Tag Archives: Srila Prabhupada

Sadhu

by

Hare Krishna.

14th May, 2015. Gurgaon.

Srila Prabhupada

A very Krishna conscious ekadasi to everyone!

Yesterday I read a wonderful verse and its purport where Srila Prabhupada explains what is the real meaning of the word sadhu. I am copying the same for the pleasure of all the devotees.

Should a person seeking a spiritual path practice only detachment ? If No, then whom should one be attached to ?

Srimad Bhagavatam recommends that our attachment should be transferred to the self-realized devotees, the sādhus.

prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pāśam ātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥ
sa eva sādhuṣu kṛto mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam

Translation
Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation. (SB 3.25.20)

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport that
Here it is clearly stated that attachment for one thing is the cause of bondage in conditioned life, and the same attachment, when applied to something else, opens the door of liberation. Attachment cannot be killed; it has simply to be transferred. Attachment for material things is called material consciousness, and attachment for Kṛṣṇa or His devotee is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Consciousness, therefore, is the platform of attachment. It is clearly stated here that when we simply purify the consciousness from material consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we attain liberation. Despite the statement that one should give up attachment, desirelessness is not possible for a living entity. A living entity, by constitution, has the propensity to be attached to something. We see that if someone has no object of attachment, if he has no children, then he transfers his attachment to cats and dogs. This indicates that the propensity for attachment cannot be stopped; it must be utilized for the best purpose. Our attachment for material things perpetuates our conditional state, but the same attachment, when transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee, is the source of liberation.

What is the benefit of having attachment to a Sadhu ?

Ans : Prabhupada says that it leads one to the royal road of liberation as the sadhu will teach us how to become a devotee, a worshiper and a sincere servitor of the Lord.

Silra Prabhupada explains it in the same purport that

Mahātmā is a synonym of sādhu. It is said that service to a mahātmā, or elevated devotee of the Lord, is dvāram āhur vimukteḥ, the royal road of liberation. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes tamo-dvāraṁ yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam (Bhāg. 5.5.2). Rendering service to the materialists has the opposite effect. If anyone offers service to a gross materialist, or a person engaged only in sense enjoyment, then by association with such a person the door to hell is opened. The same principle is confirmed here. Attachment to a devotee is attachment to the service of the Lord because if one associates with a sādhu, the result will be that the sādhu will teach him how to become a devotee, a worshiper and a sincere servitor of the Lord. These are the gifts of a sādhu.

And who is a sadhu ?

Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport:

A sādhu is not just an ordinary man with a saffron robe or long beard. A sādhu is described in Bhagavad-gītā as one who unflinchingly engages in devotional service. Even though one is found not to be following the strict rules and regulations of devotional service, if one simply has unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Person, he is understood to be a sādhu. Sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ [Bg. 9.30]. A sādhu is a strict follower of devotional service.

Should one seek material benedictions from such a sadhu ?

One should not. Srila Prabhupada adds :

These are the gifts of a sādhu. If we want to associate with a sādhu, we cannot expect him to give us instructions on how to improve our material condition, but he will give us instructions on how to cut the knot of the contamination of material attraction and how to elevate ourselves in devotional service.

Isn’t is amazing that how in just one purport, and in such simple language, Prabhupada explains us about a Sadhu, what are benefits of associating with him and what should we seek from him.

All glories to nectarean purports of Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Wish from a tree in Vrindavan

by

Hare Krishna.
16th March, 2015. Gurgaon

trees of Vrindavan

I had the good fortune to visit Sri Vrindavan Dhama the last Saturday. It was an impromptu visit, more to attend enlightening classes of Srimati Mataji than my attraction for Dhama.

As I paid obeisances to deities at home, I prayed to Srila Prabhupada in particular to please bless me with constant association of devotees on this trip. Let me share some beautiful realisations I had.

I shared in my previous blogs that I am hearing Brahma Samhita seminar by HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj. I can say this about the potency of the scripture and the pure devotees that just by hearing it I had such nice understandings and realisations. Few days back I heard the below famous verse from Brahma Samhita in the same seminar.

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (BS 5.29)

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakṣmīs or gopīs.

The purport says The purpose tree yields only the fruits of piety, wealth, fulfillment of desire and liberation; but the purpose trees in the abode of Kṛṣṇa bestow innumerable fruits in the shape of checkered divine love.

As HH Tamal Krishna Goswami maharaj expanded this verse one thing that somehow penetrated my steel framed heart was glorification of each tree in Dhama and how each tree is a wish fulfilling tree. I realised that I have never wished from any tree in Dhama. I resolved that next time whenever I will go to Dhama I will surely seek wish from a tree there.

I left for Vrindavan with Radheshyam Prabhuji and his family,a very senior and well respected devotee from Gurgaon. Actually another greed to go with Prabhuji is that in his presence my chanting is much much better. I practically chanted the whole way and we reached Vrindavan around 12.30pm. I rushed to grab darshan and then read the BG verse 6.35 and 6.36 which was the topic for our class. I sat at the reception of MVT and read those wonderful verses and their purport. The class was from 3-5 pm, the class was remarkable by the virtue of topic and the teacher. After the class I came back to the temple and attended the Kirtan and Gaur Arti. It was first time that I heard kirtan by HH B.A. Janaradhan Maharaj and maharaj sang beautifully. I met maharaj next day and share d how much I relished it.

14th Mar_2015

I checked into a ashram near the temple, took early dinner prasadam, had a bath, read a little and was fast asleep by 10pm.

I woke up in time next day and managed to pull myself out of the bed and get ready in time to reach before the start of morning arti at Srila Prabhupada’s samadhi.

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It is always a very purifying and humbling experience to sing Samsara davanala lidha loka… at Prabhupada samadhi early in the morning.

After the Arti it was time for Mangal Arti in the main Altar. Devotees were singing mahamantra and as clock came nearer to 4.30 am, the pitch of singing increased and almost at a crescendo darshan opened. What beautiful darshan!

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I can say this full conviction that I have never ever seen anyone looking so handsome in a bright red dhoti and turban as both Krishna Balram did. Their skin was lustrous, smile was deep and beauty simply unparalleled. I am very sorry that I could not capture the picture well as I was standing quite back and later forgot as I was bust drinking Their sheer beauty. I also checked with temple and other devotees, somehow they didn’t click any pictures at mangal arti on this Sunday. I really wish I could somehow share Their beauty with you. (All other high resolution pictures are from temple’s website for that day)

After a soul satisfying, and all senses satisfying, mangal arti, I went to Srila Prabhupada quarters to do japa. This is my favourite place to do japa as being in the presence of Srila Prabhupada and so many senior vaishnavas some part rubs off on my chanting as well.

SrilaPrabhupadaQuartersatISKCONVrindavan88

I started of well but after the 4th or 5th round of chanting I started getting tired and then more embarrassment followed as I started yawning…. regularly. I told myself because I had a hectic day yesterday and got up early today so it is better that I go back to my room and catch up with sleep, say for 30 minutes, then I will be fresh for the rest of the day. Still some part of me wanted to chant, knowing very well that my rounds will get delayed and their quality won’t be as good. My yawns increased further… I really felt sad. I felt guilty that Prabhupada is throwing me out of his room as I was yawning so regularly and he didn’t want others to get disturbed. I forced myself to sit but could not and feared that I may even fall asleep sitting like this. I got up with a heavy heart, paid my dandavat to Srila Prabhupada and said sorry for my behaviour. As I stepped out of Prabhupada’s quarter, I was hit by a chilled wind. It was if I was in hills. It had drizzled lightly, the sky was overcast and a lovely cool breeze was blowing. In less than a minute I was fresh as a daisy! I thanked Prabhupada, I was thinking Prabhupada was kicking me out whereas he was pushing me to go outside, get some fresh air and chant properly. I again thanked Prabhupada and chanted for next one hour in the corridor, pacing up and down. I was absolutely fresh when shringar darshan opened at 7.15am.

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I was very fortunate to meet HH Janananda Maharaj while he was entering the main compound. Maharaj confirmed that he will be coming to Gurgaon this week, Hari Bol !

I attended the Guru Puja and then it was time for the Srimad Bhagavatam class. As I was about to sit I was very surprised to see Murari prabhu, along with his wife, from Jaipur. They had come a day before for Govardhan Parikarma, more association! I will write about the class in a separate blog as it was another revelation.

I was back in temple at 12.45 to say my good bye to most beautiful and reciprocative deities!

I bought some prasad for home and while exiting somehow remembered my resolve to seek some wish from a tree in Vrindavan. I was walking down the corridor, from Prabhupada Samdhi towards the guest house side exit gate, and I saw the familiar tree standing in front. I stopped and thought why not ask for a wish from a tree inside the temple compound, why go outside ? As I walked then another thought came to my mind. why don’t I go and seek the wish from the Tamal tree inside the temple compound as it is always taking darshan of the deities. I countered that this tree seems more merciful as he is serving devotees by standing outside. Mind made up, I walked towards this tree, paid my obeisances mentally (it was raining) and then I touched my forehead with it’s stem and begged for my wishes. While doing it I realised that Srimatai Mataji had instructed me just few minutes back that we should live in present and see what can I do now rather make plans for the future, following the same thought process I sought a personal favour, a near impossible wish, still I prayed for it as I had no other option in hand and it was something immediate help me in my spiritual life. I felt good just touching the tree.

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It had started raining hard as I ran from temple to ashram, forgetting about my wishes almost instantly. I shared a cab with Amitabh Prabhuji on my return journey so I was fortunate to receive association of senior devotees throughout this trip.

Today morning as I was getting ready to leave for the office. I received a message, to my utter surprise what I had wished yesterday came true, delayed by a week but very much true! It is quite personal else I had would shared it. I simply could not believe my ears. I was so very happy and in my high spirits I even forgot to say thank you to deities but paid mental obeisances to my wish fulfilling tree while driving to work. I can say this much with confidence that as of early morning today the chances of my wish becoming true were as remote as a snowfall in Delhi and too in the month of June!!

As I look back and I can only appreciate the mercy of dhama. I also realise that I had been reading and hearing for last so many years that all trees in Dhama are wish fulfilling trees but not even a thought ever crossed my mind to seek something from them. Why ? What else then my lack of faith in scriptures and words of acharayas.

I realised during this trip that my spiritual bullock cart is aided by two wonderful, but unseen, wings. One of them is prayer and the second one is my faith in the words of acharayas and scriptures. On this trip I experienced the power of both.

I realised that whenever we try to build a relationship with Srila Prabhupada, based solely on our sincerity, then howsoever unqualified we may be, Prabhupada inspires us, guides us, in every possible way which is conducive for our devotional progress.

I love Srila Prabhupada.

All glories to Sri Vrindavan Dhama.
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

How to change our heart !

by

Hare Krishna
31st January, 2015, Gurgaon

index

We recently did a short class based on the seminar by HH Bhakti Vijana maharaj called `Change the heart’. This is a wonderful seminar by maharaj and I have heard it multiple times, shared with numerous devotees, always hoping that some parts may get absorbed in my polluted consciousness. The seminar is in two parts, in the first part Maharaj explains why we must change our heart and quotes the below verse from SB 1.2.17

Translation
Certainly that heart is steel-framed which, in spite of one’s chanting the holy name of the Lord with concentration, does not change when ecstasy takes place, tears fill the eyes and the hairs stand on end.

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport `The whole process of spiritual culture is aimed at changing the heart of the living being in the matter of his eternal relation with the Supreme Lord as subordinate servant, which is his eternal constitutional position. So with the progress of devotional service, the reaction of change in the heart is exhibited by gradual detachment from the sense of material enjoyment by a false sense of lording it over the world and an increase in the attitude of rendering loving service to the Lord…. It is expected by all means that by discharging regulated devotional service one must manifest the change of heart. If there is no such change, the heart must be considered steel-framed, for it is not melted even when there is chanting of the holy name of the Lord. We must always remember that hearing and chanting are the basic principles of discharging devotional duties, and if they are properly performed there will follow the reactional ecstasy with signs of tears in the eyes and standing of the hairs on the body. These are natural consequences and are the preliminary symptoms of the bhāva stage, which occurs before one reaches the perfectional stage of prema, love of Godhead.’

Maharaj then explained in brief on what is meant by changing of heart (we should change out thoughts, emotions and desires) ? Why the heart does not change so easily ? Why it changes quickly in case of some devotees and what are the symptoms of change of heart ? All this backed with interesting stories from various shastras. The first part of the seminar ends with the understanding as to how we can somehow change our thoughts and emotions but desires are most difficult to change as we ourselves don’t know what all desires are there in our subconscious mind.

I am writing a short summary on the second part of the seminar where maharaj explained how we can change our desires.

Maharaj quotes the famous verse from SB

śṛṇvatāḿ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ
hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām

Translation
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport that `Messages of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa are non different from Him. Whenever, therefore, offenseless hearing and glorification of God are undertaken, it is to be understood that Lord Kṛṣṇa is present there in the form of transcendental sound, which is as powerful as the Lord personally.’

The Lord is reciprocally respondent to His devotees. When He sees that a devotee is completely sincere in getting admittance to the transcendental service of the Lord and has thus become eager to hear about Him, the Lord acts from within the devotee in such a way that the devotee may easily go back to Him. The Lord is more anxious to take us back into His kingdom than we can desire. Most of us do not desire at all to go back to Godhead. Only a very few men want to go back to Godhead. But anyone who desires to go back to Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa helps in all respects.

Maharaj said that this verse clearly says that when a devotee has developed the urge to hear His message then Lord Himself cleanses desire for material enjoyment from his heart. Hence reading Srimad Bhagavatam regularly we can change our desires and change our heart too. Maharaj said that though the verse says like this yet we do not not see too many devotees rolling on the ground in ecstasy ! Maharaj pointed out that though the verse says hearing' but Prabhupada qualifies the hearing tooffenseless hearing’ in his purport. Maharaj said that we have heard of offensive speaking but never heard about offensive hearing, what exactly is ‘offenseless hearing’ ? And if Prabhupada wrote it then it must have a deeper meaning.

Maharaj then quoted the last line of SB 1.1.2 verse

sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ‘tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt

Maharaj said this verse too says as soon as one hears the message of Bhāgavatam, Krishna becomes a resident of our heart. But there is a very important condition which is included which we usually forget. Maharaj then quoted Srila Sridhar Swami commentary on this verse where in Srila Sridhar Swami wrote that `if someone is not properly hearing then it will take a lot of time’. We may hear again and again but nothing substantial will change in our heart.

So what is is this proper hearing ?

Maharaj said that the conditions for properly hearing are given in Bahagavat Mahatmayam'. Maharaj quoted the below verse fromBahagavat Mahatmayam’ and said this verse holds the key on how to hear Bhāgavatam.


िवशवासो गुरवाकयेषु सविसमनदीनतवभावना ।
मनोदोषजयशचैव कथायां िनशचला मितः ॥

Maharaj explained that how this verse speaks of four conditions on how to hear properly. These are

1. िवशवासो गुरवाकयेषु : Faith on the words of our Guru, This means complete, absolute trust and surrender to the words of Guru. we can also take it as that we must take to our heart what we heard and apply in our life.

  1. सविसमनदीनतवभावना: `Dina bahavana’ means that I am very fallen. We should not think O ! I have heard this topic so many times before or I can speak better than him !! The mood of humility must be there while listening.
  2. मनोदोष : Defects or faults of our mind. The mind is extremely restless it doesn’t want to do a single thing, it wants to jump from one place to another, from one activity to another. Maharaj said that’s why people like internet net so much as we can go anywhere without being absorbed or concentrated on anything. We have to conquer our mind, atleast for the time we are in the class of Bhagavatam.

Maharaj narrated a story about Madhavacharya and a bull in his ashram. This Bull had a unique habit that he would stop chewing whenever Madhavacharya would start speaking. Later on this bull took birth as Jayatiratha, a learned vaishanava, and wrote long commentaries on Madhavacharya’s teachings.

Maharaj said similarly we need to train our mind to stop chewing and hear attentively.

  1. िनशचला मितः : `Matih’ means intelligence, concentrated hearing by using intelligence.

Maharaj then spoke how we can listen Srimad Bhagavatam in the mode of ignorance, passion and goodness. Maharaj elaborated only on the mode of passion and spoke the below three ways where devotees listen in the mode of passion. In all such cases the heart does not change very quickly.

What is the motivation of hearing Srimad Bhagavatam ?

Visaya : I hear with the expectation that the speaker will entertain me, I am going to listen to this particular speaker because his lectures are laced with light stories and he will entertain me by cracking jokes, etc. otherwise I am bored.

Yasha : It means desire for fame . We hear with the mentality this is very good, I will speak this on the next given opportunity. We are not hearing with the sincere heart that something very important is being said to me which I have to apply, we are only hearing to repeat it afterwords because this is an interesting point, and it will make me a famous preacher !

Aishwarya: It comes from the root word ishwara so it also means power (general meaning is opulence). Sometimes we hear with this motivation or desire that when I hear this and I will repeat it. I will then obtain the power or influence over people. I will acquire this ability to influence other people and that will bring power and opulence to me.

Maharaj said that all the above three points are completely against the humble mood in which we should hear Srimad Bhagavatam. We must know that if I have to change my heart then I will have to change my attitude while hearing.

Maharaj came back to the most important point of using our intelligence in hearing, िनशचला मितः. Maharaj stressed that we have to hear but only hearing is not enough but the process of hearing should be such that it would ignite in me the process of deliberating and thinking about what I have heard. The process of hearing is only successful as much as it turns on the thinking process with in myself. That means I apply my intelligence in such a way on what I heard as to understand what it really means for me and how can I apply apply it in my life. In this way my intelligence is being turned on, and if it’s being turned on, then only the process of hearing will be successful in changing our heart.

Maharaj ended the seminar with the famous story of Dhundhukari from Bhagavata mahatmayam in Padama Purana. This is a long story, briefly put Dhundhukari was a very sinful person. He died a horrible premature death and thus became a ghost. When his pious brother, Gokarna, comes back, he finds out that his brother has become a ghost. He then organised a Bahagavatam `saptah’ to liberate his brother, who listens the katha sitting inside a bamboo. After the 7th day when the katha was over Vishnuduta came from Vaikuntha to take Dhundhukari back to Vaikuntha. Gokarna is very happy for his brother but is very surprised that there were others, including himself, who also listened with attention and yet why only Dhundhukari is going back to Godhead. Being questioned Vishnudutas reply that though all the assembled devotees heard the katha with attention but when they went back to their homes none of them thought about what they heard. It was only Dhundhukari would think about he had heard and what it means for him, so much so that we he won’t even sleep in the night.

Maharaj said that many a times we hear a great lecture and we are all impressed and we praise the lecture and the speaker but after a few days or even after few hours if someone were to ask us what was the lecture about we are unable to recollect it even partially.

Maharaj said that by the process of meditation on what he had heard, this particular process of `mannan’, when we think about we heard and and then try to understand how it applies to us, continued for the ghost he burned of all his previous karmas ! Maharaj again stressed that it is this thinking, and not just the hearing, which becomes a sword by which we can cut the knots of our karma. At this stage the inspiration becomes internal and it changes our heart !

I strongly request all the readers to kindly hear this wonderful seminar, you can download the same by clicking it HERE.

All glories to HH Bhakti Vijnana maharaj
All glories to Srimad Bhagavatam.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada came to take away our suffering

by

Hare Krishna

30th Dec, 2014. Gurgaon

Quotes-by-Srila-Prabhupada-on-Cause-of-Suffering

Over last some months I developed a habit that as I would read purports by Srila Prabhupada I will look for answers that Prabhupada has given in his writings. Many a times I have shared them on this blog as Q&A. I have tons of them, while reading on my phone or ipad I simply copy paste them on the device itself and hence its very convenient for me to do it.

Two days back I felt as if Srila Prabhupada is telling me that why am I holding all that information with me and not sharing it with everyone. Therefore, I have made a new page on the blog where I will continuously update various answers given by Srila Prabhupada via his purports and other writings. I am purposely not putting them in main blog as there no. will increase perpetually and I don’t want devotees to get daily mails. The idea is that we can all come back to that page in our free time and read the nectar in only Q&A form. Kindly click HERE to view the page, I will be very grateful if you can give me the feedback for improvement. I am very sorry for sending a blank blog an hour ago by mistake, please pardon my error.

I am also thinking of adding another page where we can post various pastimes of Srila Prabhupada. Please give your advice on this endeavour as well. You can check that page also on the main page. Please share inspiring pastimes of Srila Prabhupada by e mail (giriraj.bcs@gmail.com) or post it via comments and I will add them to the main page.

I am posting a wonderful pastime below which shows the level of compassion Srila Prabhupada had for every living entity on planet earth and, probably, why Prabhupada agreed to have his deity installed inside ISKCON temples.

It was the beginning of 1977. Prabhupada was in Bombay temple. He was very sick. He had stopped all food intake – he was taking 1/4 a cup of orange juice per day. His body had only bones left – there was no flesh. And yet, he was insisting that he wanted to go to London. The doctors had given up responsibility. But as always, he was adamant.

At this time, one Pancaratrika Pandit from Bangalore named Sampat Kumar Bhattacarya came to know about Srila Prabhupada’s situation. So, he took a flight from Bangalore to Bombay – which in those days was a huge thing for a Brahmin priest – and met Prabhupada, and asked for a private meeting. Generally, nobody was allowed a private meeting, but when he said that he specially came by flight from Bangalore to meet Srila Prabhupada, he was allowed a private meeting. So, everybody was asked to go out, and they talked.

The conversation was like this: Sampat Kumar: ‘Swamiji, I am feeling very pained that you are suffering like this.’

Prabhupada (laying down, in broken words): ‘The whole world is meant for suffering. Dukhalayam asavatam.’

Sampat Kumar: ‘But still Swamiji, there are so many people depending on you. So when you suffer, they suffer.

Prabhupada: ‘What can I do?’

Bhattacarya: ‘Swamiji, I want to tell you something. In Vrindavan temple, they are having your deity on the altar. And all kinds of people are coming and praying to it, and offering flowers to it, and you are still living. According to Pancaratra, when the Acarya is living, if he puts his deity on the altar, then all the sufferings people are having come to his body through the deity. So you please tell your disciples to worship your deity only after you leave your body.’

He was speaking as if he was giving some information to Prabhupada, which Prabhupada did not note.

Prabhupada: ‘I know. I came here to take their suffering.’

Bhattacarya was shocked. He was not giving any new information. This was well known to Prabhupada; and he was determined to suffer for others.

Prabhupada: ‘Do you have anything else to say?’

Bhattacarya: ‘Swamiji, if that is your wish, what can I say? I am only a priest.’

Prabhupada: ‘Even when I leave, I will keep continuing taking their suffering, and make them free so they can keep chanting Hare Krishna.’

So for 10,000 years, Prabhupada’s deity is going to be sitting in temples around the world, and taking all our sufferings, and making us free so we can chant Hare Krishna. He is not fiberglass; he is really there, accepting our prayers, obeisances, and suffering.

Where else in the recent history can we come across a personality who had such compassion for the most fallen souls. And via his books Srila Prabhupada continues in his effort to guide every one of us to the top region of the spiritual world….Goloka Vrindavan. He is the `Jagat Guru’ in this age of Kali for next 10,000 years.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

My Gurus in 2014…

by

Hare Krishna

5th December, 2014. Gurgaon

If your car is moving, don’t forget whose push started it to get it going. Similarly, always remember the different gurus that got you moving on the path of devotion. HH Mahanidhi Maharaj

If your car is moving, don’t forget whose push started it to get it going. Similarly, always remember the different gurus that got you moving on the path of devotion. HH Mahanidhi Maharaj

As the year 2014 comes to I feel inspired to share and thank the devotees who helped me and inspired to take baby steps in Krishna consciousness. I, then, remembered how I had written a blog in Jan 2013 ( click here to read the same) and I thought let me take the same format and list down my own 24 gurus.

Let me recount that Shri Dattatreya had twenty-four teachers from nature as he told King Yadu…. The earth, air/breeze, sky, fire, the sun, pigeon, python, sea, moth, elephant, ant, fish, Pingala the courtesan, arrow-maker, infant/playful boy, the moon, honeybee, deer, bird of prey, maiden, serpent, spider, caterpillar and water are my twenty four preceptors.

Here is my list for 2014, this is not in any particular order, I am writing as I remember them.

  1. HG Rukmini Krishna Prabhuji, Delhi : He is and would always remain my shiksha guru and guide, whatever little I am today in my spiritual life is all thanks to him. Every time I listen to Prabhuji’s class I can see the quality of preparation behind it. I learn from prabhuji how one must always prepare well for his class, picking a topic and expanding on it and ensuring that devotees take home some learning from each class.

  2. ShyamSundar Krishna Prabhuji , Gurgaon : Prabhuji remains a very dear friend cum guide. I feel so inspired by his level of service. Prabhuji serves the local ISKCON centre very well. The amount of effort he pitches in, with the right attitude, and how he helps devotees in time of their need is very inspiring for me. On top of that prabhuji has a unique knack to ask open ended questions to make any class or discussion interactive.

  3. ShyamVihari Prabhuji & Shyamangi Radhika Mataji, Surangi Mataji, Parmeshwari Mataji and so many other devotees : What a feeling they have to serve their Guru, small things like who is going with Maharaj, lack of a back pillow in a class, a foot mat, they all have very good bhava to serve guru. I can only pray to them that by their association I too get same bhava to serve senior Vaishanavas.

  4. Mukundapriya Prabhuji, Surat : I personally experience how Prabhuji served Guru Maharaj in Gurgaon. Prabhuji will just sit outside Maharaj’s room like a servant, no questions, no comments, just there as a dedicated servant. I felt very inspired and try to copy the same feeling while serving Guru Maharaj.

5. Mukunda Prabhji., Ujjain : Prabhuji is a senior and very humble devotee. He visited us this year and bowled us over with his humility and honesty by sharing his challenges in spiritual life and asking advice from devotees half his age. Prabhuji acted as if to teach us this attitude. He showed me that I should never feel shy about asking help about any challenge I may face. I acted on it and got benefited.

  1. HG Vidurpriya Prabhuji, Delhi : Prabhuji is a senior preacher and has such an affable personality and everyone loves him. The quality I learn from him is `no envy’. He is always pleased to hear glorification of everyone and there is never a tinge on envy in him.

  2. HH Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj : I respect him so much. There was a recent incident where I personally realised how merciful and compassionate Maharaj is towards all. My day is simply made when Maharaj’s merciful eyes fall on my fallen body and soul.

  3. Tulasi Maharani : She is my guru in many ways, for the time being I can just say that the reciprocation and the mercy I received from her taught me to inculcate similar feelings for others, which I have yet to even start. I became aware of so many offenses I did while serving her initially, and I am sure I still don’t serve her properly, but she reciprocated just on some tinge of right feeling in my heart.

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  1. Rasikakeshava Prabhuji, Gurgaon : Prabhuji is one of the more sincere devotees in our small town. Prabhuji came to our home on way to his office, he works in a MNC co., I was surprised to see him wearing tilak to office. It was light and not as thick and bright we usually wear to temple but it was there and Prabhuji inspired me to follow the same. Now, most of the days I wear a very light tilak to office, no longer water, all thanks to him.

  2. Dhama : I wrote about my experience few weeks back on how dhama reciprocates when we try to serve than trying to enjoy its potency for our ownself. Its a big learning for me and I pray that always remember it. I learnt that I can serve dhama by serving devotees in the Dhama and visit as a guide for new people rather than just about me and Dhama.

  3. HH Bhakti Vijnana Mahaaraj : I love Maharaj and his style of explaining complex topics. It was only after hearing Maharaj’s lecture on how chanting purifies scientifically that I looked inside my own heart and pushed myself to improve my chanting. It was his seminar where I realised the potency of chanting. My chanting will never be the same, even on the worst of the days. I have written two unfinished blogs sharing what I learned in two seminars but they are turning out to be too long and

  4. Kirtana : I am not a very Kirtan person, I sure like them but lecture is always my first love. This year, after a gap of two years, I again attended the Barsana retreat by HH Sacinanadan Maharaj, for two days only. When I reached I found that it was the day of the 12 hour kirtan. At first I felt sad as I thought O! I missed all the lectures/katha and now one day will only be kirtan. Maharaj immediately put everyone in to the right mood to be absorbed in the kirtan and then it was one superlative performance after another. Later, how the kirtan ended for me is a topic for another blog in future. Let me share my chanting improved 200%, atleast for the time being. And what a feeling, it was if my anarthas were falling like huge sheets of glass, I could literally hear them breaking. I will never forget that experience my whole life. I will never undermine the potency of Kirtan, ever. Kirtan is my new guru.

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  1. Asit Prabhuji, Gurgaon : Prabhuji is one of the most senior and respected devotee in Gurgaon and teaches Vaishnava etiquette by his own example. So many incidents in the past one year which were eye openers for me. I feel so fortunate that we have a devotee with such high standard of manners which we can copy wholeheartedly.

  2. HG Damodar Prabhuji, Vrindavan : Prabhuji is very sweet and does very nice katha and more sweeter Vaishanava bhajans. Prabhuji gave me the taste to hear and learn Vaishanava bhajans, I always look forward to his class and it is because of him only that I fell in love with `Hari haraye namah krishna Yadvaye namah’ and other Vaishnava bhajans.

  3. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta : I had so much hankering for knowing more and more and would collect all sort of books. I would read them for few days then jump to a new one. This continued till I read Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta . It was as if this is what my soul was searching from eternity. If I ever learn Bangla language, it will be only to taste its verses.

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  1. Guru’s words : What a guru. I learnt the hard way what is the consequence when I ignore instructions of my guru and also learnt in a very pleasant manner what are benefits when I cling to every single word of my guru, the results are many times disproportionate to my service. I have taken the words from a guru or instructions from a senior devotee as a separate personality whom I must server if I want to progress more than what I deserve.

  2. Servant of the servant: I went to serve guru maharaj during the recent Kanpur temple opening. After reaching the temple I found that two senior god brothers have already arrived with the same intent. Instead of being happier I at first felt a tinge of sadness in my heart as I thought that I will not get the opportunity to serve Guru Maharaj but then I let it go as I thought that these devotees are more qualified to serve guru maharaj than me and it is better only that they serve Guru Maharaj well rather than my service, which is basic at best. Then it dawned upon me that I can learn from them by serving them instead. I tried my best to serve them and I came back even happier than serving guru maharaj directly. I realised that this is my right position, servant of servant and I also realised that it is more pleasing to my soul. So now whenever I have the opportunity I try to serve those devotees who are serving Guru Maharaj, I feel happy to be a small inconsequential devotee who is assisting the direct servants in their service to guru. I never knew that being servant of the servant could be more satisfying than serving directly.

  3. Kartika month : This was the first year where we sang Damodarashtakam almost every evening at home. Result… very nice reciprocation, I got so many realisations and for the first time I learnt to meditate on the form of Lord while singing. I have realised that kartika month too is my guru and when I serve him, the reciprocation and learning are huge.

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19. HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj : I hear maharaj’s seminar on Damodarashtakam since last 2 years and it has left a lasting impression on my heart. It was only after hearing his prodding questions that inspired me to go a bit internal and improve my Sadhna Bhakti.

  1. Time : I learned how flexible time is actually. I did hear in a lecture that time can contract and expand but realised it only this year. I found so many times that while chanting, in the kirtan, the time stops, literally. I realised that as we go from gross to subtle and further subtle levels we can easily experience it. Time teaches me to put my heart into everything I do and then time takes a back seat.

  2. Association of Guru Maharaj :I love to relish just being near him. I feel that I am already participating in Lords pastimes. Days seem longer, just guru’s association in itself seems to be perfection for me.

  3. Srila Prabhupada : I got the service to send one Prabhupada quote to our local temple devotees, Initially I would cut and paste from ISKCONdesiretree and later I pushed myself to pick one from whatever I read that day. This habit continues since many months. It gave me unshakable faith in the writing of Srila Prabhupada as I realised how easily I am able to get quotes from almost every second verse and how they are absolute in themselves and need no explanation nor depends on some time, place or circumstances, unbelievable. I learn from Srila Prabhupada everyday. He is my eternal shiksha guru.

  4. Association of devotees : Another guru. I have started considering `association of devotees’ as a personality who cools my soul. Innumerable times I have benefited spiritually by just being in the association of devotees. So many devotees showered their mercy on me this year, HG Madhavananda Prabhuji, Amitab Krishna Prabhu. I had to open my introvert and dry heart and they poured their mercy in it and making it more malleable.

  5. Hearing Krishna Katha : Today I consider Krishna Katha as independent person and non different from Krishna Himself in many ways. This guru gives something rare…. greed for Krishna.

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sādhu-saṅge kṛṣṇa-nāma-ei-mātra cāi
saṁsāra jinite āra kona vastu nāi

Other than sadhu sanga and the name of Krishna, nothing else is needed to cross over the ocean of birth and death.

As I wrote in my last year blog that apart from these 24 gurus, I have a special half moon in my life, my spiritual master. He is my lord and my master, there is nothing that I have learnt from my own capability or ability, everything has happened due to the sheer causeless mercy of my spiritual master. I have understood that my eternal svarupa is to be his servant’s servant. Goal of my life ? What can I do to please him.


According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is non different from Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees. (CC Ādi 1.45 )

Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is identical with the Vedic hymn known as the Kāma-gāyatrī, which is composed of twenty-four and a half syllables. Those syllables are compared to moons that arise in Kṛṣṇa. Thus all three worlds are filled with desire. (CC Madhya 21.125)

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Realizing happiness in service

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Hare Krishna,

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Dandavat Pranams. Pls accept my humble obeisances.

To be honest, I have no qualification and with Giriraj Prabhuji setting such high standards that I almost feel ashamed and shy in penning my realizations…When you have Gold bullion, the value of 500 Rs note is insignificant…however I am still writing per instructions from my dear friend HG Giriraj Prabhu for whom I have very high respect and undoubtedly inexplicable love…

It is all due to causeless mercy of my Guru that he asked me to accompany him as his servant in USA. I reached here on 21st Nov 2014 with him and were staying with a family in New York. First day, I had practically nothing to do other than listening to his Golden words. On 22nd, I started feeling the itch. I had a comfortable sleep, nice prasadam, books to read but there was still an itch.

I went to Guru Maharaj and asked if anything needs to be done. He gave me some of his clothes to be ironed….I was over the moon. Couldn’t help inhaling the smell quickly. It took me an hour and I gave him back. I was rejuvenated. But after few hrs, the itch came back! I knew if I go to him, he would kick me out. So I asked the devotee cooking for him if there is anything I could do to help him. He knew by previous conversation I am ZERO in cooking, so he asked me to just throw the garbage downstairs and clean the bin….again I felt so nice….but in few hrs the itch came back – the itch to SERVE!

I then sat in solitude and started thinking why this itch never came for my parents, brothers, wife and family. I would never want to iron their clothes or throw garbage and more so ever clean it. I am too aristocratic for that. How come for the ones who have reared me, who gave me birth, whom I played with, I have no inclination to do any work leave aside menial ones. Infact my parents have started complaining that they wish if I could serve them similarly, they would also bless me – infact bless me even for trying, leave aside perfecting the service…If my parents would chastise, I would judge whether I really went wrong and answer them accordingly. I would not talk to my elder brother for days if I think he was unfair to me. And here I am – itching to serve, virtually anything and ready to take chastisement and learn from it…I have no problem in owning up that I am a fool and not be judgemental why I was chastised – rather say and feel sorry for troubling my spiritual master. Why so much insensitivity to my parents and other family relationships?

I realized with my parents and others, I had always felt I am the enjoyer. I am used to the fact that my mom and dad would do what makes me happy and once I am satisfied, I would not bother about them till my next desire come..how selfish of me..I would fret when my wife would want me to do A,B and C but it would be delight when she would massage my feet when I am tired…I was trying to be the master all the time and I didn’t want to be their servant as I felt even their love was based on reciprocal basis.

Based on my understanding from Srila Prabhupad books, it then dawned to me why I am enjoying the itch to serve. Our constitutional position is that we are the servant of the lord and we can derive true happiness only by serving HIM and his devotees. In material world we may enjoy being PM or president of the country or organization but it still agitates our mind as the quest for greed, fame etc keeps increasing. But when we do things that is our constitutional position, we are fully satisfied. The fish will eventually be happy in water, if u make fish the queen of the jungle, she may revel for sometime but her natural constitution is to roam around in water. It reminded me of wonderful pastime of King Prataparudra who was trying to get attention of Mahaprabhu. Though he was king, he sweeped the floor with Golden broom before Jagannath Rath Yatra and he felt extreme delight in massaging Lord’s feet. He came to following conclusion: We are kings or sweepers temporarily. Our permanent and exalted position is as humble servants of Krishna. So here I was enjoying the service of pure devotee and no wonder I was asking more. Srila Prabhupad has written this many places, I have heard and read umpteenth number of times but the realization dawned first time that I am servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord’s devotees. This is pure joy…

I was in pure ecstasy and went to Guru Maharaj and shared my realization. He beamed and was happy. He said once we understand this, next stage is we are not body and then complete surrender and then attachment with the Lord…It kind of scared me – should I be calling my wife and parents in few months and say goodbye? what if they say no? Do I really owe my parents anything? Guru Maharaj reading my thoughts, said: as a grahstha we have some responsibilities. Once parent knows what is good for the child, he tries and makes all efforts to give the same to his son and daughter. If you have understood where is the real happiness, then as a son it is your responsibility to make all efforts and getyour parents and family this taste. I protested my mom hasn’t changed in last 18 yrs despite my father’s and brother’s efforts. He responded you didn’t come to Krishna Conscious despite best efforts of your brother. He said it is important that we help others when we realize something so that their spiritual quotient also increases – this is real compassion. Whether they change or not is upto their free will but you have to give your mercy. He then also clarified – Try means really try your best as if you are giving engg exam.

I felt so wonderful with this realization…Guru Maharaj had  guided me long time back that you can learn lofty philosophy, become wonderful preacher but it has no value if our basics, our heart doesn’t change which happens by self realization and then our preaching becomes effective. Be humble, tolerant, compassionate, service is the key, we are not body and surrender are stepping stones. Self realization should lead to implementation..and perfection of the same is sadhana. I understood I need to serve my spiritual master, my devotee friends and all other knownships and acquaintance. I understood I need to serve my parents with similar intensity only the goal changes – “I would want them to become servant of my Lord as well….because more the servants, more happiness we can give to our master. So I will serve them and I will try or even beg they serve Srila Prabhupad messengers diligently which shall delight the Lord and their soul just like the way I felt. While serving, our own pain is not felt – happiness will help them to overcome bodily pain and misconception that they are body.

I don’t know if you all can relate to my realizations – If you cant, then I request just serve senior devotees in your area or your spiritual master exclusively (take few days break and serve HIM and see if you get the taste of service….if you try this few times – 5-6 times after developing relationship with that person, I am confident you will get it.)

I am very fallen and hope by getting your service I can become one of the members of your flock of birds soaring in spiritual realm under guidance of exalted devotees.

 

Thanking you again for giving me the opportunity to serve you

 

Very fallen servant,

Shyam Sunder Krishna Das

Falling in love.. again and again…

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Hare Krishna.

14 Nov, 2014. Gurgaon.

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya svayaṁ bhagavān
jaya jaya gauracandra bhakta-gaṇa-prāṇa

(All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead! All glories to Lord Gauracandra, the life and soul of His devotees, CC Antya 14.2)

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Some weeks back, in an emotional state of mind, I, foolishly, sent the below SMS to Guru Maharaj.

`Guru Maharaj, I wanted to share that that I am having extra marital affair and that too with not one but many. I have fallen in love with Krishna, with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, with Nityananad Prabhu, with Lord Jagannath, with you and with devotees like Shyamsundar Prabhuji and I have to only thank you for helping me establish this unique sambandh jnana with Lord, guru and devotees. I am most blessed to to have taken shelter in ISKCON and I promise that I will try my best to spread this love around.’

Reading it today I feel quite embarrassed at my childish attempt to use humour to drive home a simple point that inspite of my long list of disqualification, I am receiving a whole lot of unproportionally large volume of Love from so many channels around me.

As I take some baby steps in my spiritual journey, I find myself falling in love with an increasing number of devotees. And strangely, I observe that more the number of devotees I fall in love with, the more my love for Krishna increases automatically. When I make space for one more devotee in my heart, the heart acts on its own to make more space for Krishna and vice versa. Somehow the same very heart which could hardly accommodate only a few persons from family and friends circle ( looking back I think it only had one person in it, myself), now it seems be be getting bigger and bigger to make room for a large number of devotees, the quality of bonding and the intensity too has increased many times than what I ever increased in my material life.

In the past there was always a conscious and subconscious `give and take’ feeling, even with close friends. In fact the closer a person the higher used to be my expectations from him. Now, with devotees just the reverse is true. I don’t have any expectations from most of them and the only thing I long is to be in their association and, if possible, they speak about Krishna, but most of the time I am in a blissful state by just being near them.

Being a very introvert and dry person my list is still quite short and many a times the love is just one sided as the other devotee does not now how much love and respect I have for him. I wish I could name all but to name a few HH Gopala Krishna Goswami Maharaj, HG Rukmini Krishna Prabhu, HH Sacinanadan Maharaj, HG Karuna Prabhuji, Subir Prabhu, my dear friend Shyamsundar Prabhuji, HG Prasanto Mataji (what I would not give to have her as my mother), HH Giriraj Maharaj, HH Radha Govind Maharaj, HH Bhakti Vijnana Maharaj ( without even meeting Maharaj I feel so much connected to him), HG Radheshyam Prabhuji. I have fallen head over heels over HH Bhakti Charu Maharaj. And then all previous acharays, six Goswamis, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Nityanand, Sri Mayapur Dham, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Lord Balram and Sri Radha & Krishna and Their associates, Tulasi Maharani ( another case of head over heels), ISKCON Punjabi Bagh temple, in fact all ISKCON temples, Vrindavan Deities, Damodar Lila, Govardhan Lila, Bhagavad Gita, Vaishnava bhajans, MVT, deep soulful kirtans, ISKCON, preaching,….. the list gets longer by each passing month.

Three special names I would like to mention in the end are hearing Krishna katha (how I wish if somehow I could dedicate my one ear 24 hours a day plugged in listening it), Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (completely and madly head over heels) and Srila Prabhupada. I don’t know how and when my respect for Srila Prabhupada turned into love. It has primarily happened due to the causeless mercy of Guru Maharaj.

I fell in love with Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta after hearing it the first time itself, while not even knowing who is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu! I still remember that it was during my initial days at Punjabi Bagh temple, speaker was HG Swargapati Prabhuji. What he was reading and reciting was beyond any definition of sweetness known to me before. After prabhuji’s lecture got over I collected some courage and approached him and asked from which book he was reading these verses. Prabhuji replied me he was reading from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. I immediately went to the book store and asked for it. The Prabhuji in charge of the store Looked at me from head to toe and then politely advised me to buy the condensed version first. I brought it home and after few days I went to Sri Vrindavan Dhama, checked into the guest for the first time and finished more than quarter of the book, but somehow I never completed it. Then few months back after hearing `Rupa Siksha’ lecture recording by HH Radha Govind Maharaj I felt inspired to read it and from that day onwards I read a few verses almost daily. I love all three from the core of my heart.

I am copying the song `Thakura Vaisnava Pada by Srila Narottama Das Thakura below. Although I still remain judgmental about devotees and do not have any such feeling in my heart yet I pray to our guru parampara to kindly bless me that one day such feelings about devotees can blossom in my dry, and stone like hard, heart.

ṭhākura vaiṣṇava pada, avanīra susampada,
śuno bhāi hoiyā eka mana
āśraya loiyā bhaje, tāre kṛṣṇa nāhi tyaje,
āra saba more akāraṇa
(O brother, please hear my words with rapt attention. The lotus feet of the Vaisnavas are the most valuable treasure of this world. These Vaisnavas continually take shelter of Lord Krsna and worship Him. They never abandon their Lord. They are liberated. They are free from the cycle of birth and death.)

vaiṣṇava caraṇa jala, prema bhakti dite bol,
āra keho nahe balavanta
vaiṣṇava caraṇa reṇu, mastake bhūṣaṇa vinu,
āra nāhi bhūṣaṇera anta
(The water that has washed the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas bestows devotional service in pure love of God. Nothing else is as effective for attaining this divine love. I place dust from the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas upon my head. I wear no other ornament.)

tīrtha jala pavitra guṇe, likhiyāche purāṇe,
se saba bhaktira pravañcana
vaiṣṇavera pādodaka, sama nahe ei saba,
yāte hoy vāñchita pūraṇa
(The purifying power of the waters at the various holy places of pilgrimage is described in the Puranas, although this is something of a deceptive trick. Actually there is not anything as purifying as the water that has washed the lotus feet of the Vaisnavas. This water fulfills all desires.)

vaiṣṇava sańgete mana, ānandita anukṣaṇa,
sadā hoy kṛṣṇa parasańga
dīna narottama kānde, hiyā dhairya nāhi bāndhe
mora daśā keno hoilo bhańga
(Moment after moment my mind finds pleasure in the association of the Vaisnavas. I always seek out the company of those who are devoted to Lord Krsna. Poor-hearted Narottama dasa breaks down and cries. How has this fallen condition come upon me?)

I beg devotees to kindly share their experience on falling in love with devotees.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

What is the meaning of Prabhupada ?

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Hare Krishna.

23rd September, 2014. Gurgaon

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I randomly opened Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta yesterday and this beautiful verse, with an enlightening purport by Srila Prabhupada, opened up.

Q : What is the meaning of word Prabhupada ?
Answer:

kāśī-miśra kahe, — āmi baḍa bhāgyavān
mora gṛhe ‘prabhu-pādera’ habe avasthāna (CC Madhya 10.23)

Translation:
When Kāśī Miśra heard the proposal, he said, “I am very fortunate that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Lord of all prabhus, will stay at my home.”

Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport ‘In this verse the word prabhupāda, referring to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is significant. Regarding this, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda comments, “Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and all His servants address Him as Prabhupāda. This means that there are many prabhus taking shelter under His lotus feet.”

The pure Vaiṣṇava is addressed as prabhu, and this address is an etiquette observed between Vaiṣṇavas. When many prabhus remain under the shelter of the lotus feet of another prabhu, the address Prabhupāda is given.

Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu are also addressed as Prabhupāda. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Advaita Prabhu and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu are all viṣṇu-tattva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. Therefore all living entities are under Their lotus feet.

Lord Viṣṇu is the eternal Lord of everyone, and the representative of Lord Viṣṇu is the Lord’s confidential servant. Such a person acts as the spiritual master for neophyte Vaiṣṇavas; therefore the spiritual master is as respectable as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya or Lord Viṣṇu Himself. For this reason the spiritual master is addressed as Oṁ Viṣṇupāda or Prabhupāda.

The ācārya, the spiritual master, is generally respected by others as Śrīpāda, and the initiated Vaiṣṇavas are addressed as Prabhu. Prabhu, Prabhupāda and Viṣṇupāda are described in revealed scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Caitanya-bhāgavata. In this regard, these scriptures present evidence accepted by unalloyed devotees.’

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Difference between devotees & non devotees, and some analogies.

by

Hare Krishna.

21st September, 2014. Gurgaon.

Quotes-by-Srila-Prabhupada-on-Difference-Between-A-Devotee-and-A-Non-Devotee

I recently heard two wonderful analogies about devotees, I am sharing them below.

As the many waves of the rivers flow into the ocean, so do all these great warriors enter blazing into Your mouths. (BG 11.28)

I see all people rushing full speed into Your mouths, as moths dash to destruction in a blazing fire. (BG 11.29)

The first was when I was listening to a lecture by HG Chaitnaya Charan Prabhuji on NoI and heard this amazing description of the above often repeated analogies of rivers rushing into water and moths dashing into fire, that death will come to everyone present there. Prabhuji quoted Vedanta Desika of Sri sampradaya who compared moths to non devotees and rivers to devotees in the following ways :

1. River enters naturally into sea where as moth forcefully enter the fire. Similarly people like Duryodhana enter death forcefully by doing adharma where as warriors like Bhishama and Drona are forced by the providence to be on the wrong side and they have to fight and also die also, but there is a difference between the two.

2. Rivers don’t lose their primary identity after merging into seas (water remains water) where as moths gets burned and lose their primary identity after getting burnt. Similarly devotee do not lose their identity after death. On the other hand materialists when they die, lose whatever they value. Devotees continue as before and serve the Lord, their essentials doesn’t change either in the material world or in the spiritual world. What they were doing before they do afterwards as well, death doesn’t effect them in a major way.

3. When moths go towards fire the don’t do any good to themselves or to the fire. But rivers irrigate the land and also provide water to everyone on the way to sea. Similarly when devotee lead there lives they are benefiting everyone, when they speak Krishna katha not only they are living a spiritual life but also spreading Krishna consciousness. Non devotees are no good to anyone.

The second one was when I heard a most wonderful seminar by HH Bhakti Vijnana Goswami Maharaj on cleansing our heart. Maharaj first stated how a brahmana has three stages in his devotional life :

1. Dvija : when one is born in a brahmana family
2. Vipra : when one becomes an expert and is inspired
3. brahmana : One who knows Brahman.

Maharaj stated that similarly a devotee too has three stages in his life

1. First stage : When one gets initiated by the mercy of his Guru
2. Vipra : when one feels internally inspired to progress in bhakti
3. Vaishanava : when one understands Brahman

I then searched for analogies written by Srila Prabhupada and I hit a jackpot at this link.

I am sharing some of them below

1. As the river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure devotional service flows by the association of pure devotees till it reaches the ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love of God.

2. His Divine Grace the spiritual master can kindle the spiritual fire from the wood-like living entity by imparting proper spiritual messages injected through the receptive ear.

3. He is slapped by the police. He says, “Oh, I am independent. Go on slapping.” This is insanity. Is it not insanity? The police slaps him, and he says, “I am independent.” Do you think independence? So that sort of independence we are having.

4. Tiger can kill many animals. Does it mean it is very important animal? No. It has no use in the society. Undoubtedly, it is very powerful. It has got the good weapons to fight and it can kill many. These are not qualifications for good men or good society.

I request devotees to kindly share useful analogies you may have heard with all of us.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Why do devotees keep a Shikha ?

by

Hare Krishna.

19th September, 2014. Gurgaon

Shikha

I always have questions regarding my shikha and the dos and don’ts that go with it.
I read earlier that the shikha signifies one-pointed focus on a spiritual goal and devotion to God. It is also an indication of cleanliness, as well as personal sacrifice to God. I recently found some interesting information on iskcondesiretree on shikha which I am copying here for the pleasure of devotees.

What is the significance of keeping a shikha ?

Shikha is a tuft of hair at the back of head specifically kept by Vaishnavas and Brahmanas.

It is an established rule that anyone who recites vedic mantras should not have hair on face and head. So, those who need to perform vedic rituals are advised to remove hairs.

However, there are many reasons for having Shikha:

  1. When Devotee leaves body Krishna pulls the soul from the top most Chakra which is on the head under the shikha.
  2. It is said that according to the karma of a soul the living entity at the time of death leaves body from different places from mouth, nose, etc… But a devotee who leaves this body from that “chakra” (Shikha) attains high planets of Spiritual world.
  3. Also hair is needed to protect that chakra. But women do not cut their hair, because their other lower chakras are not good protected but if they have long hair they protect them with hair.
  4. The Vaishnavas following a descending spiritual path that is they depend on the mercy of the Supreme Lord at every step to pull them out of Maya. So when we are drowning in Maya and only our head is out of the water, Guru and Gauranga can still pull us out comfortably by holding our head by this tuft of head called the shikha. So the shikha shows the subordination and dependence of the devotee on the causeless mercy of Lord Gauranga-Krishna at all times.
  5. The Mayavadis follow the ascending path since they egotistically confident of achieve God and coming out of illusion by the dint of their insignificant efforts or sadhan. So they do not keep a shikha because they do not need the mercy of the Lord.

6) Shikha is also like a spiritual antenna on the top of the head meant to show to the Lord and that we are aspiring recepients of His causeless mercy.

7) One must have a sikha to perform any kind of yajna. Therefore in Indian tradition all the brahmanas, Vaisnava or otherwise, keep a sikha. Although there seem to be no sastric injunctions regarding the size of the sikha, Gaudiya Vaisnavas traditionally keep the sikha about the size of a calf’s hoofprint, approximately 1.5 inches in diameter.

8) Srila Prabhupada mentioned this in a conversation with some of his disciples in Hawaii (6.5.1972):
“ GaudiyaVaisnavasikha is an inch and a half across — no bigger. Bigger sikha means another sampradaya…. And they have to be knotted”

9) Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta says:
The sikha may be any length, but it should be kept tightly knotted and only untied when you are washing, The Hari-bhakti-vilasa observes that members of the upper classes even tie the sikha before taking the final ablutions of a bath. This particularly applies when bathing in a body of water such as a river or a lake, in which case to not tie the sikha prior to bathing is considered low class and disrespectful to the sacred rite of bathing.
You may tie it in a simple manner for bathing, retying it more carefully after the bath.* cleaning, or oiling it. Also, when going to sleep, attending funeral rites, or observing a period of mourning, you should keep the sikha untied. Since an untied sikha is a sign of a death in the family, it is inauspicious to go about one’s daily duties with an untied sikha. It is also said that if one keeps the sikha untied, the body may become weak.
While tying your sikha after bathing, chant the Hare Krsna mantra, or, if initiated with Gayatri mantras, silently chant the Brahma-gayatri (first line of Gayatri). The sikha should not be braided (traditionally only women braid their hair), nor should it be kept long and disheveled. Naturally, if the sikha is too short to be tied, it is all right to leave it open, but it should not be disheveled.

10) Significance of Shaving head – It is a symbol of renunciation. If you see materialists, they are extremely fond of hair. Decorating hair etc pulls us into bodily consciousness. This is not good for practicing spiritualists. So as an indication of renunciation from material consciousness devotees shave head.

11) Significance of shikha – Another view: It is a symbol of duality of souls and supreme Lord. Impersonalists believe that there is no duality between the supreme and the living entity and they are expected to shave their heads completely. Vaishnavites believe in the philosophy that there is clear and eternal distinction between supreme god Krishna and living entities. The shikha is symbol of Krishna which is large and the remaining very little hair is the symbol of insignificant and innumerable conditioned living entity

12) Scientific reasons for having shikha:
(A) A person who keeps shikha attracts cosmic energy which imparts enlightment.
(B) The small portion of hair that hangs from behind our head applies little pressure on our brains that helps one to improve concentration and mind control and improve memory.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.