Last sunday (16th August) MPP association notes

Devotees are not different from lord.
Thinking prabhupada means thinking of krsna ..n u become so much grateful so at time of death..u ll go back..only by his mercy ..i got this KC. Krishna is never thought of separated from his devotee.
Is there a whole without a part..similarly if u r a part n connected then u r not w/o whole but in saparated/conditioned state we r apart from whole.

Q) Is everything destined, how much free will we have ?

A) In your journey B (birth) to D (death), there is C (choice) also, so ur freedom is what path you will choose, but milestones (eg, educ. Wealth. material Sukkha ) are destined in human form. Milestones -degrees of happiness, means may be different. Whether u get a btech ,bsc ..u crossed that milestone..ur choice was only dat in what kind of knowledge but education was fixed.eg drinking juice from steel glass and bronze glass, the taste is the same, only difference is of glass...milestone same but the means may change. If someone bcm attached to that particular type of sense enjoyment...eg suppose he wants to drink juice from gold glass only.. then he will over endeavor to gratify this desire..which is the cause of all the anxieties of this world...so give up this desire, thus anxiety.
Milestones are fixed, only roads can change..so material happiness/distress is fixed.
Once one knows this knowledge, he (for human only) will no longer put their energy in changing this..bcoz it cannot be changd(material milestones)..but now u ll put ur energy where u can change..spiritual life. There is no milestone initially , but based on ur energy put here u can advance beyond limits of imagination. So real freedom lies here, in domain of spiritual happiness, not in material happiness. So the more u struggle to becm pure devotee the more quicker u bcm but , in material the more or less ,u will reach the milestone. So, there is a minimum path to reach that milestone so by the knowledge of this that it is fixed u can take  the path of minimum endeavor. (Past life destined-human life utility given , do ur normal duty but struggle for  where its make a difference..eg by extracting x kcal u can lift a thing from A to B by displacement but if u put 3x by lifting it from A to B by distance..so one who is intelligent will not over endeavor and thus will take the path of displacement (minimum distance path) rather than the distance (longer versions)-this over endeavor is what causong full stress for material world).

CASE STUDY:

1.) suppose if u want to learn guitar..but you can see that you have no natural inclination towards it...then why u r so struggling..something not naturally coming..in flow..that is over endeavor.
2) So whoever big successful man tells about how they r now, how they reached here..they say work hard is the key to success..never believe them..instead ask them why they r teliing it now.. but they didnt say earlier before getting it..complete cheating..maybe ppl who have done 10 times more hard work..why they r not there..or why they are not 10 times more richer/successful than that person?
3) Lord is saying that material happiness/distress is fixed...or milestones are fixed...he is not an ordinary person..so somehow or other we have to believe him then realization will start to cm..
4) So from 1 milestone to 2nd milestone..some sequences of success/failure may be there..but overall u will get to that 2nd milestone that is for sure ..so krsna tells in BG ..do things as matter of duty..then you will not get affected..from envy/jealousy..bcoz you know the law of karma.
So ur intelligence will be effectively utilized in work..but not simple wasted on emotions. A kc person does not make much endeavor to maintain his body,  whatever comes easily he remain satisfied..he labors for what is in his power..n then keep him satisfied with watever comes by dat..fruits..so honest labor..satisfied with watever fruit..thus independent from material happiness/distress. So, many way u cn overwork..intellectual overwork, not doing honestly (bcm rich but earn bag full of papas-sins), bodily overwork, mental overwork for material gains...bt for service of lord..he will not put limit..he ll try extreme measure to progress.egsomebody gives black money he will take it..its all krsna money.
5) So these self books...they say u to dream so much maybe opposite to ur destiny ...then ppl becm distressed/depressed then they go to a psychiatrist.
So out of those who read that book..only 5% get their goal..and they will rate (give review) very will..95% who does not get success will not rate it out of shame...and thus since dey did not become successful dey will not come out n tell dat dis doesnot work..instead dey may think that i did not get the msg my other fellow did..so this is all mental speculation.
So there is struggle in kc also but this is enjoyable..fruits are tasty..but this struggle cannot be separated from us (as long as we are in this material world and we have a material body...whether in spiritual life or material life..u hv to struggle) in one strugle u get nothing..things r fixed but here in spiritual paramatma gets pleased so progress can happen beyond any limits, fruits are tasty.

Jealousy-negative thought control?

Jealousy/lust- make u prisoner of sense object..u go on thinking of that sense object...so give up by applying the sword of knowledge.

Mind level-knowledge:understand why? Some difference causing dat b/w us n other.
Body level-develop self control 

Q) Morning when we leave hostel, we feel fully charged after doing sadhana but as the day passes working in company,our energy start to go down and since we start to feel completely discharged of energy at that time we become more prone to get influenced by anarthas inside us, so prabhu plz tell how to address this issue on daily basis? How to keep our momentum going..?
A- 1.) read books in night time for 2 hrs..if job is so horrible that not allowing to have such work-life balance .. change job.
2) Material life is horrible..join temple..krsna will take care..
3) Do job where u can save ur spiritual life also..else leave job or dont take it.. they take away ur prana ..ur boss will take away urs ..his boss will take away his prana.

4) Krsna will administer a medicine when it will work like a medicine not like poison.like prabhu is president..so very high position given by krsna..but it can work like poison also ( pride)..so need to remember krsna.

* Dont take pleasure, give pleasure. We r also plsr beings like krsna but krsna's constitutional position is in taking plz..ours is in giving plsr. Just as any lover takes plsr in giving plsr to its loved one.

Q) Chanting-thinking or no thinking.
A) Thoughts are there..since mind cannot be deprived from thoughts ..but processing of thought is different than thoughts..so thoughts can come while chanting which may be even related to spiritual/devotion..but processing is an activity so since i can do one thing at a time (our brain is not hardwired to do multitasking efficiently)..so u just hear. One activity ..u hear.
Krsna name so powerful ..u keep on hearing and chanting. Processing will stop.. thoughts r product of our subconsciousness..and it may change as u go on chanting. So, thoughts r not enemy (one after another ).

Prabhupada on free will of Jiva

It is not that we first have to be contacted by the modes of material nature to fall down from Goloka or Vaikuntha.

It’s all to do with a combination of choice and the sheer smallness of the marginal living entity because there is no Maya in Vaikuntha but there is ''always'' choice and we ''can'' fall down from even Goloka Vrndavan because of the ''ability to choose'' Srila Prabhupada explains this.

Srila Prabhupada - ” So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall ...I serve Krishna? Why not become Krishna?’ I immediately fall down. That is natural. A servant is serving the master, but sometimes he may think that, “If I could be come the master.” They are thinking like that; they are trying to become God. That is delusion. You cannot become God. That is not possible. But he’s wrongly thinking”.

Vipina Purandara - “Why doesn’t Krishna protect us from that desire?
Srila Prabhupada - “He’s protecting. He says, “You rascal, don’t desire. Surrender unto Me.” But you are rascal; you do not do this”.
Vipina Purandara - “Why doesn’t He save me from thinking like that?
Srila Prabhupada - “That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, ‘You love me, you love me, you love me.’ ” Is it love? “You love me, otherwise I will kill you!’ Is that love? So Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?”
July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C

3 classes of intelligent ppl- By amitasana prabhu's lecture

THERE ARE 3 KINDS OF PEOPLE IN WORLD , BROADLY SPEAKING-

1. 1ST CLASS OF INTELLIGENT-

Those who hear from authority and accept what they are saying. Because of the experience , because of their knowledge, they don't have to make costly mistakes.

to give an example,crude ex.

Lets say a child is playing near the stove, the mother is envolved in her activities so, the mother saw her child playing around the stove tells her child "Don't go near to the stove, it will burn you".

If the child listens to the mother, and thus keeps away from the stove he is called first class intelligent. 

We have examples of many devotees from bhagvatam who are dfirst class intelligent. They spend most of their times in listening, sravanam from the authorative sources and lead their life with that knowledge. We don't have to reinvent the events, we don't have to make ghostly mistakes, the great acharyas who have seen life, experienced life know what is maya? who knows what traps us in this material existence? Who knows what is the root cause of entanglement?

Who is knows what is the root cause of anxiety? 

They have  shared their life, their wisdom, their enlightenment so if we lead life based on the wisdom they have shared then we are first class intelligent.

2. 2ND CLASS OF INTELLIGENT

Sometimes or most of the times people  don't have faith. Lets take example of this child mother is saying "Don't put hand in fire" but then the child is adamant , doesn't believe in what mother is saying, goes and actually puts the hand in fire and gets burned. Actually the hands get burned , first aid and few days after it gets cured. So, the child now realizes that what mother has said is true, I should not put hands in fire and if he realizes and again thus not put his hands in fire, he is called 2nd class intelligent.

3. 3RD CLASS OF INTELLIGENT

There is another category of intelligent people. Mother is saying don't put your hands in fire, he doesn't listen, puts his hands in fire and goes through the process of cure, gets recovered, realized what mother is saying is true, momentarily that realization is still with us but again when the hands get cured, we again tempted to put that hand in fire . In hindi we say "nahi sudhrenge". We keep repeating the same mistakes. So, in kaliyuga most of us belong to which category.

The crowd said "3rd class intelligence"

Devotee (laughingly) " very confidently we are saying 3rd class intelligence". Actually it is a fact, most of us belong to this 3rd class intelligent people. In present days world, the science is all about experience, experiment, empirical knowledge, hardly we have faith in what wise people, the acharyas like srila prabhupada have given us instructions in his books, we hardly have faith.

So, here Narada muni is sharing with us "what is the root cause of all anxities? All of us having anxieties? So, what is the root cause of all such anxieties? "

If we are 3rd class intelligent , if we hear and abide by these instructions and mold our life, we can also be first class intelligent. 

"You take. But don't kill me. Let me live. I am eating only grass."

I have several times explained in this class that nobody has got any food problem. Simply the so-called civilized, advanced in science, these people have got problems of foodgrains. Otherwise, there are millions of elephants, they are eating very nicely. There are ants, there are elephants, there are tigers, there are monkeys, there are trees... So many, 8,400,000 forms of body. How they are eating? Unless they are eating... We kill animals, but the animals do not come to the..., to us, that "We are starving. Give us food." Never. By nature, there is arrangement, foodstuff. The cows, the other animals, they are eating grass. There is profuse growth of grass. So they are not eating your nice foodstuff, sandeśa, rasagullā. You are making sandeśa, rasagullā from the milk which they deliver. They are eating grass and delivering you nice foodstuff, milk. And from the milk, you can make hundreds and thousands of nice, nutritious, full of vitamin foodstuff. But no. We are so fool that instead of utilizing the milk, we are utilizing the blood. You see?

These rascals, the scientists, they do not know that milk is nothing but transformation of the blood. That everyone knows. So if you want to... That is nature's way, by God's will, that a cow gives forty pounds, fifty pounds milk daily, but it does not drink. Although it is her milk, no, it gives you, human society: "You take. But don't kill me. Let me live. I am eating only grass." Just see. And the civilized men killing them, killing them. And they want peace. Just see the fun. Without touching your foodstuff, the cow is eating the grass which is given by God, immense grass, and they are giving you the finest foodstuff, milk. Just after your birth you have only to drink milk, either mother's milk... Nowadays, mothers do not supply milk. That is also to be supplied by the cow. So from the very beginning of my life I am subsisting by the foodstuff given by mother, cow, and when I am grown up, I kill. This is my gratitude. Just see. And they are called civilized. Less than lowest animal, narādhama. They are called narādhama, lowest of the mankind. Those who are killing cows, maintaining slaughterhouse, they are lowest of the mankind. They are not human being. Less than animal. They have no gratitude.

SB 1.7.1 class temple

1.7.1 (canto 1, chapter 7, sloka 1)

After 18 days of Mahabharata battle , lakhs of soldiers died on either sides and andavas emerged victorious, so Kauranavas were in revenge mood, so in order to please Duryadhona, Ashvathama went in the middle of the night in Pandavas tent and beheaded their 5 sons, and took their heads to duryadhona thinking that he will be very happy by seeing this, but duryadhona did not approve of this heinous act of asvathama and it disgusted him.

So, although both pandavas n kauravas were fighting furiously but they were not compromising on moral principles/values so values were kept intact not like todays world fight where people/party wants to win by hook n crooks. Like, e.g. after the sunset when the conch shell were blown and battle for that day is declared to be closed, kauravas n pandavas used to have dinner together, so that was the sportsmen spirit of fighting they had which is now missing today.

Draupadi was in full tears and lamentation to see his murdered sons. 

So, Draupadi sons killed by asvathama, arjuna promised her I will not wipe your tears, my dear wife until i bring the head of the person who put such misery on you.

Arjuna went, captured asvathma by rope and presented in front of Draupadi.

A normal women would have killed him, tortured him.

But draupadi, was a devotee.  That's why she was a soft-hearted woman so she immediately told arjuna to release him because she could not see a person bound like an animal.

Also, she logically supported her plea by saying

"He is Son of ,brahmana(saintly person), so it not right to do such act to him.  Kripi, his mother should not go through same lamentation she has gone through"

Arjuna was  perplexed.

Krishna then said

But brahma-bandhu , a person born in family of brahmana but do not having any such quality is called brahma-bandhu (just blood relative), so because of his karma he cannot be accepted as qualified brahmana and thus should not be spared.

Then draupadi again used others arguments to support her decision to set him free, although loosing her 5 sons from that murderer brahmana son. Finally everybody agreed except Bhima.

"He said because he is an aggressor, 6 symptoms of being an aggressor-so he should be killed."

So, Krishna concluded to balance both party, to appease all the personalities, he as a super soul(paramatma) guided his devotee arjuna, to cut hair from his head, it is very shameful and considered as worse than death. So, he appeased both Bhima and Draupadi by not actually killing him.

However Asvathama was not to take the insult lightly. He decided to finish the race of Pandavas by killing Arjuna's grandson (Parikshit) by sending Brahmastra weapon  into the womb of Uttara, the wife of Arjuna's son.

Uttara story- Krishna saved his devotee, while uttara's child, parikshit was in danger because of Asvathama brahmastra weapon, thats why he is called bhakta-vatsala.

So, uttara prayed to save his son, who was a devotee.

Chaitanya mahaprabhu also prayed to keep his devotional life on going, not like good health , wealth, wife etc. unlike today people demands or pray to lord. Not ask for devotional service.

Why these stories we should hear?

Because these are dealings of lord with his devotees so they r transcendental, full of nectar (spiritual bliss) and will purify our mind, intelligence. So remembering lord n his devotees such way purifies us.

Kunti maharani prays to krsna give me more pain/misery..why?

Bcoz if u stop putting me in misery i might start forgetting u , my lord, so give me more miseries so that i can remember u always. Such was the prayers of kunti devi who was a great devotee of lord.

So, we shud read these prayers from bhagvatam and learn from these.

So, prabhupada used to say..

U keep on adding zero, zero in ur account but if u do not have 1 do they will have any value...like 0000000 they all zeroes hv no value if there is no 1 in front, so prabhupada says to add 1 that is Krishna in life then ur life will hv value like now add 1..so 1000000 it is valuable.

So, by reading, spending time more in association of devotees to develop all the good qualities of a devotee and thus by purifying ourselves we can come closer to Krishna and thus our life's account will become valuable bcoz we will add 1 in this way to so many zeroes and thus the amount will have a nice value.

So, we r so much fortunate that we have the contact of srila prabhupada and thus by his grace, his mercy today krsna , chaitanya mahaprabhu , radharani, balaramji all came in our life .

Pastime of  Srila Prabhupada (SP) :-

Chennai, leading newspaper covered SP lecture for a week, one day after a few weeks SP disciple recieved a call that he is completely moved by his philosophy and messages in form of lectures n he want to organize an event and invite all elite to attend the gathering , SP was called to speak on transcendental matter , so all the judges n ministers were gathered there n SP was giving them a lecture on renunciation, so no compromise in his presentation , giving examples of ministers who became a devotee of chaitanya mahaprabhu and giving up their positions, wealthy possessions in the service of Krishna consciousness. So, bcoz of the purity of SP, the chief justice of madras got completely mesmerized n invited SP to his home, then he became a good committed devotee.

So, that chief judge gifted a deity of Krishna to SP . so , a 3 year old girl named sarasvati, was asked by SP, who is this deity? 

She said "Krishna", thus she chanted Krishna this way. Then, while talking he hides Krishna behind his back, then SP asked sarasvati " where is Krishna". Then, she became anxious not to see Krishna whom she saw just a moment. So , SP developed hankering for Krishna in that small child which only can deliver us by giving Krishna.

A devotee among them asked then"who has Krishna".she answered "Srila Prabhupada".

Adi shankarcharya-

Gurubastkam (thatha kim) what is the use of all such wealth, fame, position, and family if ones mind does not bow at the feet of teacher, guru, who is a devotee bcoz he only can give us krsna.