Hidden Treasure, Secret Service

ConstructiveExampleOfUnrevealedUntruth, United Kingdom

Yesterday a friend who was my closest companion throughout secondary school (high school), and who has now become like an extension of my family, made her second visit with us to the London Math, for the weekly Sunday programme. Ever since we became such good friends all those years ago, Mariam has always been interested in Krishna consciousness and is one of those people, unlike me, who was just born with natural devotee qualities: humility, tolerance, respect, a serving attitude, and a sweet, genial nature.

This summer, while I was in India, she joined my family for a three week visit to Villa Govinda in Italy, where all were happily surprised at how naturally she took part in all the day-to-day activities of the temple – waking early for the morning programmes, helping in all service activities, participating in Harinams…. She was also fortunate to have the wonderful association of the Italian devotees, headed by Krishna Kanta Didi and Munindra Prabhu, and the visiting devotees, including Jagamohini Didi from the USA, Pandita Devi Dasi from Holland and others, who all showered her with affection, goodwill and friendship.

Over the years I’ve given her a few books, including Home Comfort and The Search for Sri Krishna: Reality the Beautiful, leaflets and encouraged her to visit the Math website – but I’ve never given her a copy of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. So when she happened to come across a copy downstairs in the basement of the temple this morning, she picked it up with interest: “Oh, I should read this,” and began flipping through with curiosity.

I don’t know how this particular copy came to be in the temple, but unfortunately, the book she picked up was not Srila Sridhar Maharaj’s Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute or Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupad’s Bhagavad-gita As it Is, but a Penguin Classic edition, which had been translated and edited by some academic scholars of a top university somewhere in the world.

I remember in a class given by Sripad Goswami Maharaj some months ago, he told of his first experience of reading the Bhagavad-gita. When he had finished he called a friend excitedly and encouraged him to also read it. A while later his friend called back and said: “I went out and bought a copy of the Gita, and I read it, but I just didn’t have the same experience as you.” Sripad Goswami Maharaj responded by saying he couldn’t just read any copy of the Gita: “You have to read Bhagavad-gita As It Is!”

Why do we read the books that have been given to us by our Gurus in the first place? Not because we want to increase our knowledge, or so that we can gain a theoretical knowledge of what we think might-or-might-not-be-true. After all, we are told that mere knowledge cannot take us anywhere; we are followers of bhakti-yoga, the path of divine love, the highest path - not followers of jnana-yoga, the path of knowledge. As Srila Gurudev says in Bhagavat Darshan: Revelation Not Speculation:

“A Ganges [river] full of knowledge of the Scriptures cannot rescue you. Knowledge has its final destination up to satya loka. It will not get a divine connection from there to the transcendental plane. Knowledge devoid of devotion is useless for you.”

And in a talk given in London some years ago, Srila Gurudev quoted this verse while explaining the “deep, deeper and deepest” way in which the Bhagavad-gita has given us “all knowledge,” and the fact that knowledge is useless without bhakti, devotion, and sraddha, faith:

sei saba sadhaner ati tuccha bal
krsna-bhakti vina tara dite nare phal
                     Chaitanya-charitamrta, Madhya 22.18

“Without devotional service, all other methods for spiritual self-realization are weak and insignificant. Unless one comes to the devotional service of Lord Krishna, jnana and yoga cannot give the desired results.”

We read Affectionate Guidance, Divine Guidance, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Search for Sri Krishna and all the other books we have been given because we want spiritual nourishment, spiritual guidance and spiritual progress, because want to increase our faith – and so on and so forth. Our Gurus always tell us that if we are lacking something – whether it is faith, hankering or anything else - we must take the association of those who have that which we lack. In Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume I, Srila Sridhar Maharaj says:

“We should approach the devotees for faith. They are like many pillars of faith. We are told that electricity can flow everywhere, but practically, we must be connected with the dynamo. Dynamos can show electrical power, and similarly, there are many devotees, past and present, in whom we can find real Godliness. They stand like pillars of faith, in their dealings and example. If we approach Christ, his ideal and sacrifice will encourage faith in us. If we examine the history of Prahlada, we will come to understand what a great devotee he is. Our hearts will become filled to the brim: "Here is faith - here is the presence of the Almighty."

When we pay heed to the devotees, with their help we are raised to a particularly high standard of faith. We are in a safe position when we turn our attention towards the devotees. They are like so many pillars standing and proving His presence. Summarily neglecting the enjoyable objects of this world, they stand with their heads erect, proving and declaring their experience of the Supreme Entity.”

“…they stand with their heads erect, proving and declaring their experience of the Supreme Entity.” Our Gurus have a real connection with the spiritual world because they are of and from the spiritual world. The teachings they give us are not theoretical or a product of their mental judgement; they are giving us the living truth, the live current of truth which they are living and which flows through them. In Sri Guru and His Grace, Srila Sridhar Maharaj says:

“Krishna consciousness, the spiritual conception of the highest level, descends by flowing down from one level to the next, just as from the peak of a mountain, the Ganges flows in a zigzag way, from one peak to another.”

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who is with us here and now, is our connection to this current of the living truth. And this connection is what we need so urgently; in Sri Guru and His Grace, Srila Sridhar Maharaj continues to say:

“We are slaves of the truth. We are beggars for the pure current of truth that is constantly flowing: the fresh current…. I will bow down my head wherever I find the river of nectar coming down to me. When one is conscious that the Absolute Truth is descending to him from the highest domain, he will think, “I must surrender myself here.”

We are worshippers and followers of ‘Revealed truth’ and living truth, and we can find this by following the words and reading the books of our Gurus who are in touch with, and the personification of this truth.

A copy of the Bhagavad-gita as seen through the divine vision and consciousness of His Divine Grace Srila Sridhar Maharaj will be imbued with his high realizations and spiritual, Absolute truths. If my friend were to try and read this with faith, she must have some spiritual benefit. If on the other hand, Mariam were to read a Penguin Classic edition of the Gita as seen through the mundane, limited vision of an academic scholar, and as such full of relative truths, intellectual speculations, untruths and utterly lacking in faith – the only result would be damage to her faith and useless mental speculation….

Srila Sridhar Maharaj advises:

“…before we read anyone's book, we shall try to find out who is his Guru, and from where the substance is coming down. Is it only a facade, or is there any real substance within? If we can understand that he has a relationship with a genuine sadhu, then we can give some attention to him.”

I am sure my friend Mariam will testify to the fact that I am terrible when it comes to explaining anything to anyone, but essentially I told her: if we want the truth we should go to someone who is living that truth, knows that truth and is that truth!

When I had finished my spiel, I urged Mariam to not go out and pick up a copy from her local bookstore or library. Instead, I promised I would get her a copy of Srila Sridhar Maharaj’s Hidden Treasure.

Of course, this was before I remembered what I had just recently learned while in India: there’s a worldwide shortage. We’re all out. Sold the last copy (Sorry Mariam!).

But on second thoughts, all is not lost: just a few months ago, a beautiful Sanskrit/ENGLISH!/Turkish edition of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita, The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute was produced and offered to Srila Gurudev through the inspiring service of the Turkish devotees….

N.B: Interestingly enough, Mariam comes from a Muslim family who don’t especially approve of her interest in Krishna consciousness. So the above link to Sripad Akinchan Maharaj’s blog ‘Secret Service,’ has a little more relevance than you might at first think….

Comments

[Krishnendrani DD]

All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Dear Damayanti Devi Dasi,

Please accept my humble obeisances. I mentioned your mail to Ramaray Prabhu who is in charge of the Turkish Math, and he said we could happily post a copy of the Hidden Treasure for your friend Mariam.
He says we can also post a pack of ten or sixteen Sri Gitas to the London Math. Hoping to hear from you, my humble obeisances to your pure self and all the devotees in your association,

Your servant,
Krishnendrani dd