After reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, 4.9.11, Śrila Narasiṅgha Mahārāja begins the class by explaining how there are two levels of ’24 hour service to Kṛṣṇa’ - one in the practicing devotees life, and the other in the aprākṛta-līlā of Kṛṣṇa (aṣṭa-kālīya-līlā). He explains how the form of that service takes a different form here, but it is non-different but they are given to us according to our present state of conditioning. Mahārāja explains the difference between ‘sleep’ and ‘rest’ and why the sevaite needs to rest.
Narasiṅgha Mahārāja says how in this world humility is not a quality that is looked upon with any dignity. In the spiritual world it is the opposite. He also points out how nothing in this world of ignorance equals Kṛṣṇa and no amount of combinations in this world can equal Him. Some things may evoke some remembrance of Him (a monsoon cloud, peacock feather etc.) but they are simply a point of reference.
In the verse from Bhāgavatam being discussed, Dhruva says that he desires to have the association of pure devotees, and Narasiṅgha Mahārāja discusses the various levels of devotees and says how we should be far away from karma-miśra and jñāna-miśra bhakti, focusing our gaze onto the plane of love. Associating with devotees only because you must is a symptom of jñāna-miśra bhakti. We should want to be with devotees. Mahārāja warns however that not all association is the same. In the wrong association, we cannot draw out the taste of pure devotion. Sādhu-saṅga means pure devotees, which are rare. If we think we can do without association, we are in a grand illusion.
Narasiṅgha Mahārāja says that conception is everything and he gives the example by narrating the līlā of Mahāprabhu’s sannyāsa ceremony. He also explains the reason why the sannyāsa mantra was changed after the time of Mahāprabhu. He explains how conception in sādhu-saṅga is extremely important. In a saṅga where the culture of pure devotion is the primary goal, the Lord is drawn towards that and we make progress there. A unified conception is the nucleus of any spiritual community.
Mahārāja goes on to say how nobody in the history of Vaiṣnavism touched the lives of so many people as Śrīla Prabhupāda, and how Prabhupāda brought with him to the west, books, karatālas and the proper conception of the Holy Name.
Mahārāja ends the class by answering a question on dove-tailing.
Recorded on June 28th 2001 (Saranagati, BC - Class at Yamuna Devi's House)
