Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj speaks about the importance of working together in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

God Save Us From Our Friends”

Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj speaks about the importance of working together in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

We purchased the first land in Mayapur for Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāj, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāj. When it was finished, a group did many things against Swāmī Mahārāj, but they failed. I have heard that now Iskcon has acquired four hundred acres of land in Mayapur. They have made large buildings and done many things there; it is all the glory of Mahāprabhu and Swāmī Mahārāj.

Side by side, however, politics go on. This is very bad. I cannot understand: if people come to practise Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then why are they not eagerly trying for Kṛṣṇa consciousness? If they do that, then their healthy mood will spread to everybody, and they will be benefitted. I am trying to help others, and through that I am getting benefit. I experience this.

If one person is very poor within the Marwari society, what do they do? They give money to that person and try to make him rich. It is very beneficial. Their intention is that nobody in their society will be poor.

I asked someone who donated for this land in Kolkata how he earned his money. He told me, and I said, “You are giving money to that man without any record and believing he will repay you?”

He said, “Yes Mahārāj.”

You do not ever lose your money?”

Oh sometimes. Sometimes I lose two lakhs or five lakhs of rupees, but I again give money to him, to make him rich. Once he is rich, he will pay back his debt.”

This should be our intention: everybody in our society must be rich. We can learn from the Marwari society. Whoever comes into our society and joins the line of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we shall try to make him rich! He is our friend, our brother. He may lose many things, and he may do something wrong sometimes, but if I see he has done wrong, I will not think, “I will not touch him. Get out!” I will think, “He has done wrong; I shall help him.”

There is always the possibility that you will do wrong. If that ever happens, then you must again try to come back to the right position. You should become rich! Your Guru is wealthy, so why should you be poor? Kavirāj Goswāmī has given an example: “Don’t dig on this side, that side, or that other side. Dhanera jhāri paḍibeka tomāra hātete (Cc 2.20.135): dig in the proper place and you will get the hidden treasure.”

It is actually living in your heart: Kṛṣṇa is living in your heart, and where Kṛṣṇa is, there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata
kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā
durgaṁ pathas tat kavayo vadanti
(Kaṭha-upaniṣad: 1.3.14)

This is the instruction of the Vedas, Vedānta, Upaniṣads; everywhere we are told, “Wake up, wake up! Awake and take your property. You are running like a beggar life after life, but you are not actually poor. Take it, hold it, and taste it!” “Śṛṇvantu viśve amṛtasya putrā (SU, 2.5): You are sons of nectar, sons of the nectarean ocean.” This is Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s, Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj’s, expression. We are not thinking, actually. Sanātan Goswāmī’s question is very simple and very small, and the answer is also very small. “Ke āmi: who am I?” “You are amṛtasya putrā, sons of nectar.”

Everything is very nice, but if the viṣaya [material sense objects] come before us and we cannot properly use them, then they bind us within the material environment. It is necessary to avoid that illusory environment through knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness,  transcendental knowledge.

Śrīla Dās Goswāmī said that when you are in a troubled position, you can take the name of the Vaiṣṇavas: “Save me from this mundane friend! ‘God save me from my friends.’” They are coming in the form of friends, and that is the great difficulty. Like Vibhīṣaṇ: he was Rāmachandra’s friend, but when Mahīrāvaṇ came in the form of Vibhīṣaṇ to attack Rāmachandra, then even Hanumān was puzzled. We cannot recognise what is māyā or where is Kṛṣṇa. We have a little difficulty now, but it will go away through our mood of devotion and activity. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Reference
From an informal talk by Śrīla Govinda Mahārāj,  22 December 1989.

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