[Srila Gurudeva chants Mangalacarana]
We know that, in this world everyone wants happiness. For this, they do everything from sunrise to sunset. No one wants unhappiness. No one wants to be old. No one wants that their hair should become white. Nobody wants to face any problem in this life. They want pure happiness. They want this, but they have to suffer so much. They do and they can do so many things to become happy. But the real fact is, that they have to become old. They will have to become weak and suffer and at last give up this body here. All this is happening in the course of trying to make everyone happy in this.
We believe that only we are important, beautiful, but we don’t think that trees, creepers, animals, and birds are also living entities. We don’t know this, so we want to kill them and take their eggs, flesh, blood, and everything. They take even serpents and so many poisonous things. As if God has created this world, so that you shall kill all and take and be happy. But this cannot make anyone happy. Only having wealth, money, a beautiful body, an intelligent mind, a strong body; this cannot make a man happy.
We have read in the papers that the prince of Wales, who is so wealthy, so beautiful, married a beautiful girl, Diana. He has so much wealth and everything and a very good palace. Everything. But he could not become happy. Diana left him with her children. Now he feels unhappy and his ex-wife feels so happy.
We know that, in previous times in India, in Sri Lanka, there was a very big king named Ravana. All the palaces in the whole of Lanka were made of gold. Gods used to broom the rooms. They were so very powerful, but not any god or goddess did dare to go there [unless ordered by Ravana]. He had one lakh sons, all very strong. They could transform their body into air, into a horse or any beautiful woman. Whatever they wanted, they could do. Everything. So they wanted to rule the whole universe. They were not satisfied by what they had, they wanted to rule bhu, bhuva, svar, maha, jana, tapa and whatever lokas are there; the sun, the moon, everything.
They used to go to all the planets without a plane or anything. They would fly at once and go, in one moment. They collected everything to be happy, they collected all the things, things we cannot even imagine. That made them more mad, more unhappy, gave more problems. And that is why Ravana himself, his sons and nephews and his whole family, except one brother who was a devotee of Rama; all were killed there by Rama. All the golden houses were smashed and burned into ashes. There was none in Lanka to be happy.
Also another person was in India, he was more than Ravana, and that was Hiranyakasipu, the father of Prahlad Maharaja. He took a benediction from Brahma, the world creator, that he should not be able to die in the day or in the night, in any month, in the sky, in the lower lokas or on earth. No one should be able to kill him with weapons or anything. He should not die in any month. Not inside a room, not outside of a room. Thus he became like immortal. Like immortal, but not immortal.
And he began to rule the whole world and harass all the devotees. He began to slaughter so many lakhs and lakhs of cows also. Everything. Green trees were cut down and other bad behavior was exhibited towards all. There was no love and affection for anyone there.
It will be very soon the downfall of that person who does like this. Hiranyakasipu was quickly ruined. Such a powerful person was killed in a moment, you know all these things. He could not become happy.
Nowadays, we see in the United Nations, all the big people make so many programs so that the whole world may be happy. No war, nothing. But they cannot control it. Scientists have invented so many things from the kitchen room to medical and all other things. Now they can exchange the heart if it is damaged. They can manage to give any monkey’s brain also. If anyone died, they will take their eyes and keep it and give it to a blind person. Everything is so developed. They can go from one part of the world to the other part very quickly. While we are here in Australia, in the eastern part of the world, they can see a cricket match in America, opposite to this place, in a Western country. And they can do bombing here and there, if their country is attacked. If they will match, then they began to [Gurudeva gesturing, Laughter], arms here and there, jumping here, cutting everything. In a moment they will know.
We can speak from another part as well. Now we are trying to go to the moon and other planets, only to be happy. But problems are increasing and we are on the same stage as we were lakhs and lakhs year before. More and more problems are coming. You know what is the problem now?
The problem of this new civilization and by discovering so many things is, we are getting something, yet there is a very strange thing for us all, on the other hand we are losing the whole thing. What is that thing? Love and affection for anyone.
Now in our present stage we cannot love our wife so much. We are unable to trust them, we don’t believe. And that is why we have separate accounts in the bank, in case he will cheat or she will cheat. Also the daughters and sons have no faith in their father and mother and make separate bank accounts.
Meanwhile in Calcutta and Bombay in one house thousands of people, thousands of families live together. They don’t acknowledge each other. In one family the husband has died, or anyone has died. They are weeping while the next neighbor is in so much enjoying mood, dancing, in night clubs, and everything. In a large, very crowded road, as we have seen in Calcutta and Bombay, lakhs and lakhs of people are going and coming and running in such a hurry. If a man is anyhow injured and falls down, no one has time to take care of that person. They fear that if we will go and ask that person what happened and try to help, the police will come and harass them. Or the other party may shoot us. No one has time to give any support or help. This is the problem of the whole world, that now there is no affection, no love. How did it come? How we can solve these problems? It can only be solved if we follow Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
harer näma harer näma
harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä
Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 17.21
If we have the mood to serve Krsna, the Supreme Personality of God and we have some affection for him, then we will certainly have love and affection for everyone. Trusting each other will come easily. Otherwise not. Lakhs of years are spent. Hiranyakasipur was there, Ravana was there. We are on the same platform, hankering for this happiness, we are all in the same stage.
So if we have love and affection and we try to love and serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is creating this world, who has given this beautiful body, so much intelligence, everything here [then things will be different]. He is controlling the sea, He is controlling the sun and all planets, making them not collide and thus ruin the whole world.
We are eternally the servant of that person, God. God has this meaning, G O D. It is the same meaning as in Bhagavan. G means generator, O means operator, D means destroyer. Who is He [how great is He]? We are not that.
I heard that Hitler wanted to destroy France, England, Russia, and all other countries. But he got finished himself. Ravana also and all demons are like that. If we want to be happy forever, we should know that all the living entities, trees, creepers, animals, birds, men, goddesses or anyone, all are servants of that God. So, if we pray to Krsna, if we call Him by doing:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
He is sarvajna, He is all-knowing, He knows what has been done in the past, what is going on now and what will be in the future. Everything he knows. It’s all in His hand. And at the same time, being the supreme power He can do anything He likes, but at the same time, He is so merciful. Ahaituki, causelessly merciful. If you have done anything wrong and you call, “Oh Krsna, I will never do like this again.” Just like Jagai and Madhai, “and I will give up all the bad things.” Mostly lust, anger. “I will never do this again.”
And if he promises, at once Krsna believes him and comes there in the heart, purifies his heart, make a seat for Himself, also Radhika, and gives pleasure. Otherwise not. This method does not require money, there is no problem of money. Whether you are old or young, whether you are a girl or a boy, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are Hindu, Christian, Isai, Buddha, or anything you may be. If you call:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Everything will be solved.
I believe His nature is that He is bound to make you happy. And He will take us in His arms. He has done like this to lakhs and lakhs of devotees. So we must take His name. We must unconditionally surrender in the lotus feet of the all powerful, all merciful Krsna. This is the teaching and this is the vani, instruction, of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Also the Vedas, Upanisads and also the Bible, also the Koran, everything, everyone says like this.
In this Kali-yuga, quarreling yuga. Kali means—Kalam lati iti kali. Kalaham means to quarrel among ourselves, this is Kali. Everyone is quarreling, in the family, in the country, out of the country, everywhere. When I came here, it was very hard to come, checking one’s visa and all other things, thinking that they are from another country. Who has divided the countries? God Himself has divided all these countries.
I think some hundred or thousand years before, India was connected with Australia, also with Africa and with America through Africa. After, by the current of the sea, anyhow they became divided. Now we are thinking this is ours, this is theirs, all are quarreling.
So try to believe in Krsna, God. And you should give up everything towards the lotus feet of Krsna. Chant always Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. Love each other, try to honor all.
When do we quarrel? Now devotees are quarreling, then what of other people? “This my area, this is your area, you cannot enter into our zone. We should try that Narayana Mahraja shall not enter into this territory.”
So, we should try to honor each Vaisnava, without considering any caste and creed, territory and all, not anything. All are in Krsna’s family, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s family. Thus we can be happy. Gaura Premanande!
I want to hear, if you like, you can tell. There are so many Vaisnavas here who are qualified and learned. I want to hear something, because I cannot express my ideas in English, so I want that they should express. You should do, Maharaja can tell. Yadi Gauranga nahito, kabe ki hoito, this is written by Rüpa Goswami, very important one.
If Caitanya Mahaprabhu had not come, who would have given that Krsna-prema to the world. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave to anyone who came in front of Him, even to animals, dogs, like the dog of Sivananda Sen. And also others. Even these animals became full of Krsna-prema. Even elephants and tigers and deer, were all dancing, and embracing each other in ecstasy, and chanting harinam: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, like this… Now, you should tell anyone to speak.