In the last blog we read the personal prayer ‘Good Morning Thakuraji‘ written by HG Srimati mataji for struggling devotees like us. I hope some of us have started reading it daily to our Thakuraji. I am myself trying to read it daily and it is making some difference in my consciousness. At the least, I know what to pray.
Today I am posting the second prayer, written by HG Srimati mataji. This is the prayer to read out aloud to our Thakuraji before we leave our home for office, preaching, temple service, household chores, etc. The overall mood is the same as that in the first prayer but now the feeling of dependence has increased as we are ready to move out ftom the shelter of our ashrama (home) into the material world.
I humbly pray that by reciting this prayer to Thakuraji our heart gets churned and it becomes a suitable recipient for the mercy of Krishna.
The power of the prayer to Krishna is known to all the devotees both new or old. The power lies in the process of praying itself. And when that prayer to Krishna comes from the heart of His pure devotees then it has added potency.
We have access to many wonderful prayers to Krishna. There are excellent prayers spoken by great devotees in Srimad Bhagavatam like Gajendra, lord Siva, lord Brahma, Prahlada Maharaj, Dhruva Maharaj, and many others. There are prayers to Krishna in the form of bhajans by our Acharyas. We also have prayers coming from the heart of senior Vaisnavas. They are all potent. If we recite them daily with a sincere and open heart then not only these prayers help us in setting the right mood to approach the lotus feet of Krishna but they also have the potency to gradually change our consciousness. Senior Vaisnavas advise us that prayer to Krishna should be part of our daily sadhana.
In the next four blogs, I will share four special prayers to Krishna written by HG Srimati Mataji for aspiring and struggling devotees like us. They are unique in their approach and can help us raise our consciousness so we can get access to the lotus feet of Krishna- in a very natural and personal manner. When I read them for the first time they immediately struck a chord. I am sharing them with you hoping that they will touch your heart as they touched mine.
‘Good morning Thakuraji‘ is the first in that series of prayer to Krishna. We can daily read it to our Thakuraji when we receive His first darshan in the morning.
I will be happy to hear about your experience of reading them aloud to Krishna.
Today is the divine appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the spiritual master of our dear Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was born in Sri Jagannatha Puri on 6 February 1874 as the son of Srila Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He was a great Vedic scholar, a revolutionary preacher and was popularly known as ‘lion guru’. He preached extensively against casteism, impersonalism and deviant philosophies in the name of Gaudiya Vaisvanism. I am sharing below part of a very illuminating conversation Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura with a visitor which ends with a spiritually enlivening definition of what is the meaning of bhajan (our whole sadhana). The copied portion starts in the middle of the conversation.
Śāstrī: Why do we have such a nature?
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: Our independence alone causes it.
Śāstrī: From where did the dependent living entities get such independence?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Because we are minute spiritual particles of the supremely independent God, we contain within us a minute portion of His complete qualities. Kṛṣṇa has full independence, and so the living entities have limited independence.
Śāstrī: When do covering and throwing potencies (maya) act on the living entities?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: As soon as the living entities become indifferent to serving God, the time for covering and throwing (maya) begins.
Śāstrī: What is that indifference?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Indifference means to remain neutral. Neutrality can pull human beings in one direction or another. It can attract us toward the Lord’s service or to become averse to that service. We call that state “marginal.”
Neutrality is achieved after all material objects are eliminated, at the stage called brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (Bg 18.54). In that stage, if one is not attracted toward transcendental devotional service, then he is captured by aversion to God.
Aversion can be of two types: the inclination for material enjoyment, and the inclination for renunciation. There are two paths: the path leading to the kingdom of material enjoyment, and the path leading to the kingdom of spiritual pastimes. Therefore, the neutral state is very dangerous. Living entities cannot remain in a state of neutrality; they will either go toward māyā or toward serving God.
Śāstrī: Then how can we avoid being covered and thrown?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: If one worships the Supreme Lord constantly with love and devotion, he will never be covered or thrown by māyā. But the worship has to be continuous. If there is a little gap in the continuity, then māyā’s covering potency takes advantage of it and covers us.
Śāstrī: What do you mean by bhajana?
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura: Bhajana is the tie of love between the all-lover and the all-loved.
( from the book -Uncommon dialogues, conversation eight, Oct. 30, 1928 )
All glories Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
