4 regulative principles of freedom

From SB 1.17.38
The basic principles of irreligiosity, such as pride, prostitution, intoxication and falsehood, counteract the four principles of religion, namely austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness.

Pride>>>>>>> Austerity>>> No Meat Eating
Prostitution>>> Cleanliness>>No Illicit Connections
Intoxication>>> Mercy>>>>>No Intoxication
Falsehood>>>> Truthfulness>No Gambling

Difficulties: What prevented the bull from seeing Krsna's grace as the cause of his suffering?

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Difficulties: Opportunity for introspection or opportunity for blame?

Srila Prabhupada's purport to 1.17.22:
"A devotee’s conclusion is that no one is directly responsible for being a benefactor or mischief-monger without the sanction of the Lord; therefore he does not consider anyone to be directly responsible for such action. But in both the cases he takes it for granted that either benefit or loss is God-sent, and thus it is His grace. In case of benefit, no one will deny that it is God-sent, but in case of loss or reverses one becomes doubtful about how the Lord could be so unkind to His devotee as to put him in great difficulty. Jesus Christ was seemingly put into such great difficulty, being crucified by the ignorant, but he was never angry at the mischief-mongers. That is the way of accepting a thing, either favorable or unfavorable. Thus for a devotee the identifier is equally a sinner, like the mischief-monger. By God’s grace, the devotee tolerates all reverses. Mahārāja Parīkṣit observed this, and therefore he could understand that the bull was no other than the personality of religion himself. In other words, a devotee has no suffering at all because so-called suffering is also God’s grace for a devotee who sees God in everything. The cow and bull never placed any complaint before the King for being tortured by the personality of Kali, although everyone lodges such complaints before the state authorities. The extraordinary behavior of the bull made the King conclude that the bull was certainly the personality of religion, for no one else could understand the finer intricacies of the codes of religion."

Why did Dharma not say it was God's grace? What prevents one from seeing Krsna and His mercy in all things?(From the purport to 1.17.23)

1. The personality of religion knew perfectly well that nothing can take place without the sanction of the Supreme Lord, and still he was put into doubts by the deluding energy, and thus he refrained from mentioning the supreme cause.
2. This doubtfulness was due to the contamination of both Kali and the material energy. The whole atmosphere of the Age of Kali is magnified by the deluding energy, and the proportion of measurement is inexplicable.

Should we just tolerate and not protect ourselves?

1. An accurate understanding of what occurs , therefore exists on more than one level. If one is being unreasonably beaten by a man with a stick, he will be injured and must defend himself or suffer great pain.
2. Despite the beating being ultimately "God's grace", the "beater" may not have one's best interest in mind. Dealing on this level demands prompt and practical action.
3. While acting practically, however one should nevertheless remember Krsna's ultimate control, because Krsna is the ultimate "doer".
4. Maintaining this awareness while acting will free one from envy, anxiety, and anger, and will carry one the Krsna's Lotus Feet
5. Seeing all that occurs as Krsna's will, a devotee understands that "not a blade of grass" moves without the will of Krsna.
6. Such a person remains free from anxiety amid even the greatest difficulties. 
7. Still along with maintaining this vision one must act practically while simultaneously remaining detached from the results of his action.

At another level, Krsna's desires cause our circumstances:

Because He desires that the living entities fully surrender to Him, become His devotees, and return to Him in the spiritual world.

Difficulties: Opportunity for introspection or opportunity for blame?

In the conversation between the Personality of Religion and Maharaja Pariksit where Dharma is asked to identify the cause of his suffering Dharma gives a very wonderful understanding:

1. Some philosophers claim it is one's own karma
2. Some say it is caused by Brahman- The Lord's Supreme Effulgence
3. Atheists say no cause exists beyond material nature

So based on these he advises the kin to reach his own conclusion.

How would I respond when asked this question?

1. Generally on reflecting on the cause of one's difficulty, one would answer with less philosophy and more accusation.
2. By identifying someone as a doer and viewing the person as an enemy, one comes to seek vengeance than practice introspection.
3. While one tends to justify thoughts of retaliation and the ensuing plan of action, one may not realize that those actions will implicate him/her in painful exchanges birth after birth
4. In addition by meditating on another's bad qualities , one will develop those bad qualities themselves. One's mentality is formed by the object of one's meditation
5. SB 7.1.28: A grassworm confined in a hole of a wall by a bee always thinks of the bee in fear and enmity and later becomes a bee simply because of such remembrance.

Therefore on hearing the bull's extraordinary and philosophical reply to his simple question, Maharaja Pariksit concluded that this bull must be religion personified.

The king thus pondered Dharma's words:

SB 1.17.22: The King said: O you, who are in the form of a bull! You know the truth of religion, and you are speaking according to the principle that the destination intended for the perpetrator of irreligious acts is also intended for one who identifies the perpetrator. You are no other than the personality of religion.

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Difficulties: What prevented the bull from seeing Krsna's grace as the cause of his suffering?

The Chief Function of the False Ego is Godlessness

SB 1.17.1 — Sūta Gosvāmī said: After reaching that place, Mahārāja Parīkṣit observed that a lower-caste śūdra, dressed like a king, was beating a cow and a bull with a club, as if they had no owner.

SB 1.17.2 — The bull was as white as a white lotus flower. He was terrified of the śūdra who was beating him, and he was so afraid that he was standing on one leg, trembling and urinating.

SB 1.17.3 — Although the cow is beneficial because one can draw religious principles from her, she was now rendered poor and calfless. Her legs were being beaten by a śūdra. There were tears in her eyes, and she was distressed and weak. She was hankering after some grass in the field.

From unveiling His Lotus Feet Pg 229:

1. It is a cornerstone of Kali's mission to undermine authority, for Krsna is the ultimate authority and Kali's job is to induce irreligion
2. Kali therefore corrupts authorities and then revelas them as inept and hypocritical.
3. Husband and Wife, parent and child, priest and congregation, government leader and citizen- these natural relationships that combine authorities with their dependents prove unreliable and untrustworthy in Kali Yuga.
4. Kali cries: "See how authorities exploit their dependents! Let there be independence for every man and woman! Think for yourself, care for yourself. Who else will care for you? Be your own authority!
5. Pet theory of evolution:
1. Kali also propagates his theory or evolution, because if people think they are ever evolving

The Lord's Causeless Mercy Gives One the Ability to Render Service - Part 2

Continued from

The Lord's Causeless Mercy Gives One the Ability to Render Service - Part 1

Further Srila Prabhupada's explains that in SB 4.9.8:

The Lord's mercy is beyond our estimation:

1. The devotee understands that the Lord’s causeless mercy is beyond his estimation; he cannot know how much he is benefited by the grace of the Lord.
2. The more a devotee engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord, the more encouragement is supplied by the energy of the Lord.
3. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that to those who are constantly engaged in devotional service with love and affection, the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives intelligence from within and thus they may make further progress.
4. Being so encouraged, the devotee can never forget, at any moment, the Personality of Godhead. He always feels obliged to Him for having achieved increased power in devotional service by His grace. 
5. Saintly persons like Sanaka, Sanātana and Lord Brahmā were able to see the entire universe, by the mercy of the Lord, through knowledge of the Lord. 
6. The example is given that a person may apparently abstain from sleep all day, but as long as he is not spiritually enlightened he is actually sleeping. He may sleep at night and perform his duties in the daytime, but as long as he does not come to the platform of working in spiritual enlightenment he is considered to be always sleeping.
7.  A devotee, therefore, never forgets the benefit derived from the Lord.

Inspite of hearing all this where is the ahankara and ego coming from that I am something :)

Lord please protect me from this tendency, help me understand that you are the cause of all causes, you are the ability in me, its your mercy that is acting. Help me become a servant of the servant of the servant.

If we do not surrender we are considered lacking in real knowledge:

1. The Māyāvādī philosopher, who does not surrender unto the Supreme Person, is understood to be lacking in real knowledge. 
2. The devotee in perfect knowledge cannot forget his obligation to the Lord at any moment.

The Lord's Causeless Mercy Gives One the Ability to Render Service - Part 1

Dhruva Maharaja patiently executed his spiritual master Narada Muni's instruction, by doing so he attained the Supreme Perfection of life which was to receive darshan of the Lord. When the Lord was standing before him, he was speechless and stunned. He was unable to offer prayers in glorification of the Lord. The Lord very mercifully blessed him by touching His conchshell on his head.

He was thus enabled by the causeless mercy of the Lord , to offer fitting prayers.

• The Lord's mercy is needed to render service:
• Srila Prabhupada states in the purport to the verse 4.9.5:"To glorify or offer prayers unto the Supreme, one needs the Lord’s mercy. One cannot write to glorify the Lord unless one is endowed with His causeless mercy."
• Dhruva Maharaja experiences difference in himself:
• Therefore when Dhruva Mahārāja found this difference within himself, he could immediately understand that it was because of the causeless mercy of the Lord. 
• Acknowledgement and Gratitude for the mercy received
• He offered obeisances to the Lord with great respect and reverence, completely understanding that the Lord’s favor was upon him. 

How does such spiritual enlivenment work?

From Srila Prabhupada's purport to SB 4.9.6

• Action of the internal potency
• This spiritual enlivenment of Dhruva Mahārāja’s senses and mind was due to the action of the internal potency of the Lord.
• Connect with internal potency through chanting:
• Spiritual enlightenment is possible by the mercy of the spiritual energy of the Lord. The chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is first addressed to the spiritual energy of the Lord, Hare.
• When does the spiritual energy act:
•  This spiritual energy acts when a living entity fully surrenders and accepts his position as an eternal servitor. 
• When a person places himself at the disposal or order of the Supreme Lord, that is called sevonmukha; at that time the spiritual energy gradually reveals the Lord to him.
• Nothing is possible without the revelation by the spiritual energy
• Without revelation by the spiritual energy, one is unable to offer prayers glorifying the Lord.
•  Any amount of philosophical speculation or poetic expression by mundane persons is still considered to be the action and reaction of the material energy. 
• Action  of the spiritual energy:
• When one is actually enlivened by the spiritual energy, all his senses become purified, and he engages only in the service of the Lord. At that time his hands, legs, ears, tongue, mind, genitals — everything — engage in the service of the Lord. 
• Such an enlightened devotee no longer has any material activities, nor has he any interest in being materially engaged. This process of purifying the senses and engaging them in the service of the Lord is known as bhakti, or devotional service.
• "Mechanically Engaged" followed by "Engagement with spiritual understanding":
•  In the beginning, the senses are engaged by the direction of the spiritual master and śāstra, and after realization, when the same senses are purified, the engagement continues.
•  The difference is that in the beginning the senses are engaged in a mechanical way, but after realization they are engaged in spiritual understanding.

Further continued in 

The Lord's Causeless Mercy Gives One the Ability to Render Service - Part 2

Attain Perfection by following the instructions of the spiritual master

In the purport to SB 4.8.71 Dhruva Maharaja begins his worship as advised by Narada Muni Srila Prabhupada says:

1. "The significance of this particular verse is that Dhruva Mahārāja acted exactly according to the advice of his spiritual master, the great sage Nārada.
2. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī also advises that if we want to be successful in our attempt to go back to Godhead, we must very seriously act according to the instruction of the spiritual master. That is the way of perfection.
3. There need be no anxiety over attaining perfection because if one follows the instruction given by the spiritual master he is sure to attain perfection.
4. Our only concern should be how to execute the order of the spiritual master. A spiritual master is expert in giving special instructions to each of his disciples, and if the disciple executes the order of the spiritual master, that is the way of his perfection."

In another purport SB 4.9.5 Srila Prabhupada says:

"Dhruva Mahārāja attained this perfection not by acting hastily, but by patiently executing the order of his spiritual master, and therefore he became so successful that he saw the Lord face to face. "

Some instructions recieved so far by us:

1. Become servant of servant of servant of the devotees of the Lord
2. Do not criticize devotees
3. Chant properly

To what extent are we following these?