Sunday Feast lecture by Guruprasad Swami on the Gundica Marjana pastime.
Dallas, TX
2009-04-19
Our show at The Shala was an intimate gathering of about fifty people, but all fifty of them had a smile plastered on their faces throughout the entire show. When our enthusiastic friend and fan, Dennis, stood up and began dancing, his energy was infectious. Suddenly, everyone was dancing, and I thought for a minute that the floor was bending like the fabric on a trampoline.
Eventually, everyone sat down again (whew!) and Ananta lead a sweet, slow bhajan. It was so sweet, in fact, that it inspired Acyuta to dedicate her next song to her older brother, Ananta, who, she said, “taught me everything that I know about kirtan.”
Unfortunately due to a recorder malfunction we only have the last part of this amazing kirtan.
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Bhagavatananda says that assisting the dying is helping him “cash in on the blessings” he received from one of Srila Prabhupada’s departed disciples, Tribhuvanatha dasa.
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu, the free e-magazine from ISKCON’s Gopaljiu Publications in Bubhaneshwar, India, has just entered its ninth year of circulation and sent its 200th issue to an ever-growing list of subscribers. A search for the magazine’s origins take us back to 1977. When ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada visited Bhubaneshwar for the last time, he instructed its spiritual leader, Gour Govinda Swami, to not only reach out to outsiders, but also to inspire and teach those who were already devotees. |
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ISKCON devotees in India are continuing to help clean and restore the adjacent sacred lakes Radha-Kunda and Shyama Kunda, assisting a project that began in early May. The project is part of an ongoing effort by locals and the Indian Government to maintain Braja, the holy land in India where Lord Krishna was born, and is the first time Radha and Shyama Kundas have been cleaned since 1987. |
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YPT, a recent youth outreach training course at ISKCON Pune, India proved a grand success, with 68 senior devotees taking Level 1 from April 19th to 22nd, and 58 taking Level 2 from April 23rd to 26th. The courses taught self-purification and practical youth outreach strategies, emphasizing the importance of balancing service and spiritual practices to achieve enduring success. |
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Shyama Priya Dasi, the driving force behind ISKCON’s Prison Ministry, passed away on April 16, 2009 in Gainesville, Florida, after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. As her son, daughters, daughter-in-law, and many loving devotee friends sat close by her bed and chanted the names of God, they reflected on her exemplary life. |
HYDERABAD: The human mind is not fully prepared to embrace modernity and technological advancements associated with it, claimed Sahadeva Dasa, the president of Iskcon (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) in Hyderabad on Monday. Discussing the growing instances of student suicides, depression among professionals and martial discord, Dasa claimed that increased loneliness, coupled with overshooting personal goals and use of intoxicants are some of the prime reasons behind urban psychological and lifestyle related diseases. |
by noreply@blogger.com (Devadeva Mirel) at June 13, 2009 12:26 PM
During his inaugural address, US President Obama identified greed as a major cause of the current recession. Whose greed? It’s easy to point the finger at the US mortgage brokers. Certainly they were greedy, but how much harm could they alone have done? Not much. They capitalized on the greed of ordinary Americans for unaffordable homes. Ultimately, if we are honest with ourselves and if we want to help solve the problem, we have to point the finger to ourselves. |
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Millvina Dean died on Sunday, May 31, 2009. CNN.com reports that Dean, who was 97 years old, was the last known Titanic survivor. The Titanic sank in the North Atlantic in the early hours April 15, 1912 after striking an iceberg. I question whether in fact Ms. Dean was the last survivor.
Yes, Ms. Dean may have been the last person alive who traveled on that fateful maiden voyage of the Titanic. However, she was not the last survivor in the sense that there are countless remaining victims of the Titanic. I refer to victims who are trapped in a co-dependent and abusive relationship with technology, a relationship which is epitomized by the history of the Titanic. Hopefully one day these victims will become survivors. |
He lectured on the verse that everyone, where they are sarvakama, moksakama, or niskama should worship the Personality of Godhead. Hearing Srila Prabhupada’s voice is different from reading his books, and it’s a special treat. It’s very personal. It’s as if he’s present in the room. He gives examples and anecdotes not always found in his books and gives you the medium of hearing his sound vibration.
June 12, 2:15 A.M.
I woke up at 9:30 P.M. last night with a headache. I took medication, and the headache eventually went away. But I stayed up all night listening to a terrific wind and rain storm that continued for hours. I finally got up at 2:00 A.M. and went to the bathroom. Now I am ready to call Narayana up and to start my japa. I’m afraid I’ll be sleepy, since I didn’t sleep during the night.
3:37 A.M.
About the third round, I woke up and realized what I was supposed to be doing. I started concentrating on the rounds. My speed was slow—sometimes eight minutes, sometimes twelve and a half minutes. Only with the very last round did I come down to a speedy five minutes, eight seconds. I was whispering, but audibly. My mind was fixed on the chanting of the rounds and not wandering to other things, not much. Glancing at the Deities of Radha-Govinda gave me a boost. Every day, They look more beautiful. I have done eight rounds. I’m aware of its importance. I chant mechanically but with feeling, too. The numerical strength is the most important thing. Numbers and speed and enunciation. I put it all together. It’s a decent yajna.
Chanting japa with a clear head is a great gift. I was able to do it, unaware of pain. The time went by slowly, although I was pushing. Japa must be an intense endeavor. It is not a laid-back thing. As you chant, you simultaneously brush out of the thoughts, like using a hand brush and a dustpan. You keep your mind clean. As for thinking of the pastimes of Radha and Krishna, I have not reached that stage. I am a mantra chanter. I am trying to avoid the ten offenses in chanting. On one level, I’m doing it pretty well, but not going further. I don’t blaspheme devotees, I don’t consider the names of the demigods as equal or independent of the name Krishna. I don’t doubt the scriptures, I don’t take the chanting as exaggeration or make an interpretation of it. I chant with attention. I don’t commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting. I don’t consider the chanting a material act of piety. I don’t teach the chanting of the holy names to faithless persons. I don’t chant for material benefits. I try to avoid these basic offenses. But I don’t cry out to Krishna and Radha, “Please let me serve You.” I don’t dwell on Their sweet pastimes. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has made a reversal of the ten offenses and taken them all in a positive way. As an example, instead of the first offense being, “Don’t blaspheme devotees,” he says you should always be happy when you see the devotees. I haven’t achieved all his positive reversals. I don’t chant fully from the heart. I don’t manifest any bodily symptoms of ecstasy. So I still chant out of duty, not spontaneity. Don’t be disappointed, but don’t think you have reached the stage of bhava. Keep chanting like a workhorse. Giddyup.
6:41 A.M.
It rained all night, and there are puddles in the parking lot. The sky is overcast. All three of us have some sickness. We joke that we’re like the three wounded fellows in the picture, “The Spirit of ’76.” Dattatreya has the flu, I’ve got my headaches and constipation, and Narayana has his back problem. But we keep in good spirits. Narayana has been baking some tarts. We read outloud at dinnertime. In the Brhad-bhagavatamrta, in Satyaloka, the scriptures personified have been having an argument. Srimad-Bhagavatam didn’t even want to hear the impersonal arguments, and he covered his ears and walked away. He upholds that just by chanting mantras to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can gain perfection. Some of the Upanishads argue in favor of liberation. Of course, the Srimad-Bhagavatam’s opinion is definitive and confidential. Gopa-kumara is convinced in favor of Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Yesterday I listened to lectures of Srila Prabhupada, something I haven’t done in a long time. I listened to two lectures. It was wonderful hearing him speak, and I intend to keep up the practice. He lectured on the verse that everyone, where they are sarvakama, moksakama, or niskama should worship the Personality of Godhead. Hearing Srila Prabhupada’s voice is different from reading his books, and it’s a special treat. It’s very personal. It’s as if he’s present in the room. He gives examples and anecdotes not always found in his books and gives you the medium of hearing his sound vibration. It’s better than watching television.
My headaches are coming more frequently, and it’s a dilemma. I lose hours every day. It shapes my life to that of an invalid. But fortunately I have enough time to write my journal and chant good rounds. This seems to be the extent of the service I can do for now.
8:30 A.M.
“Oleo.” This is a jazz song composed by Sonny Rollins. I don’t know the meaning of “oleo.” It reminds you of the word ole!, shouted by Flemenco dancers or Mexican dancers, an ejaculation of enthusiasm. The Vaisnavas use the words, “Hari bol!” Prabhupada once said this was a shortcut to the Hare Krishna mantra. “Bol” means “chant” or “sing,” and Hari is the name of the Lord. So “Hari bol” means “chant the name of the Lord.” Miles Davis plays it upbeat on muted trumpet, and Coltrane plays the melody behind him. “Hari bol!” has got much more meaning than “oleo.” Let’s rename the tune. Call it, “Hari Bol!” Then you’ve got an offering to Krishna, wailing “Hari bol!” to the Lord. Coltrane really plays it nice, fast and hard, calling on the Lord. After improvisations, they go back to the head. Hari bol.
“It Could Happen to You.” A person could fall in love if he’s not careful. “Hide your heart from sight, lock your dreams at night, it could happen to you.” It happened to him. It happened to Radha and Krishna. They met each other, and it happened to Them. All they did was wonder what it would be like, and it happened to Them. All they did was wonder how it would be, and it happened to Them. “Keep an eye on spring, run when church bells ring, it could happen to you.” They were just an innocent cowherd boy and an innocent cowherd girl, but They fell in love at first sight. You could be walking down the street and see the sankirtana party chanting, and all of a sudden it could happen to you. You’d be chanting too. Or just walk into the storefront and see Swamiji speaking. Better be careful, or it could happen to you. You could become a disciple. If you’re not careful, you could be swept up into spiritual life. All it takes is a little piety and a little good luck and being at the right place at the right time. Just hear the mahamantra. It could happen to you.
“Woody’n You.” This is dedicated to Woody Herman. It’s written by Dizzy Gillespie. Wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t you take to spiritual life if you could? It’s the easiest thing. Wouldn’t you serve the spiritual master if you could? Wouldn’t you go back to Godhead if there really was such a place? A place of eternity, knowledge and bliss? You say you don’t believe there is, but if there really was such a place, wouldn’t you go there? Yes, you would. Wouldn’t you take a little prasadam? Wouldn’t you follow the Jagannatha cart down the street and see His big eyes? Wouldn’t you like to be happy, and not just for a few minutes or a few years? Wouldn’t you like to be eternally blessed? Wouldn’t you like to be embraced by the most handsome of all male personalities? Wouldn’t you like to serve Srimati Radharani? You don’t know about these things because you don’t know Krishna consciousness, but wouldn’t you like it if you could find out? Please come to a class and hear just one lecture. Just chant with us one time. Wouldn’t you like to be free of troubles? Wouldn’t you like to be free of birth and death and disease and old age? All that’s possible in bhakti yoga. Give it a chance. Wouldn’t you like to be free of hassles? Wouldn’t you like to go to the kingdom of God? Just try it. It’s very easy. All you have to do is chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare. Wouldn’t you give it a chance?
“Scrapple From the Apple.” This is a Charlie Parker tune. The apple is the Big Apple, New York City. That was Swamiji’s first place. He came to the Big Apple and opened a temple at 26 2nd Avenue. That’s still the place for Krishna consciousness. He said New York was very dear to him because he started there and they treated him well, the first bunch who came. I was one of them. I’m so happy to have been there. Swamiji was our father and our guide, our guru. We started in the Apple with ISKCON in July of 1966. Keith Jarrett’s playing it here on his piano. A simple jazz tune. Krishna consciousness was like that in ’66, a simple jazz tune. We came and joined. Swamiji was our master. We walked the streets of the Lower East Side with him and went to Tompkins Square Park and held our first kirtanas. Crowds gathered around us and looked on at the odd sight. Prabhupada played the one-headed drum in the Big Apple. Frank Sinatra sang that if you could make it in New York City, you could make it anywhere. And so Prabhupada made it in New York City, and then went on to San Francisco. But first, New York. It will always be first, New York. That’s the memory. Those were happy days. Swamiji had only twelve men and very little money. But he was strong and virile and happy, and he lectured three nights a week. Had a half-hour kirtana, which he led himself, and we sang the response. Sometimes we cried when we got high on the kirtana. He said it was all right. We didn’t know very much, but we knew that we loved him, and we took what he said as truth. He told us about Krishna and the Bhagavad-gita. I went with him once to Chambers Street in the Big Apple to see a lawyer, and we came back together on the bus. I pulled the buzzer one stop too early, and he said, “No, it’s the next stop.” He knew New York better than I did. Keith Jarrett is swinging it nicely, “The Scrapple of the Apple.” Taking it lightly and fast. His drummer, too. Jazzmen in New York City used to play riffs of Hare Krishna in that first year. All we had was a scrapple of the Apple, just a little movement. That was the beginning. It all started there. And then it grew. New York City was the first.
10:30 A.M.
I write to You as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You are standing on the altar, arms upraised, Your feet in a dancing position. To Your left stands Nityananda, Your eternal brother and comrade in arms in a sankirtana army of Navadvipa. You both rose simultaneously like the sun and moon in Gauda to spread the chanting of the mahamantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. You are thus the most magnanimous avataras to appear on earth. The distribution of the Hare Krishna mantra is the kindest act performed by God in this age of Kali, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. The chanting of Hare Krishna frees sinful persons from the reactions to their sins and inspires them with love of God. It is very easy to perform and can be done without following any hard and fast rules.
So I thank You for coming for distributing the mahamantra and the philosophy of Krishna consciousness. The names of God are as good as God Himself. By chanting, one cleanses his heart of dust accumulated for many lifetimes. Lord Caitanya asked Nityananda Rama and Haridasa Thakura to go door to door and ask people to chant the mahamantra. This preaching order still stands, and thousands of followers of Lord Caitanya are working to spread the chanting of the mahamantra. In 1965, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada took the mahamantra out of India and formed a world religion through the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada’s work made a quantum leap of Lord Caitanya’s mission. The mahamantra is a household word, and people continue to join in all the countries of the world.
I pray that I may take shelter in Lord Caitanya’s movement and contribute to its spreading. One can take shelter of Lord Caitanya by chanting the holy names. This can be done by private prayer (japa) and public, congregational singing (kirtana). The chanting must be done in a prayerful state of mind, with no personal motivation. I must chant as an act of service to You, Lord, calling Your names while asking to serve You. You have written eight prayers, called the Siksastakam, which contain the essential instructions on how to chant the names. In the third prayer, You state, “One should chant the holy names in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree and ready to offer all respects to others without expecting respect for himself. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” This indicates the importance of humility in the behavior of a follower of Lord Caitanya. I should not think I am better than others just because I am chanting. Yet, while acting humbly, I should boldly act to spread the movement of chanting Hare Krishna. I pray that You give me this courage and balance.
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We are hoping to start (if Krsna desires) a new website to be called "FOR STRUGGLING DEVOTEES - for Vaishnavas struggling with sexual issues."
On the auspicious day of "Jyesth purnima" (the full moon day in the month of "Jyesth", which fell on Sunday, June 7, 2009, ISKCON Baroda celebrated "snan-yatra", the bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadradevi.
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I am an eighteen-year-old college student on the verge of starting my adult life. And as American capitalist culture never lets me forget, central to adulthood is the career I choose. Everything I have been taught in school has been entirely in preparation for this choice. The various pressures are seemingly insurmountable- whether they are parental, financial, or personal. |
"For japa to really be done with feeling, you have to call out to Krishna. Cry like a child calling for its mother. One gets so occupied with the accumulation of the rounds and the proper enunciation that he leaves out the most important part, the feeling. The feeling must be at the center of the exercise in order for the japa to be complete. One has to have faith in reciprocation with Radha and Krishna, faith that the holy names are Krishna Himself and Radha Herself. Otherwise, you are just chanting the outer syllables of the name and not chanting offenselessly. Suddha-nama is a rare, advanced stage. We have to be patient with our chanting and hearing clearly, making the sounds audibly and keeping the mind fixed on the utterance of the words themselves."
by Rasa Rasika (noreply@blogger.com) at June 13, 2009 09:09 AM
It's with great pleasure that we, ISKCON Amsterdam, are hereby extending to you our heartfelt invitation to this year's Ratha Yatra Festival in Amsterdam (Holland) on Sunday the 19th of July 2009. As many of you probably know, Amsterdam enjoys worldwide fame. The preaching potential out here is tremendous! |
September 2 -11, 2009 are the dates for World Holy Name Week 2009. The World Holy Name Week website is now operational. www.worldholynameweek.org and www.whnw.org This year, our theme is, “Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s Sannyasa”. |
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Eating a curry once or twice a week could help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, a US researcher suggests. The key ingredient is curcumin, a component of the spice turmeric. Curcumin appears to prevent the spread of amyloid protein plaques - thought to cause dementia - in the brain. |
Part 3 – HG Jagattarini mataji’s class
The series of class on the morning’s of Saturday, Sunday and Monday would begin with a lecture from HG Jagattarini mataji.
In Kirtan
She would start with a beautiful kirtan to which the entire room participated very enthusiastically. One of the benefits of meeting many exalted vaishnavas is the opportunity to hear different styles of singing kirtans like, “Jaya Radha Madhava” or the Maha mantra. I noticed that mataji would close her eyes for the entire length of her kirtan. Even when the devotee technician would adjust her microphone, she was completely unaware of what was going on and she would maintain the same sitting posture through out the kirtana and class. Concentration and discipline is such a wonderful thing.
Attention all the way
As you can see from above, the room was pretty full. The walls had many pictures of Sri Radha Krishna in many of Their pastimes. There was a picture of young Krishna holding up Goverdhan hill, another of Him applying some colored designs on the foot of Srimati Radharani, another one of Him by Himself looking at us with a flute in His hands.
Mataji decided to educate us on the life of Madhevandra puri for all the 3 days of class. It was enthralling and she depicted 2 of his pastimes through a filmed puppet show as well. Madhevandra puri was the spiritual master of Isvara puri who was the spiritual master of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The pastimes of Madhevandra puri is beautifully covered in Chapter 4, “Sri Madhavendra Puri’s Devotional Service” in the Chaitanya Caritamrta. Srila Prabhupad provides a summary at the very beginning of the chapter as follows:
The boy continued,"I must go very soon to milk the cows, but I shall return and take back this milk pot from you."
One night while in Goverdhana, Madhavendra Puri dreamed that the Gopala Deity was within the forest. The next morning he invited his neighbourhood friends to accompany him to excavate the Deity from the jungle. He then established the Deity of of Sri Gopalaji on top of Goverdhan Hill with great pomp. Gopala was worshiped, and the Annakuta festival was observed. The festival was known everywhere, and many people from the neighbouring villages came to join. One night the Gopala Deity again appeared to Madhavendra Puri in a dream and asked him to go to Jagannath Puri to collect some sandalwood pulp and smear it on the body of the Deity. Having received this order, Madhavendra Puri immediately started for Orissa. Traveling through Bengal, he reached Remuna village and there received a pot of condensed milk (ksira) offered to the Deity of Gopinathaji. This pot of condensed milk was stolen by Gopinatha and delivered to Madhavendra Puri. Since then, the Gopinatha Deity has been known as Ksira-cora-gopinatha, the Deity who stole the pot of condensed milk.
Once a devotee mentioned to me that it was better to start reading the Chaitanya Caritamrta once the reading of Srimad Bhagavatam was completed. And so I had stopped reading CC sometime in 2007 and believe it or not I had stopped mid-way through Chapter 4 then !! The very topic that mataji would be covering on these days ! To be exact, I had stopped at text 168 on page 467. The section that I enjoyed reading most about Madhavendra Puri was the process he put in place for the installation and especially the prasadam preparation for the Deity.
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After the bathing ceremony was finished, incense and lamps were burned and all kinds of food offered before the Deity. These foods included yogurt, milk and as many sweetmeats as were received.
The Deity was first offered many varieties of food, then scented drinking water in new pots, and then water for washing the mouth. Finally pan mixed with a variety of spices was offered.
Ten brahmanas cooked the food grains, and five brahmanas cooked both dry and liquid vegetables.
The vegetable preparations were made from various kinds of spinach, roots and fruits collected from the forest, and someone made bada and badi by mashing dhal. In this way, the brahmanas prepared all kinds of food.
Five to seven men prepared a huge quantity of chapatis, which were sufficiently covered with ghee, as were all the vegetables, rice and dhal.
Pots of yogurt, milk, buttermilk and sikharini, sweet rice, cream and solid cream were placed alongside the vegetables.
There was an important conclusion to the pastimes of Madhavendra Puri. Srila Prabhupad, in the purport to text 197 writes, “Beginning from Madhvacarya down to the spiritual master of Madhevandra Puri, the acharya named Lakshmipati, there was no realization of devotional service in conjugal love. Sri Madhavendra Puri introduced the conception of conjugal love for the first time in the Madhvacarya-sampradaya, and this conclusion of the Madhvacarya-sampradaya was revealed by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when he toured South India and met the Tattvavadis, who supposedly belonged to the Madhvacarya-sampradaya.”
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O My Lord ! O most merciful master ! O master of Mathura ! When shall I see You again? Because of My not seeing You, My agitated heart has become unsteady. O most beloved one, what shall I do now?
Madhevandra Puri recited this verse again and again at the end of his material existence. This uttering this verse, he attained the ultimate goal of life.
Srila Prabhupad says in the purport, “Thus devotional sevice in separation is central to this verse. Worship in separation is considered by the Gaudiya-Madhava-sampradaya to be the topmost level of devotional service. According to this conception, the devotee thinks of himself as very poor and neglected by the Lord. Thus he addresses the Lord as dina-dayardra natha, as did Madhevendra Puri. Such an ecstatic feeling is the highest form of devotional service.
Question time !
Once the class finished, everyday numerous devotees would have countless questions, braving the inclination to go have prasadam. Here are some of the questions they were asking.
(1) Why did Madhevandra Puri worship Mathuranath instead of Sri Radha Krishna?
(2) Did Lord Chaitanya meet Madhavendra Puri?
(3) Why did Lord Chaitanya choose Madhavendra Puri chain of disciplic succession?
(4) What is the difference of preaching of Sri Ramanuja and that of Madhavendra Puri?
(5) When asked, “who is a neophyte”, what answer did Srila Prabhupada give?
(6) How do I know what is the difference between spiritual greed and impatience?
Do you have the answers?
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TIRUPATI: Karnataka tourism minister and Bellary mine baron Gali Janardhan Reddy will probably be better known for something else: with an offering of a diamond-studded crown worth US$8.8 million crore, he became the biggest donor to Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati since the Vijayanagara kings 400 years ago. |
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The debate over the so-called Aryan invasion of India was at the core of an international conference, “The Sindhu-Sarasvati Valley Civilization: A Reappraisal,” held Feb. 21 and 21 at Loyola Marymount University here. |
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OAK BROOK, Ill. — Six days a week, in fair weather and foul, two-dozen door-to-door salesmen, all of whom live clustered together in an apartment complex in this suburb west of Chicago, pile into S.U.V.’s and cars and head into the big city, bent on sales of home security systems. And on Sunday, their one day off, they drive together to the nearest house of worship of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. |
This announcement is intended for all devotees, so that you can put "World Holy Names Week" on your calendar. We will do everything we can to make World Holy Names Week successful at your temple as well as globally.
by course@ultimateselfrealization.com at June 13, 2009 02:30 AM
by Nityananda Chandra Das (noreply@blogger.com) at June 12, 2009 11:20 PM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 09:08 PM
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Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 5, No. 3
By Krishna-kripa das
(February 2009, part one)
Gainesville, Tallahassee
(Sent from Leipzig, Germany, on 6/12/09)
Highlights
Insight from Hridayananda Dasa Goswami, Indradyumna Swami, Jayadvaita Swami, Aindra Prabhu, and Other Devotees
Tamohara Prabhu: On Devotional Relationships
Where I Was and What I Was Doing
The first half of February meant chanting at the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, and going to Tallahassee for harinamas and the festival for Lord Nityananda. It was a special month because Indradyumna Swami and Sri Prahlada visited Alachua, and Sri Prahlada chanted with us on the UF campus, to the delight of both the devotees and the students. Param Gati Swami also visited us for a couple weeks in Gainesville. In Tallahassee, Sivam and I chanted at a new event for us, First Friday, and found it a great opportunity to give many nice people a chance to hear Krishna’s holy name.
An abandoned industrial park in Tallahassee’s Railroad Square was transformed into a colony of art galleries, and on the first Friday of the month, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., they have an open house, and people leisurely stroll from one gallery to another. Daru Brahma Prabhu, who runs the Krishna Lunch at Florida State University and who serves daily a hundred students, finds First Friday to be a chance to distribute prasadam (spiritual food) to a wider audience. He is assisted by Ramayana Prabhu and Rafael, who serve out, as well as set up tables and chairs on the grass for the guests to eat at. Also taking advantage of the many people strolling around Railroad Square is Garuda Prabhu, whose Peace on Earth Yoga Center occupies a building in that area. Garuda teaches hatha yoga for free Monday thru Thursday, and had spiritual programs on Saturday and Sundays, during the day, a more ecumenical one on Saturday, and a more Krishna centered one on Sunday.
Sivam and I chanted at First Friday in February, March, and April. We had different nice experiences. I met Jena at Garuda’s center, and she ended up attending many future harinama. There we also met her friend, Ashley, who came on one harinama at the Lake Ella park. Sometimes Alex, an FSU student who received a Gita from Ananda Vidya Prabhu, and who is taking a serious interest in Krishna consciousness would come and play his guitar. Jena would also come. Once a lady and her husband listened to one Hare Krishna melody till the end and asked us to play another, staying to hear. Other person gave us a $12 donation. Sometimes children would dance in front of us as their parents waited in line for prasadam. All and all, it was a pleasant atmosphere to share Krishna sound with a mostly appreciative crowd devoid of negativity. I look forward to returning to Tallahassee for First Fridays whenever I am in northern Florida, and sharing the Hare Krishna mantra with others.
When Sri Prahlada chanted during the lunch serve out on the campus, many more devotees came than usual. Jaya Sita came and played her cello. The combination of Sri Prahlada, Jaya Sita, and the large number of devotees attracted more attention than usual, and several people stopped to see and hear, and became inquistive.
All the devotees were very enlivened. I hope Sri Prahlada can come out at least two times during his next visit.
Insight from Lectures
Hridayananda Dasa Goswami (2/5/09):
King Pariksit is glorified by how he treated those above him and those subordinate to him, and by his character.
We do endeavor, but we depend on Krishna, as Krishna recommends in Bhagavada-gita 8.7, “Remember Me and fight.”
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Personal Trainer and our life is filled with different exercise machines, and Krishna engages us with different ones. We chant Hare Krishna, and Krishna accepts us into a personal program. If we are running into difficulties and do not pass a test, Krishna administers the test again.
From our perspective, Pariksit was bitten by a snake bird and passed away, but for him it was a promotion.
To maintain material attachments means to ignore the fact that they are our enemies (Bg. 3.39).
We have to seriously take care of our spiritual life, and we also have to take care of everyone’s spiritual life. If you see everyone as spiritual soul, you will understand they are our family members, and we should encourage them.
We should think of our mission as dialog and not monolog.
Q: What is the best thing I can do for my grandfather who is dying?
A: I would just pray for his spiritual progress. It was Krishna’s arrangement that he had a Vaishnava daughter who would pray for him.
[To hear the entire lecture visit this link: http://acharyadeva-nectar.pbworks.com/The-Purpose-of-Trouble]
Srila Prabhupada once told the German devotees, “If there is no disturbance, there is no preaching.”
A brahmana who performed rituals for material benefit, blasphemed Narottama Dasa Thakura for preaching as appeared in kayastha family. Goddess Durga appeared in a dream and told the brahmana he would get leprosy, which he did. Narottama Dasa Thakura mercifully placed his feet on the man’s head and told him to dance in an ecstatic kirtana that lasted all night. During the kirtana, the symptoms of leprosy left the man, and he fell at the lotus feet of Narottama Dasa Thakura, begging for initiation. Narottama Dasa Thakura embraced him and gave him initiation.
You cannot be compassionate if you have material desires because you will become envious of the material success of the people you are supposed to be delivering.
All too often we are busy as a bee with the affairs of this world, yet self-realization is our real business. Thus there must be a class of renounced persons to remind people that before they die they must learn they are souls, Krishna is God, and we have an intimate relationship with Him.
Sadhus spend full time on self-realization and share their realization with others, and society would maintain them, feeling gratitude. Sadhus are so satisfied they need just the bare necessities.
One sadhu begged from Lord Nityananda’s parents to have Nityananda to be his brahmacari assistant. Seeing Nitai’s mother crying from the loss of her son, the sadhu gave her a Deity of Muralidhara, saying, “If you worship Him nicely, you will see your son’s face in the Deity.”
Param-gati Swami:
The Vaishnava has no enemies in that he has no one that he thinks badly of in his heart, but some people many think of a Vaishnava as an enemy.
Q: What do we do if our mind creates impediments?
A: Staying in the association of devotees can help us.
Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami, (from his journal, Vrindavana 7):
In Dhanurdhara Swami's book he interviews Aindra dāsa, who said as follows: “My experiences is that chanting is not a matter of simple endeavoring to articulate some syllables. Actually, such chanting is not really chanting. Chanting looks like chanting, but actually chanting is Krishna dancing by His own sweet will. He is making His Divine descent from Goloka dhama and dancing on our tongues. The holy name is a beautiful sweetest-of-all-sweetest cowherd boy. He is a cowherd boy, a beautiful blue cowherd boy, handsome and completely captivating to the heart. By the mercy of Hare, Radha, our hearts have become undeniably intensely enchanted by the sweetness of that little cowherd boy Krishna, and because we have become enchanted by Him—and He is aware of that, naturally—He will not leave us alone. Again and again and again He pastures on our tongues, by forcing His way into our consciousness, dancing on our tongues.”
Jayādvaita Mahārāja is a down-to-earth guy. When I told him Bhūrijana and I were discussing whether it was better to go next life to be with Prabhupāda where he was preaching in the material world or to join with Krishna in His pastimes in the spiritual world, Maharaja replied: ‘I’d take whatever I could get.’”
When the Deity is worshiped in the householders’ home, the household gradually comes to understand the Lord is the actual proprietor.
If the senses are uncontrolled, there is no intelligence.
Kalakantha Prabhu:
We have to be aware that in our attempts to preach we may be trying to validate our choice to accept Krishna consciousness by convincing others to also accept it.
Q: How can we be humble when we understand we are one of a few fortunate people in devotional service?
A: The advanced devotees feel so low for having left Krishna.
If you ask people questions about their philosophy of life, after a while, they will run out of things to say. Then you can present Krishna consciousness.
Sri Prahlada Prabhu:
A real friend tells the truth for one’s benefit. Vibhisana said, “It is rare to find a friend who will tell us the truth for our benefit. But rarer is to find someone who will listen to it.”
We experience pain simply because of our false identification with our body and this world.
When Krishna told Dhrtarastra before the war that the fight could be avoided if he gave the Pandavas their rightful kingdom, Dhrtarastra told Krishna what He said was true, but he was so attached that Krishna’s illuminating remark was like a flash of lightening in the sky.
At the end of life we want to be in a space where we can give up sense gratification as a matter of realization not artificially.
Mother Ali Krishna:
Missing observing the Lord’s festivals is like forgetting your mom’s birthday.
Circumambulating the Lord is a way of putting the Lord in the center of our lives.
By bowing down in the temple we touch the dust of the feet of the Vaishnavas.
Kelly:
Sometimes people say with outrage, “How can you say someone is put in a suffering condition because of their past acts?” I reply to them by asking, “Is it more reasonable to think the Lord whimsically puts one person in a good situation and another in a bad one?”
Trey:
Bhakti cannot be checked by material circumstances nor is it caused by material things. By taking shelter of people who have bhakti, we develop bhakti.
Tamohara Prabhu on devotional relationships, especially marriage:
There is a way of wanting the best for someone but still accepting them as they are, and at the same time, maintaining our own spiritual standards.
The biggest problem is a difference in enthusiasm because the two partners.
One must help the other get through the low points.
We should always start out thinking of the marriage as a lifetime commitment. Not that I will try this person, and if it doesn’t work out then I’ll try someone else.
It is helpful to have a mentor who is a senior grhastha.
Changing circumstances or changing partners will not help. We have to change ourselves.
Sharing deeply in a devotional way can keep a relationship together. Other differences and problems will seem minor.
We must keep a sense of service to our partner. Because our family members are Vaishnavas, we must not be too familiar. Avoid offending them. Look for opportunities to serve them.
Be discriminating in the beginning before making a commitment, and when you do make a commitment stick with it.
I never recommend that a devotee marry a nondevotee.
There is a continuum between lust and love for God.
---
tasmad ekena manasa
bhagavan satvatam patih
srotavyah kirtitavyas ca
dhyeyah pujyas ca nityada
Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.14)
by Krishna-kripa das (noreply@blogger.com) at June 12, 2009 08:04 PM
Hare Krishna. ISKCON’s Child Protection Office is under assault by a small group of influential devotees who claim that it is biased against the accused. I find their accusations hard to believe. Several articles are appearing on the Sampradaya Sun and on Chakra.
The first article, titled “Snake Oil, Scapegoats, and the Hare Krishnas: The CPO’s Use of Bogus Science,” appeared on Sampradaya Sun over the weekend. I wanted to get a response out ASAP, so I wrote a letter to Rocana Prabhu that was published under the title, “CPO Official Decision on Vakresvara Pandit.”
A few days later I submitted a more thorough article titled “In Support of the Child Protection Office.” That article is copied below, with the related documents included for download:
——
Hare Krishna. Following up after my initial article countering Visnugada Prabhu’s misleading and incorrect facts related to the guilty verdict in the child molestation case against Vakresvara Pandit Prabhu, a few critical points are herein presented supporting the Child Protection Office’s verdicts in this case. But first we must briefly revisit Visnugada’s dreadful proposal to disempower the CPO.
Visnugada says:
“I also believe they didn’t understand the fact that in the US, as in many other countries, the functions of the CPO are, for the most part, already being carried out by civil authorities. Our position was it was unnecessary and legally unwise for the CPO to try to duplicate those functions.”
It is common knowledge that well over 500 former gurukula children in ISKCON are reported to have been beaten, raped, and/or abused in other abominable ways. Does anyone know how many perpetrators have faced criminal prosecution? I heard one relatively unknown “devotee” went to jail for child abuse. Maybe there were more that I have not heard of, but one thing is for certain: ISKCON is not famous for reporting criminal deviants to the police. On the contrary, we keep hearing of this or that rapist who gets moved to another temple or another country where the same activities are perpetuated. Visnugada’s proposal is to make ISKCON a haven for child abusers, as if it’s not bad enough.
He continues:
“In fact, in the Vakresvara case, the civil authorities did investigate at the time of the alleged offense and concluded there was no case to pursue.”
As I mentioned in my previous article, that statement is blatantly false. This was an issue of several counts of statutory rape over nearly a year. The child reported it when she was an adult several years after the alleged sexual encounters. The Texas State Police did not purse it because neither of the persons involved lived in Texas when it was reported, it had been years since the alleged crimes. These were good enough reasons for the police not to investigate. However it’s natural and right that ISKCON should be more concerned about alleged rapists in our community posing as devotees.
Visnugada complains:
“In the Vakresvara Pandit case, instead of weighing the actual evidence, the judges were directed instead to use a junk science method, the SCAN-View Questionnaire.”
I have not been privileged to read the entire case file, but I have carefully scrutinized key documents that have been made available and discussed the facts with both CPO Directors. The Official Decision describes the testimonies of the accused and the alleged victim with comparisons of the consistencies and other analyses of their reliability, including the employment of a “renowned expert in forensic written content analysis” who stated that the accuser’s testimony showed traits highly consistent with truthfulness. The Official Decision also mentions a questionnaire analyzed by the same expert, who found that Vakresvara’s responses indicated deception. Questioning a complainant and the accused can hardly be considered irregular.
The document goes on to describe several inconsistencies in the accused’s testimony. According to the Official Decision, these contradictions, verified by expert analysis, coupled with a consistent presentation of facts by the alleged victim, formed substantial basis for determining guilt.
Visnugada says,
“We found people whose testimony could have exonerated Vakresvara weren’t even interviewed, despite the CPO having been informed.”
What is the meaning of this vague claim? The accuser reported, “We did have sex around seven or eight times” over the course of about a year while she was 13 and 14 years old. Whose testimony could have alleviated Vakresvara’s self-incrimination? It’s easy to imagine how they would try. I know of a few big sannyasi gurus on the GBC who would say “He didn’t do it” and expect the CPO to beg their forgiveness. What ISKCON devotee would go against them? Anyone familiar with ISKCON knows the social effect that the resultant accusations of ‘Vaisnava aparadha’ would have. Who would be willing to call the sannyasi-guru-GBCs liars when they’re sticking up for their old buddy? I challenged some of these “gurus” a few years ago after they rolled out the red carpet for Vakresvara at my local temple, and the gurus’ many disciples were absolutely brutal.
I’ve also had several devotees contact me to say that Vakresvara was undoubtedly having sex with this child, that the nature of their relationship was too obvious to hide among the devotees in the area at that time. I’ve heard this from some devotees whom I did not know at all, others whom I knew somewhat over the Internet, and also from my trusted personal friends. None said they were interviewed by the CPO, and I don’t see why they should have been. The primary witnesses for these “bedroom” activities would naturally be the complainant and the accused, and it makes sense for a proper investigation to have been focused on these two individuals.
As stated in the appeal verdict:
“xi. There is no evidence that the original panels of judges neglected any statements that directly or indirectly project doubt, or remove doubt, concerning the character of the claimant or the defendant.
xii. A number of statements have been made to the effect that the original panel of judges neglected to consider certain pieces of evidence. However there is no proof for such a statement and such an accusation appears to be based solely on the fact that a guilty verdict was given to the defendant.”
Visnugada undermines the credibility of his “professional opinion” with this declaration:
“In my professional opinion, the CPO has never properly investigated the possibility that Vakresvara Pandita and others may have been falsely accused.”
The first investigation into this question went from December 4, 2000, to July 26, 2002, and resulted in a guilty verdict. (Apparently “properly” can only mean a not-guilty verdict in Visnugada’s opinion, though I can’t help but wonder about the nature of his relationship with Vakresvara Pandit if he presumes to know about Vakresvara’s sex life with such certainty.) Vakresvara Pandit had an attorney, Sesa Prabhu, who was presumably competent to raise any relevant issues in his defense. The complainant was not represented by an attorney, so it’s rather ridiculous to suggest that Vakresvara was disadvantaged by anything other than guilt.
After the original determination of Vakresvara Pandit’s guilt, an appeal was filed on his behalf and the matter was decided on June 8, 2005. The Defense made numerous claims attempting to undermine the finding of guilt, but the appeal judges found each of them to be without merit and upheld the original decision.
As stated in the appeal verdict:
“The appeal judges found no evidence supporting the claims that there was prejudicial treatment of Vakresvara Pandit das in the initial hearing of this case.”
Here it should be noted that this was after resignation of the CPO Director under whose authority the initial finding of guilt was made, so this was an entirely new CPO that ultimately determined the original CPO judges had made no mistake in this case.
In fact, the only findings the Appeals Judges determined in Vakresvara Pandit’s favor was to say that the rectification plan was too severe, based on the fact that the original judges failed to consider that it was a case of “consensual sex with a minor.” As it turned out, the Appeals Judges were in error on this point, as they had failed to realize that there is no such thing as “consensual sex with a minor.” Nowhere in the United States is a thirteen-year-old child legally able to give consent to sex. That is why it’s commonly called “statutory rape.” As Tamohara Prabhu (CPO, GBC) wrote to me on July 19, 2005:
“You are correct regarding ‘consensual sex with a minor’. Another devotee lawyer pointed this out, that there is no such thing as consent, as a minor is assumed to not have the maturity to give consent. I will change this wording in the decision, as it is legally incorrect.”
Bear in mind we’re talking about a 40-year old man repeatedly having sex with a 13-year young girl.
The appeal judges had also failed to consider the fact that Vakresvara Pandit had been in violation of his rectification plan the entire time of his supposed restrictions, even to the point of being Temple President of Puerto Rico, in gross contradiction of the Official Decision, during which time he was also found guilty of additional offenses resulting in another official decision against him. Following the original appeal verdict, the CPO was shown these facts and thereby forced to revise their ruling accordingly.
That devotees are still calling for this man to be exonerated, presenting their own twisted facts, is astonishing and reeks of corruption. If not for ISKCON’s shameful history of child abuse, it would be beyond belief.
The relevant documents are attached (in “Word” format). Hare Krishna.
Official Decision in the Case of Vakresvara Pandit das - July 26, 2002 (0)………….
Official Decision on the Appeal Case of Vakresvara Pandit das - June 8, 2005 (0)………….
Note of Clarification in the Sentencing of the Appeals Judges' Official Decision of Vakresvara Pandit das (0)………….
Sincerely, your servant,
Pandu das
by Bhaktimarga Swami (noreply@blogger.com) at June 12, 2009 04:00 PM
by Vijay Teli (noreply@blogger.com) at June 12, 2009 03:50 PM
by Bhaktimarga Swami (noreply@blogger.com) at June 12, 2009 03:42 PM
I had insisted that our group of resident men and women in the ashram take a crash course in hospitality. Sometimes you hear complaints from the public who visit for darshan (viewing the image of Krishna) or from those who wish to learn about Krishna Consciousness. They complain about an inadequate greeting or no greeting at all.
I had observed that some of our renunciants got either very busy with their services and therefore do not tend to the needs of the public who appear either in person or by phone sufficiently. Some of our monks living in temples tend to be very hermit oriented which ends up not being very compatible when your temple or ashram is frequently visited. Another factor to consider was the aging factor where in the case of our ashram in Toronto, one resident monk is in his seventies, one in his sixties and somewhat handicapped while others are moving up in their fifties. Most of our young monks are in Halifax. It is actually hard to pick from our selection a front receptionist.
So these are some of the services at hand.
Fortunately, our community is rich with bright-faced youth who have a good report in public communication. Perhaps we have hit on something there.
One of our ladies in her early thirties, Nitai Priya, who recently moved here from Vancouver, is a trained receptionist. She put together what we needed, a crash course called ‘Hospitality 108’. Over a few days starting yesterday, our in-dwelling monks are participating in an interactive and fun program to better be able to take care of public needs.
That’s a relief! Let’s see if reception improves.
6 Km
by Bhaktimarga Swami (noreply@blogger.com) at June 12, 2009 03:40 PM
One morning Genghis Khan, the great king and warrior, rode out into the woods to have a day's sport. Many of his friends were with him. They rode out gayly, carrying their bows and arrows. Behind them came the servants with the hounds.
It was a merry hunting party. The woods rang with their shouts and laughter. They expected to carry much game home in the evening.
On the king's wrist sat his favorite hawk, for in those days hawks were trained to hunt. At a word from their masters they would fly high up into the air, and look around for prey. If they chanced to see a deer or a rabbit, they would swoop down upon it swift as any arrow.
All day long Genghis Khan and his huntsmen rode through the woods. But they did not find as much game as they expected.
Toward evening they started for home. The king had often ridden through the woods, and he knew all the paths. So while the rest of the party took the nearest way, he went by a longer road through a valley between two mountains.
The day had been warm, and the king was very thirsty. His pet hawk left his wrist and flown away. It would be sure to find its way home.
The king rode slowly along. He had once seen a spring of clear water near this pathway. If he could only find it now! But the hot days of summer had dried up all the mountain brooks.
At last, to his joy, he saw some water trickling down over the edge of a rock. He knew that there was a spring farther up. In the wet season, a swift stream of water always poured down here; but now it came only one drop at a time.
The king leaped from his horse. He took a little silver cup from his hunting bag. He held it so as to catch the slowly falling drops.
It took a long time to fill the cup; and the king was so thirsty that he could hardly wait. At last it was nearly full. He put the cup to his lips, and was about to drink.
All at once there was a whirring sound in the air, and the cup was knocked from his hands. The water was all spilled upon the ground.
The king looked up to see who had done this thing. It was his pet hawk.
The hawk flew back and forth a few times, and then alighted among the rocks by the spring.
The king picked up the cup, and again held it to catch the trickling drops.
This time he did not wait so long. When the cup was half full, he lifted it toward his mouth. But before it had touched his lips, the hawk swooped down again, and knocked it from his hands.
And now the king began to grow angry. He tried again, and for the third time the hawk kept him from drinking.
The king was now very angry indeed.
"How do you dare to act so?" he cried. "If I had you in my hands, I would wring your neck!"
Then he filled his cup again. But before he tried to drink, he drew his sword.
"Now, Sir Hawk," he said, "that is the last time."
He had hardly spoken before the hawk swooped down and knocked the cup from his hand. But the king was looking for this. With a quick sweep of the sword he struck the bird as it passed.
The next moment the poor hawk lay bleeding and dying at its master's feet.
"That is what you get for your pains," said Genghis Khan. But when he looked for his cup, he found that it had fallen between two rocks, where he could not reach it.
"At any rate, I will have a drink from that spring," he said to himself.
With that he began to climb the steep bank to the place from which the water trickled. It was hard work, and the higher he climbed, the thirstier he became.
At last he reached the place. There indeed was a pool of water; but what was that lying in the pool, and almost filling it? It was a huge, dead snake of the most poisonous kind.
The king stopped. He forgot his thirst. He thought only of the poor dead bird lying on the ground below him.
"The hawk saved my life!" he cried, "and how did I repay him? He was my best friend, and I have killed him." He clambered down the bank. He took the bird up gently, and laid it in his hunting bag. Then he mounted his horse and rode swiftly home. He said to himself,
"I have learned a sad lesson today, and that is, never to do anything in anger."
by sgd1008@gmail.com (Sanatana Goswami das) at June 12, 2009 02:36 PM
As part of the Yoga Journal Conference, Shiva Rea gave a Flow Yoga class titled “Rasa: The Yoga of Liberating Love.” We accompanied her with some kirtan, drumming and, thanks to MC Yogi, a little bit of rap.
Later, we played a deep, mellow kirtan during a free community yoga class given by Ashley Turner. Then, we quickly packed up to get ready for our evening show at The Shala.
To listen, click on the links below then press play. To download, Right Click on the word “Download” and select “Save As…” from the menu. Having trouble downloading? Read our Help Section.
This excerpt is from my Vyasa Puja offering made last year. It recalls that Srila Prabhupada's guru saw him as, among many other things, a talented writer: "In fact, according to your official biography, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta saw this as proof that you knew the mind of your master. You were in ecstasy when you heard this. Your gurudeva showed this couplet to many guests and ordered that whatever you wrote should be published in his journal, the Harmonist."
This is the phrase (couplet):
"Absolute is sentient,
Thou hast proved,
Impersonal calamity
The example was given that Brahma and Siva are great experts in all affairs, but when they hear the sound of Krishna’s flute, they become confused. We also read in The Nectar of Devotion about the gopis’ attachment to Krishna. When Krishna is away in the forest tending the cows, the gopis feel His absence painfully, and a moment seems like twelve years. Then when Krishna comes home in the evening and the gopis see Him pass by, they become angry with Lord Brahma for constructing eyes with eyelids. They call Brahma a dunce because the blinking of their eyes obstructs their constant seeing of Krishna.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami - June 11, 2:17 A.M.
Another peaceful night. I woke early again, at 2:00 A.M. Called for Narayana. My head was clear after yesterday’s long headaches.
3:37 A.M.
I chanted my first three rounds without a stopwatch. Then I used a stopwatch, and it came out to 12 minutes, 42 seconds! The next round took 12 minutes, 47 seconds. I didn’t panic because I was up early, and the first three rounds seemed speedy. Besides, even the slow rounds were comfortable, and I was chanting and hearing nicely. But after that, my stopwatch count went down to 5 minutes for three rounds in a row. The eight rounds were chanted in a decent time except toward the end, when I was rushing. I was paying attention to the sounds of the syllables, Hare, Krishna, and Rama. I was satisfied that I was hearing without being distracted by other thoughts. I was chanting audibly, too. Radha-Govinda looked very beautiful in Their yellow, golden, red and green outfits. Narayana had placed Them very nicely on the altar, and I must thank him for it. He did all the Deity worship without any interruption to my chanting. We seem to get along all right. He’ll be back at 5:00 A.M. for bathroom duties. Now I have time to write the japa essay and time left over to chant more rounds. The chanting was somewhat mechanical, but at least it was clear and efficient.
For japa to really be done with feeling, you have to call out to Krishna. Cry like a child calling for its mother. One gets so occupied with the accumulation of the rounds and the proper enunciation that he leaves out the most important part, the feeling. The feeling must be at the center of the exercise in order for the japa to be complete. One has to have faith in reciprocation with Radha and Krishna, faith that the holy names are Krishna Himself and Radha Herself. Otherwise, you are just chanting the outer syllables of the name and not chanting offenselessly. Suddha-nama is a rare, advanced stage. We have to be patient with our chanting and hearing clearly, making the sounds audibly and keeping the mind fixed on the utterance of the words themselves. From this stage, we can go to the upper stage, but we should not wait forever to inject the emotion into the chanting, to chant from the heart with the call. “When will the day come when my offenses ceasing, taste for the holy name increasing, when oh when will that day be mine?” The taste for Hare Krishna comes when you cry out to Krishna to please hear you and please let your stony heart be softened by emotions of bhava. So many years of chanting, and we are waiting for that day to come. Therefore, we should pray while we chant and not be content to merely rattle the names off clearly. We should pray in the mood of Lord Caitanya, as expressed in the Siksastakam: “Oh my Lord, I am Your eternal servitor, but somehow I have fallen into this ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean and fix me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.” “One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street. One should offer respects to others without expecting respect for oneself. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” All of Siksastakam is rich with guidance for proper chanting.
6:46 A.M.
It’s a foggy day. Nothing special on my mind. Bodily troubles occupy the mind. Where is the space to think about Krishna? This morning in my japa essay, I wrote that feeling must be present when you chant. When you write, feeling must be present also, You pray to Krishna in the afternoon. In this morning’s slot, I talk about the beach and odds and ends that come to the mind. Now I am constipated and I have to think about that. To think of Krishna, I go to His pastimes and the Vedic philosophy. Things that my Godbrothers have said in their lectures. Conversations of krsna-katha.
Yesterday at lunch, we talked about the ghastly rasa. Narayana joked that Dattatreya was performing his puja of Gaura-Nitai in a ghastly rasa because Dattatreya mentioned that sometimes the flowers smelled like urine. This brought up the question, “What is the ghastly rasa?” I said when Nrsimhadeva tore apart Hiryankasipu and put his intestines around His neck, that was an example of ghastly rasa. We looked it up in The Nectar of Devotion. An example was given of a man who was a great debauchee and an expert womanizer. Later, he became a devotee, and the mere sight of a woman made him disgusted. Symptoms of ghastly rasa were given as contorting of the face, twitching, and spitting. Yamunacharya is the great example of a former king who enjoyed with women, but once he became a devotee, when he just thought of sex, his mouth turned and he wanted to spit.
We also read from The Nectar of Devotion about Krishna’s flute. The example was given that Brahma and Siva are great experts in all affairs, but when they hear the sound of Krishna’s flute, they become confused. We also read in The Nectar of Devotion about the gopis’ attachment to Krishna. When Krishna is away in the forest tending the cows, the gopis feel His absence painfully, and a moment seems like twelve years. Then when Krishna comes home in the evening and the gopis see Him pass by, they become angry with Lord Brahma for constructing eyes with eyelids. They call Brahma a dunce because the blinking of their eyes obstructs their constant seeing of Krishna.
In our natural conversations, we don’t speak much of Radha and Krishna, and so our opportunities come when we read out loud from the books.
8:30 A.M.
“If I Were a Bell.” Ask me how do I feel now that we’re together. Well, sir, all I can say is if I were a bell, I’d be ringing. If he were a lamp, he’d light. If he were a banner, he’d wave. If he were a gate, he’d be swinging. If he were a watch, he’d be popping his springs. If he were a bell, he’d go “ding dong ding dong ding.” If he were a bridge, he’d be burning. If he were a duck, he’d quack. If he were a goose, he’d be cooked. If he were a salad, he’d be splashing his dressing, and if he were a bell, he’d go “ding dong ding dong ding.” That’s a description of a love affair. Pretty wild. How does it compare with Krishna and Radha? He’s doing all those things. He’s ringing like a bell. He’s swinging like a gate, and he’s going over the moon. Miles Davis plays the introduction melody on muted trumpet, and John Coltrane comes soaring in with his cry and his inimitable way. Krishna and Radha behave in ways that can’t be captured by popular songs, with all their extravagant words. The popular song is just a pale reflection of what They do and how They feel. He’s certainly ringing like a bell and waving like a banner. They are feeling emotions that cannot be captured, even by the jazz musicians, who are making a nice enough tune out of it. Red Garland’s chords on the piano swing a nice enough tune, but there’s no comparison to how Krishna swings, so that’s all we can say. There’s just no comparison to the bell ringing of “If I Were a Bell” and the rasa dance.
“You’re My Everything.” This is a song that Krishna sings to Radharani, and She sings to Him. You’re my everything. You’re my life’s breath, you’re my yearning, you’re my happiness, but sometimes you’re my sadness. I don’t exist without you. Miles plays it as a ballad with a muted trumpet, and it’s nice enough. You’re my everything. What a beautiful sentiment, and it can only be upheld by Radha and Krishna. Other people have reservations and motivations. They hold back. They can’t give everything. But the Divine Couple give everything to each other. In this world, there is only a refleection of it. Maybe in rare moments, it exists for a little while that somebody thinks someone else is everything to them. But then later, it sours, it changes, it grows old, it gets stale. In the spiritual world, it’s eternally fresh and always true. Krishna is everything to Radharani, and Radharani is everything to Krishna, always and forever.
“I Could Write a Book.” I’ve written many books, so if they ask me, I could write a book. I’d like to write a book about Radha and Krishna, but I’m not qualified. There is a book, though—Srimad-Bhagavatam. And there are books by the Six Goswamis that tell about the way Radha and Krishna walk and whisper and look. It tells how they met in a way that the world will never forget. The simple secret of the plot is just to tell them that they love each other a lot. Then the world discovers, as the book ends, how to make two lovers of friends. If they ask me, I could write a book about my days in Krishna consciousness. My struggles. It wouldn’t be so wonderful, but it would be true. And I’m writing that book. It’s telling how I chant and how I hear and how I try to serve my spiritual master. As the book ends, I’m not sure how I wind up. I try to approach the two lovers in the spiritual world. The end of my book will have to be discovered at the end of my life. The simple plot is that I struggled a lot. But fortunately, I met my spiritual master, and I’ll never forget that. He taught me all about Krishna and Bhagavad-gita. And so I’ve written some books about my adventures in Krishna consciousness, and I hope to write some more. But the best books have already been written, and we can just read them. They tell about the way the Divine Couple walk and whisper and look and how They love each other a lot. The world should discover that wonderful book called Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the books by the Goswamis. Then they’ll learn what’s meant to be learned in this world. They’re the best books, and other writers have not written any books that measure up to it. So if they ask you to write a book, read Srimad-Bhagavatam first.
“You’ve Changed.” This is a ballad by Keith Jarrett. It’s a sad song. You’ve changed. You’re not the same anymore. You’re not the way you were when I loved you. Radharani felt this way when She met Krishna at Kuruksetra. He wasn’t the cowherd boy She loved in Vraja. He was now surrounded by soldiers and elephants and ministers. She wanted Him back in Vrndavana. You’ve changed, Krishna, you’re not the cowherd boy we loved. Sometimes we get disappointed in devotees who’ve changed, who’ve left Krishna consciousness and have no more interest in Krishna. That’s a sadness, too. Why did they go away? What was it about them that made them leave? Who’s fault is it? You’ve changed. I don’t see the same look in your eyes. I can’t talk with you about Krishna anymore. You’re a different human being. Gary Peacock plays a very sad, conversational bass solo to emphasize the mood of this piece. Don’t you remember chanting together? Don’t you remember the hopes of going to krsna-loka? Now you’re interested in another “ism.” You’re going to school now. You’ve got a new job. You’re embroiled in family life. Or you’ve just... changed. You’re not interested anymore in what I’m interested in. Our rapport is gone. You even look different. You dress differently. You talk differently. We can’t make it together anymore. We’ve gone our separate ways. But maybe in the future, things will change again. I’m hoping for that. Youv’e changed once, you could change again. Radharani hoped that about Krishna, that He wouldn’t stay in Kuruksetra, that He’d come back to Vrndavana and change again so She wouldn’t have to remain sad and mournful. It wasn’t that He’d changed so much, it was that the place changed. If He could just go back to Vraja, then He’d change again. When someone changes like that, the bottom drops out, and it’s just very sad.
11:50 A.M.
I pray to You to get to know You better. You can be known only by devotional service. I wish to attain bhakti. By praising You, I may please You. You are like a person of this world; You like to be praised. You like sincere adoration. But it must be sincere. I must prove my love for You by unmotivated acts.
This prayer has been interrupted for over an hour by a headache. Because of these daily headaches, I am not able to go out and preach and lecture and travel. So I have to please You by introverted methods of writing and chanting at home. It is possible for me to please You in this way. But I must be sincere. Between my headaches, I get spaces of time when I am clear, and in those spaces, I can write to You or I can chant my rounds. I have a little space now, so I am writing to You.
You lifted Govardhana Hill and held it on the pinky of Your left hand for seven days. You thus thwarted Indra, who tried to destroy the residents of Vrndavana, because You stopped the Indra yajna. You are praiseworthy for this act by all the residents of Vrndavana and by all living entities.
You drove the Kaliya serpent away from the Yamuna when he was poisoning it. It was so poisoned that even if a bird flew over the Yamuna, he would die from the poison. And cows who drank the water from the Yamuna would die also. Of course, any human being who went into the water would die. So You dove into the Yamuna and faced that serpent. He became very angry with You and tried to attack You with his thousands of hoods. You jumped up on him and began dancing on his hoods, smashing them with Your feet. You turned it into a wonderful dance art. Before You did that, however, you played with the serpent and allowed him to catch You in his coils. This frightened all the residents of Vrndavana, who thought that You would die. When You saw that they were too anxious, You broke the grip of the serpent and began dancing upon his hoods. He began to vomit and bleed and admitted his defeat to You. He came to understand that You were the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he obeyed Your instructions. You told him to leave the Yamuna with his wives and children and never come back. You told him You would give him protection from Garuda so that he would not be eaten by the bird-devotee of the Lord. For this act, You are praiseworthy by all the Vrajavasis and all the devotees of the world.
You satisfied all the gopis of Vrndavana who wanted You as their husband. You danced with them in the rasa dance on an autumn evening. You expanded Yourself and danced between each gopi so that they thought they were with You alone. This is the most wonderful of Your pastimes. You played amorously with all of the gopis in the rasa dance and then strolled with them to the Yamuna and had water sports. You disappeared from their midst to create even greater love on their parts for You by separation. Then You joined them again and spoke words of consolation and love to them. For this, You are praiseworthy to all the gopis and all the residents of Vrndavana and all devotees of the world.
You drove the chariot of Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. At the beginning of the fight, Arjuna lost his heart for fighting and said he would not fight. You spoke to him the entire Bhagavad-gita to convince him to fight, and You taught him and the whole world the science of Krishna. You taught bhakti yoga as the highest truth and said that no one could attain You except through devotional service. Then You convinced Arjuna to fight, and with great enthusiasm, he went forward with You guiding him on the chariot. You taught him tricks for killing his various enemies, and he came out triumphant. For Your guiding Arjuna on the battlefield and for Your teaching the Bhagavad-gita, You are praiseworthy to everyone for all time.
In the Tenth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami taught Maharaja Pariksit all about Your pastimes. The Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam is the greatest contribution to the world, for it tells us about the Personlity of Godhead in His humanlike form. Especially precious are the pastimes in Vraja, in Krishna’s boyhood and youth, but also His pastimes are told when He left for Mathura and lived in Dvaraka. All these Tenth Canto pastimes are glorious and prove You praiseworthy by all the worlds. Sukadeva Goswami is also praiseworthy for telling them.
You are praiseworthy for Your invitation to all jivas that they can come and join You and live in the spiritual world. They only have to give up their sinful activities and take to devotional service under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master. You appeared in the age of Kali as a pure devotee, Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya is Krishna Himself appearing as a devotee of Krishna. Lord Caitanya adopted the mood of Radharani and demonstrated separation from Krishna. You are praiseworthy for Your appearance as Lord Caitanya and teaching the world vipralambha, separation from Krishna. And You are praiseworthy for spreading the sankirtana movement in the form of Lord Caitanya and His followers. Thus by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra—Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare—and following the rules and regulations of vaidhi bhakti, a neophyte devotee can raise himself to the platform of krsna-prema and go and join You in the spiritual world. For giving all jivas this opportunity, You are praiseworthy.
I praise You for giving me also this chance to qualify myself to go back to Godhead in one of these lifetimes. I may be hampered by my physical ailments, but I am able to chant and hear and thus fulfill a satisfying life of Krishna consciousness. I praise You for giving me this opportunity, even though I am physically handicapped. Please let me go on praising You in my prayers and daily japa writings and other reflections. Let me improve in my japa. I praise You sincerely because You are very great and compassionate. You want me to get to know You better, and You are giving me an opportunity to do so. I am trying to spread compassion to others by writing about You and spreading the good word. Please accept this service of mine as nonduplicitous and do with me as You wish in this lifetime and the next. I bow at Your feet and at the feet of all the devotees who are working on Your behalf..
from #99→
Clip of Guruprasad Swami leading an ecstatic Sunday Feast Kirtan.
Dallas, TX
2009-04-19
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 03:43 AM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 03:41 AM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 03:37 AM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 03:36 AM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 03:35 AM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 03:34 AM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 03:31 AM
by letters (wmdean@btopenworld.com) at June 12, 2009 03:27 AM
by course@ultimateselfrealization.com at June 12, 2009 02:30 AM
"I would like to add to my prayer the intention to attain a humble state of mind not only while chanting but everytime, surrender to the names and also give me strength to always make efforts to improve my chanting."
"When I Re-started chanting after some time (as I had mentioned before) I prayed to God to help me to give me the dedication and determination to continue with it and never lose track again and He has really helped me and as before he has also attracted my husband towards it."
"I would like to increase the number of rounds that i do and never forget Him or lose faith no matter what the situation is."
"I always pray to God to help me so that I never get too ahead of myself and never feel proud no matter how more or little advance I make in my journey because pride is one of the biggest test by Mayadevi that only a few can overcome. Sometimes I have noticed (no offence to anyone) that some devotees compete and take pride in the number of rounds they do - I do not want myself in that situation."
"I think we should also pray AFTER the japa to thank God to give us the opportunity and knowledge of the Holy name and help us chant it and be happy :-) and finally tonight I would also be thanking God to help me discover this Japa room and and a chance to associate with devotees online."
by Rasa Rasika (noreply@blogger.com) at June 11, 2009 10:53 PM
On Richard Dawkins’s irresponsible and irrational dogmatism.
This is an excerpt from an article by Carson Holloway in which he makes interesting and insightful comments about the preachings of the biologist Mr. Dawkins, a militant atheist.
Dawkins contends that the meaningfulness of life need not depend on any notions of the ultimate purpose of the cosmos. He would probably assert that those who seek such cosmic justifications for the things they love are suffering a form of false consciousness imposed by the cultural influence of Biblical religion. Whatever the origins of such transcendent aspirations, however, it is an undeniable fact that countless human beings really do experience the meaningfulness of their lives as somehow bound up with their conviction that the universe possesses ultimate meaning. Dawkins’s ruthless indifference to them makes a tangled web of many of his fellow human beings’ most cherished sentiments and beliefs.
Dawkins’s problems do not end here, however. The responsible public intellectual, as I suggested above, is concerned with both the truth and its consequences. While he does not let a heedless zeal for the truth automatically compel him to its reckless popularization, neither does let his concern for others blind him to the truth and its value. Yet, an important part of his respect for truth is his recognition of the limits of his own knowledge, a sober sense that not all of his convictions are truths properly so-called — that is, propositions capable of confirmation by reason.
Here, again, Dawkins fails, dogmatically asserting as truth things that his science cannot confirm, things that science properly understood does not even claim to address. “Presumably,” he opines, “there is indeed no purpose in the ultimate fate of the universe.” On the basis of what evidence does Dawkins ground this momentous presumption? As a result of what scientific reasoning does he make this grandiose claim about the nature of all things? He has no such basis, and there is none available to him. It is true that pre-modern science sought to explain the purposefulness of the cosmos, while modern science has abandoned that project in favor of what is perhaps easier and more immediately useful: figuring out how nature works and how it can be manipulated. Nevertheless, it is clear that science’s turning away from questions of ultimate meaning is not equivalent to a denial of their importance, nor to a denial that they can be answered, let alone a claim to have answered them. Sober scientists — those who respect the limits of their method and avoid amateur philosophic extrapolations from it — understand this.
If it is not science that leads Dawkins to deny the purposefulness of the universe, then what is it? The answer to this question will be obvious to anyone familiar with his usual public pronouncements. Dawkins’s denial of the meaningfulness of the cosmos arises not from any evidence that science reveals to him, but instead from a simple dogmatic hostility to those who see purpose in the universe itself, or, put more simply, an animus against religion. Consider, for example, a recent interview in which he claims never to have met an intelligent religious believer who came to belief apart from childhood indoctrination, and that he cannot think of a single good thing that religion has contributed to the world.
These are not the opinions of a moderate and reasonable man, and his doctrinaire disdain for religion is equally on display in his new introduction. Those tempted to despair by his soulless and godless account of the universe, Dawkins advises, should seek meaning in the good things of ordinary life. “Our lives are ruled,” he notes, not by the meaning of the universe itself but by “all sorts of closer, warmer, human ambitions and perceptions.” Do “any of us really tie our life’s hopes to the ultimate fate of the cosmos,” he asks. His answer: “Of course we don’t; not if we are sane.” There you have Dawkins’s perspective in a nutshell: on the one hand, his account of things; on the other hand, madness. He is undeterred in this judgment by the fact that the views he regards as insane are held by countless millions of his fellow beings and have shaped the human story for millennia. It would be difficult to invent a more perfect caricature of the intellectually intolerant ideologue.
There are many words one might choose to describe the competent and useful public intellectual. Unfortunately for Dawkins, irresponsible and irrational are not among them.
Richard Dawkins
Battlefield Bhajans Vol. 41
Dedicated to HDG A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
When it rains it pours
Panihati Festival was kicking off in Atlanta. Devotees from all over the world converged on New Panihati Dham for the festival due to HH Jayapataka Swami being present. It was his first time traveling outside india since his stroke. Many senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada were present. Excitement was in the air. I was talking about book distribution with some senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada, they told stories of the seventies and how they distributed books in the airport. The stories were amazing and despite leaving the next day for Chicago, I went out on book distribution. The sky looked black, and the wind started to kick up, but I thought, it will hold off.
I walked form the temple to the Little Five Points, an alternative area. As soon as I arrived, the sky opened up and started pouring. It was raining so hard that I was getting wetter from the up splash of the rain rather than the rain itself. Within minutes, I was completely drenched head to toe. I took some shelter under a tree wearing just a dhoti, and T-shirt. I attempted to stop a few people, but no one was interested. One man said you must be crazy, do you see the weather? They only wanted shelter form the rain. I was thinking, if only they knew what shelter they could find in Srila Prabhupada’s books. I stood out in the rain for what seemed like forever. I was soaking wet, all my clothing was wet, my back pack was soaked, but amazingly enough the books were dry. Out of nowhere a man with tattoos, a southern accent and a funny small hat from a bar called out, Hey man, what are you doing in the rain. go home. I just ignored him, but he persisted and called me over. I went in to his bar and he just stared at me.
He said, why are you risking getting sick for this? Why put yourself through that, through the rain, through the cold. What is making this so special. I though for a second and remember a quote I read on the Srila Prabhupada quotes conference. I said Srila Prabhupada said, why do we distribute these books? To make our master smile. The man looked puzzled for a moment. I explained to him that yes it is raining, but this down pour of rain is nothing compared to the down pour of nectar and mercy someone will receive from Caitanya Mahaprabhu if they receive these books. These books are not ordinary, they are windows to the spiritual world and will save your life.
The man looked taken back. He turned to the patrons of the bar (who at this point were listening to us) and said did you hear this guy? Everyone remained silent. It felt erie, like in a dream when your standing before your class in school only wearing your undergarments. He said what you said touched the heart. The man then turned to the crowd and said, why don’t you all help him by taking a book so he can go and get dry. Slowly, one by one people started to approach me and take a book out of my bag and give me a donation. WIthin minutes, the bag was completely empty. I recalled the events in my mind as I walked back to the temple. It seemed so surreal, and reminded me of the lila from the Caitanya Caritamrta. Jagäi and Mädhäi were two brothers born in Navadvépa in a respectable brähmaëa family who later became addicted to all kinds of sinful activities. By the order of Lord Caitanya, both Nityänanda Prabhu and Haridäsa Öhäkura used to preach the cult of Kåñëa consciousness door to door. In the course of such preaching they found Jagäi and Mädhäi, two maddened drunken brothers, who, upon seeing them, began to chase them. On the next day, Mädhäi struck Nityänanda Prabhu on the head with a piece of earthen pot, thus drawing blood. When Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu heard of this, He immediately came to the spot, ready to punish both brothers, but when the all-merciful Lord Gauräìga saw Jagäi’s repentant behavior, He immediately embraced him. The rain was pouring down harder, but I did not notice at all. I could only think of how the Lord arranges for the conditioned soul to reestablish his or hers relationship with Him. I thought about how we must adopt the mood of Lord Nityananda and give this message to the most fallen people of this society.
vraja-väsé-gaëa, pracäraka-dhana,
pratiñöhä-bhikñuka tä’rä nahe ‘çava’
präëa äche tä’r, se-hetu pracär,
pratiñöhäçä-héna-’kåñëa-gäthä’ saba
“The most valuable treasures amongst the Lord’s preachers are the eternal personalities residing in Vraja-dhäm. They never occupy themselves with begging for worthless material reputation, which is cherished only by the living dead. The Vraja-väsés are truly infused with life, and therefore they preach in order to give life to the walking corpses of the mundane world. All the songs that the Vraja-väsés sing about the glories of Lord Kåñëa are devoid of any tinge of desire for fame.” ( Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Swami Thakura Duñöa-Mana 17)
mahä-kåpä-pätra prabhura jagäi, mädhäi
‘patita-pävana’ nämera säkñé dui bhäi
“Jagäi and Mädhäi, the eighty-ninth and ninetieth branches of the tree, were the greatest recipients of Lord Caitanya’s mercy. These two brothers were the witnesses who proved that Lord Caitanya was rightly named Patita-pävana, “the deliverer of the fallen souls.” (Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi-lila 10.120)
Sadhana Report:
Japa: By the mercy of Guru & Gauranga I am still chanting. I am trying to really develop a nice sadhana centered around hearing and chanting. At the moment I am up at 1:30 am and chant till 3:30. Then I read Caitanya Caritamrta until morning program. I read for one hour before I go on sankritan and then in the evening, I read again for one hour.
Seva: The Lords are somehow still allowing me to attempt to serve Them. Some new Salagram and Govardhan Sila’s appeared, which meant a big pizza offering. Every evening I offer my sankritan results to Them.
Reading at the moment the Bhagavad-Gita. I am trying to study each verse slowly and taking notes of each verse in hopes of understanding better.
Sankritan: BOOKS! BOOKS!!!
maha big: 41
med- hard - 1
small- 186
pamplets- 170
Each day is a new way of developing attachment to Krsna’s lotus feet. I can only beg to keep going on the path of devotional service and never deviate. I ask all the blessings of the vaisnava’s.
Yours in the Service of Srila Prabhupada,
Partha-sarathi dasa vanacari
by Gaura-Nitai das (Eric Rush) (noreply@blogger.com) at June 11, 2009 04:35 PM
"When we chant japa, we’re alone. We should not be thinking of other people or other things. It’s a time to be alone with Krishna in the form of His sound vibration. Prabhupada repeatedly quoted the verse, sarva-dharmam parityajya/ mam ekam saranam vraja/ aham sarva papebhyo/ moksayisyami ma sucah. “Give up all forms of religion and just surrender unto Me. Do not be afraid. I will protect you.” We should give up all forms of altruism, philanthropy, and other “isms.” Just concentrate on surrendering to Krishna."
by Rasa Rasika (noreply@blogger.com) at June 11, 2009 04:08 PM
Srila Prabhupada says: "I have been in Russia also. It is not that they are godless. The population is as good as in other country, but the government is suppressing. So that is another chapter...
Sharon Gannon and David Life gave an all-day yoga workshop at the first Yoga Journal Conference in New York City with MC Yogi, a spiritual activist/rapper. Their yoga school, Jivamukti, is known for being a little bit different. That is why they invited us to join them and our new best buddy MC Yogi, to do a special kirtan. The workshop was called “Hot, Hip and Holy” and it lived up to its name. With Wah! on bass, we first accompanied MC Yogi in a rap about Ganesh, the elephant God, and then continued on with a song about Krishna. Our kirtans are always hot and holy, but never have they been quite this hip!
To listen, click on the links below then press play. To download, Right Click on the word “Download” and select “Save As…” from the menu. Having trouble downloading? Read our Help Section.
Part 2 – The early morning efforts
Before the first class on Saturday, one needs to wake up. And this was tough. Perhaps, for me the most. I had a super tiring day at work, then I had to travel to the temple which took a while, then 2 hours wait at the devotee’s house for a car ride, then another 2 hrs ride to the farm on Friday, managed to get some prasadam, got my room which I would share with 4 other devotees and decided to get some sleep. It was already 10pm. By the time I could get some sleep, it was 11:20pm ! And at sharp 3am, I got up. Oh Krishna…it was tough. But there were atleast 15 other devotees in my section of the cottage and I figured that it was better to get the toilet all to myself, if I got in there early. By 4am, I was out of the cottage into the dark forest of New Nandagram. Walking up the gravel road, lit only by a faint moonlight, I made my way to the temple room. Few other devotees from my cottage and others were also making their way. Looked like no one wanted to miss the morning prayers before the much anticipated class began.
Everyone settles down after an ecstatic mangal aroti
The morning mangal aroti prayers at 5am, went very well with so much enthusiasm in everyone’s mind. Very soon, it was time for everyone to start and finish their chanting rounds. The room was warm, the altar looked opulent, the devotees soon filled the place and one could hear everyone’s chanting loud and clear, along with their own. The whole place seemed like a monastery tucked away in the woods. As I had started my rounds at 4am, I had managed to get through half already. Once I completed my rounds, I took some time to observe the devotees around and see their depth of devotion. Later when I looked through the photos, the book “The Nectar of Devotion” by Srila Prabhupad which I read 3 years ago came into my mind. And so, I revisit this book once again and decided to place those lines (in bold) that denotes the importance of chanting.
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Therefore, Vidura advised his elder brother, Dhrtarastra, to concentrate his mind and worship only Krishna. If one simply chants the holy name of Krishna, this holy name will rise within one’s heart like the powerful sun and will immediately dissipate all the darkness of ignorance.
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It is to be understood that any person who is constantly engaged in chanting the holy names of the Lord – Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare – has attained the transcendental affection for Krishna, and as such, in any condition of life, he remains satisfied simply by remembering the Lord’s name in full affection and ecstatic love.
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In the Linga Purana, there is a statement about glorifying and singing about the Lord. It is said there, “A brahmana who is constantly engaged in singing the glories of the Lord is surely elevated to the same planet as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Krishna appreciates this singing even more than the prayers offered by Lord Siva.”
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When a person loudly chants the glories of the Lord’s activities, qualities, form etc., his chanting is called Sankirtana. Sankirtana also refers to the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord.
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This chanting has so much power that it immediately attaches one to Krishna. That is the beginning of Sadhana-bhakti. Somehow or other, one has to fix his mind on Krishna. The great saint Ambarisa Maharaj, although a responsible king, fixed his mind on Krishna, and similarly anyone who tries to fix his mind in this way will very rapidly make progress in successfully reviving his original Krishna Consciousness.
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When Narada Muni was chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, he chanted so loudly that it was apprehended that Lord Nrsimha had appeared. Thus all the demons began to flee in different directions.
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In the Padyavali there is a statement by some devotees; “We shall not care for any outsiders. If they should deride us, we shall still not care for them. We shall simply enjoy the transcendental mellow of chanting Hare Krishna, and thus we shall roll on the ground and dance ecstatically. In this way, we shall eternally enjoy transcendental bliss.
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It is specifically mentioned that the Karmis who are aspiring after the fruitive results of their activities, the salvationists who are aspiring to become one with the Supreme Person, and the yogis who are aspiring after mystic perfections can achieve the results of all perfectional stages simply by chanting the maha-mantra. Sukadeva uses the word nirnitam, which means, “it has already been decided.”…..So Sukadeva Gosvami especially stresses that it has already been concluded that one who has come to the stage of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra with determination and steadiness must be considered to have already passed the trials of fruitive activities, mental speculation and mystic yoga.
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He (Maharaja Prthu) prays to the Supreme Personality of Godhead thus: “My dear Lord, if after taking liberation I have no chance of hearing the glories of Your Lordship, glories chanted by pure devotees from the core of their hearts in praise of Your lotus feet, and if I have no chance for this honey of transcendental bliss, then I shall never ask for liberation or this so-called spiritual emancipation. I shall simply always pray unto Your Lordship that you may give me millions of tongues and millions of ears, so that I can constantly chant and hear of Your transcendental glories.”
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Krishna is always remembered, and his name is always chanted by millions of devotees, but the devotees never become saturated. Instead of becoming disinterested in thinking of Krishna and in chanting His holy name, the devotees get newer and newer impetus to continue the process. Therefore Krishna is ever fresh. Not only Krishna Himself, but also Krishna’s knowledge is ever fresh. Bhagavad-gita, which was imparted five thousand years ago is still being read repeatedly by many, many men and still new light is always being found in it. Therefore, Krishna, and His name, fame, qualities – and everything in relationship with Him – is ever fresh.
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In the Padma Purana also it is stated, “The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is present only on the lips of a person who has for many births worshipped Vasudeva.” It is further said in the Padma Purana, “There is no difference between the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself. As such, the holy name is as perfect as the Lord Himself in fullness, purity and eternity. The holy name is not a material sound vibration, nor has it any material contamination.”
And so like this, watching the devotees in the room, my inspiration for chanting, remembrance of Krishna, association of devotees and eagerness to take in the lectures of exalted vaishnavas greatly increased. And may such emotions never subside in me.
When one is sufficiently eager to achieve success in devotional service, that eagerness is called samutkantha. This means “complete eagerness.” Actually this eagerness is the price for achieving success in Krishna Consciousness. Everything has some value, and one has to pay the value before obtaining or possessing it. It is stated in the Vedic literature that to purchase the most valuable thing, Krishna Consciousness, one has to develop intense eagerness for achieving success.
Strange name for a title, but it’s true! Could refer to falling down into the material world actually, couldn’t it? This is a bit of a follow-on from “Mayapur - hot nectar.” The sickness that surfaced in Mayapur reached a critical point after I was in England for a few weeks and finally the local doctor insisted that I bring myself, sores, boils and all to the hospital for tests. We don’t feel so happy about it as we usually go for ayur vedic or homoeopathic treatments but we aren’t set up over here with practitioners yet and we have to get on with it before things get any more out of hand, (bearing in mind that we are in Krishna’s hands).
I’m looking around the hospital ward now that I’ve been admitted. The time has gone quickly this afternoon. Now it’s 9.30 p.m. already. There are probably five older ladies here (older than me even), some slumbering but the hospital lights stay on until 10 p.m. The protocols are set for everything. Yes, it is a bit like a metaphor for the material world.
I’ve closed the curtains round my bed so I can chant a little after having some friendly conversation with the lady in the opposite bed. I can hear various other conversations also, especially the sad exchanges between the husband and wife in the next booth. She sounds bewildered and is complaining quite a lot; his voice is long-suffering and exasperated, yet I get the impression that he is trying to be patient and kind. Still he curtly responds, “What??” in a vexed tone to most things she asks. After some time, I get a sense of the trap he seems to be in, looking after the lady who was probably a beautiful young woman when he married her. Now he sounds so burdened and she sounds so vulnerable and confused. Later I see them. Her face seems distorted and her hair is in a grotesque bouffant, rather too large for her face which does indeed appear to be twisted somehow. The husband is altogether more suave looking. He speaks of having to go shopping and all the things that he says his wife hasn’t done; all this with a kind of embittered resignation.
Krishna gives me some realisation about the association of devotees. I marvel at how Srila Prabhupada has given us a life centred on devotional engagement so we are not caught up in endless cycles of mundanity; that we serve each other out of respect and love. Husband and wife are a team - a service team, which lifts us above grhamedhi life. We may still have our conditioning or some suffering as long as we are in this material body but sometimes we don’t stop to think how far we have actually come compared to where we were before. The programme that Srila Prabhupada gave to us is so simple. He introduced us to Krishna in His name, form and pastimes and showed us how to make Him the centre of our lives by following the nine processes of devotional service. It is simple - simply wonderful.
A grhastha’s home is an ashrama - we live in the ashram, just as the brahmacaris and brahmacarinis live in their ashram. Here we take shelter of Krishna who is the Lord of our ashram. All activities are performed for His satisfaction. This is what brings us full satisfaction and makes our existence meaningful.
So I’m going to take rest here in Bed 27, yellow ward, Acute Admissions Unit, thanking Krishna for Srila Prabhupada, the life of service he gave us, for my friends and mentors and my husband who just brought in the “Conversations with Srila Prabhupada” for me to read.
Perhaps tomorrow I will get some of Santasya’s soup prasadam! Goodnight Sri Gaura Nitai! As soon as I am out of here I am going to buy some flanelette for warm nightshirts for You. It’s pretty freezing here in England at night at the moment. Jai Sri Sri Radhalondoniswara. I’ve been too sick to come and see You. Jai Srila Prabhupada!
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