We have to deepen our conviction because the more we deepen our conviction, the stronger we get. Part of our conviction comes from dedication to guru and faith in guru – when there is no doubt about it that my guru is a resident of the spiritual world. He is not a resident of this material world, he is simply spending his time with Krsna. That’s it and nothing else! That is what it’s all about, life for Krsna and that is Krsna consciousness.

It is not possible to have a pure and noble character unless one is a spiritually realized person. It is not possible unless one has an attitude of servitorship towards God. Ultimately, that is where all good qualities come from and that is the only reason to maintain good qualities. There is a philosophy called humanism and basically, it resembles religious behaviour – you are charitable, you are kind, you are merciful and all these things, but there is no God. We try to develop all these qualities of goodness but why would we maintain it if we can make a profit and be honoured? What is the benefit of morality anyway? It is like the thieves are doing better than the honest guys. What is the problem if everything is material?

We understand that without spirituality, one cannot maintain a platform of goodness – it is not possible, you will come down again. Only one who is dedicated in devotion becomes selfless. Only one who is selfless can become non-envious. Because when you are selfish then you want something that belongs to someone else, and then you start to give them the evil eye.

So selflessness and purity are found in great personalities such as Yudhisthira, who was meant to be on the throne; and Arjuna, his younger brother who was the greatest warrior of his time. Yudhisthira knew the essence of all knowledge. He knew the answer to all questions. He understood how reality works and he understood that everything that we see is divine energy… that everything we see is spiritual. When he saw the wood, the stone, the sky, the trees, everything… he understood it is spiritual in origin.

This devotee in Bombay complained to Prabhupada that he didn’t like Indians.

And Prabhupada said, “Oh, you don’t like Indians?”

He said, “No. I don’t like Indians because they’re so tricky. But not you Prabhupada.”

Prabhupada said, “Oh, I am very tricky. I tricked you all to become devotees.”

So be calculative but somehow or other, connect it with Krsna. Be manipulative but manipulate people towards Krsna. Then it’s okay. We’re not gonna be able to change that quality in us.

Simhachalam, Germany: “We’re at the edge of the world,” Maharaja commented, “just beyond those hills, after those last trees, it becomes ethereal.”  At the German farm, one definitely gets the feeling that the rest of the world just doesn’t exist – except via the internet. It’s a befitting home to Sri Sri Prahlada Nrshimhadeva, in all his glory.

It does take some adjustment. It seems like just yesterday mangal-arathi was with sweet, smiling Gopinatha at Radhadesh and today he grew into a black, stone lion with ferocious teeth, glowing red eyes and four arms wielding lethal weapons. Yet Nrshimhadeva has his own special flavor; he is a gentle giant.

Stepping into the temple room seconds before greetings, you would expect to hear the usual “govindam adi purusam”. Instead, there’s the crack of thunder with hardcore Nrshimha mantras sung out, as the curtain swishes open. It gets you to hit the ground pretty quickly – an automatic reaction as you would in a bomb scare.

om namo bhagavate nara-simhàya namas tejas-tejase àvir-àvirbhava
vajra-nakha vajra-damstra karmàshayàn randhaya randhaya tamo grasa grasa om svàhà
abhayam abhayam àtmani bhùyisthà om kshraum

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiḿhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possesses nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demonlike desires for fruitive activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world. (SB 5.18.8)

Simhachalam is also a place where Maharaja can catch up on some much needed and well deserved rest. He smoothly slots back into the routine of rising a couple hours after midnight as if jet-lag and aching bones were fairy tales. There’s time for solo bhajan and rejuvenating walks in the forest.

“A good place to write,” he mentioned. Writing becomes the main focus of his stay here. In these weeks, he hopes to make substantial progress on his book,Visrama Mandira or Sacred Space. All the time he spends behind doors is much appreciated. It is time that will be eternalized in words and translated into moments that he would share with us and the world forever; it is time well spent. Judging from the rare but precious sneak previews, it will certainly be worth the wait. In between writing, he makes time to read commentaries on Krsna’s pastimes and chant chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita. He sets the example that spiritual strength is not automatic but requires at least an earnest endeavour on our part.

Currently in Simhachalam, the Bhagavatam is focusing on the pastime of Saubhari Muni from the ninth canto. During the occasional morning class, Maharaja concentrated on the pitfalls in the sage’s practice, making it a living lesson for everyone. Saubhari Muni submerged himself in water for 50 000 years, only to be distracted by two fish mating. Maharaja suggested that we should instead submerge ourselves in transcendental sound vibration and that would be our protection. By chanting sixteen concentrated rounds and reading for at least one hour per day, we can keep our heads above the water. We spend the rest of the time serving the holy name in different ways. Maharaja took the time to intricately explain the network of maya and how she acts in our lives. They were epic and instructive classes.

On Tuesday (14 May), Maharaja accepted a lunch invitation at the home of Akhila Prabhu (ACBSP) and his dear wife Sucitra Devi Dasi. The couple have been living on the farm for decades and have been a driving force behind the successful survival of the project. In their house, which resembles a temple itself, we found beautiful deities of Krsna Balarama and many of Their expansions. Inspired by the spiritual atmosphere, Maharaja led sweet bhajans for the pleasure of the Lord.

The quiet time is drawing to a close and on Friday, Maharaja will leave Simhachalam for a quick visit to Belgium. He will return for the much anticipated highlight in the calendar of ISKCON Germany, Nrsimhadeva Caturdasi which will be celebrated on 24 May.

Please find below, the Srimad Bhagavatam classes given by Maharaja.

To download a class, just right-click on the title and “save target as”.

KKS – SB. 9.6.41-42 – 7 May 2013 in Simhachalam, Germany

KKS – SB. 9.6.41-42 – 10 May 2013 in Simhachalam, Germany

KKS – SB. 9.6.41-42 – 13 May 2013 in Simhachalam, Germany

KKS – SB. 9.7.21 – 16 May 2013 in Simhachalam, Germany

If you cannot view the slide show below, then please visit flickr.

Recently, we saw how Indradyumna Maharaja took our Ratha Yatra in Durban and turned the whole thing upside down. Have you noticed it? It was quite amazing that one Swami could do that; he is very powerful – spiritually and also materially. So he did it, he turned it upside down and started preaching to all kinds of communities.

At one point, I was leading this kirtan and it is my new melody that was born in Vrndavan in meditative days, therefore it is a little sweet and meditative. And I was just in that kirtan and that kirtan in the Ratha Yatra was different. It started to take-off and everyone got into it. At one point, Jayadvaita Maharaja came into the tent and he started to dance like anything, which is kind of unusual. Usually it’s Q & A, but this time, he was leaping in the air so that was special. Then suddenly Indradyumna Maharaja came storming on the stage and with a thundering voice, “Keep it up! Don’t stop! Down there are all the VIPs and they’re dancing.” 

Later Indradyumna Maharaja told me of his speech with the mayor. He gave this speech and he said to the mayor, “You know I tried to make this a multi-cultural festival and my dream was to bring 25% African people, 25% European people and 50% Indians but I failed; I am so sorry.”

Then the mayor came and said, “Don’t worry Swami, you did very well. You know what, next year you can have the same site and the city will pay for the whole festival!”

After that I thought, “I will not criticize him for anything.” That was amazing, that was transcendental and that was Krsna. Somehow or other, Prabhupada also had that spirit of wanting to push Krsna consciousness beyond the borders of our own little world. And I must say that I am not that powerful, especially when it comes to getting money; money never comes easy to me, it’s always hard work but I get some.

I have a desire to also do something here in Pretoria, something in Krsna consciousness. I don’t identify with one place or with one particular group of people. In this country, you have to be so careful – if you was too much with the Indians then you are an Indian Swami; if you are too much with the Africans then you are an African Swami. It gets like that, that whoever you are with too much then you get that stamp. But no, I’m with everyone. I’m with Pretoria, I’m with Lenasia, I’m with the Midrand nama-hatta and all the other alliances. I would like to see it all grow.

You may have heard the story that was told to us by Bhavananda Prabhu, who was assisting Prabhupada in many ways. He said that one day Prabhupada told him, “You know, when I was in the spiritual world, one day Krsna came and Krsna asked me to go to the material world. I said to him, ‘Oh no! I don’t like austerities.’
And Krsna said, ‘No problem. Don’t worry, I will do everything – you just have to write books. And I will do the rest.’ “

Well, that’s what Krsna said…  it turned out a little different.

But, upon that order, Srila Prabhupada came to the material world to deliver all the conditioned souls.

So when we look at our acaryas, they were on an extraordinary level of Krsna consciousness – living with Krsna. Will we ever get there? Maybe, it’s possible, because the power of the Holy Name is very very great!

The law of attraction is there and we think that whatever we think about, we will attract it. But actually, it is the opposite; we are the ones who are being attracted all the time. “Oh, the birds! Oh, the sun! Oh, the reflection in the water! Oh, the forest! Oh, so beautiful.” And if we are not being attracted then we get depressed, “Life has no use. Life has no meaning. Is there a bridge or maybe a tower? Life is miserable…” 

But when we appreciate that we are the ones who are attracted, then we can understand that ultimately what we are looking for is not just something just a little bit attractive, or quite attractive. No, we want somebody totally attractive and that is Krsna! Because the translation of the name Krsna means he is the all attractive. Gradually one finds this out. So Yudhisthira knew the secret. Yudhisthira understood it and that is why he was meant to be the emperor of the world.

We think about today and our own life and about the law of attraction. Sometimes, I do think about money but it does not come; sometimes it does but not always. But one thing is for sure, I do not know how it happened but I got attracted by Krsna somehow or other, and now I want to serve. I never wanted such things before, I hated serving. Back then, I hated it but now I want to serve. Because when you get attracted to someone, then you want to serve. When you love someone then you want to serve them. So that is very nice, then everything will become sacred, meaningful, and satisfying. What more shall I say… Everything will be alright and exciting!

Question: Maharaj, you made a comment in reference to Lord Indra, that he should have controlled his pride with intelligence. So I was wondering, is humility a conscious effort or does it ever become natural?

Answer: At least for a conditioned soul, it is a conscious effort. Eventually it becomes natural. I often feel that humility and honesty are linked with each other because we know that we are not perfect. We make so many mistakes all the time. So when you’re honest, then it’s not a problem to be humble.

In Dutch there’s a saying, “More luck than wisdom.” That is how it is. I remember when I was like into football that one time, somehow or other, I made a goal. Don’t ask me how!? I saw that I was at quite a distance from the goal and the keeper was standing a little far outside the goal and it just like sort of made a very high loop right over him, “Boomp!” into the goal. How it worked, don’t ask me but I wasn’t a vaisnava in those days, so when somebody said, “Wow, that was a beautiful goal.”

“Yes, of course it was,” I said (laughing). Whereas I couldn’t have done it twice. It just worked that one time by miracle. It happened like that.
There were so many devotees who wrote offerings but someone wrote about the tortoise that is in an ocean. Then it comes up and somehow or other, there is a plank in the ocean with a hole in it and the head of the tortoise goes exactly through the hole of that plank, right as he was coming up out of the ocean. Prabhupada’s example. So, like that it is rare to find a spiritual master. So I mean, if the tortoise starts saying, “Yeah, you know, well, it was easy!?”

So by nature, we are in a humble position. It’s our natural position. You know, we’re tiny, frail little human beings; the powers around us are so much greater. Therefore as soon as we acknowledge the mistakes that we made, as soon as we acknowledge our limitations then humility is also easier.

So through intelligence, we can remind ourselves of these limitations. Prabhupada sometimes put us through these exercises, “What were you doing yesterday at the same time? What were you doing the day before yesterday at the same time? And the day before that? And the day before that?”

You know, do it a few times and then everybody gets lost, even someone with super memory. We are very limited, really. So with intelligence, one is meant to remind oneself of one’s own limitations then humility becomes easier.

In general, we have to give credit to people. Only senior vaisnavas, who take the responsibility for the spiritual life of others, they have to be judgmental.

Srila Prabhupada used to say, “It is my duty to find faults.” But one can find fault as a duty, if one can give credit first. If you can first give credit, “Actually this is such a nice person. This is a wonderful devotee. That is such a great service.” Then we say, “But he could improve a little bit on this, improve a little bit on that.” That is for the mature vaisnava to say who is taking charge of others and tries sincerely to help them to serve Krsna better.

Okay, then sometimes, it seems that the senior vaisnavas are judgmental but actually they’re not because these are just little things. Little things that can be perfected. A new person has weak faith, so a new person has the tendency to look at vaisnavas with doubt in his heart and therefore he pulls his microscope out of his pocket, and puts it on the heart of the vaisnava, to see if he can find some imperfections. And that tendency is there but the mature vaisnava is very generous and he says, “Yes, there maybe some faults but it doesn’t matter because there are so many credits. Because even if there are some faults, Krsna will overlook it if there are so many credits.”

So one has to try to look at a person like how Krsna looks at the person. I often say, when I speak about the first offence – not to blaspheme the devotees – that when you are looking at the devotee, see Krsna standing behind that devotee and smiling while looking at the devotee. Then you say something nice about that devotee and Krsna is still smiling. But then you say, “I think this guy is …” And you see Krsna’s expression changes!

So in this way, just think about it that Krsna is looking – standing right behind, smiling upon his devotee, “He has done nice service for me. How can I forget it.’ Krsna looks at it like that – he has done such nice service.  Krsna does not say, “Oh, he has some greed in his heart!”

Like that it helps. Anyway, we are all trying. It’s difficult. My mother used to tell the story about two princesses. When one used to open her mouth, roses came out but when the other one opened her mouth, frogs would jump out. In our case, we try to have only roses come out but sometimes, the inadvertent frog just jumps out! What to do!? It’s difficult but practise makes perfect.