Bhakti Vrisksha - Bhagavad Gita 2.59-11/25/2016

Hare Krishna everyone, we had our 57th Bhakti Vriksha class on Friday 11/25/2016 conducted by HG Sundarnath Prabhuji at Bipin Prabhu and Akta Mataji home and below are the points related to Verse 2.59.

In Verse 2.59 the supreme personality of Godhead said; though the embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects remains. But ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.

• We have 5 types of senses (tongue, ears, smell, touch and eyes) these 5 types of senses gives 5 types of happiness but this happiness which we get from senses comes and goes; meaning happiness which we get from senses is temporary.
• It is our choice to be either in this rat race to find different types of sense gratifying objects or develop a higher taste.
• Senses always want hankering, once you derive the sense gratification thru Krishna then there will not be any hankering.
• People follow certain rituals and restriction for certain time but once that time is complete they go back at those things on which they had put restriction even with more desire and force.
• E.g. People quit alcohol or meat for a certain auspicious month or day but once that day or month is passed they go back to eating meat or drinking alcohol.
• Some people do spiritual practices just for knowledge.
• Senses have a natural tendency for enjoyment hence we cannot stop our senses from enjoying that is why we have to engage the senses in higher taste.
• If we practice regularly then the higher taste does develop.
• The higher taste will develop by regular chanting and being in service of Krishna.
• Why we should chant 16 rounds?
• Actually we should chant all the time but to reach to that state minimum is 16 rounds.
• Prabhupad earlier told his disciples to chant 64 rounds but they said it is too much then he said 32 rounds that also was too much later he said no less than 16 rounds you should chant.
• Even for a flight to take of certain minimum velocity is needed, similarly to take the spiritual flight minimum number of rounds is 16 rounds.
• Taking spirituality for older people is very tough because the body doesn’t help much at old age.
• Old people can’t even go to temple because of their health hence one should wait for old age to take up spirituality.
• Why we cannot chant within our mind?
• Because in mind chanting can only last for some seconds then mind gets distracted. When you chant in an audible tone to yourself even though the mind will get distracted the voice will bring it back to focus. We have to chant for our ears.

Thanks all for coming!!

Thanks to all matajis for sumptuous prasadam.

Hare Krishna