gauraprema

In his book, The Art of Chanting Hare Krishna, Sripad Mahanidhi Swami has written that many Gaudiya Vaishnavas take shelter of many auspicious prayers to Harinama prabhu, and to Sri Sri Radha Krishna before they begin chanting their japa. This helps to create the right frame of mind for chanting, and increases the taste of chanting Harinama. So, here I want to share some prayers that devotees might like to take advantage of chanting before they start chanting their japa. tribhanga bhangima rupam, venu ranga karancitam gopi mandala madhyastam, smarami nandanandanam " I meditate upon Sri Krishna, the son of Nanda Maharaja, who plays His flute while standing in a charming three-fold bending form in the midst of a circle of Vraja gopis." "O Radha Govinda! I will adorn my neck with the incomparably beautiful garland of Your holy names. Please make tears fall uncontrollably from my eyes. Please once and for all free me from illusion and submerge me repeatedly in the waves of the nectar ocean of your holy names. PLease protect me and give me unflinching devotion to Your lotus feet. I offer my continual obeisances. unto You!" (Gaura Govindacarana Smarana Paddhati) "O glorious holy name of Krsna! Only you have the power to conquer lust, hatred and all other vices!Oh glorious holy name of Krsna! Make me forget the dualities of material existence arising from this material body. Oh glorious holy name of Krsna! Help me to forget this material world and reveal to me the sweet splendor of the spiritual world. Oh glorious holy name of Krishna! Please take me to a secluded grove in Vrindavana wherein the fair and dark complexioned lovers are manifesting Their wonderful pastimes." (Vrindaban Mahimamrta, Sataka 7.40) tvam gopika vrsaraves tanayantike 'si sevadhikarini guro nija . padme dasyam pradaya kuru mam vraja kanane sri radhanghri sevana rase sukhinim sukhabdhau "O beloved spiritual master! You are always serving the lotus feet of the splendid gopika named Radha, the darling daughter of Vrsabhanu Maharaja. Please give me the qualification to serve your lotus feet which are the abodes of pure devotional service. By your mercy, I will attain the eternal service of Sri RAdha in the beautiful groves of Vraja dhama. While serving the lotus feet of Radha, I will taste a variety of blissful mellows (seva rasa), and thereby drown in an ocean of joy." (Pancaratra Pradipa) Hope this helps!! YS gauraprema

Dear devotees, Radhe Radhe!! Dandavats! I've just been reading, with great interest, the topics about chanting rounds, and chanting good japa... I would like to share some nectar with you about chanting Harinama, that might spur everyone on to chant more and more and more, while drowning in the sweet nectar of Sri Sri RAdha Krishna's pastimes. Firstly, on the topic of japa beads... Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, in his Sri Bhajana RAhasya has mentioned: In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa it is said: tulasi kastha ghatitair manibhir japamalika sarvakarmani sarvesam ipsitartha-phala-prada gopucchasadrsi karya yad va sarpakrtih subha tarjanya na sprsat sutram kampayen na vidhunayet angustha-parva-madhya-stham parivarttam samacaret na sprset vama-hastena kara-bhrastam na karayet bhuktau muktau tatha krstau madhya-mayam japet sudhih (32) Japa beads made out of tulasi or precious stones fulfill all desires. Those made in the shape of the tail of a cow or serpent offer even more auspicious results. One should not touch the mala with the second finger. Nor should one shake or swing his beads. One should change the direction of the beads on the thumb joint with the middle finger. One should never touch the beads with his left hand. Beads should not fall down from the hand. Those who are desirous of liberation, material enjoyment, or advancement of knowledge chant on the middle finger. More soon!! Happy chanting! Your servant gauraprema

Prabhus! Dandavats. Sri SRi Guru Gaurangau Jayatah!! This is such a wonderful lecture, surely you must post more now!!! I will be looking forward to them.. Your servant Sudevi dasi

Haribol prabhuji! This is a beautiful website!!! RAdha KRishna and all the gopis are so beautiful!!! Thanks for posting the link! Hare Krishna! Your servant Sudevi dasi

Haribol!! Jagat: Big sized beads eh?? Well, the only thing is.. big sized bead bag!!! =) I usually only use the white ones from Vrindaban, because my beads are somewhat big though, they usually fit the best. I love chanting on big beads, because I can roll them around with my fingers properly, with the tiny ones, I usually drop them while chanting.. uh oh.. perhaps it's my chanting that needs the fixing up! Have you seen Sripad Jayapataka Swami's beadbag? It's amazingly huge, with awesomely big beads too... sweet!! Well, gotta get back to chanting!! =) Hare Krishna! Gauraprema

Haribol!! Jagat: Big sized beads eh?? Well, the only thing is.. big sized bead bag!!! =) I usually only use the white ones from Vrindaban, because my beads are somewhat big though, they usually fit the best. I love chanting on big beads, because I can roll them around with my fingers properly, with the tiny ones, I usually drop them while chanting.. uh oh.. perhaps it's my chanting that needs the fixing up! Have you seen Sripad Jayapataka Swami's beadbag? It's amazingly huge, with awesomely big beads too... sweet!! Well, gotta get back to chanting!! =) Hare Krishna! Gauraprema

Jagat prabhu, Dandavats. Your article that you've quoted at length in your posting seems to be very interesting, and I could probably use it as a reference in my Honours thesis, do you think it would be possible for me to obtain a copy from you? Thanks for your help, Your servant Sudevi dasi email: thenefus@iinet.net.au

Dear devotees, Dandavat pranams. Jai Sri SRi Guru Gauranga! I apologise if I am in the wrong bit of the forums for this, but I am looking for the e-mail address of Sriman Satyaraja das, (aka Steven Rosen) as I understand it, he is the editor of the Journal of VAishnava Studies which is an invaluable resource that I urgently require for my Honours thesis on western devotees and the Hare KRishna movement. If any of you have any available copies you might be able to share, or can direct me to where I might easily obtain a couple of copies, that would be helpful too. Thanks so much for your help, Your servant Sudevi dasi

Dear atma, I remember once when I was speaking to a senior devotee, he mentioned that if one becomes a devotee, at each level, kanistha madhyama and uttama, 7, 14 and 21 generations respectively of family on both sides, meaning ancestors and descendants are delivered. So you are glorious, you have delivered so many members of your family. I am sure Lord Krishna will shower all blessings on your mother, and give her a better situation so that she might continue to increase her sukriti which first developed when her son became a devotee. I am also praying for her. Hare Krishna! Your servant Sudevi dasi

Haribol leyh, Dandavats... Jai Sri Sri Guru GAuranga! Just on the topic of meeting devotees, I'm just got back from Australia to Singapore and I'll be here for a couple of days, if there are any programs or meetings between devotees in Singapore, I'd love to come and participate. Let me know!! E-mail me at this address: sfchung79@hotmail.com Thanks!! HareKrishna!! gauraprema.

Haribol! I've been reading these posts with interest... I still remember the times, in my early days with the Singapore temple, I was asked to spearhead Harinama parties in the city and other spots, like Singapore's famous 'Chinatown'. AT that time, there were only 3 Chinese in the Temple, myself, another lady and a prabhu. It was rather fun, we'd get out there with a mridanga, guitar and karatalas, and sit down in a public place and chant and sing for about an hour or so, then the Temple van would come and pick us up. Most of the time what we got were weird stares, but there were the casual interested onlookers, which only gave us more and more heart to carry on. We did this for a couple of weeks, then the Vice President took over organising it.. partly because if my mother saw me sitting in the streets and chanting she would kill me! <grin> I think Chinese as a whole have a strong work ethic, hard work to earn a living, to make life good. I admire and pay my respectful obeisances to all the Chinese devotees from mainland China, because it is definitely a hard political climate to be in, and to try and practise Krishna Consciousness. I daresay in Singapore, things are not that much different. Authorities still stop devotees who are wearing full devotional attire from entering the airport, or Singapore... But I think in terms of Chinese there being more materialistic, I'd have to agree with Leyh. Their lives are caught up with the pursuit of material happiness. Sometimes while preaching, it is difficult to talk through their material consciousness, but we try. Just my two cents worth.. Your servant gauraprema

Dear devotees, Dandavat pranams. Jai Sri SRi Guru Gauranga! I remember the time when the Singapore temple was called Shiv Mandir because the devotees were not allowed to use the names of Krishna, neither were they allowed to be 'officially' affiliated to ISKCON. Now, things are changing, Srila Prabhupada's desire to see Singapore too take to Krishna Consciousness is slowly being manifest. It started with the Temple being called Sri Krishna Mandir, and from there, many things were happening, the most recently significant being that of the HAre Krishna devotees being asked to put on a 3 month display on Lord Krishna and HIs pastimes in the National Museum of Singapore. That's really awesome don't you think? Anyway, Sri Krishna Mandir now has a website, you can check it out, the address is: www.krsnamandir.org.sg The Deities, Sri Sri Radha Madanamohana are really really beautiful and I am sure you will have an awesome time surfing over there. Hare Krishna!! Your humble servant Sudevi dasi

Dear devotees, Dandavat pranams. Jai Sri SRi Guru Gauranga! I remember the time when the Singapore temple was called Shiv Mandir because the devotees were not allowed to use the names of Krishna, neither were they allowed to be 'officially' affiliated to ISKCON. Now, things are changing, Srila Prabhupada's desire to see Singapore too take to Krishna Consciousness is slowly being manifest. It started with the Temple being called Sri Krishna Mandir, and from there, many things were happening, the most recently significant being that of the HAre Krishna devotees being asked to put on a 3 month display on Lord Krishna and HIs pastimes in the National Museum of Singapore. That's really awesome don't you think? Anyway, Sri Krishna Mandir now has a website, you can check it out, the address is: www.krsnamandir.org.sg The Deities, Sri Sri Radha Madanamohana are really really beautiful and I am sure you will have an awesome time surfing over there. Hare Krishna!! Your humble servant Sudevi dasi

Haribol living entity.. Tis me.. Sudevi dasi from Singapore..... stil in OZ finishing up my studies and trying to preach Krishna Consciousness here at Uni. It's fun! The beadbag slung around my neck or on my hand when I am chanting really helps to generate interest. Who are you, living entity? Do i know you? Take care, Hare Krishna! Your servant Sudevi dasi

Haribol living entity.. Tis me.. Sudevi dasi from Singapore..... stil in OZ finishing up my studies and trying to preach Krishna Consciousness here at Uni. It's fun! The beadbag slung around my neck or on my hand when I am chanting really helps to generate interest. Who are you, living entity? Do i know you? Take care, Hare Krishna! Your servant Sudevi dasi