Monday, December 28, 2009
Transcript of HH Lokanath Swami's lecture - 2010-02-06 - SB 3.32.23
Live from Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir!
Date: February 6, 2010
Verse: Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.32.23
Speaker: HH Lokanath Swami
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vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
TRANSLATION: Engagement in Krsna consciousness and application of devotional service unto Krsna make it possible to advance in knowledge and detachment, as well as in self-realization.
PURPORT: It is said by less intelligent men that bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is meant for persons who are not advanced in transcendental knowledge and renunciation. But the fact is that if one engages in the devotional service of the Lord in full Krsna consciousness, he does not have to attempt separately to practice detachment or to wait for an awakening of transcendental knowledge. It is said that one who engages unflinchingly in the devotional service of the Lord actually has all the good qualities of the demigods develop in him automatically. One cannot discover how such good qualities develop in the body of a devotee, but actually it happens. There is one instance where a hunter was taking pleasure in killing animals, but after becoming a devotee he was not prepared to kill even an ant. Such is the quality of a devotee.
Those who are very eager to advance in transcendental knowledge can engage themselves in pure devotional service, without wasting time in mental speculation. For arriving at the positive conclusions of knowledge in the Absolute Truth, the word brahma-darsanam is significant in this verse. Brahma-darsanam means to realize or to understand the Transcendence. One who engages in the service of Vasudeva can actually realize what Brahman is. If Brahman is impersonal, then there is no question of darsanam, which means "seeing face to face." Darsanam refers to seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. Unless the seer and the seen are persons, there is no darsanam. Brahma-darsanam means that as soon as one sees the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he can at once realize what impersonal Brahman is. A devotee does not need to make separate investigations to understand the nature of Brahman. Bhagavad-gita also confirms this. Brahma-bhuyaya kalpate: [Bg. 14.26] a devotee at once becomes a self-realized soul in the Absolute Truth. [End of Srila Prabhupada’s purport.]
HH Lokanath Swami: You are all familiar with this verse? In the very beginning it appears and it is here again. The difference is jnanam ca yad ahaitukam [SB 1.2.7] (?) Engagement in Krishna consciousness and application of devotional service unto Krishna make it possible to advance in knowledge and detachment as well as in self realization. So this is Lord Kapiladeva speaking. He has been speaking for some time. He spoke yesterday also. You heard, nityam bhagavata-sevaya [SB 1.2.18] . We are just taking a bite at a time.
tasmat tvam sarva-bhavena bhajasva paramesthinam SB 3.32.22]
That was what we spoke yesterday.
tad-gunasrayaya bhaktya bhajaniya-padambujam [SB 3.32.22]
So already padambujam has been mentioned. Here it refers to darsanam. You start with the lotus feet and then you take complete darsan. Brahma-darsanam. Param brahma param dhama [Bg 10.12] Brahma is param brahma. That is Krishna. His darsan becomes possible by vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah. [Aside –Jayo!] When we talk about darsan, darsan is here. Radha Madhava Ki Jai! So bhakti yoga, performance of bhakti yoga and bhakti not of anybody and everybody - vasudeve bhagavati – bhakti of Vasudev. And who is this Vasudev? What kind of Vasudev? Bhagavati – the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Not Bhagavatidevi. Full difference is there. Bhagavatidevi is rasva(?) here. Bhagavati his ears are there – Bhagavati. As devotional service unto Vasudev is performed, janayaty – that will give rise to janayaty, - janma will take place. As one performs devotional service someone takes birth – janayaty asu – quickly - janayaty asu vairagyam, jnanam - renunciation and knowledge. yad brahma-darsanam – as well as. Prabhupada says, as well as self-realization or brahma- darsanam. Darsan – seeing face to face becomes possible by performance of devotional service. Devotional service is complete and independently most powerful source of everything. Bhanu Maharaj was very nicely explaining that yesterday. From bhakti comes, jnan and vairagya and darsan ultimately - not the other way round.
anayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam [SB 1.2.7]
Once upon a time Narada Muni had a meeting with Bhakti Devi. In Vrindavana they met and Narada Muni said to Bhakti Devi - Bhakti Devi at this time is in big trouble because her two sons – that’s what Narada Muni will be talking. Jnan and vairagya are sons of bhakti. janayaty asu – here we are talking about janma. Jnan and vairgya are are taking birth from Bhakti Devi. [Sanskrit] Once upon a time O Bhakti Devi you had your hands folded, you were in front of the Lord and you enquired kim karomi – what can I do for You my Lord? [Sanskrit] At that time Krishna ordered you or gave you assignment – Bhaktan posa yati(?) Please nourish My devotees. [Sanskrit] And you were ready! “Yes Sir! You wish is my command.” “So be it.” The Lord was very pleased. [Sankrit] At that time the Lord became very, very pleased with you. And what did that pleased satisfied Lord do for you? [Sanskrit] he gave you one maidservant called mukti. The Lord made mukti your dasi. Mukti becomes your maidservant. [Sanskrit]And He also gave two sons – one was jnan and the other was vairagyam [Sanskrit.] You will not find an age like Kaliyuga. The best of all the ages! And in this age of Kali [Sanskrit] I will establish you O Bhakti Devé in this age of Kali I will propagate you. I will establish you [Sanskrit] in every house. [Sanskrit]In everybody or every society or from [Sanskrit] Every society, I will establish you. How will I do this? Do I have some strategy? He says, “I have a strategy how I will propagate you, establish you. [Sanskrit] Sounds familiar? sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg 18.66] It is said in different words here. [Sanskrit] I hate (?) all other processes, all other dharmans or all other ways. [Sanskrit] To keep in forefront of Me. Mahotsavan – the festival, I will organize festivals - mahotsavan. And with the festival as the forum, I will propagate you, establish you everywhere. That was Narada Muni speaking. This is Srimad-Bhagavatam-Mahatmya - Padma Puraëa, Uttara Kanda by Srila Vyasadeva. The greatness of Bhagavatam - Bhagavatam- Mahatmya . I wanted to stop there but you are enquiring.
So Bhakti Devi will go back now to her abode. Her two sons at one point they were in big trouble. Bhakti Devi says, “I was born in South India. Then I kind of grew up, I flourished in Karnataka and Maharastra. Jai Maharastra! But when I went to Gujerat I was fit for intensive care unit - ICU! Somehow I managed to come to Vrindavan I got revived [Sanskrit] In Vrindavan bhakti dances. But look at my sons they are still trembling and because of weakness and exhaustion. Maybe their last breath is not far, it appears! Could you do something? And then he was trying different things – chanting this mantra and the Puranas and the Itihasas, then Vedanta-sutra and this and that. Some help was coming, getting little bit revived or opening little bit eyes and little movement was there but not total revival.
So Narada Muni travels all over looking for the solution. What could be done! What could be done! Then he ends up as he was looking he ends up in Badrikashram were he comes in contact with four kumaras and he explains, “You know this is that state of affairs with Bhakti Devi’s sons and she has asked me to do something. I tried this. I tried that, this mantra, that Veda, that Purana but nothing seems to be working. Do you know what could be done?” And they said, “Sure. You have not done one thing. Or let’s do one thing. Let them hear Srimad Bhagavatam.”
Then the four Kumara’s stepped down. They came down to the foothills of the Himalayas on the banks of Ganga at Haridwar and Bhakti Devi managed to come also to that site where the four Kumaras had come and they were about to recite Srimad Bhagavatam. And everybody was there. Vaisnavas were the first ones to come and all the rivers, all the holy places; all the scriptures also had come. All the demigods are there and Narada Muni is sitting and Bhakti Devi, jnan and vairagya and four Kumaras begin to recite the Srimad Bhagavatam - om namo bhagavate. And it went on and on and on. And then the Lord appeared.
yatra gayanti mad-bhakta tatra tisthami Narada [Padma Purana]
Darsanam becomes possible as one performs devotional service – brahma darsanam. So by process of devotional service they are all busy with the process. It is called sravanam. Sravan bhakti then kirtan bhakti, smaran bhakti. This is bhakti - bhakti-yogah prayojitah [SB 1.2.7] As one engages in this bhakti tad darsanam – darsan becomes possible.
So as they were reciting Srimad Bhagavatam and everyone was listening with rapt attention the Lord appeared – who is non different from His pastimes. The Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead is non different from His transcendental name, form, pastimes or the sound vibration thereof. It is Srila Prabhupada’s purport – SB 1.6.33. I like this.
“As soon as a pure devotee engages himself in the pure devotional service of hearing, chanting and remembering the name, fame and activities of the Lord, at once He becomes visible to the transcendental eyes of the pure devotee by reflecting Himself on the mirror of the heart by spiritual television.” [Srila Prabhupada’s purport – SB 1.6.33.]
As the topics are heard it is like a television is switched on and on the screen you see the Lord and His form and His pastimes. Whatever you are hearing about that is non different from the Lord. So the television of the consciousness – This statement also is by Narada Muni and there also he is talking about darsan from,
ahuta iva me sighram darsanam yati cetasi [SB 1.6.33]
From the consciousness darsan becomes possible. Sighram – as asu vairagyam – quickly! Quickly the jnan, vairagya and darsanam becomes possible as we are hearing that from Kapiladev, Narada Muni elsewhere. How I cam to Krishna consciousness he is talking. How I cam to Krishna consciousness – those kind of articles we write. So he is speaking that firstly to Srila Vyasadev. He is saying, sva-viryani tirtha-padah priya-sravah [SB 1.6.33]. When Lord’s sva-viryani – His virya – His prowess and other items are recited, spoken this is what happens. Then Kapiladev says,
satam prasangan mama virya-samvido [SB 3.25.25]
As soon as the Mahatmas come together – satam – mahatmas come together, immediately - mama virya-samvido - mama virya – Me, Myself, Krishna becomes the topic - bodhayantah parasparam [Bg 10.9] samvido – prasangan or samvit – they talk – akyan – immediately begins.
We also have. Srila Prabhupada also – I am kind of jumping – a similar strategy as Narada Muni coming in that disciplic succession. This strategy also to propagate Krishna consciousness was – mahotsavan – the festivals. He named it Sunday festival and that festival and Mayapur festival and Vrindavan festival, Ratha yatra festival and Janmastami mahä mahotsava and Ramnaumi and on and on and on and on. And our morning program is a festival in itself and wherever there is chanting and dancing and feasting that is a festival. So as soon as devotees get together immediately at the center of that festival - mama virya-samvido and as the topic of discussion begins that is bhakti. That is bhakti!
Sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati [SB 3.25.25.] The stages are from sraddha to prema immediately begins unfolding. Mahatmas come together, the beginning of the festival, beginning of the GBC meetings, GBc’s have come ABC’s have come. Everybody has come together. Senior men have come representing Srila Prabhupada and as soon as the santas come immediately mahotsavan - festival begins, the topic of Krishna begins. They begin talking, they begin singing - Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. bhakti-yogah prayojitah - begins and that results in jnan vairagya and darsanam. We come to the festival to become a little more jnanis – knowledgeable, but that the source is bhakti. Bhakti is at the center. From bhakti we derive jnan, from bhakti we derive detachment, with the help of bhakti come prem and darsan of the Lord – everything in the context of bhakti – context of bhakti. And bhakti is propagated through the festivals.
So the four Kumaras they are also festival is Bhagavat recitation – mahotsava – was going on and Bhakti Devi, jnan and vairagya also was hearing and as the Lords topics were being remembered and reciteted Lord appeared there. And some more personalities appeared there. Brahma comes, Siva comes all devatas come, Sukadeva Goswami comes – om namo bhagavate As Sukadev Goswami was coming was coming he was reciting verses from Bhagavatam as he always doe. Prahlad Maharaj comes. Uddhava comes. Vyasadev has arrived. Indra is there, the whole universe is there practically and the Lord has already appeared there. As Bhagavat is recited the Lord has appeared and with all these devotees big roaring kirtan begins. Prahlad Maharaj is playing kartalas, Uddhava is playing whompers, Narad Muni has his vina – vina dhari. [Sanskrit] Arjuna is something like – aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! – raga kartaha arjuno.(?) [Sanskrit] Indra is playing a mrdanga in that assembly. [Sanskrit] Jayho jayho, jayho!!! The Kumaras are doing that and Sukadev Goswami is expressing all prowess, all the emotions.
So everyone has a role to play in that. And that kirtan and look! He is showing us - look at jnan and vairagya and Bhakti Devi also they are dancing like peacock in that kirtan. When they were brought on their feet their ambulance put them on the stretcher and gentle place them. They were lying down and trembling they were not sure whether they will survive - last breath. But as they heard Bhagavatam, as they performed this sravan bhakti of hearing Bhagavatam not only did they survive but they thrived/survived and they jumped and they were dancing in that kirtan. So this is Bhagavatam Mahatmya.
They are making the point that from bhakti comes jnan and vairagya. Janayaty asu vairagyam jnanam ca yad ahaitukam [SB 1.2.7] She had given birth to them but then the influence of the age of Kali and they were very much exhausted and out of it but as they came to the festival, they heard Bhagavatam from the lips of these devotes – the four Kumaras. Their batteries were charged. We talk this language in Iskcon. And it was the end of the festival. We are in the first day of the festival. Immediately they were equipped with jnan and vairagya and darsanam. Darsan was already taken in that place because in the middle of the recitation of Bhagavatam Lord has appeared and everybody is able to take darsan of the Lord.
This year also is another big festival or a big theme for the festival is what? You know what – Lord Caitanya’s [aside – Ekalavya said something] 500th anniversary of sannyasa. This is the theme of the different festival, different devotees, different leaders are making that the theme of their festivals. I don’t know what’s the theme of this festival – but very much that sannyas took place not far from here. The Lord who stayed in Yogapith here in Mayapur.
Caitanya Bhagavat says if you wish to develop detachment and vairagya you should listen to the pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu taking sannyasa. Are you interested in developing detachment? Anyone here? No one is attached. Suno suno bhai prabhurere sannyas(?) Suno brothers and sisters – only brother are mentioned but all the souls – [Bengali] If you hear the pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa you will develop all the detachment. You just have to sit down and hear the Lord’s pastimes. He is taking sannyasa, He is renouncing all that. If you sit down and hear this and automatically – Prabhupada says automatically, unknowingly! Does anyone know how it happens but it happens. You just hear and bhakti is so potent. You touch the fire – how you touch, when you touch, who touches, regardless of all this it will burn. So listen to the pastime of Lord taking sannyasa. Now is not the time.
For those who had come to Nimai’s home – business as usual – everyday they used to come and hat day they also had come. “Where is Nimai?” There was no Nimai. He had already left. Only Saci matta – she was also just sitting around and not only sitting of course – full of tears, speechless. And after long time she said, [Bengali] “Listen, listen O you all assembled. You know this is property of Visnu.” Her home – Nimai’s home “And you are Vaisnava’s. Go ahead pick up everything and anything that you like, some parcels – something, something. You take it away now.” Like that she was hinting indirectly what had happened that night. And soon they all realized.
[Bengali] They are all falling down, collapsing. Like when you cut banana tree at the bottom it falls down. So they all were falling, collapsing all around. [Bengali] And they were full of arthas (?) crying. [Bengali]They were embracing each other and crying. And they were rolling on the ground. Someone says, “Okay. Let’s all go now. Let’s go home and let’s put all our homes on fire. Let’s wear some earring and take some kamandalu or some staff. Let’s leave this place. There is nothing here worth residing.” Those were their thoughts. Those were some but there are more. That was the nature of their thoughts. Does that sound like detachment?
“Anything and everything that we are attached to just burn that to pieces or ashes! Let’s just walk out of here. Let’s get out of here.” While they were crying of course Nimai had left. (Is someone going to stop us? You? Those who were in business they left already – Laughter.) So Caitanya Mahaprabhu had crossed Ganga and reached Katwa and met Kesava bharati getting ready for sannyasa.
“Hey who has recommended this sannyasa?” Some people in the audience they said, “We don’t accept this sannyasa. No whay he has to take sannyasa. Who is recommending this and who has put this into the sastras – this process of sannyasa? No, We don’t… No, no, no!” Protest – no sannyasa. The barber had come and he was sitting in front of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was shaving hair. He had razor but he was trembling. “ No I cannot cut this hair now.” He thinks the hair of the Lord is the Lord Himself. His hair is non different from Him. “ I cannot cut hair!” And he was crying and rolling on the ground while others were protesting. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Haribol! Haribol.” “Sit down sit down stay there, we shall see what happens.”
It says in Caitanya Bhagavat that it took most of the days spent in getting shaved! People were protesting. The barber was no ready. Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the middle jumps up and is dancing and He sits down again. The whole scene was going on. Finally He was shaved up. Then He runs to Ganga to take bath and comes back. For the first time he now has saffron clothes on and He really looks beautiful. Kandarpa-koti-kaminiya-visesa-sobham. [Brahma-samhita 5.30.] That kind of attractive he looks like.
Then Kesava Bharati, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, “You know last night one mahajan said one mantra to Me – sannyas mantra.” “Oh which one?” And Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “This mantra. This mantra he said. Is that the right mantra?” “This is pukka! This is the one. This is the right mantra.” So Caitanya Mahaprabhu had given the mantra to Kesava Bharati and that was the right mantra. So Kesava Bharati was initiated first. “Okay now give Me that mantra.” So Caitanya Mahaprabhu received the mantra. “Okay take danda, take kamandalu.” And there was a big roaring kirtan. Before that, “Your name is - You are Krishna. You are known as Krishna. krsnaya krsna-caitanya- [Cc Madhya 19.53] And because with Your sankirtana you will make this world full of Caitanya – full of Caitanya. The world is dead but with Your sankirtana You will make this world lively and living and You will stir up the whole world – Caitanya. So Krishna and with sankirtana You will bring – invest Caitanya consciousness into everybody. So You name from today onwards would be Sri Krishna Caitanya.” And so that was it and there was a big kirtan.
Lord Caitanya’s danda flew somewhere, His kamandalu flew somewhere and He was dancing in kirtan. Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu Ki Jai! Nitai Gaura Premanande. Hari hari bol. [Applause]
Sannyasa acceptance by His Grace Brhat-mrdanga Prabhu
On 24th December 2009 at Sri Sri Radhanath Temple of Understanding or Iskcon Durban, South Africa, in the presence of His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Bhrnga Govinda Swami, and several hundred devotees, HH Giriraj Swami awarded sannyasa, the renounced order, to Brhat Mrdanga Prabhu. He is now His Holiness Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami.His Holiness Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami, in his quest for spiritual understanding prior to becoming a full time member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness joined the Divine Life Society were he studied under Sri Swami Sahajananda. However due to his constant inquest into spiritual understanding Sri Swami Sahajananda told him that he was a missionary and should join the Hare Krishna Movement. He acquired a set of the Srimad Bhagavatam and several other books written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and was deeply moved by these sublime teachings. This prompted him to become a full time member of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Here is a brief Bio Data of His Holiness Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami.
1983 - Brhat-mrdanga dasa, a former school-teacher, joined ISKCON in Durban,
South Africa.
1985 to 1988:
a) Distributed over 30 000 books (mainly "Science of Self Realizations" and
"Bhagavad Gitas" in South Africa.
b) Preached extensively to high school and university students in South
Africa .
c) Placed full sets of Srila Prabhupada's books in over 50 libraries,
colleges and universities through book sponsorships in South Africa.
d) Sankirtana Leader and Chairman of ISKCON Kwa-Zulu Natal (a province of
South Africa) Congregational Council.
1989 to 1992 - Vice-President of Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple, ISKCON
Durban.
1990(July) to 1991(April) - Completed the First(and only) Preacher Trainer's
Course at VIHE, Vrndavana.
1991 - Founded the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture(BCEC) in
Durban, South Africa.
a) Under his direction(and travelling internationally since 1994), BCEC has
expanded to other countries: Hong Kong, Philippines, India, Kenya,
Mauritius, England, Ireland, Canada, USA, Trinidad and Guyana.
b) BCEC offers bridging courses like 'Bhakti-Sadacara', 'Yoga Ladder'
leading up to Bhakti-sastri/Vaibhava degrees. Certification includes
Bhakti-sadacara certificate, Bhakti-gita diploma and Bhakti-sastri/Vaibhava
degrees. Courses are also offered for children. Since July 1991, 13470
students have passed through Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture.
1997 to 2000 - President of Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple, ISKCON Durban.
2001 to 2004 - Co-President of Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir, ISKCON
Vrndavana.
2004 to 2006 - Regional Secretary for Gauteng, South Africa.
Currently, Brhat-mrdanga dasa serves as:
* Co-International Director of Bhaktivedanta College of Education &
Culture(BCEC)
* Member of the GBC Ministry of Educational Development (MED)
* Member of the GBC Succession Committee
* Chairman of ISKCON Leadership Education And Development System (ISKCON
LEADS), A GBC Succession Committee Initiative
* Member of the Board of Directors of Mayapur Institute (MI)
To those who know him well he remains a friend, mentor, role model and well-wisher.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
From meditative bhajans to blissful kirtans
At the Japa retreat with HH Giriraj Swami and Her Grace Mother Arcana Siddhi held in South Africa between the 11th to the 15th Dec 2009 each day culminated in the meditative kirtans with HG Madhava Prabhu. Madhava Prabhu is formerly from Mauritius and has been a devotee from his early childhood. His parents are also initiated long standing devotees in Mauritius. Madhava Prabhu mentioned on the first night that he was once told by HH Radhanath Swami that good japa leads to good kirtan. He asked the devotees to allow the holy name to enter to their ears and to then allow it to enter into their hearts.
In Africa beat is in the blood so eventually what started as meditative bhajans exploded to kirtan and blissful dancing. Kirtan brings together such a feeling of togetherness amongst the devotees. Above is HH Giriraj Swami and His Grace Karanamrta Prabhu swing on each others arms.
All of the 140 devotees made two trains at one point - one with the Matajis and one with the Prabhus.
Above is HG Madhava Prabhu and His Holiness Giriraj Swami chanting and hearing. Chanting we were told is our time to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Each mantra is an opportunity to hear and associate. When one chants with humility and sincerity, attentively then the various gates/obstacles/knots in the heart open and a flood of grace or mercy will be experienced. We broke our relationship with Krishna. The essence of Bhakti is to re-establish our relationship with Krishna. The essence of the process of bhakti is to chant attentive japa.
Meditative japa will also help us to always remember Krishna and to never forget Him. In a relationship it is not that we should give full attention to the beloved for two hours and then ignore Him for the following 22 hours. When a relationship is cultivated/reawakened through meditative japa then the mercy of the holy name flows and one feels like chanting more, associating with Krishna more, through all of our actions and thoughts throughout the whole day.
Above are two illustrious attendees at the retreat, HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami and HG Brhat-mrdanga Prabhu [who in a few days will take sannyas initiation from HH Giriraj Swami] dancing through a tunnel of devotee hands. Indeed kirtan in the association of devotees brings bliss to all. Happy chanting and dancing - Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
In Africa beat is in the blood so eventually what started as meditative bhajans exploded to kirtan and blissful dancing. Kirtan brings together such a feeling of togetherness amongst the devotees. Above is HH Giriraj Swami and His Grace Karanamrta Prabhu swing on each others arms.
All of the 140 devotees made two trains at one point - one with the Matajis and one with the Prabhus.
Above is HG Madhava Prabhu and His Holiness Giriraj Swami chanting and hearing. Chanting we were told is our time to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Each mantra is an opportunity to hear and associate. When one chants with humility and sincerity, attentively then the various gates/obstacles/knots in the heart open and a flood of grace or mercy will be experienced. We broke our relationship with Krishna. The essence of Bhakti is to re-establish our relationship with Krishna. The essence of the process of bhakti is to chant attentive japa.
Meditative japa will also help us to always remember Krishna and to never forget Him. In a relationship it is not that we should give full attention to the beloved for two hours and then ignore Him for the following 22 hours. When a relationship is cultivated/reawakened through meditative japa then the mercy of the holy name flows and one feels like chanting more, associating with Krishna more, through all of our actions and thoughts throughout the whole day.
Above are two illustrious attendees at the retreat, HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami and HG Brhat-mrdanga Prabhu [who in a few days will take sannyas initiation from HH Giriraj Swami] dancing through a tunnel of devotee hands. Indeed kirtan in the association of devotees brings bliss to all. Happy chanting and dancing - Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Saturday, December 19, 2009
Japa Retreat with HH Giriraj Swami and Her Grace Arcana Siddhi Mataji
After four years HH Giriraj Swami visited South Africa. He has been doing several programs and attended the annual Ratha Yatra at Lenasia, Johannessburg. From the 11th to the 15th December he had a Japa retreat with about 140 devotees. Together with Her Grace Mother Arcana Siddhi an extremely well appreciated workshop was expertly facilitated.
His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami was also in attendance. The atmosphere was very surcharged with spiritual energy as every one gathered to chant at 4.30am. The setting was the tranquil atmosphere of the Drakensburg Mountains. The focus want to chant attentively and to hear each mantra. Each name is actually a personality that can reciprocate with the sincere chanter.
One day was set aside to chant 64 rounds. All the devotees participated in all seriousness. Some chanted much more. The attendees proclaimed the experience to be life altering. Hearts were pierced and minds were spinning. One devotee remarked that his chanting for many years was synonymous to calling numbers but at the retreat he learnt to chant with his heart as well as hear every name audibly.
To chant with a mood of a receiver rather than an achiever was the prerogative. Quelling the turbulent mind and engaging it peacfully was also discussed. The beauty of the Japa Retreat was that we did not have to hear anything but japa.
Many preachers that attended the Japa Retreat developed determination to put all the tools into serious practice and to repeat the experience in various places. Indeed personal japa cannot be the same after attending this retreat.
Mother Arcana Siddhi, who also facilitated the workshops was an embodiment of love, compassion and deep friendship to all. During her breaks she spent much time speaking to devotees. Whatever she taught was present in the character of her husband His Grace Karanamrta Prabhu. Just to be in the presence of such serious chanters, such special facilitators was indeed a benediction that really touched the heart. We are all very eager to do the next level workshop together and to progress eternally together, to please Srila Prabhupada and to thus advance spiritually together forever.
His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami was also in attendance. The atmosphere was very surcharged with spiritual energy as every one gathered to chant at 4.30am. The setting was the tranquil atmosphere of the Drakensburg Mountains. The focus want to chant attentively and to hear each mantra. Each name is actually a personality that can reciprocate with the sincere chanter.
One day was set aside to chant 64 rounds. All the devotees participated in all seriousness. Some chanted much more. The attendees proclaimed the experience to be life altering. Hearts were pierced and minds were spinning. One devotee remarked that his chanting for many years was synonymous to calling numbers but at the retreat he learnt to chant with his heart as well as hear every name audibly.
To chant with a mood of a receiver rather than an achiever was the prerogative. Quelling the turbulent mind and engaging it peacfully was also discussed. The beauty of the Japa Retreat was that we did not have to hear anything but japa.
Many preachers that attended the Japa Retreat developed determination to put all the tools into serious practice and to repeat the experience in various places. Indeed personal japa cannot be the same after attending this retreat.
Mother Arcana Siddhi, who also facilitated the workshops was an embodiment of love, compassion and deep friendship to all. During her breaks she spent much time speaking to devotees. Whatever she taught was present in the character of her husband His Grace Karanamrta Prabhu. Just to be in the presence of such serious chanters, such special facilitators was indeed a benediction that really touched the heart. We are all very eager to do the next level workshop together and to progress eternally together, to please Srila Prabhupada and to thus advance spiritually together forever.Each evening culminated in meditative bhajan and kirtan with His Grace Madhava Prabhu.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Friday, December 18, 2009
HH Giriraj Swami melts more hearts at the Drakensburg Mountain Village
On 9th December 2009 His Holiness Giriraj Swami, Mother Arcana Siddhi and her good husband His Grace Karanamrta Prabhu went to the Drakensburg Village - South Africa. Many were attracted to their presence there and enthusiastically chanted in response to Maharaj. This is the first time that the holy name was heard and spread in this remote village.
HH Giriraj Swami distributed prasad to the locals. He also taught them to chant Hare Krishna.
Above the devotees get a demonstration of an African tribal dance from an old lady.
Lots of cows wander the land freely. Other African wildlife is also present in this wilderness.
HH Giriraj Swami distributed prasad to the locals. He also taught them to chant Hare Krishna.
Above the devotees get a demonstration of an African tribal dance from an old lady.
Lots of cows wander the land freely. Other African wildlife is also present in this wilderness.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Please pray for Krishna Das Prabhu
On the evening of Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa puja this year we called Krishna das Prabhu who is pictured above [the pic is the only one I could find of him and is taken from his web page.] He was as usual so enlivened to increase his committment to preach Krishna Consciousness. We were enlivened by his attitude. A few hours later at 2am his house burnt down. Krishna das Prabhu slipped his young son Darshan out through a burglar bar and sent him to get an axe from the gardener's quarters. This is what he used to slash the burglar bars and save his family from the flames of the burning house - including his mother in law who was recovering from a hip relacement operation. A neighbor later saw the burning thatch roof and broke the concrete pillars and steel gate and helped the rescue operation. The house burn down and everyone else escaped with no injuries by Krishna's kind mercy.
Krishna das Prabhu was hospitalized on the 26th of August and discharged yesterday. He sustained some injury in his ear and lungs etc. He was discharged yesterday - 8th Sept. Today as he was boarding a plane to go to work he collapsed and was hospitalized. A scan was down and a brain tumor is suspected.
We humbly appeal to the worldwide community to pray for his well being and for his family to have the strength to overcome these trying times.
His family and him were the host of many travelling preachers like, Their Grace's Hari Sauri Prabhu; Deena Bandhu Prabhu, Uttama Mataji and Partha Prabhu, Kurma Prabhu and many others. He is an outstanding Vaisnava. Please pray.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa puja offering - 2009 - HH Giriraj Swami
My dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories toYour Divine Grace. All glories to your causeless mercy.
We have gathered at your lotus feet to glorify you on your appearance day.Today I thought to read a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam that describesKrsna's mercy, as bestowed in particular upon the demoness Putana. The verseis appropriate because it glorifies the quality of mercifulness, which wasso prominent in you, and it suggests to what extent you were willing to givemercy. Even to a demoness who came to administer poison to Him and kill Him,Krsna bestowed His supreme mercy. In a similar mood, you bestowed your mercyupon people who were lowly and fallen, and you were unreserved in bestowingit upon them.
The verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Three, Chapter Two: "Remembranceof Lord Krsna."
aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam jighamsayapayayad apy asadhvilebhe gatim dhatry-ucitam tato 'nyam kam va dayalum saranam vrajema
"Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted theposition of mother to a she-demon [Putana] although she was unfaithful andshe prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?" (SB 3.2.23)
In your purport you write:
"Here is an example of the extreme mercy of the Lord, even to His enemy. Itis said that a noble man accepts the good qualities of a person of doubtfulcharacter, just as one accepts nectar from a stock of poison. In Hisbabyhood [Krsna] was administered deadly poison by Putana, a she-demon whotried to kill the wonderful baby. And because she was a demon, it wasimpossible for her to know that the Supreme Lord, even though playing thepart of a baby, was no one less than the same Supreme Personality ofGodhead. His value as the Supreme Lord did not diminish upon His becoming ababy to please His devotee Yasoda. The Lord may assume the form of a baby ora shape other than that of a human being, but it doesn't make the slightestdifference; He is always the same Supreme. A living creature, howeverpowerful he may become by dint of severe penance, can never become equal tothe Supreme Lord."
Srila Prabhupada, you always glorified Krsna as the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, and you instructed everyone to take shelter of Krsna. Many peoplewho came in touch with you were struck by this fact. George Harrison, forexample, said that so many svamis and gurus tell their followers tosurrender to them but that you, Srila Prabhupada, always said, "Krsna is theSupreme Personality of Godhead; one should surrender to Him."
Once, a new devotee approached you and said, "Srila Prabhupada, I can trustyou; I can surrender to you. But I can't trust your representatives. I can'tsurrender to them, because I fear they may cheat me." And you replied,"Don't surrender to me either. I may also cheat you. Surrender to Krsna."
Your purport concludes:
"Lord Krsna accepted the motherhood of Putana because she pretended to be anaffectionate mother, allowing Krsna to suck her breast. The Lord accepts theleast qualification of the living entity and awards him the highest reward.That is the standard of His character. Therefore, who but the Lord can bethe ultimate shelter?"
Srila Prabhupada,
As aspiring devotees, we still have qualities in common with Putana, and sowe too are in need of extreme mercy from the Lord--and from Your DivineGrace.
One quality mentioned in the verse is jighamsaya--she acted out of envy. Weare in the material world out of envy of Krsna. We don't want to accept Himas the supreme enjoyer; we want to enjoy independent of Him. We are enviousof Him, and it is actually envy that keeps us in the material world. Onlyone who is completely liberated and pure can be free from envy. SrinivasaAcarya glorifies the Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, dhiradhira-jana-priyau: Theyare dear to both the gentle and the ruffians. They are pleasing to everyonebecause they are not envious of anyone (nirmatsarau), and thus they areworshipable (pujitau). You explained that one who is nonenvious isworshipable because one can be nonenvious only if he is a pure devotee. Ournatural position is to serve Krsna (jivera 'svarupa' haya--krsnera'nitya-dasa'); if we act as anything other than an eternal servant of Krsna,it means that we have not fully realized our actual position and that ouroriginal envy of Krsna, which brought us into the material world, is still,to some degree, lingering.
After starting your mission in New York and San Francisco, you suffered astroke, and after all efforts to recover in America had failed, you decidedto return to India to recoup your health. Before your departure, you visitedthe San Francisco temple. No one had expected you, in your condition, tospeak, but you asked for the microphone. You spoke about your mission, howunder the order of your spiritual master you had brought Lord Caitanya'smovement to America and how Krsna had kindly sent so many sincere souls. Youtold the devotees, "I have a few children in India from my family days, butyou are my real children. Now I am going to India for a little while."
One of your early disciples from San Francisco suddenly entered the room.The devotees knew that he wanted to leave Krsna consciousness, that hehadn't taken his initiation vows seriously, and that he wanted to moveon--he didn't want a spiritual master any more. The other devotees had triedto discourage him, but he had persisted. Now they were incredulous: howcould he do such a thing on the night before your departure?
The devotee, Ravindra-svarupa, fell to the floor to offer obeisances, but hedidn't rise up. Instead, he began crawling on his hands and knees towardyou. This dramatic encounter is vividly described in SrilaPrabhupada-lilamrta: "Ravindra usually had a cavalier manner, enhanced by ahandsome face, long tousled hair, and a beard. But now he was wretched andsobbing and crazy. He crawled towards Prabhupada, who sat but two steps offthe floor on the simple redwood dais. Prabhupada looked at him withcompassion: 'Come here, my boy.' Ravindra crawled up the steps and placedhis bushy head on Prabhupada's lap. Moved, the devotees watched asPrabhupada stroked Ravindra's head and the boy cried and cried.
"'What's wrong, my son? You don't have to be so unhappy.'
"Ravindra bawled out, 'I want . . . ,' he sobbed, 'aah . . . to . . . aah .. . reach God directly! Without anyone in between!'
"Prabhupada continued to pat and stroke the boy's head: 'No, you continue tostay with us if possible. Don't be a crazy fellow.' Ravindra's weepingsubsided, and Prabhupada continued, speaking both to Ravindra and to theemotion-struck group in the room. 'I am an old man,' he said. 'I may die atany moment. But please, you all carry on this sankirtana movement. You haveto become humble and tolerant. As Lord Caitanya says, be as humble as ablade of grass and more tolerant than a tree. You must have enthusiasm andpatience to push on this Krsna conscious philosophy.'
"Suddenly Ravindra's tears were gone. He jumped up, dejectedly stood,hesitating for a moment, and then hurried out the door, banging it behindhim.
"Ravindra-svarupa's dramatic exit from Krsna consciousness shocked thedevotees. Prabhupada sat still and continued speaking to them gravely,asking them to stick together and push on the movement, for their ownbenefit and for others. Whatever they had learned, he said, they shouldrepeat.
"They realized, perhaps for the first time, that they were part of apreaching mission, a movement. They . . . had a loving obligation to Swamijiand Krsna."
Although Ravindra-svarupa's exhibition may have been extreme, in principlehe is no different from many of us. We also don't want anyone between us andKrsna. We don't want to surrender; we want to be Krsna. But by your mercy wehave been engaged in devotional service and are undertaking the process ofpurification--chanting the holy names, hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam,associating with devotees, worshiping the Deity, and as far as possibleresiding in Mathura, Vrndavana, Mayapur, or any temple of Gaura-Nitai orRadha-Krsna.
Putana was asadhvi, unfaithful. And she pretended to be something that shewas not. She was actually a demon, but by her mystic powers she presentedherself as a very beautiful woman. Of course, it is not entirely wrong topresent oneself as something that one is not. Sometimes, for social reasons,we must, but internally we should remain faithful. The problem is thatinternally sometimes we become unfaithful (asadhvi). We want tosurrender--we decide to surrender--but then we take back our surrender. Ithappens all the time. We surrender--decide to surrender--and then withdrawour surrender. We are not sure whether we should surrender. We are not surewhether the process will work, whether we will get the result. We are notsure whether we will be successful in our attempt. We are not sure whetherKrsna will take care of us. We are not sure our desires will be fulfilled.
Ultimately, it comes to faith (sraddha), upon which all progress depends.
'sraddha'-sabde--visvasa kahe sudrdha niscayakrsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya
"Sraddha is confident, firm faith that by rendering transcendental lovingservice to Krsna one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. Suchfaith is favorable to the discharge of devotional service." (Cc Madhya22.62)
Even in your presence devotees did not always understand you. Most of thepeople who joined you were young, in their late teens or early twenties, andit was years before any of them left his or her body. The first I recall wasJaya Gopala dasa, who lost his life in an automobile accident. His youngwife was distraught, and you assured her that Jaya Gopala had gone back toGodhead and that she would join him. One of my godbrothers commented thatyou had said that just to encourage her.
Then I came across a book called His Divine Grace by Danavir Goswami.Looking through it, I saw a photo of Jaya Gopala, with the caption: "SrilaPrabhupada stated that Jaya Gopala was not ready to go back to Godhead butthat Krsna made an exception and took him back anyway." That is causelessmercy--your mercy. Krsna has no interest in anything of the material world.He is interested only in devotees. And it is only because of the mercy of adevotee that Krsna takes interest in someone who is not yet truly a devotee.Why else would Krsna make an exception for us--other than your mercy?Otherwise, who is Jaya Gopala dasa--or any of us--to Krsna? It is because ofour connection with you that we have any standing in Krsna's eyes.
Of course, as you always told us, Krsna is the Supersoul. He is in the heartof every living entity as the witness and overseer. And He loves the livingentities and accompanies them wherever they go. But He is neutral. He letsthem act to fulfill their desires. He doesn't interfere. However, when adevotee intervenes, Krsna takes special interest. One who has received adevotee's mercy gets Krsna's mercy, and that is true for all of us, yourfollowers, now. Otherwise, why should we be engaged in devotional service?We are just conditioned souls who have come into the material world toenjoy, in imitation of Krsna. Why should we even be in your temple? We arehere by your mercy, and thus we are making the effort to purify our hearts,hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam and chanting the holy names, and become truedevotees.
Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami told me a nice story--a thought or realization thathe had had. It relates to your mercy and leads to the conclusion kam vadayalum saranam vrajema: "How shall I take shelter of one more merciful?" Inother words, "You are so merciful; how can I find anyone more merciful? Howcan I take shelter of anyone else?"
Sometimes it happens that your followers meet saintly persons outside ofISKCON. One year, Satsvarupa Maharaja went to Jagannatha Puri, during theholy month of Purusottama, to spend some time with one such sadhu. But whilethere, Satsvarupa Maharaja felt uncomfortable; he didn't feel at home inthat association. He felt that you created ISKCON to be his home and that hecould feel at home only in ISKCON--nowhere else.
Then he went a step further. He imagined a time when he would leave his bodyand come to the precincts of Krsnaloka and the gatekeeper would ask him,"Who are you?" He suddenly became fearful, thinking that he was taking agamble by turning himself into a siksa disciple of that sadhu rather thanremaining an exclusive disciple of Your Divine Grace. He wasn't sure exactlywhat his relationship with that sadhu was or what that sadhu might say toKrsna on his behalf.
Then he imagined a different sequence. In this one, when the gatekeeperasked, "Who are you?" he would reply, "I am Satsvarupa dasa, a disciple ofHis Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada." He imagined thegatekeeper going to you and asking, "Satsvarupa has come to the gate--Whatshould we do?" And he imagined that you would say, "Satsvarupa? MySatsvarupa? Call him immediately."
To me, this provides a striking picture of you and your mercy, and it servesto answer the rhetorical question "How shall I take shelter of one moremerciful than he?" For us, there is no one more merciful. There is no needto take shelter of anyone else, and there will be no gain if we leave you totake shelter of anyone else.
Two years ago I had the good fortune to meet your disciple Narayani dasiagain. I hadn't seen her for many years, and then, at a japa workshop inHouston, I met her again.
During the workshop a devotee asked her, "Sastra says that if you chant amantra knowing its meaning you get more benefit than by reciting it withoutknowing its meaning. So, what is the meaning of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra?"She replied that the mantra is a prayer, "O Krsna, O Radharani, pleaseengage me in Your service. O Lord, O energy of the Lord, please engage me inYour service." A little later someone else asked the same question.Obviously they were looking for more. And she gave the same answer. Shesaid, "I know that there are other explanations of the meaning, but this isthe meaning that Srila Prabhupada gave, and I'm satisfied with it. I don'tfeel any need to pursue the matter further."
After the last session of the workshop I asked her about that question andher response--"Did you give that answer because it was a general audienceand you wanted to stay within Srila Prabhupada's direct instructions? Was itbecause of the circumstances that you gave that answer?" She said, "No, it'sbecause of me." She said that sometimes as a teacher at the VIHE she isexpected to speak from the commentaries of previous acaryas, on theBhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, but that if she sees a differencebetween what a previous acarya says and what you say, she can't present whatthe previous acarya says. She told me, "It's not because of thecircumstances or the audience--it's because of me." I asked, "Why do youwant to repeat only what Srila Prabhupada said, not what any other acaryahas said?" And she replied, "Because Srila Prabhupada is more merciful."
Then she told a story that she had heard. You were giving a talk in whichyou said that in order to go back home, back to Godhead, one must be centpercent pure, cent percent free of material desires and attachments. Whenyou saw that the devotees were discouraged, you said, "All right, 90%."Still they were dejected. Then you said, "All right, 80%." Still they werecrestfallen. Then you said, "All right, 75%--but not less."
After the talk, you commented, "If you just hold on to my lotus feet, I willtake you back to Godhead. I have the key to the back door."
Mother Narayani continued, "Actually, my only qualification to speak or todo anything is my faith in Srila Prabhupada. I feel that we are not soqualified to go in the front door, so our only hope is to strictly followSrila Prabhupada, because he can recommend us to Srimati Radharani and LordKrsna and open the door for us to enter the spiritual world."
We, your followers, have already received your mercy, and we are in aposition to receive even more. We just have to follow your instructions.Once, I heard that you had said, "Your qualification is that I give aninstruction . . ." I thought the rest of the sentence would be "and youfollow it," but the statement was "Your qualification is that I give you aninstruction and you try to follow it." Not even that we follow it--just thatwe try to follow it.
(Of course, we must try sincerely and seriously, by all means, with all ofour energy and resources, to follow.)
In our japa retreats we emphasize chanting with attention, without offense.We encourage devotees to pronounce each syllable distinctly and hear eachsyllable attentively. To chant inattentively is an offense. So, I thought ofmy initiation letter--you sent it to me in Boston from Los Angeles--in whichyou instructed me to avoid the ten offenses. And I thought, "Oh, my God,that was practically the first instruction I got from Srila Prabhupada--theone I got when I was initiated--and now, forty years later, I still haven'tbeen able to follow it, which is another offense: to disobey the orders ofthe spiritual master." So I thought, "I am just drowning in offenses." Andthen I thought, "I better reread that letter, to try to get some strengthand inspiration." I reread it, and there was the instruction: "You shouldavoid the ten offenses as far as possible." You were so merciful--you knewthat I couldn't avoid them completely. So you saved me from the offense ofdisobeying your order, by writing "as far as possible."
So that is our qualification, according to you. And that is our hope. If wesincerely try to follow your instructions strictly--if we just hold on toyour lotus feet--you will do the rest. You will take us back home, back toGodhead.
And then? As you wrote, "We will have another ISKCON in the spiritual sky."And what will we do there? We will engage in the same activities that yougave us here--chanting, dancing, feasting, and discussion of Krsna. As yousaid, "The aim of this Krsna consciousness movement is to enable us toapproach Radha-Krsna and associate with the Supreme Lord in His sublimepleasure dance . . . to enter into the dancing party of Radha-Krsna." And ifwe are not completely successful in the present lifetime? You wrote, "It istrue that the spiritual master remains in the material universe until all ofhis disciples are transferred to the spiritual sky. . . . Therefore, everystudent should be very much careful not to commit any offense that will bedetrimental to this promotion to the spiritual kingdom, and thereby thespiritual master has to incarnate again to deliver him. This sort ofmentality will be a kind of offense to the spiritual master. Out of the tenkinds of offenses, the number-one offense is to disobey the orders of thespiritual master. The instructions given to the disciple by the spiritualmaster at the time of initiation should be strictly followed. That will makeone advance to the spiritual path."
Srila Prabhupada, I do not want you to have to come back to deliver me, orany of us. I will try my best to follow your instructions, withoutoffense--and depend on your causeless mercy.
Hare Krsna.
Your fallen, eternal servant,Giriraj Swami
Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories toYour Divine Grace. All glories to your causeless mercy.
We have gathered at your lotus feet to glorify you on your appearance day.Today I thought to read a verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam that describesKrsna's mercy, as bestowed in particular upon the demoness Putana. The verseis appropriate because it glorifies the quality of mercifulness, which wasso prominent in you, and it suggests to what extent you were willing to givemercy. Even to a demoness who came to administer poison to Him and kill Him,Krsna bestowed His supreme mercy. In a similar mood, you bestowed your mercyupon people who were lowly and fallen, and you were unreserved in bestowingit upon them.
The verse is from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Three, Chapter Two: "Remembranceof Lord Krsna."
aho baki yam stana-kala-kutam jighamsayapayayad apy asadhvilebhe gatim dhatry-ucitam tato 'nyam kam va dayalum saranam vrajema
"Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted theposition of mother to a she-demon [Putana] although she was unfaithful andshe prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast?" (SB 3.2.23)
In your purport you write:
"Here is an example of the extreme mercy of the Lord, even to His enemy. Itis said that a noble man accepts the good qualities of a person of doubtfulcharacter, just as one accepts nectar from a stock of poison. In Hisbabyhood [Krsna] was administered deadly poison by Putana, a she-demon whotried to kill the wonderful baby. And because she was a demon, it wasimpossible for her to know that the Supreme Lord, even though playing thepart of a baby, was no one less than the same Supreme Personality ofGodhead. His value as the Supreme Lord did not diminish upon His becoming ababy to please His devotee Yasoda. The Lord may assume the form of a baby ora shape other than that of a human being, but it doesn't make the slightestdifference; He is always the same Supreme. A living creature, howeverpowerful he may become by dint of severe penance, can never become equal tothe Supreme Lord."
Srila Prabhupada, you always glorified Krsna as the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, and you instructed everyone to take shelter of Krsna. Many peoplewho came in touch with you were struck by this fact. George Harrison, forexample, said that so many svamis and gurus tell their followers tosurrender to them but that you, Srila Prabhupada, always said, "Krsna is theSupreme Personality of Godhead; one should surrender to Him."
Once, a new devotee approached you and said, "Srila Prabhupada, I can trustyou; I can surrender to you. But I can't trust your representatives. I can'tsurrender to them, because I fear they may cheat me." And you replied,"Don't surrender to me either. I may also cheat you. Surrender to Krsna."
Your purport concludes:
"Lord Krsna accepted the motherhood of Putana because she pretended to be anaffectionate mother, allowing Krsna to suck her breast. The Lord accepts theleast qualification of the living entity and awards him the highest reward.That is the standard of His character. Therefore, who but the Lord can bethe ultimate shelter?"
Srila Prabhupada,
As aspiring devotees, we still have qualities in common with Putana, and sowe too are in need of extreme mercy from the Lord--and from Your DivineGrace.
One quality mentioned in the verse is jighamsaya--she acted out of envy. Weare in the material world out of envy of Krsna. We don't want to accept Himas the supreme enjoyer; we want to enjoy independent of Him. We are enviousof Him, and it is actually envy that keeps us in the material world. Onlyone who is completely liberated and pure can be free from envy. SrinivasaAcarya glorifies the Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana, dhiradhira-jana-priyau: Theyare dear to both the gentle and the ruffians. They are pleasing to everyonebecause they are not envious of anyone (nirmatsarau), and thus they areworshipable (pujitau). You explained that one who is nonenvious isworshipable because one can be nonenvious only if he is a pure devotee. Ournatural position is to serve Krsna (jivera 'svarupa' haya--krsnera'nitya-dasa'); if we act as anything other than an eternal servant of Krsna,it means that we have not fully realized our actual position and that ouroriginal envy of Krsna, which brought us into the material world, is still,to some degree, lingering.
After starting your mission in New York and San Francisco, you suffered astroke, and after all efforts to recover in America had failed, you decidedto return to India to recoup your health. Before your departure, you visitedthe San Francisco temple. No one had expected you, in your condition, tospeak, but you asked for the microphone. You spoke about your mission, howunder the order of your spiritual master you had brought Lord Caitanya'smovement to America and how Krsna had kindly sent so many sincere souls. Youtold the devotees, "I have a few children in India from my family days, butyou are my real children. Now I am going to India for a little while."
One of your early disciples from San Francisco suddenly entered the room.The devotees knew that he wanted to leave Krsna consciousness, that hehadn't taken his initiation vows seriously, and that he wanted to moveon--he didn't want a spiritual master any more. The other devotees had triedto discourage him, but he had persisted. Now they were incredulous: howcould he do such a thing on the night before your departure?
The devotee, Ravindra-svarupa, fell to the floor to offer obeisances, but hedidn't rise up. Instead, he began crawling on his hands and knees towardyou. This dramatic encounter is vividly described in SrilaPrabhupada-lilamrta: "Ravindra usually had a cavalier manner, enhanced by ahandsome face, long tousled hair, and a beard. But now he was wretched andsobbing and crazy. He crawled towards Prabhupada, who sat but two steps offthe floor on the simple redwood dais. Prabhupada looked at him withcompassion: 'Come here, my boy.' Ravindra crawled up the steps and placedhis bushy head on Prabhupada's lap. Moved, the devotees watched asPrabhupada stroked Ravindra's head and the boy cried and cried.
"'What's wrong, my son? You don't have to be so unhappy.'
"Ravindra bawled out, 'I want . . . ,' he sobbed, 'aah . . . to . . . aah .. . reach God directly! Without anyone in between!'
"Prabhupada continued to pat and stroke the boy's head: 'No, you continue tostay with us if possible. Don't be a crazy fellow.' Ravindra's weepingsubsided, and Prabhupada continued, speaking both to Ravindra and to theemotion-struck group in the room. 'I am an old man,' he said. 'I may die atany moment. But please, you all carry on this sankirtana movement. You haveto become humble and tolerant. As Lord Caitanya says, be as humble as ablade of grass and more tolerant than a tree. You must have enthusiasm andpatience to push on this Krsna conscious philosophy.'
"Suddenly Ravindra's tears were gone. He jumped up, dejectedly stood,hesitating for a moment, and then hurried out the door, banging it behindhim.
"Ravindra-svarupa's dramatic exit from Krsna consciousness shocked thedevotees. Prabhupada sat still and continued speaking to them gravely,asking them to stick together and push on the movement, for their ownbenefit and for others. Whatever they had learned, he said, they shouldrepeat.
"They realized, perhaps for the first time, that they were part of apreaching mission, a movement. They . . . had a loving obligation to Swamijiand Krsna."
Although Ravindra-svarupa's exhibition may have been extreme, in principlehe is no different from many of us. We also don't want anyone between us andKrsna. We don't want to surrender; we want to be Krsna. But by your mercy wehave been engaged in devotional service and are undertaking the process ofpurification--chanting the holy names, hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam,associating with devotees, worshiping the Deity, and as far as possibleresiding in Mathura, Vrndavana, Mayapur, or any temple of Gaura-Nitai orRadha-Krsna.
Putana was asadhvi, unfaithful. And she pretended to be something that shewas not. She was actually a demon, but by her mystic powers she presentedherself as a very beautiful woman. Of course, it is not entirely wrong topresent oneself as something that one is not. Sometimes, for social reasons,we must, but internally we should remain faithful. The problem is thatinternally sometimes we become unfaithful (asadhvi). We want tosurrender--we decide to surrender--but then we take back our surrender. Ithappens all the time. We surrender--decide to surrender--and then withdrawour surrender. We are not sure whether we should surrender. We are not surewhether the process will work, whether we will get the result. We are notsure whether we will be successful in our attempt. We are not sure whetherKrsna will take care of us. We are not sure our desires will be fulfilled.
Ultimately, it comes to faith (sraddha), upon which all progress depends.
'sraddha'-sabde--visvasa kahe sudrdha niscayakrsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya
"Sraddha is confident, firm faith that by rendering transcendental lovingservice to Krsna one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. Suchfaith is favorable to the discharge of devotional service." (Cc Madhya22.62)
Even in your presence devotees did not always understand you. Most of thepeople who joined you were young, in their late teens or early twenties, andit was years before any of them left his or her body. The first I recall wasJaya Gopala dasa, who lost his life in an automobile accident. His youngwife was distraught, and you assured her that Jaya Gopala had gone back toGodhead and that she would join him. One of my godbrothers commented thatyou had said that just to encourage her.
Then I came across a book called His Divine Grace by Danavir Goswami.Looking through it, I saw a photo of Jaya Gopala, with the caption: "SrilaPrabhupada stated that Jaya Gopala was not ready to go back to Godhead butthat Krsna made an exception and took him back anyway." That is causelessmercy--your mercy. Krsna has no interest in anything of the material world.He is interested only in devotees. And it is only because of the mercy of adevotee that Krsna takes interest in someone who is not yet truly a devotee.Why else would Krsna make an exception for us--other than your mercy?Otherwise, who is Jaya Gopala dasa--or any of us--to Krsna? It is because ofour connection with you that we have any standing in Krsna's eyes.
Of course, as you always told us, Krsna is the Supersoul. He is in the heartof every living entity as the witness and overseer. And He loves the livingentities and accompanies them wherever they go. But He is neutral. He letsthem act to fulfill their desires. He doesn't interfere. However, when adevotee intervenes, Krsna takes special interest. One who has received adevotee's mercy gets Krsna's mercy, and that is true for all of us, yourfollowers, now. Otherwise, why should we be engaged in devotional service?We are just conditioned souls who have come into the material world toenjoy, in imitation of Krsna. Why should we even be in your temple? We arehere by your mercy, and thus we are making the effort to purify our hearts,hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam and chanting the holy names, and become truedevotees.
Satsvarupa dasa Gosvami told me a nice story--a thought or realization thathe had had. It relates to your mercy and leads to the conclusion kam vadayalum saranam vrajema: "How shall I take shelter of one more merciful?" Inother words, "You are so merciful; how can I find anyone more merciful? Howcan I take shelter of anyone else?"
Sometimes it happens that your followers meet saintly persons outside ofISKCON. One year, Satsvarupa Maharaja went to Jagannatha Puri, during theholy month of Purusottama, to spend some time with one such sadhu. But whilethere, Satsvarupa Maharaja felt uncomfortable; he didn't feel at home inthat association. He felt that you created ISKCON to be his home and that hecould feel at home only in ISKCON--nowhere else.
Then he went a step further. He imagined a time when he would leave his bodyand come to the precincts of Krsnaloka and the gatekeeper would ask him,"Who are you?" He suddenly became fearful, thinking that he was taking agamble by turning himself into a siksa disciple of that sadhu rather thanremaining an exclusive disciple of Your Divine Grace. He wasn't sure exactlywhat his relationship with that sadhu was or what that sadhu might say toKrsna on his behalf.
Then he imagined a different sequence. In this one, when the gatekeeperasked, "Who are you?" he would reply, "I am Satsvarupa dasa, a disciple ofHis Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada." He imagined thegatekeeper going to you and asking, "Satsvarupa has come to the gate--Whatshould we do?" And he imagined that you would say, "Satsvarupa? MySatsvarupa? Call him immediately."
To me, this provides a striking picture of you and your mercy, and it servesto answer the rhetorical question "How shall I take shelter of one moremerciful than he?" For us, there is no one more merciful. There is no needto take shelter of anyone else, and there will be no gain if we leave you totake shelter of anyone else.
Two years ago I had the good fortune to meet your disciple Narayani dasiagain. I hadn't seen her for many years, and then, at a japa workshop inHouston, I met her again.
During the workshop a devotee asked her, "Sastra says that if you chant amantra knowing its meaning you get more benefit than by reciting it withoutknowing its meaning. So, what is the meaning of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra?"She replied that the mantra is a prayer, "O Krsna, O Radharani, pleaseengage me in Your service. O Lord, O energy of the Lord, please engage me inYour service." A little later someone else asked the same question.Obviously they were looking for more. And she gave the same answer. Shesaid, "I know that there are other explanations of the meaning, but this isthe meaning that Srila Prabhupada gave, and I'm satisfied with it. I don'tfeel any need to pursue the matter further."
After the last session of the workshop I asked her about that question andher response--"Did you give that answer because it was a general audienceand you wanted to stay within Srila Prabhupada's direct instructions? Was itbecause of the circumstances that you gave that answer?" She said, "No, it'sbecause of me." She said that sometimes as a teacher at the VIHE she isexpected to speak from the commentaries of previous acaryas, on theBhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, but that if she sees a differencebetween what a previous acarya says and what you say, she can't present whatthe previous acarya says. She told me, "It's not because of thecircumstances or the audience--it's because of me." I asked, "Why do youwant to repeat only what Srila Prabhupada said, not what any other acaryahas said?" And she replied, "Because Srila Prabhupada is more merciful."
Then she told a story that she had heard. You were giving a talk in whichyou said that in order to go back home, back to Godhead, one must be centpercent pure, cent percent free of material desires and attachments. Whenyou saw that the devotees were discouraged, you said, "All right, 90%."Still they were dejected. Then you said, "All right, 80%." Still they werecrestfallen. Then you said, "All right, 75%--but not less."
After the talk, you commented, "If you just hold on to my lotus feet, I willtake you back to Godhead. I have the key to the back door."
Mother Narayani continued, "Actually, my only qualification to speak or todo anything is my faith in Srila Prabhupada. I feel that we are not soqualified to go in the front door, so our only hope is to strictly followSrila Prabhupada, because he can recommend us to Srimati Radharani and LordKrsna and open the door for us to enter the spiritual world."
We, your followers, have already received your mercy, and we are in aposition to receive even more. We just have to follow your instructions.Once, I heard that you had said, "Your qualification is that I give aninstruction . . ." I thought the rest of the sentence would be "and youfollow it," but the statement was "Your qualification is that I give you aninstruction and you try to follow it." Not even that we follow it--just thatwe try to follow it.
(Of course, we must try sincerely and seriously, by all means, with all ofour energy and resources, to follow.)
In our japa retreats we emphasize chanting with attention, without offense.We encourage devotees to pronounce each syllable distinctly and hear eachsyllable attentively. To chant inattentively is an offense. So, I thought ofmy initiation letter--you sent it to me in Boston from Los Angeles--in whichyou instructed me to avoid the ten offenses. And I thought, "Oh, my God,that was practically the first instruction I got from Srila Prabhupada--theone I got when I was initiated--and now, forty years later, I still haven'tbeen able to follow it, which is another offense: to disobey the orders ofthe spiritual master." So I thought, "I am just drowning in offenses." Andthen I thought, "I better reread that letter, to try to get some strengthand inspiration." I reread it, and there was the instruction: "You shouldavoid the ten offenses as far as possible." You were so merciful--you knewthat I couldn't avoid them completely. So you saved me from the offense ofdisobeying your order, by writing "as far as possible."
So that is our qualification, according to you. And that is our hope. If wesincerely try to follow your instructions strictly--if we just hold on toyour lotus feet--you will do the rest. You will take us back home, back toGodhead.
And then? As you wrote, "We will have another ISKCON in the spiritual sky."And what will we do there? We will engage in the same activities that yougave us here--chanting, dancing, feasting, and discussion of Krsna. As yousaid, "The aim of this Krsna consciousness movement is to enable us toapproach Radha-Krsna and associate with the Supreme Lord in His sublimepleasure dance . . . to enter into the dancing party of Radha-Krsna." And ifwe are not completely successful in the present lifetime? You wrote, "It istrue that the spiritual master remains in the material universe until all ofhis disciples are transferred to the spiritual sky. . . . Therefore, everystudent should be very much careful not to commit any offense that will bedetrimental to this promotion to the spiritual kingdom, and thereby thespiritual master has to incarnate again to deliver him. This sort ofmentality will be a kind of offense to the spiritual master. Out of the tenkinds of offenses, the number-one offense is to disobey the orders of thespiritual master. The instructions given to the disciple by the spiritualmaster at the time of initiation should be strictly followed. That will makeone advance to the spiritual path."
Srila Prabhupada, I do not want you to have to come back to deliver me, orany of us. I will try my best to follow your instructions, withoutoffense--and depend on your causeless mercy.
Hare Krsna.
Your fallen, eternal servant,Giriraj Swami
The Art of Desiring - HH Giriraj Swami
The Art of Desiring - An Appreciation of Srila Prabhupada by Giriraj Swami Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa-puja August 14, 2009 Los Angeles
Srila Prabhupada initiated a disciple and gave him the name Bhavananda dasa,explaining that bhava meant "the material world" and ananda meant"bliss"--"the servant of the bliss of the material world." The disciple wasa little concerned--What was Prabhupada saying about him? What was thesignificance of his name?--so he approached him. And Srila Prabhupadareplied with a profound answer, which really reflected his mood--why, for example, in his old age he left Vrndavana to come to America. SrilaPrabhupada replied that the devotee has no happiness independent of Krsna's,that his happiness lies in Krsna's happiness, and that nothing gives Krsnamore pleasure than a devotee's bringing souls back to Him. So, preaching gives Krsna the greatest pleasure, but you can preach only in the materialworld. Thus, preaching is the bliss of the material world (bhavananda), andthat is the greatest bliss, because it gives Krsna the greatest pleasure.
Once, some years later, on an Ekadasi, I was with the same devotee,Bhavananda, and another devotee, Acyutananda (ananda abounded in thosedays), in Madras. Bhavananda and I were in the mood to go out and preach.But Acyutananda said, "No, it's Ekadasi. We shouldn't go out. It'sinauspicious. And besides, it looks like rain." We thought, "Oh boy, he isso attached to external rules and regulations. But we have the real spiritof preaching. We are going to go out and preach. We are not going to worryabout Ekadasi or some rain."
So we went out, in a light drizzle, and within minutes the sky poured downrain. And the rain didn't stop. Rather, it came down heavier and heavier. InMadras then, at least where we were walking, there was not much of adrainage system--just an open ditch two or three feet deep, lined withconcrete. And as the inundation continued, the channel filled with water,and soon you couldn't distinguish between the water on the street, the waterin the ditch, and the water on the fields beyond.
So, we were walking along blissfully, inspired in our mission, in ourservice to our guru maharaja, and Bhavananda Prabhu fell into the ditch. Hewas in water up to his waist. So, I gave him a hand, and he climbed out ofthe ditch. As it was, we were drenched with rainwater, but now he was soakedwith sewage water. So, what to do now?
Later, I related the incident to Srila Prabhupada, declaring that BhavanandaPrabhu had equal vision--he didn't distinguish between high and low. And Iquoted the verse from the Bhagavad-gita (5.18),
vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastinisuni caiva sva-pake ca panditah sama-darsinah
"The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision alearned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater[outcaste]."
Srila Prabhupada replied, "Yes. You have theoretical knowledge, but he hasrealized knowledge, practical realization, so he is more advanced."[laughter]
In a way, Srila Prabhupada was joking, but I took everything he said ashaving deep meaning and significance, and I didn't doubt the truth of whathe said. It pricked my false ego a little, but it didn't bother me too much.If that's the way it was, then that's the way it was. Bhavananda Prabhu wasmore advanced. He was more realized.
Then, as happens in life, even in devotional service, we have ups and downs.But I was heartened to hear what Srila Prabhupada said about two ways ofattaining perfection: One is sadhana-siddhi: by executing the regulativeprinciples of devotional service and getting the mercy of Krsna, one attainsperfection. And the other is krpa-siddhi: even if one is unable to followall the rules and regulations strictly, if he has an overwhelming desire torender service, then Krsna or the spiritual master will by mercy bring himto the point of perfection.
This is a very important factor: desire. Once, Srila Prabhupada said, "Krsnaconsciousness is the art of desiring." Of course, the desire for lovingservice to Krsna is already there, naturally, within the heart:
nitya-siddha krsna-prema 'sadhya' kabhu nayasravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya
"Pure love for Krsna is eternally established in the hearts of the livingentities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When theheart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens." (CcMadhya 22.107) If we just have that desire, and chant and hear in theassociation of pure devotees, Krsna and Prabhupada will fulfill our desire.
Early in my association with devotees I had heard that Srila Prabhupada hadsaid that all we need to become Krsna conscious is eagerness, that thedesire to become Krsna conscious is as good as becoming Krsnaconscious--because Krsna fulfills all desires. Thinking of SrilaPrabhupada's statement, in a large outdoor program in India, I asked him, "Iheard that to become Krsna conscious all we need is the desire, that we justhave to be eager. Does this mean we don't need to read books?" And SrilaPrabhupada replied, "If you desire to be Krsna conscious--if you areeager--you will accept whatever will help you to become Krsna conscious. Sowhy not read books?" So, it is a matter of desire, but it is also a matterof expressing the desire in practical activities.
Later, I read a verse that provided the scriptural basis of SrilaPrabhupada's statement:
krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyatetatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate
"Pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness cannot be had even by piousactivity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only bypaying one price--that is, the intense eagerness and desire to obtain it. Ifit is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay." (Padyavali14, Cc Madhya 8. 171)
On this auspicious occasion, in this august assembly, I pray to SrilaPrabhupada, and to all of you, to kindly bless me that the desire to servehis lotus feet--to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates and SriSri Radha-Krsna and Their associates--will become stronger and stronger andstronger, to the exclusion of all else.
tvayi me 'nanya-visaya matir madhu-pate 'sakrtratim udvahatad addha gangevaugham udanvati
"O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance,let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You." (SB 1.8.42)
Thank you very much.
Srila Prabhupada initiated a disciple and gave him the name Bhavananda dasa,explaining that bhava meant "the material world" and ananda meant"bliss"--"the servant of the bliss of the material world." The disciple wasa little concerned--What was Prabhupada saying about him? What was thesignificance of his name?--so he approached him. And Srila Prabhupadareplied with a profound answer, which really reflected his mood--why, for example, in his old age he left Vrndavana to come to America. SrilaPrabhupada replied that the devotee has no happiness independent of Krsna's,that his happiness lies in Krsna's happiness, and that nothing gives Krsnamore pleasure than a devotee's bringing souls back to Him. So, preaching gives Krsna the greatest pleasure, but you can preach only in the materialworld. Thus, preaching is the bliss of the material world (bhavananda), andthat is the greatest bliss, because it gives Krsna the greatest pleasure.
Once, some years later, on an Ekadasi, I was with the same devotee,Bhavananda, and another devotee, Acyutananda (ananda abounded in thosedays), in Madras. Bhavananda and I were in the mood to go out and preach.But Acyutananda said, "No, it's Ekadasi. We shouldn't go out. It'sinauspicious. And besides, it looks like rain." We thought, "Oh boy, he isso attached to external rules and regulations. But we have the real spiritof preaching. We are going to go out and preach. We are not going to worryabout Ekadasi or some rain."
So we went out, in a light drizzle, and within minutes the sky poured downrain. And the rain didn't stop. Rather, it came down heavier and heavier. InMadras then, at least where we were walking, there was not much of adrainage system--just an open ditch two or three feet deep, lined withconcrete. And as the inundation continued, the channel filled with water,and soon you couldn't distinguish between the water on the street, the waterin the ditch, and the water on the fields beyond.
So, we were walking along blissfully, inspired in our mission, in ourservice to our guru maharaja, and Bhavananda Prabhu fell into the ditch. Hewas in water up to his waist. So, I gave him a hand, and he climbed out ofthe ditch. As it was, we were drenched with rainwater, but now he was soakedwith sewage water. So, what to do now?
Later, I related the incident to Srila Prabhupada, declaring that BhavanandaPrabhu had equal vision--he didn't distinguish between high and low. And Iquoted the verse from the Bhagavad-gita (5.18),
vidya-vinaya-sampanne brahmane gavi hastinisuni caiva sva-pake ca panditah sama-darsinah
"The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision alearned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater[outcaste]."
Srila Prabhupada replied, "Yes. You have theoretical knowledge, but he hasrealized knowledge, practical realization, so he is more advanced."[laughter]
In a way, Srila Prabhupada was joking, but I took everything he said ashaving deep meaning and significance, and I didn't doubt the truth of whathe said. It pricked my false ego a little, but it didn't bother me too much.If that's the way it was, then that's the way it was. Bhavananda Prabhu wasmore advanced. He was more realized.
Then, as happens in life, even in devotional service, we have ups and downs.But I was heartened to hear what Srila Prabhupada said about two ways ofattaining perfection: One is sadhana-siddhi: by executing the regulativeprinciples of devotional service and getting the mercy of Krsna, one attainsperfection. And the other is krpa-siddhi: even if one is unable to followall the rules and regulations strictly, if he has an overwhelming desire torender service, then Krsna or the spiritual master will by mercy bring himto the point of perfection.
This is a very important factor: desire. Once, Srila Prabhupada said, "Krsnaconsciousness is the art of desiring." Of course, the desire for lovingservice to Krsna is already there, naturally, within the heart:
nitya-siddha krsna-prema 'sadhya' kabhu nayasravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya
"Pure love for Krsna is eternally established in the hearts of the livingentities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When theheart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens." (CcMadhya 22.107) If we just have that desire, and chant and hear in theassociation of pure devotees, Krsna and Prabhupada will fulfill our desire.
Early in my association with devotees I had heard that Srila Prabhupada hadsaid that all we need to become Krsna conscious is eagerness, that thedesire to become Krsna conscious is as good as becoming Krsnaconscious--because Krsna fulfills all desires. Thinking of SrilaPrabhupada's statement, in a large outdoor program in India, I asked him, "Iheard that to become Krsna conscious all we need is the desire, that we justhave to be eager. Does this mean we don't need to read books?" And SrilaPrabhupada replied, "If you desire to be Krsna conscious--if you areeager--you will accept whatever will help you to become Krsna conscious. Sowhy not read books?" So, it is a matter of desire, but it is also a matterof expressing the desire in practical activities.
Later, I read a verse that provided the scriptural basis of SrilaPrabhupada's statement:
krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih kriyatam yadi kuto 'pi labhyatetatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate
"Pure devotional service in Krsna consciousness cannot be had even by piousactivity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only bypaying one price--that is, the intense eagerness and desire to obtain it. Ifit is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay." (Padyavali14, Cc Madhya 8. 171)
On this auspicious occasion, in this august assembly, I pray to SrilaPrabhupada, and to all of you, to kindly bless me that the desire to servehis lotus feet--to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates and SriSri Radha-Krsna and Their associates--will become stronger and stronger andstronger, to the exclusion of all else.
tvayi me 'nanya-visaya matir madhu-pate 'sakrtratim udvahatad addha gangevaugham udanvati
"O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance,let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You." (SB 1.8.42)
Thank you very much.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
When Africa cried Gauranga!
Below are the two mrdanga maharatis, ex gurukulis from Vrndavan Gurukul now responsible, Krishna conscious men in society. Kesava in blue and Krishna das with blue and yellow covered mrdanga.
These devotees chanted heartfelt kirtan to glorify Lord Balaram.
The holy name resounded in all directions.
Nrsimhananda Prabhu with orange mrdanga led a very long ecstatic kirtan. They devotees were soaked in perspiration in the bliss of the festivities!
"‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.'
[Cc Adi 17.21]
These devotees chanted heartfelt kirtan to glorify Lord Balaram.
The holy name resounded in all directions.
Nrsimhananda Prabhu with orange mrdanga led a very long ecstatic kirtan. They devotees were soaked in perspiration in the bliss of the festivities!
"‘In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.'[Cc Adi 17.21]
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Ratha Yatra in the remote town of Ermelo; Johannesburg - South Africa
Ermelo is a remote town that is a three hour drive from Johannesburg. The devotees from the surrounding towns got together to arrange their second annual Ratha Yatra festival.
Below are the beautiful and most merciful Lordships Sri Jagannath, Sri Baladev and Srimati Subadra before they embarked on the three hour journey to Ermelo.
The picture below features the Hamanskraal team of enthusiastic chanters. Being on school holidays prior to this festival they embarked on a daily harinam for the entire week. In reciprocation we facilitated their travels to attend this magnificent festival. Without their ecstatic participation in the harinam the festival would not have been the same. Of course they all had lost their voices by the next day and were blissfully exhausted!
Below HH. Bhakti Caitanya Swami gives the introductory talk from the chariot at the beginning of the procession.
Many plates of sumptuous breyani and legendary halava were distributed. The harinam led everyone to the Cassim Park Hall wherea purely Krishna conscious line up of spiritual entertainment ensued. The youth performed three dramas that proved to be very effective preaching. The music group - 'The Golden Age' enthralled the crowed with their Krishna conscious Hip Hop musical performance. His Grace Brhat-mrdanga Prabhu and His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami both delivered enlightening talks and were available, speaking to devotees and guests throughout the festivities. The festival culminated in blissful kirtans leaving us all desiring to be in the next festival. Many books as well as candy prasad were distributed.
Below are the beautiful and most merciful Lordships Sri Jagannath, Sri Baladev and Srimati Subadra before they embarked on the three hour journey to Ermelo.
The picture below features the Hamanskraal team of enthusiastic chanters. Being on school holidays prior to this festival they embarked on a daily harinam for the entire week. In reciprocation we facilitated their travels to attend this magnificent festival. Without their ecstatic participation in the harinam the festival would not have been the same. Of course they all had lost their voices by the next day and were blissfully exhausted!
Below HH. Bhakti Caitanya Swami gives the introductory talk from the chariot at the beginning of the procession.
Many plates of sumptuous breyani and legendary halava were distributed. The harinam led everyone to the Cassim Park Hall wherea purely Krishna conscious line up of spiritual entertainment ensued. The youth performed three dramas that proved to be very effective preaching. The music group - 'The Golden Age' enthralled the crowed with their Krishna conscious Hip Hop musical performance. His Grace Brhat-mrdanga Prabhu and His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami both delivered enlightening talks and were available, speaking to devotees and guests throughout the festivities. The festival culminated in blissful kirtans leaving us all desiring to be in the next festival. Many books as well as candy prasad were distributed.Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Darshan of Sri Sri Nitai Gaura-Hari - 21 June 2009, Johannesburg, South Africa
Below: Their Beautiful Lordships Sri Sri Nitai Gaura-Hari.
Below: Sri Gaura-Hari
Below: Sri Nitai
Below: Sri Giri-Govardhana
Below: Sri Sri Nitai Saci-Suta
Below: Sri Sri Chota Nitai Gaura-Hari
Below: Sri Gaura-Hari
Below: Sri Nitai
Below: Sri Giri-Govardhana
Below: Sri Sri Nitai Saci-Suta
Below: Sri Sri Chota Nitai Gaura-Hari
RathaYatra - Johannesburg, South Africa - 20 June 2009
This is the beautiful darshan of Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subadra Maharani just before They left for the Ratha Yatra festival last Saturday. They are the personal Deities of HG Syamasundara Prabhu and Mother Astasakhi and go to all the Ratha Yatra's in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Last Saturday They were in Randburg in Johannesburg. Next month They go to Ermelo Rathayatra - 4 hour drive from home. In September They go to Soweto Ratha Yatra. Then in December They go to Lenasia for another Ratha Yatra. At some point in time They go to Cape Town - another province."So these European and American Vaisnavas, they're hankering after jagannatha svami nayana pathagami bhavatu me. Now it is through your intervention they may be able to see Jagannatha Swami. (chuckles) They are hankering like that, jagannatha svami nayana pathagami bhavatu me."
>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srila Prabhupada, Evening Address to Pandas and Scholars -- Jagannatha Puri, January 26, 1977
Friday, May 29, 2009
Kirtan at Iskcon Pretoria, South Africa by Nrsimhananda Prabhu
Like I have said before in Africa beat is in the blood. Watch this kirtan my husband sings. I got this mail today.
Hare Krishna,Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.We always knew Pretoria kirtans were world famous :) well here's the proof on YouTube ! ECSTATIC kirtans led by none other than His Grace Nrsimhananda Prabhu !http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7qGyvqnAnQ&feature=related(make sure you go till the 5 min mark !)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyasUYy9LO8Word of caution: Be prepared to get 'ecstatic-fied'.. I was literally dancing out of my chair as I watched this, with my colleagues wondering what's happening ! :)All glories to the kirtaneers of Pretoria, who fire us up every week !Your servant,Aditi
Hare Krishna,Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.We always knew Pretoria kirtans were world famous :) well here's the proof on YouTube ! ECSTATIC kirtans led by none other than His Grace Nrsimhananda Prabhu !http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7qGyvqnAnQ&feature=related(make sure you go till the 5 min mark !)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyasUYy9LO8Word of caution: Be prepared to get 'ecstatic-fied'.. I was literally dancing out of my chair as I watched this, with my colleagues wondering what's happening ! :)All glories to the kirtaneers of Pretoria, who fire us up every week !Your servant,Aditi
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Festival of love in Soweto, South Africa
There is a statement by Lord Siva in the Padma Purana:
aradhananam sarvesam
visnor aradhanam param
tasmad parataram devi
tadiyanam samarcanam
[SB 11.2.45]
"O Devi, the most exalted system of worship is the worship of Lord Visnu. Greater than that is the worship of tadiya, or anything belonging to Visnu." [SB 11.2.45]
On May 16th, 2009, Iskcon Soweto hosted a festival of love celebrating the birth of a very dear devotee of Lord Sri Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, HH Bhakti Nrsimha Swami(GRS). Maharaj has always been a well-wisher, close confidant, counsellor, friend and mentor to the devotees. A disciple of HH Giriraj Swami Maharaj, he is the first second generation sannyasi from the South African yatra having been initiated into sannyasa in Easter 2008 at Ratha Yatra, Durban South Africa. Below is a picture of him during the festival celebrating his birth. His attire being a blend of Africa and Vaisnava generally attracts the local native African people and does not make him appear too foreign in robes.
He joined at Iskcon Durban in the 1980's, served in the Food for Life department, helped translate the first of Srila Prabhupada's books into Zulu. He was instrumental together with other devotees in arranging the huge Festival of Rainbow Children in a stadium in Durban in 1996 which was attended by Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela publicly announced that that was the happiest day of his life during his address at the festival. Maharaj travels through small towns in South African preaching and mentoring devotees. He aslo travels to Poland, Mauritius, Russia, Scotland, Europe, America, India, East Africa, Nairobi, (where he served as Temple President for six months) India and Swaziland(where he pioneers the preaching and establishment of an Iskcon centre.)
He was born a Seventh Day Adventist Christian and was thus vegetarian from birth. His father was a priest. Maharaja's insightful lectures in English and various other languages are known to inspire many individuals. His kirtans are also very melodious.
Above Nrsimhananda Prabhu (In grey jacket to the left of the saffron clad devotee) leads kirtan while others dance at the festival of love. This was attended by many native African guests who clapped and chanted spontaneously also. In Africa beat is in the blood!
Above Maharaj talks to guests and his newphew Moosa, (Wearing garland and seated to Maharaja's left.) a university graduate who came all the way from Natal to attend this glorious event.
The talks by the devotees expressed so much of love and gratitude to Maharaj for being so easily accessible to everyone without discrimination. Although Maharaj is not an initiating Guru the devotees showered so much of love in gratitude for his valuable siksa. Above Mahaprabhu das, the leader in Iskcon Soweto lovingly feeds Maharaj birthday cake cooked and decorated by his amazing wife Malini devi dasi. Mother Malini together with her team of grand devotional cooks also cooked an amazing feast of Butter-masala paneer, green beans and potatoes, corn and paneer samoosas, Greek salad, gulabhs, puris, fancy rice and lots of other sumptuous preparations. For many of the guests this was a unique experience in savouring vegetarian cuisine.
Above the devotees loving carry Maharaj during the kirtan. Maharaj was so unsuspecting as he gracefully danced with his danda.
The program was held in a grand hall in Soweto and was beautifully decorated. Bhakta Matsya, a school teacher and Mahaprabhu were the chief organizers. 95% of the attendees were of native African origin. Many guests were fascinated to watch the exchange of love between the devotees and Maharaj and were encouraged to want to be part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Being not far from the horrible past when apartheid was prominent it was indeed very refreshing for them to see a native African being offered so much love and respect. All glories to Srila Prabhupada who built a house in which the whole world can live. Jai Srila Prabhupada!
aradhananam sarvesam
visnor aradhanam param
tasmad parataram devi
tadiyanam samarcanam
[SB 11.2.45]
"O Devi, the most exalted system of worship is the worship of Lord Visnu. Greater than that is the worship of tadiya, or anything belonging to Visnu." [SB 11.2.45]
On May 16th, 2009, Iskcon Soweto hosted a festival of love celebrating the birth of a very dear devotee of Lord Sri Krishna and Srila Prabhupada, HH Bhakti Nrsimha Swami(GRS). Maharaj has always been a well-wisher, close confidant, counsellor, friend and mentor to the devotees. A disciple of HH Giriraj Swami Maharaj, he is the first second generation sannyasi from the South African yatra having been initiated into sannyasa in Easter 2008 at Ratha Yatra, Durban South Africa. Below is a picture of him during the festival celebrating his birth. His attire being a blend of Africa and Vaisnava generally attracts the local native African people and does not make him appear too foreign in robes.
He joined at Iskcon Durban in the 1980's, served in the Food for Life department, helped translate the first of Srila Prabhupada's books into Zulu. He was instrumental together with other devotees in arranging the huge Festival of Rainbow Children in a stadium in Durban in 1996 which was attended by Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela publicly announced that that was the happiest day of his life during his address at the festival. Maharaj travels through small towns in South African preaching and mentoring devotees. He aslo travels to Poland, Mauritius, Russia, Scotland, Europe, America, India, East Africa, Nairobi, (where he served as Temple President for six months) India and Swaziland(where he pioneers the preaching and establishment of an Iskcon centre.)He was born a Seventh Day Adventist Christian and was thus vegetarian from birth. His father was a priest. Maharaja's insightful lectures in English and various other languages are known to inspire many individuals. His kirtans are also very melodious.
Above Nrsimhananda Prabhu (In grey jacket to the left of the saffron clad devotee) leads kirtan while others dance at the festival of love. This was attended by many native African guests who clapped and chanted spontaneously also. In Africa beat is in the blood!
Above Maharaj talks to guests and his newphew Moosa, (Wearing garland and seated to Maharaja's left.) a university graduate who came all the way from Natal to attend this glorious event.
The talks by the devotees expressed so much of love and gratitude to Maharaj for being so easily accessible to everyone without discrimination. Although Maharaj is not an initiating Guru the devotees showered so much of love in gratitude for his valuable siksa. Above Mahaprabhu das, the leader in Iskcon Soweto lovingly feeds Maharaj birthday cake cooked and decorated by his amazing wife Malini devi dasi. Mother Malini together with her team of grand devotional cooks also cooked an amazing feast of Butter-masala paneer, green beans and potatoes, corn and paneer samoosas, Greek salad, gulabhs, puris, fancy rice and lots of other sumptuous preparations. For many of the guests this was a unique experience in savouring vegetarian cuisine.
Above the devotees loving carry Maharaj during the kirtan. Maharaj was so unsuspecting as he gracefully danced with his danda.
The program was held in a grand hall in Soweto and was beautifully decorated. Bhakta Matsya, a school teacher and Mahaprabhu were the chief organizers. 95% of the attendees were of native African origin. Many guests were fascinated to watch the exchange of love between the devotees and Maharaj and were encouraged to want to be part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Being not far from the horrible past when apartheid was prominent it was indeed very refreshing for them to see a native African being offered so much love and respect. All glories to Srila Prabhupada who built a house in which the whole world can live. Jai Srila Prabhupada!
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