June 15 2014 from Sweden
My dear devotees, receive all my affection from Sweden,
Spending a few days happily with the devotees here. We are making plans to spread Krishna Consciousness in these lands. Krishna is He who satisfies every individual pleasure. He serves all and gives shelter to all. He knows everyone and records them in His heart.
I can remember some of you, of course, you are unforgettable. But my memory is limited. But Krishna gives us all shelter. It is very important to understand that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and He has a relationship with each and every one of us; and it is the heart to heart relationship with devotees that allows us to approach Krishna.
Chastity is what is needed on our part. And what is chastity? It essentially means having complete fidelity. Chastity means even being detached from material desires, because one is so absorbed in Krishna's service that you no longer want anything else. But of course, it is very difficult not to have sexual desires in a world where sex dominates everything; however, this is possible only when a "superior taste" is tasted. Krishna says that when someone has a superior taste one can easily leave the lower taste.
Chastity means not abandoning anyone, not being on bad terms with anyone. Not with your relatives or with those around you. You must occupy yourself with serving the Superior Taste even if you still have a lesser taste, and so little by little you will begin to advance spiritually and at some point you will be fixed in Krishna Consciousness. You just have to be patient.
Srila Sridhar Maharaj says that taste for the divine awakens gradually, and gradually the undesirable things of the heart also disappear. Everything depends on the attitude, on the determination one has to leave the material entanglement. Only when the moment comes that you decide to surrender completely, to consecrate, at that time one comes to the platform of spiritual stability and only then can you develop a taste for the practice. The attitude of service, occupation and delivery is first. Dedication means work. Follow the instructions of the spiritual master and put that into practice in service. That's the formula.
Sincerity. Sincerity means doing everything possible to do what needs to be done. It is somewhat difficult. Sincerity is the greatest and also the most difficult to have. But someone with a sincere heart is very well off. Srila Sridhar Maharaj says that a pure devotee is pure in purpose.
Serving will teach you to surrender properly. The practice itself is not the most important, but the intention behind the practice is. Dedication means working under the guidance of a Vaishnava. The right attitude in devotional service can even erase your karma. Thus one releases everything that prevents you from engaging in devotional service.
Submission to Krishna is the most important. Submission makes the difficulties diminish. Submission means accepting without questioning what Krishna wants for oneself, because Krishna will always want the best for you. Lust, anger, greed, madness, illusion, and envy, are all consequences of attachment to the material senses. They completely take us away from Krishna. One makes many mistakes when swayed by them.
You have to protect yourself from anger, rather you have to listen to the inner voice and intelligence. That inner voice will guide us to always move towards the positive, towards the divine and transcendental. The only thing is that one almost never wants to hear it. Therefore, the association of devotees is essential, for they are an amplifier of the inner voice; one does not want to hear from it because of being under the illusory potency, but devotees constantly remind us of what we have to do.
We must develop faith in the devotees, faith in service, faith in Guru. Faith is the gateway to devotion. Absolute love accommodates all, there is nothing to fear. Where there is faith, God is there, and where God is there is no fear. Where there is faith there is surrender and where there is surrender there are no separate interests. Where there is no separate interest there is love. We must be placed there every day until the end of our life.
These are the words I wanted to share with you today. Srila Prabhupada ki Jay!
Your well-wisher,
Swami BA Paramadvaiti
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