fools rush in where angels fear to tread

All glories to r^ Guru and r^ Gaurga

Fools rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread

by r^la Bhakti Rakak r^dhar Dev-Goswm^ Mahrj

Question: In r^ Brahma-sahit it is described that r^ r^Rdh and Ka are seated on a divine throne, and thewhorl of the lotus flower upon which They are seated isdescribed as a hexagonal figure. What is the meaning ofthis hexagonal figure and how can this be drawn?r^la Guru Mahrj: I am sorry, but we are not to enterinto the discussion of such higher and subtle position ofthe l^l of Rdh-Ka. That is not to be brought intopublic, and that is the distinction between the Gau^yaMah and the sahajiy section. The sahajiys are trying toimitate all these things, but we have no faith in imitation.The higher l^l will come in an individual case, and it willawaken in an irresistible way. When the programme ofthe sdhana stage is finished it will come automatically,spontaneously. We are believers in that, and not to knowthe form already and then we will reach therethat is notthe policy accepted by Guru Mahrj, Prabhupd: pjalarga-patha gaurava-bhage.r^la Bhaktivinod hkur also said, Stick to the rul-

ings of the class you are fit for, then you will see auto-matically.

2 Fools rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread

yath yath gaura-padravindevindeta bhakti kta-puya-ritath tathotsarpati hdy akasmdrdh-padmbhoja-sudhmbu-ri

(r^ Chaitanya-chandrmta: 88)Strictly stick to Gaura-l^l,Mahprabhu, and you will findautomatically within your heart that Rdh-rasa-sudhnidhi is flowing. Dont attempt directly to have it. Itwill come automatically, spontaneously. Not intellectual-ly you shall approach that, for that will give you a badprejudice. Not only that, but it will be harmful prejudiceand you will have to expend more energy to do awaywith that layer of misunderstanding. So our r^laPrabhupd did not allow these things.Do your duty in your plane, according to what you

deserve, and that will come naturally. That is his instruc-tion all through, not only temporarily, but all through.Dont go to be a disbeliever and be very eager to see thefinal result. Dont do like that, for then you will get myinstead of Yogamy.He knows it fully well, She knows it fully well, when

you are to be taken in to the confidential area, and thatcannot be acquired by any other thing but His sweetwillthe flow of Her sweet will, or His sweet will. Try tohave the natural thing, not any thing of imitation or anyreflection. Reflection and shadow, these two kinds of mis-conceptions may come there. Reflection is more dangerous.In Harinma also it has been stated like that. Reflection

and shadow, both are misguiding. And we are to crossthat. On our way that sort of temptation may come, butwe must not think that everything will come within thefist of our intellect.

Fools rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread 3

achinty khalu ye bhvna ts tarkea yojayet

(Mahbhrat: Bh^ma-parva, 5.22)That which is inconceivable, dont take it under the juris-diction of reason. When it will be extended to you, youwill be astounded only to find a peep into that. Na tstarkea yojayet: dont try to drag that into the zone of reason. This is autocratic in its nature. It may come in oneshape to you, it may go in another shape to another gentleman. It is so expansive and so free in its nature. It isinfinite. Rather the Infinite is the base of those Pastimes.Always prepare yourself. Hanker. But dont make it anobject of your experience.When Mahprabhu talked about the higher l^ls it was

as if He was in a trance. As if in a trance He gave adescription of His wonderful experience of Ka-l^l.Several times we find that sort of deep l^l, the higher l^lof Ka being related by Mahprabhu Himself, theGovarddhan-l^l and the jalakeli-l^l when He jumpedunconscious into the ocean and for a few hours was car-ried by the waves of the sea to Chakra-t^rtha fromSwargadwr. The jalakeli of Ka, He described how it is.Also at Chaak-parvatthere is no end to His l^l. WhenHis body was transformed like a pumpkin, then also Hedescribed a l^l, but the nature of that description was notany book-produced thing. It cannot be taken into blackand white. It is such thing. So we receive caution often,that: Dont try. It will come automatically. Go on with theprogramme that is given by the stra and the Guru and itwill be. If you have such possibility of fortune then it willcome to you. It is not a natural experience that can begiven to this and that. It is not to be tackled in such way.


Yath yath Gaura-padravinde. Engage your full attentionin Gaura-l^l and that will come automatically within you.From the indirect way it will come to you from the high-er domain. When it will be pleased it will come down forsome time to give you experience, and you will simply beastonished: What is this! Then even when gone, with-drawn, you will have nothing to lament. It is a livingthing. Try to come to get the whole. We cannot make itour object. Such higher thing! Such higher thing.Even it is very hard to get an ordinary mans conduct

with his intimate friends, and so it is with the l^l of theSupreme Lord. How can we dare to enter into that, andespecially publicly? It is not possible. Externally we cantry to give some description of the outer possibilities, butnot the actual thing. We wont venture to enter there.Question: Can they draw something general, like a lotusflower?r^la Guru Mahrj: A lotus flower is representing theidea of beauty, softness, and such things. And differentpetals representing different platforms of rasa. In such away we can take itbeauty, softness. No mundane ideasshould be drawn thereonly distant similarity. But categorical difference should always be there. Even we are not allowed by our Master to read the

books where They are described: Govinda-l^lmtam, evenStava-kusumjali, even Ujjvala-n^lamai.He did not allowus to study and to discuss it. Rather, he would be verymuch disturbed, disturbed if he heard that someone isinterfering with the higher l^ls in those books. He did notlike it.

Dua phala karibe arjanar^la Bhaktivinod hkurgives warning that you will get only a bad result if you


venture to cross the line. A bad effect will come to you.Apardha. From the lower position, anartha, the steps areshown. raddh, sdhu-saga, rava, k^rtan, then anartha-nivttithe undesirable things will vanish altogether.Then ruchi, then sakti, then bhva-bhaktithe sprout ofreal devotion. Then prema-bhakti, and sneha, mn, praaya,rga, anurga, bhva, Mahbhva. By such steps we are toapproach there.Once Prabhupd remarked, though how you will take

it I do not know: one gentleman, of course he was a sen-ior, wanted to discuss these things with Prabhupd. Helaid much stress on that, and ultimately he left the associ-ation of Prabhupd and lived a secluded life. Previouslyhe did much service to the Mission, that gentleman.Prabhupd remarked, Oh, he has two lives. He is mar-ried with Ka and she has got a child. Such a remarkwas there that he was a man, but taking himself as a gop^he wanted to culture about the life of the gop^sthe inti-mate connection of Ka and the gop^s. In this way hewanted to culture intensely, but Prabhupd remarked inthat way: Oh he has turned into a lady, a gop^, and aftercoming in contact with Ka she produced a child!Another time the Guru Mahrj of PrabhupdGaura

Kior Bbj^was in a hut near the Ganges. Another dis-ciple of Prabhupd, leaving Prabhupd went to imitatePrabhupds Gurudev, Gaura Kior Bbj^, and construct-ed a tiny hut nearby and imitated his bhajan, Harinmaand the discussion of Narottam hkurall thesethingsand observed strict vairgyam in his physical life.Gaura Kior Bbj^ remarked one day that only by enter-ing a labour room and imitating some pain of giving birthto a child, a child will not come by that imitation of the


sound. Many important previous events are necessary,then a child will come. Only imitation will not give birthto a child. Such was his remark to that gentleman. So, uddha-sattva, pure goodnessyou must come in

connection with what is known as uddha-sattva first.Viuddha-sattva, the nirgua world. uddha-sattva meansnirgua. You must come in connection with nirgua, thenonly may you try to approach the subtle happenings orevents there.So, we are not to satisfy curiosity. Fools rush in where

angels fear to tread. With this spirit we must approachthe whole thing. At the same time we may not be, byGods grace, a disbeliever by considering, I shall judgethe whole thing to the last details, then I shall accept whatyou say.There are many things below, but the charm and rea-

sonableness of the higher plane, that is enough to con-vince a person to come this side, and these high l^lsshould be left high above your head. Very cautiously weare to handle all this l^l, especially madhura-l^l.Just the other day I was thinking, about a year after join-

ing the Mission, Prabhupd arranged for the full Krttikmonth to preach in Vndvan. He asked the Mahrj,Bhrat^ Mahrj at that time, to explain the Seventh Cantoof r^mad-Bhgavatam: the story of Prahld, not the storyof Ka, Rdh-Ka, Yaod or anything of Vndvan,but, Preach uddha-bhakti of Prahld first. They are allripe in sahajiy. Just try to make them understand thatEnter into the plane of bhakti; what to speak of Ka-l^lthat is far, far above. So, in Vndvan the people rather wondered, What is

this? They are explaining Bhgavatam, but leaving the


Tenth Canto they are explaining the Seventh Canto, thePrahld-l^l, the lower portion of bhakti. That is wonderfuland strange.Again, I found later on that r^la Prabhupd himself

gave a lecture between Rdh-Kua and yma-Kua.There is a boundary line between the two. There he usedto explain for a few days. The Upademtam of r^la RpaGoswm^ was read by him and explained. He did notexplain about r^mat^ Rdhr^, not about Ka, butabout that Upademtamthe basis. His attention wasalways towards the basis, and the fruit will come of itself:Pour water onto the root; pour water onto the root, andthe fruit will come up itself.He himself explained this while sitting in the middle

between Rdh-Kua and yma-Kua. He explainednot only Bhgavatam, but Upademtam. Upademtam isthe substance of Mahprabhu and the language of RpaGoswm^.

vcho vega manasa krodha-vegajihv-vegam udaropastha-vegametn vegn yo viaheta dh^rasarvm ap^m pthiv^ sa iyt

And the last loka:kasyochchai praaya-vasati

preyas^bhyo pi rdhkua chsy munibhir abhitas

tdg eva vyadhyiyat prehair apy alam asulabha

ki punar bhakti-bhjtat premeda sakd api

sara sntur vikaroti


These topics were explained by r^la Prabhupd and noteven anything of Govinda-l^lmtam or VivanthChakravart^s r^ Ka-bhvanmtathese things wereleft. So, our training was in this line.

Pjala rga-patha gaurava-bhage, that is always uponour head, that the prospect of our lifes future, life afterlife, cannot be finished. We shall rather foster the hope,the pure hope, that we may be taken in one day in thatcamp. With this idea.Question: Sometimes in r^ Chaitanya-charitmta, r^laKa Ds Kavirj Goswm^ makes reference to Govinda-l^lmtam, Ujjvala-n^lamai and other such confidentialselected works. How are we to take that?r^la Guru Mahrj: There are three chapters of r^Chaitanya-charitmta that we were generally not allowedto enter into, including the discussions with RmnandaRy, to a certain extent. Where the l^l portion of Rdh-Govinda is mentioned, we had no entrance into that l^l.Of course when prya (consecutive chanting of thewhole book) is going on, we go on reading. But not toenter into details of discussion about that. At that part wewent on reading but without giving any particular atten-tion to the l^l of highest order of rga. That was barred:Dont try to come into details there. That will come auto-matically when the time will be. Do not make it a discus-sion of the public. Dont take it in the public eye. So much so that the following incident happened in

Vndvan. Prabhupd had a friend there from his child-hood, an attorney, who came to see him, so Prabhupdwent to give a return visit to this friend from his boyhood.r^pd Paramahasa Mahrj was with Prabhupd andthey went to give the return visit. They were told, He is


upstairs. They went there and saw that a Goswm^ wasexplaining the Rsa-l^l section of r^mad-Bhgavatam.Prabhupd just bowed down his head and came away.Immediately he came away. Then his friend also camedown, leaving that Rsa-l^l discussion, and said, Yes, theRsa-l^l explanation is going on, but you did not takeyour seat at all. You just bowed down your head andcame down. What is the matter?r^la Prabhupd replied, Our Gurus order is such

that, If you attend Rsa-l^l explanation you will commitoffence. That will be offence to attend Rsa-l^l explana-tion, so I cannot stand there even for a second. I had tocome back. This is my Gurus order. To attend Rsa-l^lexplanation is apardha.So, for us, such strict behaviour he has shown. And we

also do that, especially myself. At so many other placesthey show the Rsa-l^l with dolls, but I never do that.Following what is true to my understanding of myGurudevs will and his words, I do not make any show ofJhulana-l^l or Rsa-l^l or anything of the type. I find inmy heart that this is not desirable of my Guru Mahrj.But in so many mahs I see at present, I hear also, that theyare doing that, but I strictly abstain from that sort of show-ing. The Jhulana-l^l, the Rsa-l^l. That is too high for us, Iconsidered. I must be true to my hearing of the words ofmy Gurudev if I want my realisation and not any posi-tion: the position of some sort of popularity. To attractpeople by such show, and to make money, or to make afavourable field for preaching, they may do like that, butI do not do. I do not want popularity nor any position ofa higher chrya. I am a student.Still I am a student. I consider myself to be a student.


A faithful student. What I heard from my Gurudev, I trymy best to stick there, to keep my position there as I heardfrom him. I do not want to mutilate that in any way to suitmy purpose. I try not to do that. Of course for big propa-ganda they may take different ways as they think. Theyare now free. But I am not a member to do soto go on insuch way. I try.When Prabhupd offered me to go to the West, I

replied simply that I did not consider myself fit to go theWest, I will not be able to show success there. I men-tioned two defects. Then some of the sannys^s showedmuch reverence to me, What is this? So many personswish this opportunity. You are prepared to lose thischance? You neglect to take advantage of such a position,that you will be a world preacher. Do you have no han-kering for that?I replied, Yes, Mahrj, I have no hankering to have

such a position. My only humble ambition is that I may bereckoned as a sincere devotee of Mahprabhu, r^Chaitanyadev. No other ambition I have in my mind suchas to become a world preacher and so on.In my nature I am such. I want truth, and I hope and

crave for the mercy of the Vaiavas and you all that Imay not have that ambition, but to be the humblest, themost humble servant of the Lord, that I may not be mis-guided.I may engage myself in the lower form of service. Tad

dsa-dsa-dsn dsatva dehi me prabho. My faith maybe so firm and may be of such quality that the least offerof His service, of divine service, may satisfy me. I may notbe ambitious to run high, to get the chance there in thehigher officer class. With my lowest connection with the


Divinity I may go on satisfied with my life.Mahprabhu says, Just consider Myself a speck of

dust at Your feet, Ka.

ayi nanda-tanuja kikara patita m viame bhavmbudhaukpay tava pda-pakaja-sthita-dhl^-sada vichintaya

(ikakam, verse 5)Oh Nandanandan, son of King Nanda, although I amYour eternal servitor, I have fallen into the terrible oceanof material existence due to the fructification of My owndeeds (karma). Please graciously consider Me to be a par-ticle of dust at Your lotus feet.That may be our guidance. Consider me to be one of

the specks of dust that are at Your feet. That is too much!Our faith should come to such a grade in quality that wemay be satisfied to become a speck of dust at His feet.Then by His sweet will, anything may happen. But ourhumble aim should be to have even the least connectionof the Divinity real. Not a concocted Ka.

pjala rga-patha gaurava-bhage

Very sweet. The Rga-patha is on the head. We are servantsof the Rga-patha.We are in vidhi-mrga, under stric rule.We must live and move under stric rule, and alwayskeep the Rga-patha upon our head.Once an incident happened while our r^la Prabhupd

was at Rdh-Kua. A p in his talk made a sideremark that, We are brhmaas in Vraja. We can blessRaghunth Ds Goswm^. Prabhupd was perturbed bysuch a haughty remark, Ds Goswm^ is our highestchrya in our camp, in the Gau^ya Camp. And that


fellow he says that he is able to bless Ds Goswm^, and Iam to hear that? He stopped taking food, and remarked,If I was an ordinary bbj^ I would not care. I wouldleave the place. But I am running with a motor car here asan chrya. I have the responsibility. I am moving here inthe pose of an chrya that I shall protect the Sampradya.I shall brush the dusts of undesirability from theSampradya. How can I tolerate such a remark against myGuru?He left his food: Until any pratikr (any suitable objec-

tion and correction, cure) is given by me, I wont take anyfood. I cannot take any food.I think I did something to give vent to the feeling of

my Gurudev today! I did something today to clarify hisposition.

Pjala rga-patha gaurava-bhagethis is enough.Tad dsa-dsa-dsn dsatva dehi me prabho This is

not a figurative thing, this is not mere poetry. Mahprabhu says:

nha vipro na cha nara-patir npi vaiyo na dronha var^ na cha gha-patir no vana-stho yatir vkintu prodyan-nikhila-paramnanda-prmtbdhergop^-bharttu pada-kamalayor dsa-dsnudsa

(r^ Chaitanya-charitmta: Madhya-l^l, 13.80)

I am not a priest, a king, a merchant, or a labourer(brhmaa, katriya, vaiya, dra); nor am I a student, ahouseholder, a retired householder, or a mendicant (brahmachr^, ghastha, vnaprastha, sannys^). I identifymyself only as the servant of the servant of the servant ofthe lotus feet of r^ Ka, the Lord of the gop^s,who is thepersonification of the fully expanded (eternally self-


revealing) nectarean ocean that brims with the totality ofDivine Ecstasy.This is not only an ornamental thing. It is reality. This

is reality. To feel ourselves to be actually mean is really tobecome eligible for the higher service. So much selfless-ness, so much self-abnegation is necessary for a unit hereof the lowest order to enter into that domain. So muchself-abnegation is necessary, then we can come into thatplane. There is a plane of undercurrent, an undercurrentplane, and if we really want to contact with that, we shallhave to be such finest of the fine in us, and with nodemand. In this negative way we are to transform our-selves, then we can have a touch of that plane where wecan come.The least tinge of exploiting, any speck of the ambi-

tious life, will not take us therethat is another thing:pratih. Pratih is self-establishing, to be stable, to beimmortal, to be invincibleit is not self-giving, but it isthe self-establishing tendency: I must stay. I must live.But, if necessary, I must die for the interest of Ka.

mrobi rkhobijo ichchh tohrnitya-dsa prati tuw adhikr

Slay me or protect me as You wish, for You are the masterof Your eternal servant.A suicidal soldier! For the cause of the country, if nec-

essary I must die. I must efface myself. I may be effaced.If it is necessary my very existence may be effaced for thesatisfaction of Ka. My very existence may be effaced if it is necessary.

Such temperament, such selflessness of such degree isnecessary to find out that plane. So much subtleness.


Let us be blessed by Prabhupd r^la Saraswat^hkur. All glory to Guru and Gaurga. All glory toGuru and Gaurga.[To the devotees gathered there:] You are helping me to

take out from my inner heart so many beautiful and somany valuable things. It is through your help that theseold memories are coming again fresh to me. I am forcedto take out those things of the inner nature of my previ-ous life which I got from my Gurudev as wealth. Again Ihave the chance of seeing that treasury. I am given theopportunity by this recapitulation of what I heard fromthe divine feet of Gurudev.This is our education, what I got from the divine feet of

Gurudev. I just sincerely put it to you all. It is such.

pjala rga-patha gaurava-bhage

He instructed that we must not go to live in Rdh-Kua. One day near Lalit-Kua, the Swnanda-Sukhada-Kuja is there, and there is a single-storey build-ing. He said, A second storey is necessary, but I will notbe able to live there.I asked, If you will not live on the first floor, who will

live there? What is the necessity of further construction?No. You dont know. Better persons will live there:

Bhaktivinod hkur, Gaura Kior Bbj^ Mahrj. Theywill live there, and we shall stay on the ground floor andwe shall serve them.Again he said, I shall live in Govarddhan. Rdh-

Kua is the highest place: the place of our GuruMahrj, our Gurudevas. They will live here in closerconnection with l^l, but we are not fit to live there. Weshall live in Govarddhan, just a little far away. Because we


shall have to come and serve our Gurudev, we must benear, but we must not live in closer connection with them.We are not fit.Pjala rga-patha gaurava-bhage. The whole tenor of hislife was such: That is high, high. And from below we areto honour that. We are to establish in the whole worldthis sort of posing: the proper regard of that higher l^l:That is too high.One day in Allahabadperhaps it was that very year

r^pd Swm^ Mahrj was initiatedwhile speaking ina park r^la Saraswat^ Prabhupd said, I am out to givea challenge to fight with any person to show that thehighest position is occupied by my Gurudev, by r^laBhaktivinod hkur and by Mahprabhu. Let anyonecome to fight with me to decide. I am ready. I am ready togive that challenge to anyone and everyone. Let themcome to fight with me. I am ready to establish the thronein the highest placemy Gurudev. Pjala rga-patha gau-rava-bhage.

fools rush in where angels fear to tread

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