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Govindaram

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  1. Before I said sorry to you, cause I did something to offend you, but you were having non of it. what comes around goes around-nothing spiritual about that saying. Haribol
  2. by Srila Bhaktirakshak Sridhar Maharaj <font color="red">Humbler than a Blade of Grass </font color> trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih Translation "One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more forbearing than a tree who gives due honor to others without desiring it for himself is qualified to always chant the holy name of Krsna." Illumination We should mainly couch ourselves in this mood: we should think of ourselves as the meanest of the mean. Srila Bhakrivinoda Thakura has given his analysis of the meaning of this verse as follows: even a blade of grass has its value, but we do not even have as much value as a blade of grass. We have no positive value. It is one thing if a man is not educated, but a madman is worse than uneducated. He can think-but only abnormally. Therefore, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, "I have some consciousness, some intelligence, but it is all misdirected. A blade of grass has no misdirection. When trampled upon, it has no tendency to spring back in the opposite direction. A blade of grass can be blown here and there by a storm, or by the external environment, but I will always be reluctant to go in a particular direction. If the waves of the environment want to take me in a particular direction, I'll try to oppose them. If you really consider my value, my position is lower than a blade of grass because I have an opposing tendency." When we want to bring ourselves in a closer relationship with the infinite goodness, we should think, "\ have no value. Rather, my value is negative. It is my tendency to oppose the Lord's grace. If Krsna wants to grace me, I try to resist. I am constituted of such an element that I commit spiritual suicide. Krsna comes to grace me, but I oppose Him: the energy that is within me tries for suicide. This is my position, but a blade of grass won't oppose anyone. I have such a nasty position." We must realize that we are in such a predicament. With this concern we may accept the goodness of the Absolute Truth in the form of His holy name. We should not think that the path will be very smooth;so many troubles may come from outside. When the devotees go to chant Hare Krsna in the street, many people come and shout, "Hey, you monkeys! Red-faced monkeys!" So many forms of hindrances and opposition will come and try to affect us, to dissuade us from this path, but we must practice forbearance like that of a tree. Why has the example of a tree been given? It has been analyzed in this way: if no one pours any water on a tree, it does not protest, "Oh! Give me water!" If anyone comes to disturb the tree, snatching its leaves, cutting its branches, or even chopping it down, a tree remains silent; it gives no opposition. We should try to see how insult, poverty, punishment, or other unfavorable dealings are necessary to purify us, and with minimal punishment we shall be released from material existence. Through Krsna consciousness we have connected with the highest object of life, the highest fulfillment of life- what price are we ready to pay for that? It is inconceivable. Whatever little demands may be exacted from us, we must accept with a smiling face, considering the highest goal. If we are really confident, if we have faith in our bright future, then we can gladly pay what little price nature wants to take from us. "Krsna-I Shall Teach You a Lesson!" Once, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, the spiritual master of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, was going through the town of Navadwipa begging a little rice from different houses. The village people sometimes attack or insult devotees, and as he was going to his quarters they did not spare even such an exalted soul. Some boys were pelting him with stones and throwing dirt at him, and he remarked, "Krsna, You are cruelly dealing with me! I shall complain to Your mother Yasoda about You." That was his outlook, and in that way he harmonized everything. We should learn to see Krsna in anything that comes to disturb or attack us. In philosophical calculation, of course, without God's will nothing can happen. But in a concrete way, a devotee sees, "0, Krsna! You are backing these children. You are disturbing me, and I shall teach You a lesson. I know how to deal with You. I shall complain to Mother Yasoda, and she will chastise You." The advanced devotees are established in the consciousness that Krsna is behind everything, and they take everything in that way. This attitude is our beacon light, for it will guide us to adjust ourselves with those things that are apparently unfavorable to us. A sweet adjustment is found there, and so we are advised to be more tolerant than a tree. We may not give any opposition; still, opposition will come to disturb us. And we must forbear. And we must show our respect to others. Prestige is the greatest and most subtle enemy of the devotee of Krsna. Pride is the worst enemy for the devotee of Krsna. And pride ultimately takes one to the conclusion of the maydvadis, the monists. They say, so'ham-"I am!" Not daso 'ham, "I am subordinate," but "I am of the Supreme Element; I am That: I am He," eliminating from their consideration the fact that we are tiny and suffering in misery. All these practical things are ignored by the mayavadis, the impersonalists, but position, or ego (pratistha), is our worst enemy. In this verse, we are advised to deal with prestige and position in a special way. The Slave Area of Krsna Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, "You must not desire respect from anyone or even from the environment itself; at the same time, you must give prestige to everyone and everything in the environment according to its position. Show respect, but don't desire any respect from outside." We must be very particular about this, for pride is our hidden enemy, our worst enemy. If we can somehow avoid or conquer this enemy, we will be able to enter into the slave area of Krsna and join those who have given their lives wholesale in sacrifice to Him. The general meaning of this verse is, "Never seek position or prestige from any quarter. At the same time, give honor to one and all according to your understanding." A Great Insult When our spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, went to Vrndavana in the early 1930's, he rode in a motorcar. In those days, this was unheard of for a saint. One day, a priest insulted our guru by deprecating the position of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, the preceptor of our highest conception of spiritual achievement. He boasted, "We are not only residents of the holy land, but members of the caste of high priests (brahmanas). Therefore we can offer our benedictions to Dasa Goswami. He was born in a low-class family, and he himself asked such a benediction from us. Of course, in great humility, Dasa Goswami once prayed, gurau gosthe gosthalayisu sujane bhusuragane svamantre sri-namni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-sarane sada dambham hitva kuru ratim apurvam atitara maye svantarbhratas catubhir abhiyace dhrta-padah "O mind-my brother! I fall at your feet and implore you: 'Give up all pride and always taste ecstatic love while remembering the divine guide, the holy abode of Vrndavana, the cowherds and milkmaids of Vraja, the loving devotees of the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, the gods on earth or pure brahmanas, the Gayatri mantra, the holy names of Sri Krsna and the divine youthful couple of Vraja, Sri Sri Radha-Govindasundara.'" That priest remarked, "We are residents of the holy abode of Vrndavana, and brahmanas as well, so we are in a position to give benedictions to Raghunatha Dasa Gos-wami." Upon hearing these words, our guru maharaja, who was at Radha-kunda at the time, began fasting. He remarked, "I have to hear this? This fellow is under the control of lust, anger, and greed, and he says that he can show his grace to Dasa Goswami, the most respected preceptor in our line! And I am to hear that?" Without retaliating against his remarks, he decided to fast. We also stopped eating, and our whole camp began fasting. Then a local gentleman who came to know that the whole camp was fasting managed to find the blasphemous priest and bring him to our guru maharaja. That priest begged to be pardoned. Our guru maharaja was satisfied and, after showing him some respect, finally broke his fast. At that time someone told our guru maharaja, "They are a\l ignorant fools. Why should you be so much affected by his words? You should ignore it." Our guru maharaja said, "If I were an ordinary babaji and heard such a remark, I could simply cover my ears and go away. But I am playing the part of an deary a, one who teaches by example. What justification do I have for riding in a motorcar if I do not oppose such remarks against my gurudeva?" Repeatedly he used this expression: "Why am I driving a motorcar here in Vrndavana?" He said, "Had I been a niskincana babaji, a saint living in seclusion and wearing only a loincloth, I would have given no opposition to this man. To save myself, I would simply leave the place and go elsewhere. But because I am riding in a big motorcar in the post of an dcarya, a teacher, I must defend the dignity of the great devotees. I have accepted this charge and can't evade these circumstances. I must face it and do everything in my power that such things may not go on undetected or unopposed." Humility must be adjusted or modified in its practical application. Once, when a Hare Krsna temple was attacked, a gun was used by the devotees to defend the temple. Later there was a complaint among the local people. They said, "Oh, they are humble? They are tolerant? Why have they crossed the advice of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to be humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree? They can't be devotees!" So many complaints were coming to me, but I defended them by saying, "No, they have done rightly. The instruction to be humbler than a blade of grass means one should be humble to the devotee, not to a madman." The general class of men are ignorant. They are mad. They do not know what is good or bad, so their consideration has no value. Who is qualified to judge whether a devotee is offering respect to all and not expecting any for himself? Who will judge whether he is really humble and tolerant-madmen? Ignorant people? Have they any sense to judge who is humble, who is tolerant, and who is respectful to others? There must be a standard by which to judge humility. We are interested in the criterion given by higher thinkers, not the consideration of the ignorant masses. The Standard of Humility Of course, anyone may deceive the ordinary public with superficial humility. But a show of humility is not real humility. It must come from the heart, and it must have a real purpose. Everything-humility, tolerance, and pridelessness-must be considered by the judgement of a standard, normal person, not by the ignorant who are like elephants, tigers, and jackals. Should they be allowed to judge what is humility, what is audacity and impertinence? Of course not. Should a devotee think, "The Deity and the temple is about to be molested, but I shall stand by and do nothing. I should be humble and tolerant. A dog is entering the temple; I should show him respect."? No. This is not real humility. We must have a normal conception of reality. We must not allow these anomalies to continue in the name of offering respects to others. We must not think that we may allow anyone to harm the devotees or molest the temple, that we shall allow the dog to enter the temple, and that by doing this we are humble and tolerant, we are showing all respects to others. We are not interested only in the physical meaning of the scriptures, but the real meaning. That I am humble means that I am the slave of the slave of a Vaisnava. With that consciousness we must proceed. If anyone comes to molest my master, I should first sacrifice myself, thinking, "Because I am of the least importance, my sacrifice is no loss; I must sacrifice myself to maintain the dignity of my guru, the devotees, and my Lord and His family." We must always understand what is to be honored. We offer our respects to the highest truth, the Lord of Lords; our dealings should be in consonance with that. If we always keep the highest conception of relativity within us, we will see that we are the lowest. If there is danger to our guardians, we shall sacrifice ourselves. All of this should be taken into account when trying to understand the meaning of humility, not physical imitation-but genuine humility; it is a question of practical realization. Fame and honor must be given to the Lord and His devotees, not to anyone else. In the higher stages of devotion, of course, humility may have to be adjusted in another way for the paramahamsa babajis, the topmost swan-like saints who have given up all connection with this material world. But in the preaching stage, the second class devotee must accept things differently. As our guru maharaja said, "Had I been in the role of a babaji, a nonassertive, reclusive saint, I would have walked away from the place without offering any opposition. But when we are preaching and have taken the responsibility of leading so many souls to the domain of the Lord, our adjustment must be made accordingly." Generally, we may be indifferent to those who are personally inimical to us, but when we preach on behalf of the Lord in an organized way, our duty changes: we cannot be indifferent to antagonists. It is mentioned in the scriptures by Jiva Goswami that according to one's own particular status, these things should be taken into consideration and the necessary things should be done. He has given his decision that if the devotee has a position of power, if he is a king, and if someone repeatedly blasphemes a real Vaisnava, or saintly person, then the king should enforce corporal punishment by banishing the offender from his state or by cutting out his tongue (vaisnava nindaka jihva hata). That is not the duty for ordinary persons; if they act in such a way, there will be a riot. We should not be eager to inflict physcial punishment upon anyone. Hanuman is a Vaisnava, but he is seen to destroy so many lives. The same is true of Arjuna and so many other devotees. Even Krsna and Ramacandra are also seen to kill so many demons in war. Simply a physical show of meekness does not constitute the real meaning of humility. When there is an insult to the guru or the Vaisnavas, a devotee will oppose the blasphemers according to his might. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, in one of his songs, says that we should not only tolerate the evil-doings of others and a disturbing environment, but we should do good to those by whom we are being tortured. The example is given of a tree. One who is cutting the tree gets shade and comfort from the tree even while cutting it down. In conclusion, he says that humility, mercy, respect for others, and renunciation of name and fame, are the four qualifications for chanting the holy name of Krsna. We are the meanest of the mean. We should always be conscious that we are beggars. We should think, "Although I am a beggar, I've come to beg for the highest thing; let no disturbance dissuade me from my attempt." At the same time, our attitude toward the environment should be respectful. In this way, by becoming educated in the Krsna conception of divinity, everyone should be given respect according to his position. It is the guiding instruction in the worship of the holy name (nama-bhajana) that we must take the position of the slave of the slave of the slave of the Lord. If you want to chant the name of Krsna, then don't waste your energy with the trifling things of this world. Don't allow your attention to be disturbed by tiny acquisitions like prestige or gain which is relative to money or physical comfort. Remember, you are trying for the greatest thing, and all other things are very small in comparison to Krsna consciousness. So, don't waste your energy and valuable time. Be economical. You have the chance to achieve the highest goal of life. http://www.mahaprabhu.net/gv-23.html
  3. about the Gunas. those pesky things. == Dusta Mana Vaisnava Ke?-"Who is a Real Vaisnava?" by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura 11) One is truly a Vaisnava who has given up the habit of falling victim to the ferocious tigress of wealth, beauty, and fame. Such a soul is factually detached from material life, and is known as a pure devotee. Someone with this consciousness of detachment has thereby become victorious over the mundane world of birth and death. === Become a devotee! Victory shall be ours!
  4. This post is in the Krishna Talk section, but well worth posting here, so here it is. /images/graemlins/blush.gif ------- Introduction The Heart of Krsna (Vaishnava Aparadha & The Path of Spiritual Caution) by His Divine Grace Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Promod Puri Goswami Maharaja THE ETYMOLOGICAL development of the word aparadha is radhat arthat aradhanat- apagatah, which means "to be distanced from worship." Offenses committed at the lotus feet of Vaishnavas, the Devotees, distance one from devotional service to the Supreme Lord. But in a higher sense it means to be removed from the service of Sri Radha. All divine service to Krishna is being conducted under her direction. To offend her servitors is to make one unfit for her divine service. The whole aim of Krishna consciousness is radha-dasyam, the divine service of Sri Radha, and offenses at the lotus feet of Vaishnavas make one unfit for such service. The Lord is overly protective of his devotees (bhakta-vatsala ). He cannot tolerate any offenses against them. They have bhakti (devotion), and they can awaken it within us. Bhakti is the sole means to attract Krishna, who is a slave of devotion. The same is true of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The Caitanya-Bhagavata states: A person can attain the shelter of Mahaprabhu only by the grace of a higher Vaishnava. Religious practices and even chanting the Holy Name without devotion is useless. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada writes in his commentary: Without developing a spirit of service, chanting the Holy Name is vain. Real devotion can only be cultivated when one receives the blessings of an unalloyed devotee. Bhakti means devotion. Vrndavana dasa Thakur says: If a person commits an offense at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava, even though he may have received Krishna's mercy, he will never attain divine love, prema. (Chaitanya-bhagavata Madhya-lila 22.8) Srila Prabhupada writes: Even if one is a Vaishnava, if he commits offenses to the Holy Name, he becomes unfit to render pure devotion. Although it may appear that he is still being shown favor by the Lord as he continues to make a show of chanting without difficulty, the Lord is actually very displeased with him because of his antagonism toward devotees. Therefore, to give up nama-aparadha we must first give up sadhu-ninda or finding fault with devotees. Regarding the phrase krsna krpa hoileo ("even though he may receive Krishna's mercy"), Srila Saraswati Thakur comments: People may think that because an offender appears to continue to chant without difficulty, the Lord must still favor him, but they are wrong. The Lord is not even slightly moved by their sham devotion. The author of Sri Caitanya-bhagavata, Vrndavana dasa Thakur, says that these statements are not his alone; they are the verdict of the Vedas. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur did not tolerate any disrespect towards genuine Vaishnavas. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also emphatically denounced any insults directed at Vaishnava devotees. To understand the seriousness of vaisnava-aparadha, offending devotees, one must grasp the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu is the source of all incarnations in Kali-yuga and the savior of all souls. He is Krishna, the son of Maharaja Nanda, fully enriched with the mood and radiance of Sri Radha. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami offers prayers to all of these manifestations in the preface of Sri Caitanya-caritamarta: vande gurun isa-bhaktan isam isavatarakan tat-prakasams ca tac-chaktih krsna-caitanya-samjnakam I offer my obeisances unto all the gurus, the devotees, the Lord's avataras, his expansions, his saktis (energies), and the primeval Lord Himself, Sri Krishna Chaitanya. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.1) In the same way that Mahaprabhu is Krishna, he expands as Nityananda Prabhu (prakasa ), who is Balarama. Balarama's partial expansion is Sadasiva, Maha-Vishnu Avatara, whose counterpart in Chaitanya-lila is Advaita Acarya. What is left of Sri Radhika after Krishna has plundered her emotions and lustre is Sri Gadadhara Pundit. Sri Gadadhara and Svarupa Damodara are his sakti (energies). Bhakta means Srivasa Thakur who is Sri Narada Muni in Krishna-lila. Isa, Divinity means Mahaprabhu Himself. The complete conception of Divinity must include the predominating moiety and the predominated moeity. The slightest disregard to any one of these is equal to disregrading the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. There are two aspects to the guru principle: the siksa or instructing guru, and the diksa or initiating guru. Both are represented in Srivasa Thakura. In the beginning of the second chapter of the Antya-lila of the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja offers the following invocation: vande ham sri-guroh sri yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathan vitam tam sa jivam sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam sri-krsna-caitanya-devam sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 2.1) I offer my obeisances unto the lotus feet of my Guru and to all the preceptors on the path of devotion. I offer my obeisances unto all the Vaishnavas and to Sri Rupa Goswami and his associates Raghunatha dasa, and Sri Jiva. I offer my obeisances to Advaita Acarya, Nityananda Avadhuta, Gadadhara Pundit, and to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with all his devotees, headed by Srivasa Thakura. I then offer my obeisances to the lotus feet of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna, and all the gopis headed by Lalita and Visakha. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 2. 1) In the above invocatory prayers (mangala-carana ), the Vaishnavas are venerated. Kaviraja Goswami writes further: Before beginning the narration of the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, simply by meditating on Sri Guru, the Vaishnavas, and Divinity, I invoke their benediction. Such meditation destroys all detriments on the spiritual path, and helps one to fulfill all their desires. We must note very carefully that the Vaishnavas have been included within the full conception of Divinity. These writings describe the Vaishnava's extraordinary qualities, and the spiritual benefit resulting from serving them. There are also several warnings regarding the disastrous effects of vaisnava-aparadha. The Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 19.156 states: If a devotee commits vaisnava-aparadha, his offense is like a mad elephant uprooting and trampling his creeper of devotion; afterwards the creeper's leaves dry up and become lifeless. There are three categories of Vaishnavas: kanistha (neophyte), madhyama (intermediate), and uttama (advanced) described in the Caitanya-caritamrta. Kaviraja Goswami states that to gain shelter of a Vaishnava, it is imperative to first receive the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu: All of the Vaishnavas who live in Vrndavana are absorbed in singing the all-auspicious name of Sri Krishna. Sri Mahaprabhu and Nityananda are their life and soul. They do not know anything but devotion to Sri Radha and Krishna. My shelter at the Vaishnavas' lotus feet has been granted only by the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prahhupada corroborates this fact: All of the Vaishnavas living in the holy dhama of Sri Vrndavana are very fortunate souls. They have taken shelter in the Holy Name of Krishna. Sriman Mahaprabhu and Nityananda are their life and soul. They know nothing but the eternal service of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna. Krishna's mercy descends only through the Vaishnavas. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura, a nitya-siddha (eternal associate) of the Lord, instructs the devotees to pray to Mahaprabhu. He says that we should seek shelter in the shade of a Vaishnava's lotus feet, shed tears of remorse with total humility, submitting to him the plight of our material existence, which is the result of turning away from Krishna. The Vaishnava is an ocean of compassion and feels the pain of others. When he pleads on our behalf to the Lord, Krishna responds and kindly accepts us as the followers of his favorites. Krishna's mercy descends only through the Vaishnavas. There is Krishna and karsna. Krishna's mercy is embodied in pure devotees, who are known as karsna. The lotus feet of a Vaisnava guru represents the mercy of the Lord. Krishna is the priceless treasure enthroned in Sri Guru's heart. The Lord can easily give this treasure to those who are surrendered to his devotees. There is no other way to receive Krishna's grace than to serve and take shelter at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava. Sri Kaviraja Goswami discusses the importance of honoring the Vaishnava's remnants, using the example of Sri Kalidasa, the uncle of Raghunatha Dasa Goswami: Taking the food remnants of Vaishnavas is so potent, it forced Mahaprabhu to give his mercy to Kalidasa. Don't hesitate-eat the Vaishnava's remnants, and you will fulfill your heart's desire. Food offered to Krishna is called maha-prasadam. After maha-prasadam is taken by a devotee, his remnants are glorified as maha-maha-prasadam. The dust of a pure devotee's feet, the water of his foot bath, and his food remnants are three extremely potent spiritual substances. By honoring these three, one will be filled with ecstatic love for Krishna. All the scriptures declare this again and again. My dear devotees, please hear me: believe in these three and honor them in a mood of service, and you will achieve the purpose of your existence-ecstatic love of Krishna. This is the greatest mercy of Krishna, and Kalidasa is living proof. In Kalyana-Kalpataru, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur writes: When will Mahaprabhu shower his mercy upon me so I may have shelter in the shade of the Vaishnava's lotus feet? I will humbly stand before the Vaishnava holding a straw between my teeth, weeping I will tell him of my miserable life, and I shall give up all self-deception. I will admit that my life is one never-ending misery and beg him to put an end to all of this. The kind Vaishnava will beg Sri Krishna with all his might, and Krishna, moved by the Vaishnava's sincerity, will shower his divine grace. And in Saranagati, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur writes: O Vaishnava, you are an ocean of mercy. Please shower your compassion upon me. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify my polluted heart. I am following you, begging-Sri Krishna is yours-you have the power-give him to me! Narottama dasa Thakura sings a similar song: I am so sinful; how can I possibly serve the Lord? I have no love for my guru. I have no love for the devotees and I am constantly deluded. I am so absorbed in material life that I have forgotten who I am. The witch Maya is waiting to hang a noose around my neck. I have no power to resist her on my own. I am helpless without your mercy. I know that you never see the faults of anyone, so I'm begging you-please save me." (Prarthana ) Narottama's songs are filled with wonderful glorification of Vaishnavas. They are treasured by all devotees as priceless instructions for increasing one's devotion. From his childhood, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada chose Narottama's songbook as his constant companion on the path of devotion. Vrndavana dasa Thakura considered himself to be the last direct servant of Nityananda Prabhu. He has glorified the Vaishnavas throughout his masterpiece Sri Caitanya-Bhagavata. In his introduction he writes: I first offer my unlimited obeisances at the feet of Sri Krishna Chaitanya's dearest associates, the devotees. And then I pray to him, who appeared in Nabadwip and was also known as Visvambhara. Sri Vrndavana dasa offers his humble obeisances unto Mahaprabhu's devotees, and then to Sri Mahaprabhu. He explains: The Supreme Lord has boldly declared in all the scriptures that 'The worship of my devotees is higher than worshipping me.' By first glorifying the Vaishnavas, I am guaranteed success in writing my book. (This statement was made by Krishna to Uddhava in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.) The next statement is from the Itihasa-Samuccaya : If one wants God's mercy, he must first serve his devotees. Only this will satisfy the Lord; of this there is no doubt. The following verse, from the Pausayana-Sruti, is quoted in Srila Madhvacarya's commentary on the Brahma-Sutra : Worship the devotees, serve them, hear from them, and they will protect you. The Mundaka-Upanisad states: If you want the real treasure of liberation you must serve the Lord's pure devotee. In his Govinda-Bhasya commentary, Baladeva Vidyabhusana quotes Srimad-Bhagavatam : jnane prayasam-udapasya namanta eva jivanti sanmukharitam bhavadlya-vartam sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir ye prayas'o 'jita jito'py asi tais tri-lokyam (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.14.3) Brahma prayed to Krishna, My dear Lord, those who have given up abstract thinking and armchair philosophizing, start hearing about you from devotees and begin divine service with their body, mind, and words. Although you are unconquerable and rarely attained, you are conquered by them. In the Padma Purana, Shiva says to his wife Parvati: O Goddess, higher than the worship of all the gods and goddesses is the worship of the Supreme Lord Vishnu. But higher still is the worship of everyone and everything that is dear to Him, including Ganga devi, Tulasi devi, the book Bhagavata and the devotee Bhagavata. Vrndavana dasa cautions us against seeing Vaishnavas externally. Such superficial vision is condemned: In order to teach us the absurdity of judging devotees externally according to race, color, family, or other considerations, the Supreme Lord arranged for Haridasa Thakura to take birth in the lowest section of society. All the scriptures emphasize that if a pure devotee appears even in the lowest social circumstances, he is still to be worshipped by everyone. A Vaishnava may appear in any family or section of society, yet he is still the most elevated person by the decree of the scriptures. God is the protector of all living entities, and he cannot tolerate insults and disrespect shown to his devotees. Extremely mindful of his dear devotee's well-being, he refuses to accept any worship from those who slight them. The Lord loves his devotees so much that he not only accepts food and gifts from them, but sometimes he even steals their offerings! Whereas he is repulsed by offerings from a non-devotees. In one pastime, Krishna was very eager to eat plain chipped rice cooked by Vidura's wife, and ignored a royal feast set by Duryodhana. Similarly the Lord could not resist eating the few morsels of flat rice offered by Sudama. He told him: O Brahmin! What wonderful things have you brought for me from your home? Even a small offering from a devotee is a grand feast for me, whereas a non devotee's feast cannot satisfy me in the least. Anything offered to me with love, I accept with love. Sriman Mahaprabhu quotes from the Itihasa Samuccaya, recorded by Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja: A person may learn all the Vedas, but if he has no devotion, how can he be my devotee? Whereas if a person born into the lowest section of society has devotion, he is very dear to me. All respect must be given to such an elevated soul. His offerings must be accepted by all, for he is as much worthy of worship as I am. Mahaprabhu also quotes Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya: A Brahmin's sins are burnt to ashes by the powerful fire of krsna-bhakti. Whereas if a Vedic scholar is an atheist, he is derided. Anyone devoid of devotion may take birth in a great family or nation, have extensive knowledge of the scriptures, perform austerities, or chant Vedic mantras, but such things are like ornaments on a dead body. Only fools will be impressed. When Mahaprabhu went to embrace Haridasa Thakura, with all humility Haridasa said to him: My dear Lord, please do not touch me. I am most fallen, the lowest of men. Mahaprabhu replied: I want to touch you just to purify myself. You are so pure, it is as if at every moment you are bathing in all the sacred rivers, visiting all the holy places of pilgrimage, and performing every sacrifice, austerity, and charity imaginable. You are more exalted than any Brahmin or sannyasi. The Lord then recited this sloka from the Srimad Bhagavatam: One who always chants your Holy Name, even though born in the worst circumstances, is a saint. We can understand that he must have performed all austerities and sacrifices, bathed in all the holy rivers, and mastered the Vedas. Therefore he is a true Aryan (one who is pure). In the Padma Purana, Uttara-khanda, it is declared: When a person is admitted into Vishnu's family, he is called a Vaishnava. It has been said that of all people, the Vaishnava is certainly the most exalted. The Dvaraka-Mahatmya states: A person who is devoted to Janardana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a saint even if he is born into a low-class family; whereas if a person is born into an aristocratic family of noble lineage and is not a devotee of the Lord, he is of bad blood. Any association with non-Vaishnavas or with Brahmins who lack devotion is categorically denounced. The Padma Purana states: The association of meat-eaters is strictly prohibited because their lifestyle goes against scriptural regulations; in the same manner, contact with a non-Vaishnava Brahmin must be avoided. Whereas a Vaishnava-one who is initiated and who is affectionate to the Lord and his devotees--even if born into a low-class family, is capable of purifying all three worlds. Vrndavana dasa says that intimate association with non-Vaishnavas, regardless of their parentage, is suicidal. According to the Padma Purana, the characteristics of a Vaishnava are as follows: One who is dedicated to worshipping Vishnu, who has received initiation into a Vishnu-mantra, is classified as a Vaishnava by spiritual preceptors; all others are non-Vaishnavas." (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 1.55) Those who are simply born into a Brahmin family but are non-Vaishnavas, and who are inimical towards Vishnu and Vaishnavas, are condemned. Vrndavana dasa cries out against these namesake Brahmins, citing the Varaha Purana: In Kali-yuga, demons will be born in smarta Brahmin families to harass and torture the righteous devotees of the Lord. The demons choose Kali-yuga to be born in, so they can torment those rare persons who adhere to the path enunciated by the Vedas (sruti ). They viciously attempt to disrupt the devotee's service to the Supreme Lord. These Brahmin impostors view Vaishnavas who have a bad background with contempt. They scoff at their spiritual practices, or when they see them receive honor and respect, they vainly try to expose the Vaishnava's background, and other mundane trivialities. The Brhad Aranyaka Sruti describes them, saying: One who leaves the world fully understanding the Absolute Truth is honored as a Brahmin, but one who does not has wasted his life. According to Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja, not only should one not consider the form of God to be mundane, but the same is true of his devotees.As written by Srila Krishna-Dvaipayana Vyasadeva, the author of Srimad-Bhagavatam: There is no greater blasphemy than to think that the body of Vishnu is material. And Mahaprabhu says: The Vaishnava's body is never mundane; it is supramundane, and supercharged with ecstasy. (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 7.155, Antya-lila 4.191) The use of the term atmasama does not imply that pure devotees are equal to the Supreme Lord in every respect. The Supreme Lord is the only one who possesses transcendental qualities to an infinite degree. The jiva can only possess these qualities to a finite degree. Mahaprabhu says: "The finite and the Infinite can never be considered equal, just as a tiny spark is never equal to a fire." The following verse is found in the Bhagavat Sandarbha and also in Sridhara Swami's commentary to the Srimad-Bhagavatam: The Supreme Lord is the embodiment of etenality, knowledge, and bliss. Two of his multifarious spiritual energies are: hladini-sakti, the pleasure-giving potency, and samvit, perfect knowledge of the self and all other things, while the jivas are cocooned in ignorance, and deeply anchored in suffering. Only by taking complete shelter of Sri Radhika and her serving group, the hladini sakti, can we realize our innate spiritual identity and service to the holy lotus feet of Sri Guru, Gauranga, and Krishna. Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja explains further why a pure Vaishnava's body is aprakrta, or supramundane: At the time of diksa (initiation), the devotee surrenders to Krishna with body and soul. In reciprocation, Krishna accepts him, elevating him, body and soul, to a status equal to his own. The Lord transforms the Vaishnava's body and makes it a repository of transcendental emotions." (Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 8. 192-193) He then quotes the Srimad-Bhagavatam: When people reject materialism and conduct their lives under my direction, they attain immortality. They become eligible to be with me and share spiritual emotions (rasa ) with me in their spiritual identity." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.29.34) But what is meant by surrender, Srila Saraswati Prabhupada writes in his Anubhasya commentary: Although one who has completely renounced the world (akincana ) and one who is completely sheltered in Krishna (saranagatah ) may appear to be the same externally, the devotee who has given up the world has also offered his soul. At the time of initiation, the devotee gives up material conceptions while he begins to understand sambandha-jnana, one's eternal relationship with God and those who are part of the family of God. When the devotee gives up the shelter of maya, he takes shelter of Krishna and is Krishnized. At this stage, the devotee's delusion as enjoyer of material pleasures dissipates, and his real self merges with his new identity as an eternal servant of Krishna. The devotee attains his spiritual body (sac cid ananda svarupa )and his eternal service to Krishna, serving him in his own transcendental form. The pure devotee's ecstatic service is an elevated stage of devotion which is often misinterpreted and misunderstood by those unacquainted with the science of devotion. For this kind of aparadha one is deprived of the shelter of a Vaishnava guru." (Anubhasya, Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya 4.193) Mahaprabhu taught everyone that a Vaishnava's transcendental body is unlike that of an ordinary person, or even an extraordinary person. The Lord did not view personalities like Haridasa Thakura, who took birth in a low-class family, or Sanatana Goswaml, whose body was diseased, or Vasudeva Vipra, who was suffering from acute leprosy, as social outcasts or disease ridden beggars. Instead he embraced them, proving that a pure devotee's body is never impure. The pure devotee's body is transcendental, infused with spiritual bliss, and best suited to serve Krishna. As the Lord himself says: mad-bhakta-pujyabhyadhika sarva-bhutesu man-matih The worship of my devotees is the real worship of me. In fact it is higher than worshipping my very self. (Bhag. 11.19.21) My dear devotees, please read and listen carefully to the divine stories and instructions that follow, and pray to the Supreme Lord and his devotees-the Vaishnavas-that we may always worship and adore them, and thereby enter The Heart of Krishna. Hare Krishna !
  5. Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.27 Bombay, January 4, 1975 (excerpt) His Divine Grace /images/graemlins/smile.gif It is called spiritual suicide. Just like if a man becomes disappointed and he cuts his own throat or hangs him, some way or other, eats some poison, to finish, does it mean that he is finished? Na hanyate hanyamane sarire [ Bg. 2.20 ]. He is rascal. He does not know. By finishing this body he is finished-no, that is not possible. The result is, because he violated the rules of nature, he becomes a ghost. That is his life. One who commits suicide, he becomes a ghost. Ghost means he does not get this material body. He remains in the subtle body, mind, intelligence. Therefore ghost can go because he is in the mind. Mind speed is very strong. If you have got this material body, you cannot go immediately hundred miles off. But if you are in the mental body, you can go immediately, thousand miles immediately, within a second. So the ghost, they can play something wonderful because... But they are not happy because they have no gross body. They want to enjoy. He's materialist. ===== Looks like its not a good idea Prabhu. Better USE you human form of life, in a good way. Hope this meets you well /images/graemlins/smile.gif
  6. True or False /images/graemlins/confused.gif
  7. Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.1-3 San Francisco, March 28, 1968 Visnujana: Yes, fruit, to Krsna. And while we were offering it up, when we raised our head we looked at the food and we saw a rose-colored light that was vibrating all around the food. Is this how He eats? Prabhupada: (pause) He eats. How He eats, that you can understand when you make advancement to that stage. He eats. For the time being, you just take it for granted that He eats. How He eats, that is not possible because you cannot see Him. And how can you see that how He is eating? So that requires spiritual vision, and we shall understand. But He eats, we take it. Because in the Bhagavad-gita He says that "I eat." Asnami. Aanami means "I eat." (end)
  8. Lets start shall we. {me first then} Absolutely nothing, but something, can't be proud now can we, I don't know how to find the balance, so hence I think I am doing nothing {but something}. But when I think I am trying to follow Prabhupada & Lord Nityananda/Lord Gauranga, I feel ok.
  9. the progress is-is that your chanting. Your lucky, very. ---------- The sixteen words of the Hare Krsna mantra are especially meant for counteracting the sins of the age of Kali. To save oneself from the contamination of this age there is no alternative but to chant the Hare Krsna mantra. After searching through all the Vedic literatures one cannot find a method of religion for this age so sublime as the chanting of Hare Krsna. (Lord Brahma instructs Narada) ----
  10. http://srimadbhagavatam.com/7/5/30 TRANSLATION Prahlada Maharaja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krsna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both. ---- Looks like a Bubble gum which leaves a bad taste, spit it out, ever done that? or kept is for later /images/graemlins/wink.gif
  11. I got a locket to put Narasimha Kavacha in it, putting around my neck on Ramachandra Appearance day, any advice on what I should do?
  12. from above Do not be deviated by such ideas ``Jnanam jneyam jnana-gamyam,'' (ibid), Krishna is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, He is the goal of knowledge, --- Jaya Gaura-hari, Jaya Prabhupada! Even after reading the letter I was deviating, then I told my mind to 'shut-it' and listen to Prabhupada. After reading the letter I thought of this pastime: /images/graemlins/cool.gif <font color="red">=== </font color> www.krsnabook.com/ch41.html (excerpt) Finishing the rest of his ritualistic performance, he went near the chariot of Balarama and Krsna and was struck with wonder. Krsna asked whether he had seen something wonderful within the water or in space. Akrura said, "My dear Lord, all wonderful things that are happening within this world, either in the sky or in the water or on the land, are factually appearing in Your universal form. So when I have seen You, what wonderful things have I not seen?" This statement confirms the Vedic version that one who knows Krsna knows everything, and one who has seen Krsna has seen everything, regardless of how wonderful a thing may be. "My dear Lord," Akrura continued, "there cannot be anything more wonderful than Your transcendental form. When I have seen Your transcendental form, what is there left to see?" <font color="red"> === </font color>
  13. The acintya-bheda-bheda, philosophy, we cannot understand Krsna with our minds, so the world is like a big soul, the only way to understand it is if we are pure, though we can get clues from Bhagavatam.
  14. A lecture which changes my mind, a lecture about pastimes, after hearing it, I feel I want to hear this person again, a lecture which is Not boring, the lectures which I can think of which are 100cent to the point no holds-barred, KC, are Prabhupada Lectures, they whip your mind up. churn out the dirt/filth, thats what you call trancendental. Other devotees lectures which are like are Radhanath Swami on Lord Caitanya's pastimes, and Bhakti Caru Swami, though I just like to listen, I am not preparing myself for Initiation from anybody! What I take away?..thats very profound, most of the time I happen to just leave it there, I forget to 'pick it up'. Hope thats ok, hare krsna
  15. The original conversation is very long, just an excerpt, could anybody explain this stuff in a simple way or not /images/graemlins/crazy.gif? Bhu-mandala Diagram Discussion -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana Tamala Krsna: Look at the earth. Now, this is a real question that we still have to answer. They picture the earth round, and we say, no. Bhu-mandala is like a lotus, like this, and the earth is only one part of one island in Bhu-mandala, and it's not, you know, it's not round(?). It doesn't look like that. And all the pictures they take of the earth when they go up in their satellites show round. And we're going to tell them that it's not. This is a very tricky question. In other words, if this is the picture of the world, like this, and we say that... If we take an airplane from here, from Los Angeles. Now, supposing we go to India, which is here. So there's two ways to go. One way, you can go like this, and the other way, you can go like that. But if the earth is not a round globe, then how is it sometimes people go from Los Angeles via Hawaii to Japan and then India? So we can't figure this out. We have experience, those of us who have flown, that actually the plane went from Los Angeles to Hawaii to Tokyo to Hong Kong and then to India. So it doesn't work out in our maps so far, right? We can't figure it out. This thing has to be very complete in its answers. Otherwise everyone will laugh at us. We can't leave any loopholes.
  16. I think everybody takes something different from a Lecture, so its very personal.
  17. ===== www.srimadbhagavatam.com/2/9/1 TRANSLATION Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. That relationship is just like a dreamer's seeing his own body working. PURPORT Maharaja Pariksit's question as to how a living entity began his material life, although he is apart from the material body and mind, is perfectly answered. The spirit soul is distinct-from the material conception of his life, but he is absorbed in such a material conception because of being influenced by the external energy of the Lord, called atma-maya. This has already been explained in the First Canto in connection with Vyasadeva's realization of the Supreme Lord and His external energy. The external energy is controlled by the Lord, and the living entities are controlled by the external energy - by the will of the Lord. Therefore, although the living entity is purely conscious in his pure state, he is subordinate to the will of the Lord in being influenced by the external energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) also the same thing is confirmed; the Lord is present within the heart of every living entity, and all the living entity's consciousness and forgetfulness are influenced by the Lord. Now the next question automatically made will be why the Lord influences the living entity to such consciousness and forgetfulness. The answer is that the Lord clearly wishes that every living entity be in his pure consciousness as a part and parcel of the Lord and thus be engaged in the loving service of the Lord as he is constitutionally made; but because the living entity is partially independent also, he may not be willing to serve the Lord, but may try to become as independent as the Lord is. All the nondevotee living entities are desirous of becoming equally as powerful as the Lord, although they are not fit to become so. The living entities are illusioned by the will of the Lord because they wanted to become like Him. Like a person who thinks of becoming a king without possessing the necessary qualification, when the living entity desires to become the Lord Himself, he is put in a condition of dreaming that he is a king. Therefore the first sinful will of the living entity is to become the Lord, and the consequent will of the Lord is that the living entity forget his factual life and thus dream of the land of utopia where he may become one like the Lord. The child cries to have the moon from the mother, and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the reflection of the moon. Similarly, the crying child of the Lord is given over to the reflection, the material world, to lord it over as karmi and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history of when the living entity desired this. But the fact is that as soon as he desired it, he was put under the control of atma-maya by the direction of the Lord. Therefore the living entity in his material condition is dreaming falsely that this is "mine" and this is "I." The dream is that the conditioned soul thinks of his material body as "I" or falsely thinks that he is the Lord and that everything in connection with that material body is "mine." Thus only in dream does the misconception of "I" and "mine" persist life after life. This continues life after life, as long as the living entity is not purely conscious of his identity as the subordinate part and parcel of the Lord. In his pure consciousness, however, there is no such misconceived dream, and in that pure conscious state the living entity does not forget that he is never the Lord, but that he is eternally the servitor of the Lord in transcendental love. =====
  18. Hare Krsna I heard that you can present KC. In your own way (according to your personality) in an *attractive* way. I say this because I have heard ppls complaining that disciples of Prabhupada (or other Guru) don't give good lectures..
  19. Hare Krishna Jaya Prabhupada! After prayers, family members may be watching the Maya-Box, Instantly I feel like 'thats horribe'. But after a while it seems sweet. Its not like a trick anybody can percieve this, but desire to watch is still strong. 2 Deep verses: <font color="red"> "My Treasure Nityananda"</font color> from Prarthana by Narottama Dasa Thakura 1) My treasure is Lord Nityananda, my master is Lord Gaura-Chandra, and my very life-force is the youthful Divine Couple of Vraja. My strength is Advaita Acarya, my family is Gadadhara Pandita, and Narahari Sarakar is my very activity. 2) My playful bath is taken in the dust from the feet of the devotees, and my satisfaction is in hearing and speaking the names of the Vaisnavas. My contemplation time is spent relishing the nectar of devotion, highlighted by periodic quotations from the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
  20. Hare Krishna www.asitis.com/2/67.html PURPORT Unless all of the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, even one of them engaged in sense gratification can deviate the devotee from the path of transcendental advancement. As mentioned in the life of Maharaja Ambarisa, all of the senses must be engaged in Krsna consciousness, for that is the correct technique for controlling the mind. --- Should we ween ourselves slowly off the Maya-box?
  21. www.stephen-knapp.com/krishna_darshan_art_gallery.htm {Krishna Darshan Art Gallery} http://www.vrindavan.com/darshan/album09 {Krsna-Balarama Mandir Festival Pictures}
  22. Below is the large reclining.. Vishnu Deity, named Sri Ranganatha, behind the smaller Deities of Lord Vishnu with Sridevi and Bhudevi at His sides. This is at Sri Rangam in South India. <font color="red">~~~~~~~~</font color> Pastimes of Lord Ramachandra <font color="red">~~~~~~~~</font color> SB: 5.19.8 PURPORT Lord Sri Ramacandra is so kind and merciful to His devotees that He is very easily satisfied by a little service rendered by anyone, human or not. This is the special advantage of worshiping Lord Ramacandra, and there is the same advantage in worshiping Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Krsna and Lord Ramacandra, in the manner of ksatriyas, sometimes showed Their mercy by killing asuras, but Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu awarded love of God without difficulty even to the asuras. All the incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead--but especially Lord Ramacandra, Lord Krsna and, later, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu--delivered many of the living entities present before Them, indeed almost all of them. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is therefore represented in the six-armed form of sad-bhuja-murti, which is a combination of Lord Ramacandra, Lord Krsna and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The best purpose of human life can be fulfilled by worshiping the sad-bhuja-murti, the form of the Lord with six arms--two arms of Ramacandra, two arms of Krsna and two arms of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Bhagavad-gita 7.1, San Francisco, March 17, 1968 (excerpt) So the temple is the facility how to become the first-class yogi and how to become the first-class devotee simply by increasing your attachment. This attachment, there is one example that one brahmana, he was daily seeing Lord Ramacandra and then he was breaking his fast. So Ramacandra was out of His station for some royal business. So this brahmana did not take even water seven days. So when Ramacandra returned, Laksmana informed Lord Ramacandra, "Here is Your devotee, My Lord. Because You were absent for seven days and he could not see You, therefore he did not take even water." Ramacandra appreciated his devotion. So before Lord Ramacandra there was Sita-Rama Deity worshiped in the family of Dasaratha Maharaja's family. So that Deity was kept in the room of Lord Ramacandra because Lord Ramacandra was personally present. So He advised Laksmana that "Give this brahmana this Deity." And He advised him, "Brahmana, you worship this Deity, and when I am not in the station, your worshiping the Deity is as good as worshiping Me." So the Deity worship is so long going on. That Ramacandra Deity is still here in South India.
  23. "Hear the Voice behind the voice. Maybe Gauranga is trying to take you to His Lotus Feet. I have heard They are visible from the lower position." ---- Bhagavad-gita 7.1, Ahmedabad, December 13, 1972 So a neophyte devotee should be engaged in temple worship, but if he does not make further improvement, if he sticks to the simply temple worship, then he remains a kanistha-adhikari, lower-standard devotee. Lower-standard devotee. But one has to become first-standard devotee; at least, one must... A first-standard devotee is very high position, spiritual position. ---- I have Nitai-Gauranga pictures at home, which are my dietys, so I guess (not sure) I am a neophyte devotee, which makes me /images/graemlins/frown.gif, without a Guru I shall remain in this position? --- Upanishads: He who sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything nor any being. ---
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