Jagad Guru Chris Butler - Siddhaswarupananda - Practical Wisdom

Shri Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita-acharya Prabhu, Shri Rupa and Sanatana Goswamins and Thakur Haridasa - the dear and ever-associated generals, of Shri Chaitanya Deva were deputed in rendering practical kindness to the ever-suffering humanity by: (1) spending their whole time and energy in devotional activities, (2) chanting aloud the Lord's name day and night, (3) singing His praise and glory, (4) compiling volumes of devotional works, (5) reclaiming and restoring the sacred sites, (6) going from door to door and begging of the sleepers and dreamers thereof to arise, awake and worship'Krishna, talk about Krishna, take His name and know that He is their father, mother, wealth and life; that they have no other objects of worship save and except 'Krishna'. As the twigs, leaves, flowers, fruits and the branches of the tree, their rest, are actually fed by feeding the roots and as the limbs of the body are properly nourished by putting the food into the stomach, so the innumerable gods, sages, forefathers, kings, animals are fully and properly appeased if Krishna, wherein lie all of them together, is worshipped. As continual showers of rain cannot feed the leaves nor enliven them, unless and until the rainwater is taken up by the roots and as the limbs are unable to get any nourishment from the food unless it is put into the stomach, so none can accept any present or exact adoration directly from meat unless all presents are made over to Krishna and He is worshipped. All souls or jivas in their true selves are related to Krishna, the Over-soul, either as (1) His mute servants, the flute, the rod etc., (2) His servitors, His gardeners, His sweepers etc., (3) His friends, playmates, (4) His parents Nanda-Yashoda, (5) His consorts - Shri Radha and her attendants. This relation being eternally fixed is neither inter-changeable nor transferable. Krishna, the Prime Cause, the Lord of all lords, the Supreme of all Gods, is embued fully with the six divine pre-essences - (I) Wealth, (2) Might, (3) Glory, (4) Splendour, (5) Wisdom, (6) Dispassion, dilute in His over flowing love and all charming beauty. He is the only Lover and the only object of love. This love, fully free from all earthly dross of lusts and passion, makes the Lover serve His beloved ones and the beloved ones their Lover, this love drowns all conceptions of Divine Sovereignty and possession of the above six pre-essences. The eyes of the beloved are always blind to notice the sovereignty or adorability of the object of love. The beloved ones, spontaneously deem themselves either equal or superior to the object of love, in consequence the former playfully ascends the shoulder of, chastises or takes to task or brings up with affectionate care, the latter. The love of Krishna is thus characterised. Krishna's loving beauty is so enamouring that even the god of lusts is charmed by Him and Krishna Himself being charmed by His own beauty and loveliness covets the pleasure enjoyed by the best of His lovers Shri Radha, by lovingly serving such Form as His. So anointing Himself with the luster and complexion of Shri Radha and having been imbued with Her ardent longings of love, Krishna is ever dallying as an exemplary lover of Himself as Shri Gauranga. Shri Krishna, the essential nature of the Supreme Being - the only Real and Eternal Truth is the only object of love and Shri Gauranga the possessor and distribitor of that love Krishna is simultaneously dallying with His dear consort in the groves of Vrindavana and tasting the extract of love-succus flowing from His consort as Gauranga at Nabadwipa, Himself singing Krishna's name and teaching others how to Iove Krishna and sing His name. In so doing He distinguishes pointedly the real name, identical with the Object Himself, from the apparent or false one which is taken profanely, blasphemously or in vain. He emphasises that in this Kali-yuga (era) worldly people indulge in (1) duplicity, 2) intoxication, (3) sensuality, (4) killing of animals, (5) mercenariness and so are unable to meditate upon, or worship Vishnu and to perform Vedic sacrifices. So the chanting of Krishna's name is the only meditation, the only sacrifice, the only worship in this Kali-age - Name is the means, Name is the end. But is should be noted with the utmost care that Krishna's name is not mere combination or utterance of letters. A similarity in utterance and appearance is not identity. The fire and the glow-worm though similar in appearance are not identical. The minutest spark of fire set consciously or unconsciously, seriously or playfully will instantaneously burn an inflammable thing, whereas a thousand glow worms will not act in a thousand years. Krishna's name is identical with Krishna Himself and pregnant with all the properties and attributes of Krishna. So His name, unlike all other names, is full of energy, perfect, eternal, pure, devoid of illusion and eternally free. Aurora is sufficient to dispel the darkness of night and to drive the wild animals to their lairs and thieves and dacoits to their resorts, enables us to distinguish the various objects of senses and ushers the advent of the glowing lamp of heaven. So does Namabhasa (the utterance of name avoiding the ten profanations) stop poverty from planting our pillows with thorns, destroy our worldly hankerings and dispel the illusory gloom, so that we may see the Name face to face. When the everburning lamp peeps out of the eastern horizon, its ever-effulgent rays make us see it face to face and feel its golden rays and enable us to see all objects bathing therein. The sun is seen and felt by us with its own rays and heat and not with the help of any other glowing object. The brightest candles of the universe put together can not make the sun visible to us. When our dreamy nights are at an end, when we shake off the torpor, open our eyes, turn them to the east, we see the Name-sun with all his glory and beauty.