TEXT FOUR
dadäti pratigåhëäti
guhyam äkhyäti påcchati
bhuìkte bhojayate caiva
ñaò-vidhaà préti-lakñaëam
dadäti—gives charity; pratigåhëäti—accepts in return;
guhyam—confidential topics; äkhyäti—explains; påcchati—enquires; bhuìkte—eats;
bhojayate—feeds; ca—also; eva—certainly; ñaö-vidham—six kinds; préti—of love;
lakñaëam—symptoms.
Offering gifts
in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one’s mind in confidence,
inquiring confidentially, accepting prasäda and offering prasäda are the six
symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.
Section A – PERFORMING
DEVOTIONAL SERVICE IN THE ASSOCIATION OF DEVOTEES
In this verse Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé explains how to perform
devotional activities in the association of other devotees. There are six kinds
of activities: (1) giving charity to the devotees, (2) accepting from the
devotees whatever they may offer in return, (3) opening one’s mind to the
devotees, (4) inquiring from them about the confidential service of the Lord,
(5) honoring prasäda, or spiritual food, given by the devotees, and (6) feeding
the devotees with prasäda. An experienced devotee explains, and an
inexperienced devotee learns from him. This is guhyam äkhyäti påcchati. When a
devotee distributes prasäda, remnants of food offered to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, in order to maintain our spirit of devotional service
we must accept this prasäda as the Lord’s grace received through the pure
devotees. We should also invite pure devotees to our home, offer them prasäda
and be prepared to please them in all respects. This is called bhuìkte
bhojayate caiva.
Even in ordinary social activities, these six types of
dealings between two loving friends are absolutely necessary. For instance,
when one businessman wishes to contact another businessman he arranges a feast
in a hotel, and over the feast openly expresses what he wishes to do. He then
inquires from his business friend how he should act, and sometimes presents are
exchanged. Thus whenever there is a dealing of préti, or love in intimate
dealings, these six activities are executed. In the previous verse, Çréla Rüpa
Gosvämé advised that one should renounce worldly association and keep company
with the devotees (saìga-tyägät sato våtteù). The International Society for
Krishna Consciousness has been established to facilitate these six kinds of
loving exchanges between devotees. This Society was started single-handedly,
but because people are coming forward and dealing with the give-and-take
policy, the Society is now expanding all over the world. We are glad that
people are donating very liberally to the development of the Society’s
activities, and people are also eagerly accepting whatever humble contribution
we are giving them in the shape of books and magazines dealing strictly with
the subject matter of Kåñëa consciousness. We sometimes hold Hare Kåñëa
festivals and invite life members and friends to participate in the feasting by
accepting prasäda. Although most of our members come from the higher rungs of
society, they nonetheless come and take whatever little prasäda we are able to
offer them. Sometimes the members and supporters inquire very confidentially
about the methods of performing devotional service, and we try to explain this.
In this way our Society is successfully spreading all over the world, and the
intelligentsia of all countries is gradually appreciating our Kåñëa conscious
activities. The life of the Kåñëa conscious society is nourished by these six
types of loving exchange among the members; therefore people must be given the
chance to associate with the devotees of ISKCON because simply by reciprocating
in the six ways mentioned above an ordinary man can fully revive his dormant
Kåñëa consciousness. In Bhagavad-gétä (2.62) it is stated, saìgät saïjäyate
kämaù: one’s desires and ambitions develop according to the company one keeps.
It is often said that a man is known by his company, and if an ordinary man
associates with devotees, he will certainly develop his dormant Kåñëa
consciousness.
There are six ways
to exchange love with devotees: giving
charity, accepting charity, opening one's mind, inquiring confedentially, accepting rpasad, and giving
prasad.
These six types of
exchanegs are even done in ordinary dealings.
We should renounce
ordinary dealings and asociate with devotees.
Iskcon has spread
by and is meant for facilitating these
exchanges.
The life of Krsna
consciousness is nourished by these exchanges
amongst the members.
Everyone should
associate with Iskcon and a man's desires develop according to the company he keeps.
Summary: Since everyone must associate with either devotees or
non-devotees according to the 6 exchanges of love, Iskcon has been established
to faciltiate these excahnges between devotees and to offer the faciltiates to
others to enter intothese loving exchanges with devotees and become purified by
their association.
Section B – DEVELOPING
LOVE OF GOD THROUGH CHANTING HARE KRSNA
The understanding of Kåñëa consciousness is innate in every
living entity, and it is already developed to some extent when the living
entity takes a human body. It is said in Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 22.107):
nitya-siddha kåñëa-prema ‘sädhya’ kabhu naya
çravaëädi-çuddha-citte karaye udaya
“Pure love for Kåñëa is eternally established in the hearts
of living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When
the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, the living entity naturally
awakens.” Since Kåñëa consciousness is inherent in every living entity,
everyone should be given a chance to hear about Kåñëa. Simply by hearing and
chanting—çravaëaà kértanam—one’s heart is directly purified, and one’s original
Kåñëa consciousness is immediately awakened. Kåñëa consciousness is not
artificially imposed upon the heart, it is already there. When one chants the
holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the heart is cleansed of all
mundane contamination. In the first stanza of His Çré Çikñäñöaka, Lord Çré
Caitanya Mahäprabhu says:
ceto-darpaëa-märjanam bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpaëaà
çreyaù-kairava-candrikä-vitaraëaà vidyä-vadhü-jévanam
änandämbudhi-vardhanaà prati-padaà pürëämåtäsvädanaà
sarvätma-snapanaà paraà vijayate çré-kåñëa-saìkértanam
“All glories to the Çré Kåñëa saìkértana, which cleanses
the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of
conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This saìkértana movement is the
prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the
benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases
the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar
for which we are always anxious.”
Not only is the chanter of the mahä-mantra purified, but
the heart of anyone who happens to hear the transcendental vibration of Hare Kåñëa,
Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare
is also cleansed. Even the souls embodied in lower animals, insects, trees and
other species of life also become purified and prepared to become fully Kåñëa
conscious simply by hearing the transcendental vibration. This was explained by
Öhäkura Haridäsa when Caitanya Mahäprabhu inquired from him how living entities
lower than human beings can be delivered from material bondage. Haridäsa
Öhäkura said that the chanting of the holy names is so powerful that even if
one chants in the remotest parts of the jungle, the trees and animals will
advance in Kåñëa consciousness simply by hearing the vibration. This was
actually proved by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu Himself when He passed through the
forest of Jhärikhaëòa. At that time the tigers, snakes, deer and all other
animals abandoned their natural animosity and began chanting and dancing in
saìkértana. Of course, we cannot imitate the activities of Çré Caitanya
Mahäprabhu, but we should follow in His footsteps. We are not powerful enough
to enchant the lower animals such as tigers, snakes, cats and dogs or entice
them to dance, but by chanting the holy names of the Lord we can actually
convert many people throughout the world to Kåñëa consciousness. Contributing
or distributing the holy name of the Lord is a sublime example of contributing
or giving charity (the dadäti principle). By the same token, one must also
follow the pratigåhëäti principle and be willing and ready to receive the transcendental
gift. One should inquire about the Kåñëa consciousness movement and open his
mind in order to understand the situation of this material world. Thus the
guhyam äkhyäti påcchati principles can be served.
1. Love of Krsna
is dormant in everyone's heart.
2. By engaging in
sravanam and kirtanam it develops.
3. Chanting Hare
Krsna, as recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, cleanses the heart.
4. Everyone who
hears the chanting is also purified.
5. Although we
can't imitate Lord Caitanya's even making animals chant, we should convert
people.
6. Distributing
the holy name is the best charity and one should also be ready to recieve the
transcendental gift.
7. One should also
enquire about KC and hear the confedential answers.
Summary: Because Krsna consciousness is dormant in everyone's
heart, one can develop it by chanting Hare Krsna. One who does so should follow the other
instructions in this verse by spreading the chanting as charity and answering
confedential questions about the philosophy.
Section C – THE
IMPORTANCE OF ASSOCIATION
The members of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness invite the Society’s members and supporters to dine with them
when they hold love feasts in all their branches every Sunday. Many interested
people come to honor prasäda, and whenever possible they invite members of the
Society to their homes and feed them sumptuously with prasäda. In this way both
the members of the Society and the general public are benefited. People should
give up the company of so-called yogés, jïänés, karmés and philanthropists
because their association can benefit no one. If one really wants to attain the
goal of human life, he should associate with devotees of the Kåñëa
consciousness movement because it is the only movement that teaches one how to
develop love of God. Religion is the special function of human society, and it
constitutes the distinction between human society and animal society. Animal
society has no church, mosque or religious system. In all parts of the world,
however downtrodden human society may be, there is some system of religion.
Even tribal aborigines in the jungles also have a system of religion. When a
religious system develops and turns into love of God, it is successful. As
stated in the First Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam (1.2.6):
sa vai puàsäà paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokñaje
ahaituky apratihatä
yayätmä suprasédati
“The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that
by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent
Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted in order to
completely satisfy the self.”
If the members of human society actually want Peace of
mind, tranquillity and friendly relations between men and nations, they must
follow the Kåñëa conscious system of religion, by which they can develop their
dormant love for Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As soon as people
do so, their minds will immediately be filled with peace and tranquillity.
In this regard, Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura
warns all devotees engaged in broadcasting the Kåñëa consciousness movement not
to speak to the impersonalist Mäyävädés who are always determined to oppose
such theistic movements. The world is full of Mäyävädés and atheists, and the
political parties of the world take advantage of Mäyäväda and other atheistic
philosophies to promote materialism. Sometimes they even back a strong party to
oppose the Kåñëa consciousness movement. The Mäyävädés and other atheists do
not want the Kåñëa consciousness movement to develop because it educates people
in God consciousness. Such is the policy of the atheists. There is no benefit
in feeding a snake milk and bananas because the snake will never be satisfied.
On the contrary, by taking milk and bananas the snake simply becomes more
poisonous (kevalaà viña-vardhanam). If a snake is given milk to drink, its
poison simply increases. For a similar reason, we should not disclose our minds
to the serpent Mäyävädés and karmés. Such disclosures will never help. It is best
to avoid association with them completely and never ask them about anything
confidential because they cannot give good advice. Nor should we extend
invitations to Mäyävädés and atheists nor accept their invitations, for by such
intimate intermingling we may become affected by their atheistic mentality
(saìgät saïjäyate kämaù). It is the negative injunction of this verse that we
should refrain from giving anything to or accepting anything from the Mäyävädés
and atheists. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu has also warned, viñayéra anna khäile
duñöa haya mana: “By eating food prepared by worldly people, one s mind becomes
wicked. Unless one is very advanced, he is unable to utilize everyone’s
contribution to further the Kåñëa consciousness movement; therefore on principle
one should not accept charity from the Mäyävädés or atheists. Indeed, Çré
Caitanya Mahäprabhu has forbidden devotees to associate even with ordinary men
who are too addicted to material sense gratification.
1. Iskcon's Sunday
feasts benefit both the devotees and the public by these exchanges of
affection.
2. One should give
up other association and only associate with devotees.
3. All cultures
have some religion, but the purpose of religion, to develop love of the
Personality of Godhead, is only learned by following the Krsna consciousness
system.
4. We should give
up the association of Mayavadis which have turned the world to atheism and
materialism.
5. There is no use
associating with Mayavadis or atheists or exchanging affection with them.
6. Nor should we
associate intimately with ordinary men who are addicted to sense gratification.
Section D – THE
CONCLUSION
The conclusion is that we should always keep company with
devotees, observe the regulative devotional principles, follow in the footsteps
of the äcäryas and in full obedience carry out the orders of the spiritual
master. In this way we shall be able to develop our devotional service and
dormant Kåñëa consciousness. The devotee who is neither a neophyte nor a
mahä-bhägavata (a greatly advanced devotee) but is within the middle status of
devotional service is expected to love the Supreme Personality of Godhead, make
friends with the devotees, show favor to the ignorant and reject the jealous
and demoniac. In this verse there is brief mention of the process of making
loving transactions with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and making friends
with the devotees. According to the dadäti principle, an advanced devotee is
supposed to spend at least fifty percent of his income on the service of the
Lord and His devotees. Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé has set such an example in his life.
When he decided to retire, he distributed fifty percent of his life’s earnings
to Kåñëa’s service and twenty-five percent to his relatives and kept
twenty-five percent for personal emergencies. This example should be followed
by all devotees. Whatever one’s income, fifty percent should be spent on behalf
of Kåñëa and His devotees, and this will fulfill the demands of dadäti.
In the next verse, Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé informs us what kind
of Vaiñëava should be selected as a friend and how Vaiñëavas should be served.
1. The conclusion
is that we should always keep the company of devotees, observe the regulative
principles, follow the acaryas, and carry out the orders of the guru.
2. Middle class
devotees must make friends with the devotees and love the Lord and this is described.
3. One exchange is
giving 50% of one's income to the devotees in charity.
Summary: Middle
class devotees should make friendship with devotees by following the exchanges
of affection, including giving 50% of their income in charity.