Reading of Chapter 4 of the Ribhu-gita with rāga Bhairavi background

Ribhu-gita Readings Ch. 4

Ribhu-gita Reading 4.2: Definition of the Self

Ribhu-gita Reading 4.1: There is no non-Self

Choices - Sri Prahlad

Jai Ram Ram Bolo Sitaram

Govind Damodar Madhaveti

Shri Radhe Govinda Man Bhaj Le Hari Ka Pyara Naam Hai

Sajne ka hai shaukeen

Bhaj Man Radha Radha

Initiation is the beginning of a lifelong commitment to this path. As soon as we have faith in a guru and the willingness to serve and to follow, then our relationship with our Guru has been established. But the particular ceremony, the particular offering of initiation is a deep, sincere, lifelong commitment to follow. ‘yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado’ to please our Guru, and please all the previous acharya and Krishna, though the sincerity of our efforts, 
So these vows that are taken, sometimes Prabhupad would call them rules and regulations. And especially Srila Prabhupada explains from Krishna’s words in Bhagavad Gita ‘raga-dvesa-vimuktais tu’ these are the regulative principles of freedom. They're not meant to bind us, they're meant to the parade us because we're already bound. Sometimes people think that these rules and regulations are too restrictive. But the reality is we are already restricted, our hands, our legs, our heads, our feets, our hearts, our brains, every part of us is shackled, like prisoners of Maya’s dictations. And whatever principles there are in Bhakti, are there to liberate us from those shackles, liberate us from that bondage, so that we could actually be free to live by the real spirit of the soul, to be free, to love Krishna, to be an instrument of Krishna’s love and to be happy, to be free from the fear of death and all the uncertainties of life. So, we're taking vows for this purpose.

Initiation Is The Beginning Of A Lifelong Commitment

When a devotee gives in charity, he doesn’t think that ‘I am giving something which is mine.’ He thinks that ‘this is the property of God and is meant for the benefit of others, and I am simply the servant delivering it for the benefit of others. I don’t get credit, the master who has created it, the Lord who has sent it to this person, he gets the credit, I am only did the deliverer, I am only the servant.’ This is knowledge. But even such charitable understanding of life is so rare in this age of kaliyuga. In this age everything wants to take more and more and more and more. For me, for my family, for my society. This is the mentality of Shishupal, who want to take the property of Krishna and enjoy. And the jiva soul which is part and parcel of Krishna, is also meant simply meant for Krishna’s service. As Rukmini is simply meant for Krishna’s service. And the exploitative forces of this world being directed by material energy or maya are trying to take our consciousness which is meant for Krishna, trying to take it and exploit it, rape it, use it for its own exploitative purposes. And the whole human society is simply victimized by the exploitation of materialistic forces.

Exploitative Mentality Of Maya And It's Remedy

This is the mission of the lord in this age of Kali yuga. So, the first thing that is required is, we must be personally very enthusiastic to come together to chant this Hari naam and must live a very pure exemplary life for others to see, we must be willing to be instruments to assist according to our capacity in whatever way to give the mercy of the lord to the suffering people of this world; by somehow inducing them, convincing them, attracting them to chant Hari naam. Srila Prabhupada said, the whole purpose of all of his books, the whole purpose of all of our preaching, the whole purpose of all our activities is simply to induce people to take shelter of the chanting of the holy name of Krishna, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Jai Ram Ram Bolo Sitaram

Nityananda Charan Das