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WORLD February 9, 1999 VNN2982 Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja Visits Bali, Dec '98 (1) BY SRIDAM SAKHA DASA  BALI, Feb 9 (VNN) — Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja visits Bali, December '98, Part One Bali 1st day Thursday 17/12/98 Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja arrived in Bali on 17th December with his Indian brahmacaris and immediate traveling party. Most of us had already arrived two days before. Srila Maharaja was driven from the airport to the house of Ananta Krsna prabhu and Rangavati didi where he also stayed one year before. His hosts had adorned their house very beautifully in traditional style to welcome Srila Maharaja. Various exotic flowers had been strung crisscross between the gateway and front door and many palm leaf decorations had been hung wall to wall, woven ingeniously into a number of different designs. The temple room is the largest room of the house, and it was there that Srila Maharaja spoke for a short while upon arrival. The temple's simhasana was made from wood and was beautifully carved in an ornate and intricate way. At the front were small wooden sliding doors, the right one of which had a carved relief of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on it, while the left was decorated with a corresponding Lord Nityananda. Srila Maharaja spoke praisingly about the beautiful culture of Bali and the many similarities between Bali and India, saying that he was reminded of the villages of Bengal and Orissa. He also remarked on the similarities of cultures too, particularly the beautiful art and architecture. He then expressed his appreciation at being able to stay in a place where Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Maharaja had sojourned in the past, on at least five occasions. "The reverent and honorable Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja used to come and stay here also. You have kept a room for him here. You were so lucky to serve him. He was so bold to speak true siddhanta, too bold. That is why in a very few days he became so popular and the leaders became very fearful 'We'll lose all our disciples to Gour Govinda Maharaja' and that is why they wanted to ban him from Iskcon. And that is why he left this world. He thought that it would be better to leave than to be banned. He was not a person to be banned. He was following in the line of Srila Rupa gosvami preaching raga marg, not only vaidhi, and I also want to be bold like him. The teachings of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura may seem like vaidhi bhakti, but they are not. If you hear his teachings very patiently then raganuga will gradually come, some greed. But if not then you are bogus, you should go to another sampradaya like the Sri sampradaya of Ramanuja or the Rudra sampradaya of Sri Visnusvami. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did not come to give only vaidhi. He came to give the seed of Krsna-seva-barsana in the hearts of devotees, this was His main objective, and that of Srila Rupa gosvami and his followers. "We have not come to make any problem, to make money, to make disciples or take them from others. We've come to help as Lord Nityananda and Haridasa Thakura did even though they were abused. But no harm. We have not come for any rivalry. Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja came to preach the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and so have we, to touch the hearts of devotees and help them if they need it. But I know they do, surely. After Srila Svami Maharaja and Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja left, their disciples and followers were like a paddy (rice) field, starting to dry. So much rain was coming but it was not touching that field. And what is this water that is needed? The Hari katha from a pure devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who has not come for self gain, but only to give what the Lord came to give. That water is Hari katha. So we want to give it to devotees, so that they should again become inspired. I want their creepers of bhakti to go up so that many sweet fruits should grow and that they will be able to taste them." Srila Maharaja then talked to Ananta prabhu about what the daily programme should be during his stay in Bali. Ananta prabhu told Srila Maharaja that he had invited many local spiritual leaders to come and hear Srila Maharaja's classes. Srila Maharaja asked Ananta prabhu how progress on the temple building project was going, to which Ananta prabhu said that it was 75% finished. Friday December 18, 1998 The next day a number of new faces showed up to hear Srila Maharaja speak that evening, mostly practitioners of hatha yoga and various impersonal philosophies. Srila Maharaja started by explaining how Krsna is the supreme personality of Godhead, and then described Krsna's teachings from Bhagavad gita. Half way through his class, as if sensing some restlessness in the audience he motioned to Krsna das brahmacari to lead some kirtan. After the kirtan was finished, and the audience was looking much more enlivened Srila Maharaja began to describe the futility of material existence. "Although human life is intended for God realization, most people are not interested in this, engaging instead in sinful activities, not caring to know what is their true nature or their future. They are like animals who are lined up at a slaughter house waiting to be killed. Although they know that they are going to be slaughtered very shortly, if some food is there, they will all start to fight each other for it. So we are like that, fighting each other for temporary material facilities. We can make atom and hydrogen bombs and have some limited destructive power, but we cannot create even a blade of grass, or a leaf. We can destroy Hiroshima, but can we bring a dead body back to life? This is false ego. So Krsna is saying don't have this false ego. Understand how you are part and parcel of God. "Although conditioned souls think that they can find happiness through their advancements in medical science, transportation, communication and their inventions like aeroplanes and computers, have they discovered love and affection for all? No. Love and affection is the true religion of all. Because it is the constitutional nature of all beings, it is the universal religion. So can these materialists make a thief become religious? They cannot put love and affection in the hearts of those who are quarreling, but we can very easily. We see that nowadays as soon as children are grown, they give up their parents and go to live alone. And we also see so much divorce. Why? Because people have no love and affection. All are self interested. Krsna sends realized souls into this world to show us that we're part and parcel of god, and that by constitution we have love and affection which we have now forgotten. "Just as we have shape, God has shape also. One may say that God has no shape, since we cannot see it, but in all scriptures it is stated that God has shape. Even in the Bible it is stated that God created man after his own image. Also in the Koran it is written 'inallahaa khalakaa mensurat hi' God created man to be like himself. If God has no shape, then where has this world come from? Have we ever seen something coming from nothing? If God is nothing, then it means that he has no power. We have shape which is transcendental. So Krsna tells Arjuna that he should adopt yoga to know all this, how we've deviated from God, and how we can be with Him. We want that you should meet with God, otherwise you cannot be happy. If you are put in prison, and are left alone for years then you may die. But if you have some very good company, then you can both survive. But alone you cannot. So what is yoga? 1 + 1 = 2. Yoga means two things coming together. If there is only one thing or nothing, then how can there be any union? Those who don't accept, their yoga is zero. If all is one as they claim then nothing can be added which means that there is no yoga taking place. All souls should unite with the supreme personality of Godhead and this is yoga. If God is shapeless and so are we, then how is that yoga? Zero + zero = zero. We may do some exercises, (Srila Maharaja waves his arms) and say it is yoga but what is being added? Nothing. Therefore it is not yoga. So you'll have to come to Gita to know what yoga actually is. Yoga means to join two things together. And, to do this, something is needed to join them, to make them stick. For instance, if you want to connect two bricks together then you will need some cement to do it. If there is no cement, then there will be no connection. Or, if you only have one brick, then certainly there cannot be any connection. And if there are no bricks at all, then there is also no connection. So there is God and the jivas, two things. We want to connect them. But how? What with? With the cement of love and affection. In this world just as boys and girls are connected to each other by love and affection, in the same way we can be connected to God. There is no other means. God has given us this potential, and we have to develop it. 'Charity begins at home' so we should start with ourselves. All living entities must collect this love and affection. It can only be obtained from the names of God. Whichever name, no harm. It can change a man very soon, and he can have love of God. This God is so attractive and beautiful, so He is called 'Krsna'. He takes away all sufferings, problems, birth and death, so He's also called Hari. And because He's so beautiful He's called Rama. This is not something I'm saying out of sectarianism or partiality, it is universal. These are names of God, they are not Indian. Now this subject is so grave and deep, so I request you to come here for the next three or four days. Please mercifully come to this place, I want to give you what I have, and, if you think it is worthy then you can take it. And I also want to take what you have, if it is something good, in a mood of reciprocation. I'm so happy and inspired to see all of you assembled here, at least one hundred people." Srila Maharaja now finished speaking, and ordered Urukrama prabhu to say some words. Standing up, Urukrama prabhu began to explain the maha mantra after which sundar arati was performed to the accompaniment of energetic and blissful kirtan. When the arati was finished prasada was served to all the guests. --end-- All of the tours completed to date are archived at the following site: http://www.igvp.com/tours Comment on this Story This story URL: http://vaishnava-news-network.org/world/WD9902/WD09-2982.html
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