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Thought of the Week: The Ultimate Shelter
By His Holiness Romapada Swami

*Empathy is essential. Even though we are not this body, BG 6.31 indicates that we should feel empathy for others according to our own experience of pain and suffering. "para-duhkha-duhkhi krpambudhir yas tam aham prapadye." [from Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami, Vilapa-Kusumanjali 6] One who is an ocean of mercy very much aggrieved by the sufferings of others.

*This is the work of the agents of tama-guna. We should not respond in kind, with tama-guna hatred. Rather, the feelings that we are all now feeling should be consolidated, and directed, channeled with MAXIMUM FAITH towards taking shelter in the Holy Name.

*Fear is striking the hearts of all who feel no shelter, or "At any moment this could happen to us, again!" Devotees know already the precarious nature of so-called material security. Our Vaisnava poets describe the false sense of material wellbeing to be like a drop of water on a flower petal, which will drop from the flower with the slightest trembling of the wind!

Our government leaders are telling us that other terrorists are on the loose in America at this moment, and other terror could strike at any moment. But we have the shelter of Krishna, in the form of His Holy Name, and His transcendental knowledge. This gives us a sense of protection, safety, and permanence even in the face of danger. We therefore must be shelter-providers and "spiritual safety-providers" for those who are feeling unsafe, without direction and without transcendental knowledge. This is our primary service at a time like this; as Vaisnavas, as little moving outposts of the spiritual world, in a very compassionate way, we must try to comfort others, and provide them the safety and shelter that we are in touch with, that is available to us all, the eternal shelter of Krishna in His holy name.

This will only be felt by us if we become offenseless. Let's all begin a redoubled serious effort to become offenseless chanters of the holy name! Start with being VERY considerate in all dealings with Vaisnavas. Never make offenses to Vaisnavas, rather always be most humble and considerate in our exchanges with devotees. Extend this mood as appropriate to the non-devotees.

Never lose shelter of Krishna, or you will not be able to effect this instruction. *There are many practical services which we can do in times like this, but my main request, in fact my personal internal meditation, is two-fold. I want to recommit placing firm and absolute faith in the power of the holy name to eradicate demoniac influences—within ourselves—and the other is to act with this purity externally in exchanges with others. "Let me become an unalloyed instrument of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in delivering the yuga-dharma of hari-nama sankirtana." This spiritual force will alone bring about a permanent change. This requires our individual purity, i.e. offenseless chanting.

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