Synopsis of the seminar by from His Holiness Bhakti Vigyana Goswami Maharaj “Krishna Consciousness – the Celebration of the Present Moment” in group of seminars “Practical and Scientific Basis of Krishna Consciousness“*
Goal classes:
1. Importance of association with the Vaisnavas.
2. Attentiveness for life, for people around us and for Krishna – this is the beginning of Krishna Consciousness.
3. Take responsibility for our self and our lives.
4. The right start of the day – tune in sattva guna.
Review of last lecture + new stuff:
1. Restoring the integrity of life. There must be a way of life, which is ideally suited to human nature, with both spiritual and material, and do not include it in contradiction! In the final sense, life has a spiritual nature, and any activity should bind us to God. The meaning of all vidhi: smartavyah satatam vishnur vismartavo on dzhatuchit sarve vidhi-nishedhah cyur etayor eva kinkarah. Restoration of integrity – a goal the entire practice. Symbol of our time, however, this kind of “partial, fragmented” man.
2. Vidhi, an indication of the scriptures – is what is pleasing to Krishna. How can we understand what pleases Krishna? Yatha viddhi – vidhi, an indication of the scriptures and the mind – first, the divine intuition – in the higher levels. There are many obstacles to establishing varnasrama dharma, but the very essence of commitment varnasrama – responsible and conscious action. Need to do what is pleasing to Krishna, what is right regardless of what the consequences would be. We should know that doing what is right, pleasing to God, and that the extent to which God is pleased with us, determines the degree to which actions in this world are perfect. Need to be confident in the correctness of our actions – if it is giving pleasure to God, then only it will, ultimately, be the beneficial for everyone else and myself too.
3. Sadachar – the correct behaviour. Water is stored in the skull, is defiled. Likewise, the person who is not following the rules of sadachara, also profaned, all his actions are bad penetrated.
acaro bhuti-janana/ acarah kirtti-varddhanah
acarad varddhate hy ayur/ acaro hanty alaksanam
Proper behaviour (äcäraù) brings wealth, increases fame, increases one’s life span [health] and destroys all inauspicious things. Sri Hari Bhakti Vilas 3.18
4. What is the reason for our failures? In mechanical. Mechanistic consciousness compels us to act like a machine. First we need to understand our self. Therefore, we need to observe carefully and consciously. False ego – is the identification of the mechanism of action with the object of action. Mechanicalness of life based on mechanicalness of mind. Most of the people living like in a dream, unconscious. Bhakti does not recognize the mechanical actions, because Bhakti from the very beginning – is to work with the consciousness. Our method – the hearing, sravanam, which mean work with the consciousness. But we manage to even listen in the mechanical way, in the unconscious way. Krishna Bhagavad Gita begins with the first instruction to Arjuna. What is the first instruction in the Bhagavad Gita? “Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus assembled here.” (BG 1.25) Just behold all armies! Just behold your attachments. Just observe and think about what you see!
5. The first instruction of the Bhagavad Gita. Therefore Krishna says (this is the first instruction of Krishna): “Just See! Just Look! Just Behold! Just Observe!” Do not sit just like a passenger in the machine, made of the material body, in a half-asleep state with switch on autopilot. We want to get rid of the mechanical mind. Krishna wants us to understand what is happening. At first, we need to be at least just conscious, and then we can be Krishna Conscious. In other words, a person must first be very careful and learn to live fully at present moment.
6. Rita, rhythm and ritual. Our heart beats in a particular, certain rhythm. Everyone here lives and moves in rhythm. The waves run ashore. The world lives its own rhythm. A person wants to catch this particular rhythm. This is some kind of synchronization. The meaning of Krishna Consciousness is to tune in to the will (rhythm) of Krishna and learn how impeccably execute it.
7. Attentiveness – mean a slowing down the rhythm. Observe – means a conscious slowing down the rhythm. So important to be attentive and careful, and not be stingy, and not save time for children, for wife, for husband, for intimate friends. Inattentiveness – is the root cause of all offences and insults. This applies not only to the Holy Name, but also to the closest ones, to the people in general around us. The most important time – present moment, the most important thing – the one that I am doing right now, the most important person in my life – that one, who now with me. Consciousness of the present moment – it is the mode of goodness. Ginsburg said, “The spiritual man exceptionally attentive to the close ones and the far ones. Mindfulness – is a sign of Spirituality.”
8. Mad and furious rhythm of our lives. The linear time constantly accelerating our rhythm. We impose to the nature the very greedy rhythms: Rhythms of greed, materialism, capture, hold: the very rhythm of modern life makes us a materialistic. The accelerated rhythm of life – is a strong drug – a way of not thinking, not pay attention to the detail, run away or hide from the problems. Natural time – it is cyclical time. There is no need to hurry, because everything is repeated again and again. In the linear time all goes forever, so there it is feel necessary to try to “snatch my share” right here and now.
9. Linear time is demonic. It sets a man on greed. This is the apotheosis of the disposable. Moreover, already here we are learning to life in eternity: how to make our lives as a ritual, that is, synchronize it with the rhythm of the Universe.
The modern Russian popular film song by Oleg Anofriev:
”Ghostly is everything – in this storming world,
There is only a moment – for him and hold on,
There is only a moment – between past and future,
Exactly that – we call the life!”
10. The best routine. Muhurta Brahma – the beginning of the day, the day begins calmly. The very rhythm of nature at this time is very calmly and slow. Time stood still, not moving at all, everyone is asleep. This time when sattva prevails. Rajas starts in the morning, at sunrise, and at sunset tamas prevails. Before sunrise in the nature of profusely poured sattva. It is so necessary to make investment in sattva. By waking up early in the morning, we investing our energy in sattva (bank account), and we are receiving percentages of that investment in the form of what sattvic qualities in our nature (svabhava) increases – if we get up early in the morning, our whole life is gradually saturated with sattva. Srila Prabhupada: “Get up early – all the rest will follow.”
11. Get up in the brahma-muhurta with Krishna’s names in lips.
3.20 brahma-muhurtta utthaya/ krsna krsneti kirttayan
praksalya pani-padau ca/ danta-dhavanam acaret3.21 acamya vasanam ratres/ tyaktvanyat paridhaya ca
punar acamane kuryyal/ lekhyena vidhinagratah
“Need to get up in the brahma-muhurta with Krishna’s names in lips. Then we need to wash our feet and hands and brush our teeth. After that, we need to change on clothes on the new clean ones.” Sri Hari Bhakti Vilas 3.20-21
12. Adhibhautika – synchronization of the body with the rhythm of the sun. In Sanskrit the daily routine is called dinacharya. “Din” means ‘day’ and acharya means “to follow” or “close to” something. “To be” close to day – it actually means to synchronize our daily cycle with the natural cycle of the Sun, Moon, Earth, and other planets in our solar system. The reason for this – that what our most healthy and happy state is our most natural state, and the same in contrary. Dinacharya – one of the best things what we can do in order to stay in balance, prevent disease and treat almost any kind of our existing disease. Ayurvedic doctors are considering such a daily routine as the most powerful means of recovery, is stronger than any other practise or medicine, and dedicate for daily routine as initial chapter in their books. Some exceptions to these rules are very young, old people, parents with young children and patients with fever or diarrhea.
13. Ayurvedic clock: the time when of doshas are more influence. From 2 am to 6 am – the time of vata, because vata supporting movements, people can easily wake up and get rid of the waste body. From 6 am to 10 am – the time of kapha. When the dominant influence of kapha, everyone naturally feels the energy and freshness and a bit of heaviness. From 10 am to 2 pm, while the influence of Pitt. Pitta support the increasing digestion power and appetite. Gives a sense of lightness, fire and hunger. From 2pm to 6pm, while again the influence of vata dosha, sense of clarity and activity. From 6pm to 10pm, while again kapha predominate, period of cool air, inertia, and low energy. From 10pm to 2am – the again time pitta doshas predominate – pitta peak hours. In that time pitta time finally lunch food is digested and one meal 12 to 16 hours-long full digestive system cycle ends.
How do we get “Night working preferences?” Just a man does not go to bed on time, and then asleep in the Pitt time (10pm – 2am) is so difficult, and then man end up to go sleep after 2 am at nights, when sleep so poor (2am -6am) and keep sleeping in following kapha time 6am-10am.
Dear husbands, a woman naturally needs to sleep for about an hour or 45 minutes more than male.
Wake up time. For good health is better that we had the stability of steady practice. The best time to lift – before or during the brahma-muhurta. This time (also known as Amrita Bela) is the best time of the all day. It comes in half an hour before sunrise. Brahma Muhurta means “the time of Brahma”. At this time, there is a positive energy flow and the best conditions for meditation. Being awake or getting up at this time, we can synchronize our body with the rhythm of the sun.
Time before Brahma Muhurta is managed by Vata dosha (it has the quality lightness and anxiety), which is not conducive to good sleep. Since the vata responsible for all movements, the time before sunrise – the best time to get rid of all body wastes.
Better to wake up before sunrise. At this time of the nature is fully saturated with quality of purity or sattva. It is better that people with a vata dosha predominance get up before or at 6, pitta 5:30 and kapha 4:30. People with the vata constitution can sleep a little longer because usually they have poor sleep and bad dreams.
Immediately after wakeup, look at our hands for a few moments and then gently with our hands touch and massage over face, neck, chest and waist. This brings alertness to the body. It helping to regains healthy consciousness in our present body. The meaning of this ritual is to remind us, bring in our conciseness our dependence on the higher will. Not our hands are doers and makers of everything, the Krishna, Govinda is Ultimate Doer, Ultimate Cause of All Causes.
Well and healthy look at the rays of the morning sun for at least five minutes, it improves our vision. In same way it is well and healthy to look in a burning candle flame for ten minutes in the morning and evening, it is very healthy for the eyes sight. When wakening up and before stepping out of bad, healthy to check, which our nostril is open. Whatever nostril more opens (breathing) – from that side is more auspicious to take the first step out of bed. It is very good idea to offer dandavat and prayers right after waking up. Better not to speak with others immediately after waking up.
14. Adhidayvika. Aspect of Subtle energy. During the day, alternate thirty muhurtas. Each muhurt has some individual value, each muhurt is controlled by its unique divinity. Muhurt – is the day in the day (similarly the month also is divided into 30 parts). 27 Nakshatras or major stars and Abhijit-muhurt or Hari-muhurt managed personally by the Lord Himself. Hari-muhurt – astronomical mid-day and mid-night. Last two nakshatras of the day are devoted to Brahma, they are called Brahma-muhurt and are the best time for offer of respect to elders and gurus, the offering of prayers, meditation on Krishna, chanting the Holy Names. Such actions at these times do relieve us from our manifest and even un-manifest karma.
15. Goddess of fortune and prosperity turns his back on someone who does not do the morning rituals. Chanak-niti-shastra says: “He who wears dirty clothes, not brush their teeth, allows himself to overeat and run to fat, and use dirty language and expressions, rises after sunrise, the goddess of fortune, leaves him, even if he can be Narayana Himself.” That mean, from him, who do that, goes away the well-being, fortune, prosperity, health, beauty, freshness, coolness etc. Anyone who wears dirty clothes elements (what be used yesterday), goes with dirty teeth, over eats like a glutton, speaks unkindly and dreams after sunrise, although it may be the most important person, he will lose the patronage of Sri Lakshmi.
Russian proverbs:”The morning wiser than an evening. Morning hours giving us the gold. Each case must begin in the morning. By get up more early, we will get more success.”
16. Adhyatmika. Wake up early in the morning, before or in the Brahma-muhurt – means to synchronize ourselves with the natural rhythm, to synchronize ourselves with Krishna and His Divine Will. For success, we need to get up with Krishna’s names in our lips. At this time, He also wakes up in the kunjah of Vrindavan.
Meditation for Gopal is: vidagdha Gopal vilasininam
vidagdha-gopala-vilasininam
sambhoga-cihnankita-sarva-gatram
pavitram amnaya-giram agamyam
brahma prapadye navanita-cauram
“By studying the Vedas, we cannot reach the mischievous Lord Gopala. He – the Supreme Brahman, and he is absolutely clean. All His body is covered with marks from the nails and teeth of the gopis of Vrindavan. I accept the shelter of Sri Krishna, the butter thieve“. Sri Hari Bhakti Vilas, 3.25.
Results:
1. Sadachar as part of Sadhana Bhakti – the foundation of all our life – it gives prosperity, fame, wealth, long life, health etc and ultimately Prema Bhakti.
2. Attentiveness – a sign of spirituality. Observance means to consciously come out or fall out of the Demonic rhythm of our lives.
3. Demonic rhythm of our lives impregnates in us lower modes of material nature. Linear time is demonic, natural time is cyclical.
4. Contribution to the sattva – early wake up.
5. Schedule of dosh – wake up in the brahma-muhurt, synchronization with the body and the Sun.
6. Adhidayvika – divine muhurt.
7. Adhyatmika – meditation on Gopal.
Home works:
1. Learn the verse: vidagdha Gopal vilasininam.
2. Learn to go to sleep more early – not to try at night to urgently do something that for what not enough time during the day, reply some email, check internet or newspapers, see TV etc.
3. Every morning, strata after wakeup, few minutes of meditation on the Gopala.
4. Consciously spend qualitative time with our family members and intimate 1-3 friends.
5. Deliberately and consciously, slow rhythm, returning to ourselves, and our natural and eternal existence.
* Translate from Russian language by google.com translator with assistance of BVG Janaka das. Lecture 2. Subject: “Krishna Consciousness – the Celebration of the Present Moment”. Temple on the Leningrad prospectus, 18th Aug 2007. Original material in Russian language from (14 May 2011): http://www.krishna.ru/stories-and-thoughts/selected-lectures/2153—-q—–q.html
Prema Bhakti attracted by a Balanced and Healthy lifestyle 