AFTER GIVING HIM THE BOOKS I THOUGHT...

 

Krishna has sent another neighbor. A young man who suffers with chronic pain. I am out in the evening either sitting in front of the house under the big tree chanting japa or walking back and forth in front of the houses that border on the small man made lake. I see him all the time. Long hair, gentle manner, walking the family dog. It took a month for us to wave hello. Then another month to talk a little bit. We both saw something in the night sky... a UFO.. :) A mysterious green orb that didn't move for hours and then all of a sudden dropped at free fall. He has taken the famous dried papaya prasadam. Now tonight he has taken Bhagavad gita and Perfection of Yoga. He is very shy. But when he talks it is obvious that he has an open active mind and curiosity to know about everything.

After giving him the books I thought:
Everything in the material is constantly changing.
Some things don't change. That's where we want to be... where things don't change.
This is something that doesn't change:
Approaching Krishna consciousness by first hearing Bhagavad gita. If you notice Bhagavad gita is not about Radha and Krishna. Bhagavad gita is about Arjuna and Krishna.
Then on to Srimad Bhagavatam. Starting at the beginning and going all the way through 9 cantos before hearing the 10th canto which is where we meet Radha and Krishna and Yasoda and the Vrndavan lila, as well as Mathura lila and Dvarka lila.
Then we go on to hear the Chaitanya Charitamrta where we find the deepest moods of devotional service in separation.

This is the process. Jumping over any of it will not work. Now I know Radha Krishna? Some cheap, silly, childish understanding? Cheating.

This is the process. Step by step under the guidance of the pure devotee. Srila Prabhupada's books are not ordinary books. Srila Prabhupada is the foremost representative of Srila Vyasadeva for our time. He is presenting the Vedas perfectly according to time place and circumstance.

Srila Prabhupada's books are so extra ordinary that it is possible to start to read anywhere at all and immediately experience Krishna consciousness. For instance everything is there in Krishna Book which is a summary study of the 10th Canto Bhagavatam. So if the only book someone read was Krishna Book they would become Krishna conscious. So both things are there. Not to take Krishna consciousness cheaply and skip around and skip over in reading. And also no matter where someone begins to read Krishna consciousness is there.

It reminds me of Bhagavad gita... "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit a water, I will accept it." BG 9.26 In the purport Srila Prabhupada points out that Krishna is happy to accept even a little flower or some water from a devotee if it is offered with love. But that does not mean a very wealthy man should just offer some water and flower and keep all his resources for himself.

In approaching Srila Prabhupada's books an intelligent person must use that intelligence to approach in the prescribed way.