There are two things – externals, and internals.

But the thing is that our externals does help touch the
internal. How can I share a relationship – e.g. the remembering of a birthday means a lot to someone –
it is proof that we care.

Lord Caitanya and His associates expressed their love in this way through apparent externals.

We may have hundreds of projects, but what actually touches us and others are actually the exchanges
of love – it is not about the projects, or a big display of opulence. Ask others – very few people actually
come through philosophy

“Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of
the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of
liberation.”

When I associate with non-devotees – karmi, jnanai, yogi, etc in these 6 ways, by sharing affection with
them, I will lose enthusiasm to attain Krsna, and I myself will become so incredibly condemned. But by
sharing with

With juniors

With equals

- Can share our heart

- Can be brought to ground level
- Are purified
- Learn a lot from our equals, feel inspired to advance in Krsna Consciousness
- Can joke, and share guhyam akhyati prcchati – cannot do this with seniors, and difficult to do this
with one’s equals; can express ourselves very naturally
- Juice and thrill in KC

With juniors

- Feel inspired by their progress in KC; some progress at a faster rate than us
- Srila Prabhuada, “One of my main things to do is to take the association of our juniors.”
- Get enthusiasm from juniors, get patience from seniors.
- Sridhar Maharaj: “

With seniors

- Practical instruction on services

- Inspiration, gratitude; and faith – by their example
- Real life experiences
- Srila Prabhupada associated as much as possible with his spiritual master
o Only 5 or 6 times – but they were very intimate. Occasionally 2-3 hours at a time.
- Two devotees who serve the spiritual master together, their bond becomes so deep, and so
intimate – e.g. Tamal Krsna Maharaj, and Visnujana Maharaj
o We cannot socialize on the material platform

Associate with the devotees

- Cooking for the president – GKM said that the president liked it too much. Never answered my
questions
- SP associating with a family – they cooked with onion and served with affection. Disciple told SP
that the Prasad had onion – SP told him to shut up and keep eating. Afterwards, he chastised the
organisor – his disciple. Yet for SP’s sensitivity in dealing with these souls, they sponsored 7 days of
pandal Prasad; and it seems that they are now initiated devotees
o So while we are careful to associate with devotees, sometimes with certain personalities, an
advanced and mature practitioner knows how to manage the situation.
- Is the content important or is the intent more important – the intent of course, but the content
reflects the intent
o E.g. sudama
o Vidura
o Srtudeva and Bahulasva
o Lord Jagannatha accept offerings even from muslims; fish pastime?
- The mood of service in interacting with others is so important, we try and treat people according to
o In the traditional vedic system, every event is celebrated – the turning of the child, the
garbhadana samskara – because every occasion is an opportunity to come closer to Krsna –
this is a society that constantly engaged in loving exchanges, would call each other – feed
each other Prasad, exchange gifts, and so much love – there was no beggar in India
o In the West, they have no concept of festivals, and loving exchanges. There is no rasa – only
things, and idiotic days such as mother’s day, father’s day.
o Thanksgiving – cut turkeys – it is a contradiction
o In Vedic culture, so many festivals were there to
o Therefore, we should celebrate birthdays
 In the West, there was a TP who asked someone who told him “Today is my b’day –
“How old is your stool bag”
 In Buddhism, they say, the body is born at every moment, and dies at every second
– what is the consequence of a particular moment
 No! this may be right – but the exchange of affection based on Krsna is being right
beyond right
 E.g. Gurudev tolerated devotees picking each other up in kirtan – exchange of
affection.
o Mac cittah mat gatah pranah
- Guhyam askhyati prcchati
o Amongst pure devotees
 Caitanya mahaprabhu, and ramananda raya
 Radhanatha swami and Bhakti Tirtha Swami
o Speaker and audience may not be completely pure
 When speaker is sincere
 E.g. sanjaya, and dhrtarastra – some transformation (relished the
recitation)
 When speaker is not sincere
 Padmapada and sankaracarya’s disciple: Lord Nrsimhadeva manifested to
padmapada because of his innocent faith, and desire to serve the sadhu.
 Both speaker and audience are sincere
o Two devotees discussing service to Krishna
o On personal level to fight our anarthas

When either speaker or audience puts their heart into speaking and hearing about Krsna, then their
hearts will transform.

- Srila Prabhupada spent 10 hours training Harikesa Maharaj at a stretch to send Maharaj to develop
Krsna Consciousness in Russia.
- Advice to George Harrison, to cool down with his direct references to Krsna, and Krsna
consciousness – his popularity came back.

We can sustain the forces of maya for some time, but at some stage we need support

- E.g. Mother Sita could resist the gold of Lanka, that she would become Ravana’s principle queen,
that she would be killed if she did not submit to Ravana, but hearing of Rama’s death was too much
– Vibhishana’s wife provided support.
- It is not sandhu, sanga
- After guhyam akhyati prcchati, I should feel purified, and come closer to Krsna – not that we share
each other’s garbhage with each other – especially across genders. There is not

“the people who are the hardest to love, are the ones who need it the most.” – they have become
deprived of love, perhaps in their childhood; therefore, they become loners

Bhunkte Bhojayate Caiva

Advaita Acarya invited Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda for lunch and look at their exchanges – Lord
Caitanya said, how can I eat? You eat so much in jagannath puri. Lord Nityananda said this is a very small
quantity of food to feed two hungry people who haven’t eaten in 3 days. Advaita Acarya began to joke
with Him – oh…

Lord Caitanya inaugurated a prasadam feast after the passing of Haridasa Thakura
Love feast – items brought, cooked, served, and honoured with love.

In context, this verse is played as verse number 4. When one is properly practicing the first 3 verses,
then one’s devotional service becomes pure, or properly targeted towards pure devotional service –
then can these exchanges have wonderful meaning.

In the Christian tradition, there is a concept known as sin eater – the idea here is that a priest comes
home, eats our food, and takes away all our sin. No! this is completely the wrong idea – the word used
here is priti lakshanam. It is actually used to exchange love.

Srila Prabhupada:

- No program should end without serving of Prasad

- Cooked Prasad personally for the love feast
- For the appearance and disappearance day ceremonies of acaryas

What if people are naturally reserved? They must come out of it. Otherwise, our experience is that they
become psychological cases. And may even attempt suicide.

Understand the value of these exchanges – nothing else in the world can satisfy the heart. If I do not
engage in loving exchanges with the devotees, then I will be forced to take it with outsiders, or with one
person throughout life. And this is completely unsatisfying. Therefore, invest in devotee relationships
with these loving exchanges.

As much as possible, relish association based on serving the Lord.

The Vedic knowledge of charity is that everything you give will come back many fold – in actual fact,
giving charity is the only way to earn laxmi. You see so many rich people give so much in charity in India.
They understand this principle.

But in devotional service, the principle is Krsna’s pleasure.

The best thing to give Krsna is your heart; if you cannot give your heart, then atleast give that which is in
your heart – for most people, this is money.

In practicing the six loving exchanges, we will not become stagnagted in devotional service.

Lord Caitanya started the sankirtan movement in India’s darkest era, where most of India was governed
by muslim rule proving that there is no impediment to the sankirtan movement.

In NOD, the three categories of devotees refer to those devotees qualified to practice bhakti.

In NOI, the three categories of devotees are described with respect to what they do.
Adhikari – one who has a particular level of authority. This is not with respect to the birth of the
Vaisnava.

It is not a question of discrimination between different levels of devotees, it is a question of progression.

- The characteristic of a kanistha adhikari is that he only worships the diety

o Maintains the family by displaying the diety in public
o Salagrama dvara badam bhanga
o Replaced pujaries in Pandarpur due to improper standards, including breaking the four rules
- In ISKCON Mayapur, Srila Prabhupada had the conch and cakra buildings even before the main
temple – because Srila Prabhupada was concerned about the comfort of the devotees who would
come from all over the world for the Mayapur festival.
- For devotees, certain services are risky
o Crowd control
- In one letter, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati wrote that I am leaving the world early, because the
Gaudiya Mission is now filled with neophytes
- Neophytes means always finding
- When I prefer my service, or my relationship with the dieties, and neglect the devotees, I should
know that I am in the neophyte platform

- Our harinam initiation is on par with their diksha initiation

- When something goes wrong with the devotee’s material life, then he finds it difficult to focus on
his spiritual life.

One should respect such a Vaisnava in the mind.

There are people who perform bhakti as a culture, other perform it as sadhana. For the first, bhakti is
only a part of their life, while for the latter, their life is part of bhakti (?) – in other words, their life is
meant for bhakti.

When we speak of kanistha adhikari in this case, we refer to those who are outside ISKCON.

Cudi-wala baba: did not insult his she-donkey because it could become a habit when dealing with other
respectable ladies – do not insult even beginning Vaisnavas or outsiders, because it could become a
habit applied to other Vaisnavas.