me. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is giving me His assurance that my future is bright. And I can see how wonderful my future can be, if I simply remember Him. Because if I am remembering Him now, and I feel so joyful, just imagine what it will be if I go on and continue remembering Him.\u201d So, the devotee loses his fear by remembrance of the Lord.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As we were saying before, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Sarasvati Thakura can be very cutting. What he says can almost instill fear, because in some of his quotes that we are going to read, he really draws the line: what is bhakti, and what is useless. Sometimes we don\u2019t like to hear that something that we thought was useful, all of a sudden is useless.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is a verse in the 3rdCanto of the Bh\u0101gavatam, spoken by Devah\u016bti,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnyone whose work is not meant to elevate him to religious life, anyone whose religious ritualistic performances do not raise him to renunciation, and anyone situated in renunciation that does not lead him to devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, must be considered dead, although he is breathing.\u201d [\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam3.23.56]\n <\/p>\n And Prabhup\u0101da says in the commentary, \u201cIf all of our activities do not lead to devotional service, they are useless.\u201d Here Devah\u016bti is saying, \u201cAnyone whose work does not lead to the religious life…\u201d, so we may think, \u201cWell, religious life\u2013that\u2019s auspicious! Especially if our religious life brings us to the platform of renunciation! That\u2019s so auspicious!\u201d But then she says if your renunciation doesn\u2019t lead you to bhakti, you are like a dead body, although you are breathing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bhakti is what gives life. It gives validity to religion and renunciation. But if our religion and renunciation don\u2019t lead us to bhakti \u2013it\u2019s useless. Therefore, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta draws the line what is bhakti, and what is not bhakti. But before I read these though, I wanted to read something from \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, because Prabhup\u0101da has also spoken on this topic, about feelingly praying.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He says, \u201cOur chanting should be relevant.\u201d He makes it very clear that if there is no feelings, it\u2019s not so relevant. He talks about this in his commentary to the verse in \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, where Queen Kunt\u012b is praying,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n janmai\u015bvarya-\u015bruta-\u015br\u012bbhir<\/em><\/p>\n edham\u0101na-mada\u1e25 pum\u0101n<\/em><\/p>\n naiv\u0101rhaty abhidh\u0101tu\u1e41 vai<\/em><\/p>\n tv\u0101m aki\u00f1cana-gocaram<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Partial Purport) \u201c…It is said in the \u015b\u0101stras that by once uttering the holy name of the Lord, the sinner gets rid of a quantity of sins that he is unable to commit. Such is the power of uttering the holy name of the Lord. There is not the least exaggeration in this statement. Actually the Lord\u2019s holy name has such powerful potency. But there is a quality to such utterances also. It depends on the quality of feeling. A helpless man can feelingly utter the holy name of the Lord, whereas a man who utters the same holy name in great material satisfaction cannot be so sincere. A materially puffed up person may utter the holy name of the Lord occasionally, but he is incapable of uttering the name in quality…\u201d [\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam 1.8.26]\n <\/p>\n Prabhup\u0101da goes on to explain how such chanting is inferior. Materially satisfied man may even occasionally chant the Holy Name\u2013not just uttering the Holy Name once\u2013but Prabhup\u0101da says he can\u2019t be so sincere. Sincere chanter is one who chants with quality, with feeling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What is that feeling? We want to read a few of \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta\u2019s quotes about what that feeling is, and here is the first such quote, which is an answer to the question \u201cWhose offering does Lord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a accept?\u201d Here \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta draws the line! Pffffffshhhhh! [Guru Maharaja make sharp sound like drawing the line] Let me show you what that line is.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c \u2018O K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! I do not want from You any happiness for myself. Whatever You want from me, I will obey without fail. Even if I have to suffer in doing Your will, that suffering will be my pleasure. You are the all-auspicious Lord, and as such, Your arrangements can never be inauspicious.\u2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf a servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a prays to Him with such faith and feelings, the Lord will certainly accept his offerings. Without these feelings and faith, the Lord will not accept that which is offered.\u201d [\u201cAm\u1e5bta V\u0101\u1e47\u012b: Nectar of Instructions of Immortality\u201d by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswati]\n <\/p>\n In the first part \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta is actually speaking this as if it\u2019s a prayer. \u201cO K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! I do not want from You any happiness for me.\u201d Are we ready to say that? \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a I don\u2019t want from You any happiness for me. Please, spare me of that. I don\u2019t want it. Whatever You want from me, I will obey without fail! Even if I have to suffer in doing Your will, that suffering will be my pleasure.\u201d In other words, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta is making it clear that a devotee only wants service. That\u2019s all he asks for.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the second part, \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta draws the line. Pffffffshhhhh! If one doesn\u2019thave these feelings, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a doesn\u2019t hear! K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a doesn\u2019t listen!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oftentimes we quote a verse from Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, where he\u2019s speaking to his friends, classmates in the school, sons of the demons.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy dear friends, O sons of the demons, you cannot please the Supreme Personality of Godhead by becoming perfect br\u0101hma\u1e47as, demigods or great saints or by becoming perfectly good in etiquette or vast learning. None of these qualifications can awaken the pleasure of the Lord. Nor by charity, austerity, sacrifice, cleanliness or vows can one satisfy the Lord. The Lord is pleased only if one has unflinching, unalloyed devotion to Him. Without sincere devotional service, everything is simply a show.\u201d [\u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam 7.7.51-52]\n <\/p>\n Here is where Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja draws the line. Who does K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a look at? Who gets K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s attention? Those who have unflinching faith in the Lord. Not by dint of their austerities, not by dint of their sacrifices, or their acceptance of vows. These things in themselves do not capture the Lord\u2019s attention. That\u2019s why K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform\u2013do that, O son of Kunt\u012b, as an offering to Me.\u201d[Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u01019.27]\n <\/p>\n Somebody may perform very severe austerities. Hira\u1e47yaka\u015bipuwas very austere! Many people perform very severe austerities for other reasons, but K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a says, \u201cDo it for Me!\u201d So, Prahl\u0101da Mah\u0101r\u0101ja is saying that if one doesn\u2019t have this unflinching, unalloyed devotion to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, than whatever one does is simply a show! It\u2019s meant to get somebody else\u2019s attention. But K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is not looking. His attention doesn\u2019t go there. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s attention only goes to those places where devotees have firm faith in Him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s always recommended that we should associate with, and hear from, and faithfully serve those who have faith, because if we don\u2019t have that unflinching, firm faith, how are we going to get K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s attention? We cannot be waiving our hands,\u201cHey K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! Look at me! I am here!\u201d No. It\u2019s devotion which draws K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Therefore \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta is saying that if a servant of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a prays to Him with this faith and these feelings, then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will certainly accept his offering. Without these feelings and faith, the Lord does not accept the offering.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Who does the Lord listen to? Those who are not asking for anything, except for His service. Because they have firm faith that service is everything. The opportunity to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is the safest place. \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is so kind that He accepts me. He takes notice and gives me service.\u201d When the devotee sees that kind of recognition, his faith increases.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sometimes devotees ask a question, \u201cWhat can I do? They don\u2019t give me any service! \u201dBut what are we thinking service is? We think, \u201cService is what I\u2019ve selected for myself to do! And no one gives me any service (that I want)!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201dBut when the devotee is sincerely chanting\u2013feelingly!\u2013he thinks, \u201cPlease, my only shelter is service! I can\u2019t live without an opportunity to serve You. That\u2019s all I want!\u201d Lord Caitanyais teaching us,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n na dhana\u1e41 na jana\u1e41 na sundar\u012b\u1e41<\/em><\/p>\n kavit\u0101\u1e41 v\u0101 jagad-\u012b\u015ba k\u0101maye<\/em><\/p>\n mama janmani janman\u012b\u015bvare<\/em><\/p>\n bhavat\u0101d bhaktir ahaituk\u012b tvayi<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cO Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the cause less mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth.\u201d[\u015aik\u1e63\u0101\u1e63\u1e6daka, verse 4]\n <\/p>\n This should be the sincere prayer of a devotee praying to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, \u201cPlease, engage me in Your service.\u201d \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta says, that is a proper mood to chant the name of the Lord. Then one who feels deprived of service can chant with feelings. Then it can become very relevant. \u201cI feel deprived of service. K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a please, give me service, because without service there is no meaning to my life.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just a few days ago, I was listening to a lecture where \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was saying, \u201cLiving entity who has no service to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, is like the finger that\u2019s been cut off from the hand.\u201d Has no purpose. It\u2019s useless. Finger\u2019s usefulness is only when it\u2019s connected to the hand. Similarly, a devotee\u2019s usefulness is when he is connected to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s service.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In another lecture, given in 1973, Prabhup\u0101da says, \u201cEven if a devotee can\u2019t serve to his full capacity, even if he wants to serve, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a accepts that \u2018wanting to serve\u201d as a service! And his life becomes successful.\u201d In another words even if there are obstacles to service, but if we want to serve, then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a accepts that desire of \u2018wanting to serve\u2019 as service.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Prabhup\u0101da is explaining in the Upade\u015b\u0101m\u1e5bta that devotional service is a cultivation of desire: we simply have to cultivate the desire to serve K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, and not our senses. And when we look at our own hearts and see our non-capacity for doing that, we should feel something. We should feel that we need help. That\u2019s what \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta is going to say in the next quote, which is an answer to the question \u201cHow should we call the Supreme Lord\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSri Gaurasundara taught us that in order to chant the Lord\u2019s holy names, we must become lower than the straw in the street. Unless we consider ourselves insignificant, we cannot call upon another for help. Only when we pray for another\u2019s help do we consider ourselves helpless. In such a state of mind we think that without another\u2019s help we will be unable to do anything. We will understand that it is impossible to do alone that which is meant to be done by five people. Sri Gaurasundara has instructed us to chant the Lord\u2019s names. We get this information from our spiritual master. To chant the Lord\u2019s names means to take His help. But while chanting, if we consider Him our servant or expect Him to do our work, then there is no question of our living in the conception, \u201cI am lower than the straw in the street.\u201d [\u201cAm\u1e5bta V\u0101\u1e47\u012b: Nectar of Instructions of Immortality\u201d by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswati]\n <\/p>\n How often do we think, \u201cI got everything under control: I got my life together, I know exactly what I am doing.\u201d But, we have to feel insignificant. \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswati says, \u201cUnless we consider ourselves insignificant, we cannot call upon another for help. Only when we pray for another\u2019s help do we consider ourselves helpless.\u201d Are we praying for help? If we are, what are we praying to help us with?\u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a help me with my wealth… K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a help me with my anxiety… K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a help me with my distress, with my suffering… Help me get a job…\u201d So many things we can ask from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. But \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta says, \u201cNo, we should not engage K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a in our service.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201dOur prayer should be, \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, help me be Your servant! I need Your help, because when I look in my own heart and I see all the things my mind is filled up with, unless You help me, I will never be able to remember that I am Your servant.\u201d<\/p>\n Uh-oh! What does that mean? Is K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a going to do something that can be a cause for fear again? Do we have enough courage to ask K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a like that? Again, m\u0101 \u015buca\u1e25…Don\u2019t fear! If we simply sincerely pray, K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a will take away that fear! \u201cK\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a help me, I am helpless. I look in my heart, I see lust, greed, the desire for prestige. I see so many things which are dragging me away from Your service. Help me be Your servant and remove these obstacles which are preventing me from serving You. I cannot do that alone.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta says, \u201cIn such a state of mind we think that without another\u2019s help we will be unable to do anything.\u201d Then he goes on to speak about being lower than the straw on the street, and the proper mood of humility, which I will skip reading, because we are running out of the time. Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta ends this quote with saying.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c…We often think we are doing the Lord a favor by offering Him prayers; that we could have engaged in some other activity instead. Such a mentality is an example of alack of tolerance. We need someone to protect us from such a mentality, someone to help us become lower than the straw in the street. We certainly need to take shelter of a person who will deliver us from sinful motives. \u015ar\u012bla Narottama \u1e6ch\u0101kura says, \u201cLord K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a does not reject those who worship Him under the shelter of the spiritual master. Others who do not do this simply live and die uselessly.\u201d[continued \u201cAm\u1e5bta V\u0101\u1e47\u012b: Nectar of Instructions of Immortality\u201d by \u015ar\u012bla Bhaktisiddh\u0101nta Saraswati]\n <\/p>\n Thank you very much. Jay \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Excerpt from the lecture by HH Nira\u00f1jana Swami Baltics Winter Festival, January 17, 2014 The following is a partially-edited transcription of an excerpt of a lecture given on January 17, 2014, at the Baltics Winter … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[140,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-area2","category-english"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-03 11:48:26","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57305\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isvara.org\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}