The Method of Chanting Harināma and Gayatrī In his Bhajana-rahasya, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura writes: Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (17.129) states: manaḥ saṁharaṇaṁ śaucaṁ maunaṁ mantrārtha-cintanam avyagratvam anirvedo japa-sampatti-hetavaḥ While chanting, one should be one-pointed and give up talking about mundane topics. With a pure heart, one should think about the meaning of the holy name, and be steadfast…
This means that although in Kali-yuga it is necessary to perform the other eight limbs of bhakti (that is, hearing (śravaṇam), remembering the glories of the Lord (smaraṇam), serving His lotus feet (pāda-sevanam), worshipping Him (arcanam), praying to Him (vandanam), carrying out His orders (dāsyam), making friends with Him (sakhyam) and offering one’s very self to Him (ātma-nivedanam)), they must be performed in connection with the chanting of the holy name (kīrtanam). By this method, bhakti is fully accomplished…
From the above discussion, it is proved that the living entities (jīvas), the material world (jaḍa-jagat) and the Lord’s personal splendor as regards His Vaikuṇṭha existence (tad-rūpa-vaibhava) are inconceivably one with and different from His original spiritual form (bhāgavata-svarūpa). The infinitesimal living entities, on account of being dependent on the Lord, are His separated parts and parcels – in this is found their non-distinction from the Lord (abheda). However, due to an absence of knowledge of the Supreme Lord, they are preoccupied with the material energy – in this lies their difference (bheda). ..
When the jīva engages all his time and energy in bhakti-yoga, then he also conquers over material karma. Working or doing karma is not bad in itself, but it becomes bad if it is done selfishly for one’s own material enjoyment. People do so many things throughout the whole day, but if they are asked to do some service for Hari, Guru and Vaiṣṇavas, they claim to have no time or to be weak and sick. But for their own enjoyment, they have the strength to work eighteen hours a day…
Kṛṣṇa is compared to the light. If you face this light, then your shadow will be behind you. And if you have your back towards Kṛṣṇa, then you face your shadow. How can we face Kṛṣṇa, and who will help us accomplish this? However, simply facing Kṛṣṇa, or the light, and turning away from darkness, or māyā, is not sufficient. Insects go towards the light of the lamp in an attempt to eat it, but get burned instead. The jīvas similarly run towards Viṣṇu, God, or Kṛṣṇa with a desire to enjoy Them, but they do not know the right way to approach Them. Without undergoing the process of ceto-darpana-mārjanam, the selfish, material nature that has covered the jīvas do not disappear…
The minister approached the hotel manager, requesting a chance to do unpaid service. The manager agreed, and the minister started to serve the hotel and the prince, bringing him water, feeding him, and fanning him at night. Seeing the minister taking care of every detail, the prince wondered why he was helping him. After many months of serving, the minister had made a close friendship with the prince. One day the minister asked the boy where he was from, whereupon the prince started to weep bitterly. He told the minister that he was the son of a king, but due to his immense pride, he had left the palace and the kingdom after being chastised by his father. The minster suggested that the prince return, but the boy refused, saying that he wasn’t qualified. Finally, after a long time, the minister convinced the lost son to go back to the king…
Being close to Śrī Guru is a precarious position, in the sense that these people tend to believe that they, without any personal qualification or realization, are high-class devotees and worshipable like their guru. Also, there is the danger of accepting a guru who is not bona fide. At the time of dīkṣā, one offers himself to guru, and is then accepted by Kṛṣṇa. But if a so-called guru says that his disciples belong to him rather than to Kṛṣṇa, then that person is a hypocrite and a cheater. Therefore, always stay under the guidance of a pure guru, such as Śrīla Gurudeva. He will give you the qualification for kṛṣṇa-sevā and vaiṣṇava-sevā. He will make your body transcendental. And without his mercy, you will always be endeavoring to accumulate material wealth, name, and fame…
Once, there was a poor brāhmaṇa boy who lived in a Gurukula, following the footsteps of his Gurudeva. One day, the boy heard the announcement in the street that the king was going to give his kingdom to anybody who came to his palace the next day, and then was going to retire to the forest to engage in bhajana. The boy told this to his Guru Mahārāja, who advised the boy not to believe it. Upon hearing this, the boy started questioning the view of his guru, saying that without having faith in one’s country, one’s king, or God Himself, one is unable to make progress in one’s life. But his guru insisted that he shouldn’t believe anyone since everyone in this world is a cheater, and would try to capture him and make him his slave. However, the boy could not listen to his guru and decided to go to the king’s palace anyway…
All the so-called ācāryas became silent and lowered their heads in shame. Gurudeva said, “You gave me your mind, it is indeed my property. Now I am cleaning it and helping you. These others are all independent, and therefore they can neither understand anything nor will their hearts become clean. You will be the next ācārya, because you are not independent, and you offered everything to me.” One day, Param Gurudeva asked Śrīla Gurudeva to take sannyāsa, to which Gurudeva replied, “O Gurujī, you can give me sannyāsa, black cloth, or white cloth. If you wish, you can cut me in half, or do whatever you like with me. I am your property.”