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By Bhakta Mukesh

HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu needs no introduction. From Australia to America he has given talks on spiritual subjects at universities like Princeton and Cambridge and companies like Intel and Microsoft. This time, it was New Zealand’s fortune to welcome this spiritual scholar of ISKCON’s leading intellectual body to the capital city of Wellington. The highlight of this visit was his intriguing seminars to the Wellington’s Journey of Self Discovery (JOSD) and Bhakti Sastri students and the wider Vaishnava community.

Krsna Doesn’t Just Provide What We Lack; He Also Preserves What We Have (BG 9.22)

In his usual charismatic manner, prabhuji explained that the phrase ‘Krsna provides what we lack’ means that He gives us the spiritual dimension lacking in our life. And ‘Krsna preserves what we have’means that He helps us redirect our material abilities towards Krsna. Elaborating on this Prabhuji said, whatever we have can either be a source of illusion or a tool for liberation. Those who hanker after sense gratification use their possessions to romanticise the world (Karma Marga) and remain entangled in the fruitive activities and its reactions – birth, death, old age and disease. Others, who think that everything is a source of illusion and entanglement, demonise the world and renounce everything (Jnana Marga). Whereas, Krsna’s devotees neither romanticise nor demonise, rather, they utilise the world (Bhakti Marga) to go to Krsna. He elucidated that Bhakti does not entail frustrated renunciation; instead it includes enthusiastic dedication of our talents and material possessions to cultivate a loving relationship with the supreme spiritual reality, Krsna.

Two Endings of Bhagavad Gita

Speaking about the two endings of Bhagavad Gitato Bhakti Sastri students, prabhuji enlightened that there occurs two nested conversations within Bhagavad Gita – an outer conversation, between Dharatrashtra and Sanjaya and an inner conversation, between Krsna and Arjuna. The inner conversation ends with Arjuna declaring that his illusion was dispelled and his memory restored – and being free from all doubts he was ready to carry out Krsna’s will (BG 18.73). The outer conversation ends with Sanjaya’s declaration that wherever there is Arjuna along with the supremely mystical Lord, Krsna, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extra-ordinary power and morality (BG18.78).

While these two endings respectively point to inner enlightenment (Arjuna’s freedom from illusion) and external attainment (Sanjay’s prophecy of Arjuna’s victory), the focal point of both endings is Krsna’s presence at the helm. Both the ends point to the same conclusion, that is, harmonising human will with the divine will leads to both inner fulfilment and outer prosperity.

Presenting a very elegant vision of Bhakti, he said that Bhakti is a lifelong courtship with Krsna. This relationship demands that we engage in regular inner contemplation and outer redirection to conduct ourselves as perfect ladies and gentlemen (as envisaged by Srila Prabhupada). He eloquently summarised the topic by saying, what we are is Krsna’s gift to us; and what we become will be our gift to Krsna.

Understanding Our Nature

On the last day of his talks at the ISKCON Wellington Temple, HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu highlighted that we have to use our nature (guna & karma) intelligently to make gradual progress in Krsna consciousness. He emphasised that we cannot work against our nature; therefore, first we must understand our nature (according to the predominant modes acting on us) and then systematically dedicate our abilities for Krsna’s pleasure. Explaining the influence of these modes further, prabhuji said that:

• In the mode of ignorance, there is neither proper contemplation, nor action,

• In the mode of passion, there is first action then contemplation, and

• In the mode of goodness, there is first contemplation then action.

Prabhuji elucidated that it is because of these 3 modes that we sometimes find certain aspects of devotional philosophy very disturbing to hear (or embrace). In that case, instead of rejecting the philosophy, we must continue to associate with like-minded devotees, knowing well that such repulsionand attraction are the by-products of material modes acting on us. Therefore, we must utilise our current nature (talents and aptitudes) in Bhakti to gradually elevate our consciousness to the next level.

By the same token, Prabhuji cautioned against passing any judgement on those who are at a different level of spiritual progress than us. He stressed that we must understand that just like our mind and senses create trouble for spiritual growth (at our level), their mind and senses create troubles for them at their level. So, spirituality is meant to make us more considerate and compassionate towards others (instead of being judgemental). This allows us to genuinely help everyone to get one step closer to Krsna from wherever we are.

Managing Unfavourable Situations

Finally, talking about unfavourable situations in our life, Chaitanya Charan Prabhu said that we must remember that our goal is to neither workfor that situation nor against that situation; rather we work for Krsna in that situation. Therefore, infused with a mood of servitude, we must accept our limited control over the situation and moderate our expectations while doing the best we can.

On a similar note, he mentioned that Srila Prabhupada inaugurated a new chapter in the world history by making Krsna Bhakti available to millions of people all over the world. By focusing on the sacrifices he made to give us the opportunity to practice Krsna Bhakti, we can put aside our small difficulties and practice bhakti-yoga whole-heartedly to create a vibrant Vaishnava community.

To conclude, HG Chaitanya Charan prabhuji left a deep impression on our hearts with his practical tips on spirituality, purposeful discourses and insightful rejoinders. We sincerely hope that this scholar of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission continues to grace Wellington and sanctify our consciousness with his inspiring association.

All glories to Srila Praphupada! All Glories to Guru and Gauranga!

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