If you want to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then you have to become tolerant. What kind of tolerance? Just like a tree. Don't you think a tree, how much tolerant it is? Everybody is committing offense on the tree. Somebody is snatching its twigs, somebody is snatching its flowers, somebody snatching leaves, somebody cutting, but it does not protest. Rather, on the contrary, it supplies you fruits, flowers, and gives you shelter. So tree is the nicest example for tolerance. So Lord Caitanya teaches us that we should become tolerant just like a tree. And tṛṇād api sunīcena, and forbearance just like a grass. Just like you trample over grass, it does not protest.
Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā. And you should not be puffed up with your artificial honour, "Oh, I am this. I am that." This, that, we that is belongs to this body. You are apart from this body. Suppose we are king in this body. So you have no connection with that body. And suppose you are the poorest man. You have no connection with that body. So why do identify yourself that "I am poor" or "I am king"? You are neither king, neither poor. You are spirit soul. Therefore amāninā. You should not be hankering after these temporary honours of this material world. Honour or dishonour, the same thing, because we do not belong to that honour, that kind of honour or dishonour.
So tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena. But other foolish creature who disturbs you, you should give him all honour. Who is identified with this body—give him all honour, "Oh, you, sir, you are very beautiful. You are very learned." So that he may not disturb you, give him all honour. So:
- tṛṇād api sunīcena
- taror api sahiṣṇunā
- amāninā mānadena
- kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
- (CC Adi 17.31)
In this process you can go on chanting. Nobody will disturb you. Because as soon as you take to spiritual life, there will be so many disturbances. Because it is a declaration of war with the illusory energy, so as soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the illusory energy sees, "Oh, this man is going out of my hand, out of my control. Oh, give him all impediments." Therefore you have to learn this tolerance.
Therefore next two words after kṣamā, satyam. Satyaṁ yathā dṛṣṭy-artha-viṣayaṁ para-hita-bhāṣaṇam. Satyam means you should speak the actual truth. You should not flatter. You should not flatter for sense gratification. Satyam. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the definition of truth, Absolute Truth, is given there. What is that? Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1): "The Absolute Truth is that from which everything emanates, the original source of all." That is Absolute Truth. So you should understand what is satyam, Absolute Truth, satyam.
And para-hita-bhāṣaṇam. You should speak truth also. What is that truth? That truth is "God is great, and we are subservient. So our duty is to abide by the orders of God," the simple truth. "God is great." You can say: "Why we should abide by the orders of God?" Because you are subservient. "No, I am not subservient." That is not . . . that is you are subservient. If you don't accept your subordinate position before God, then you have to accept your subordinate position under these material stringent laws. You have to become subservient. There is no other alternative. You cannot become absolute.
It is a false notion that you are independent. You are not independent. It is a false notion. Nobody is independent. We may be puffed up, that, "We belong to an independent nation. Now we have got . . ." Just like we Indians, we are under British rules. Now we have got independence. This is all false notion. What is their independence? The nature's law is forcing starvation. What is this independence? They are now begging grains from other countries. In British time there was no begging, at least. Now their independence means they are begging.
So these are all false notions. Nobody is independent. He is dependent in some way or other under the laws of nature. The laws of nature at once can force the stringent laws, and he becomes subservient. So subservient, to become subservient, is your nature. You cannot alter it. The best thing is that instead of becoming subservient to this false, you should become servient to the Absolute Truth. Satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi (SB 1.1.1).
Therefore Bhāgavata instructs you that you just try to offer your respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Truth. That is your perfection of life. Satyaṁ damaḥ. Anartha-viṣaya-śrotrāder niyamānam. Damaḥ. Damaḥ means to control the senses. Anartha. Now you are sitting here. It is very kind of you. But you could go to a cinema house or hear some, I mean to . . . world noise by television or, say, something like . . . it is simply waste of time. So you have to control your senses in such a way that every moment should be utilized for your spiritual cultivation of life. You should not allow the senses to enjoy anything which is against the cultivation of spiritual life. That is called damaḥ, control.