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Shakti-Fan

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  1. Could you elaborate on this. What exactly do you mean?
  2. Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja:
  3. Sri Vraja-dhama-mahimamrita The Nectarean Glories of Vraja-dhama (6)jaya jaya gopiswara vrindavana-maj jaya jaya krishna-sakha batu dwija-raj (6) All glories, all glories to Gopisvara Siva, who resides in Vrindavana in order to protect the holy dhama. All glories, all glories to Krishna's funny brahmana friend, Madhumangala.
  4. The Pinnacle of Devotion Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja:
  5. White man, cbrahma speak with forked tongue, kimosabe!
  6. So if you feel cheated that they are not giving the real thing then try another sanga. If groups are not your thing, then stay by yourself and chant. You can adopt those parts of the process which are favorable for your own development and conditonal nature. May I suggest that you read about the dealings amongst genuine Vaisnavas in Jaiva Dharma. You can read it online at: http://www.bvml.org/SBNM/JaivaDharma/index.html
  7. What about the story of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His servant (whose name I forgot): Mahaprabhu is always chanting Krsna nama incessently but when he goes to pass water he stops. Then his servant reminds Him that there are no hard and fast rules for taking Krsna nama meaning that it can be done anywhere and at anytime. Then Mahaprabhu tells him, "today you have become my guru." Isn't this chanting of Krsna nama the process or Yuga dharma for this age?
  8. An Indian system? I have never heard of such a system Kimosabe!
  9. Uh uh brother, I don't want no Wild Man (Beggar) snappin at my heels!
  10. <table class="contentpaneopen"><tbody><tr><td class="contentheading" width="100%"> Granting Perfect Love </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%"> </td> <td class="buttonheading" align="right" width="100%"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> LORD Shiva'S HIGHEST BENEDICTION By Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja ... Lord Shiva eternally resides in Lord Krishna’s abode, Vrindavana, where he manifests many forms to render devotional services to Him. The form of Gopishvara Mahadeva was manifested by Lord Krishna’s desire. When Krishna desired to perform His Rasa dance, Srimati Radhika, the embodiment of His pleasure potency, manifested from His left side and Gopishvara Mahadeva manifested from His right side. The form of Shiva who lives in Kashi or Kailash in the material world is a partial manifestation of the original SadaShiva in Vrindavana. The many other commonly worshiped forms of Lord Shiva are expansions of SadaShiva. They are not the original. Partial expansions such as Pippaleshvara Mahadeva, Bhuteshvara Mahadeva, Rangeshvara Mahadeva and so on, cannot award the benediction that can be attained by the mercy of Gopishvara - the highest perfection of love, namely Vraja-Prema. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has composed a prayer in his Vraja-vilasa-stava: muda gopendrasyatmaja bhuja parisranga nidhaye sphurad gopirvrndair yam iha bhagavatam pranayibhih bhajadbhistair bhaktyas vamabhilasitam praptam acirad yamitire gopisvaram anudinam tam kila bhaje 'I daily worship Gopishvara Mahadeva, who is situated on the bank of Yamuna. That very Gopishvara was worshipped with deep devotion by the Gopis, and he quickly fulfilled their desire to attain a supremely precious jewel in the form of the embrace of the son of Nanda Maharaja [Krishna].' Srila Sanatana Gosvami, the great Vaishnava saint who resided in Vrindavana near the old Sri Madana-Mohana temple, would go daily to see Sri Gopishvara Mahadeva at his temple. Once, in his older years, Sanatana Gosvami had a dream wherein Gopishvara Mahadeva appeared and instructed him: "Now that you are old, please do not go through so much trouble to see me." Sanatana Gosvami replied, "I will continue to come. I cannot change this habit." Gopishvara Mahadeva said, "Then I will come and stay very near to your residence, manifesting in Bankhandi" The very next day, Sri Gopishvara Mahadeva appeared in Bankhandi, halfway between his original temple and Srila Sanatana Gosvami's residence. Seeing this, Sanatana Gosvami became overwhelmed with transcendental ecstasy, and from that day on he visited Bankhandi Mahadeva every day. Wherever he was, Srila Sanatana Gosvami could not live without his beloved Lord Shiva - Gopishvara Mahadeva and Bankhandi Mahadeva in Vrindavana, and Kameshvara Mahadeva in Kamyavana forest. In Govardhana he would stay near his very dear friend, Cakreshvara Mahadeva, who acquired the name when he served Govardhana Hill and the Vrajavasis by holding up his trident like a Chakra, protecting them from the torrential deluge sent by King Indra. Prior to this, Lord Shiva, had asked Sri Krishna for the boon to witness His childhood pastimes. Krishna ordered him to situate himself in Nandagaon in the form of a hill. Shiva followed this order and became Nandishvara Hill, and he thus became known as Nandishvara. (Lord Brahma became Brahma-parvata, the mountain in Srimati Radhika's birthplace, Varshana. Because Brahma is so near to Radhika, he is also our Gurudeva.) We honour Lord Shiva as a great Vaishnava and as Guru. We do not worship him separately. We observe Shiva-ratri, Lord Shiva's appearance day, and we glorify him in connection to his relationship with Sri Krishna. Srila Sanatana Gosvami has written in his Hari-Bhakti-vilasa that all Vaishnavas should observe Shiva-caturdasi (Shiva-ratri). Lord Shiva in whom all good qualities reside, should certainly be honoured by the observance of this day. We offer obeisance to Lord Shiva with prayers like this: vrindavanavani-pate! jaya soma soma-maule sanaka-sanandana-sanatana-naradedya gopisvara! vraja-vilasi-yuganghri-padme prema prayaccha nirupadhi namo namas te (Sankalpa-kalpadruma 103) 'O Gatekeeper of Vrindavana! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon, and who is worship able by the sages headed by Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Narada! O Gopishvara! Desiring that you bestow upon me prema for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha- Madhava, who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja- Dhama, I offer obeisance’s unto you time and again.' From the small book "Siva Tattva" - ISBN #81-86737-74-X, Gaudiya Vedanta Publications 2005
  11. Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja:
  12. Jaiva Dharma, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura: Srimad Bhagavatam Purport by Srila Prabhupada: So obviously the "first term of creation is that of the mahat-tattva, then there are other terms of creation after the mahat-tattva. From subtle to gross is how the creation unfolds.
  13. Very good post Grasshopper! Now you have learned your lesson well, my son. Ahead of you are great challenges. Remember, always walk lightly on rice paper, never to crack it and always carry a big stick.
  14. Yes, before I was initiated I used to be bhaktin Susanna. That's why I married Beggar, because he is such a good song writer and understands siddhanta.
  15. Any bonafide high type of Gaudiya Vaisnava sadhu or guru in the family of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura has the key to open the door to the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and his followers. Srila Narayana Maharaja is not the only present living guru; There are others like Srila Puri Maharaja, Srila Govinda Maharaja, Srila B.B. Tirtha Maharaja and Srila Bodhayana Maharaja. All these gentleman offer a very high class of association. There may be one or more within ISKCON whether rubber stamped or not, I don't know. There may be others also. It's not the bottle but the contents of the bottle.
  16. Devotees are certainly watching Srila Narayana Maharaja's videos on Purebhaktitv.com but most of them also make the endeavor to go to his programs when he comes to their continent and sometimes go to Vraja Mandala parikrama etc. Some have long time close association with him and some are new and have less association. How else could it be? But his followers are trying to get his association by pleasing him and there is no doubt of this. Sometimes senior devotees can give their opinion if a devotees service is pleasing to the guru. But if one really wants to know first hand, there is always the possibility of making a personal connection if one really is desiring such a thing. Another thing is that he is always answering questions in his classes about current controversies like this one and others, so the answers are there. We don't have to go into the archives and find out, is an event that happened 38 years ago is similiar to something happening right now amongst the devotees? we can ask and find out for sure. Again we are not saying that the books, and instructions of Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada are not valuable for the current generation. They are like jewels, but as Srila Narayana Maharaja says, "you must have the key to unlock them". The key is real sadhu sanga.
  17. "So if you read different scriptures, you will be bewildered…But there is adjustment. If you go to the authorized person, he can adjust. But you cannot see. You see, you'll see contradiction. So srutayo vibhinnah. Therefore they are considered different, but actually, they are not different. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.7 lecture, San Francisco, March 1, 1967) "So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says the medium is sastra, and direction is the guru. Sastra also we cannot understand any book, what to speak of the scripture. Sometimes we find contradiction in the scripture. That is not contradiction; that is my poor fund of knowledge. I cannot understand; therefore assistance of guru, a spiritual master, is required." (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 20.353-354 Lecture, New York, December 26, 1966) "Because the spiritual master is the representative of the Supreme Lord, his direction is directly the direction of the Supreme Lord. The spiritual master, saintly persons and scriptures direct in the same way. There is no contradiction in these three sources. All actions done under such direction are free from the reactions of pious and impious activities of this material world." (Bhagavad Gita As It Is 10.3, purport) "One should taste the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam in the association of pure devotees, and one should associate with the devotees who are more advanced than oneself and who are endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord." (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 22.131)
  18. Srila B.V.Prabhupada is accessible as a spiritual master but is not personally present to initiate or give access to his vapuh. We are not saying that you cannot associate with him through his books. His books can certainly help you. But he cannot tell you when you are misunderstanding his books, or that your service is not pleasing him and for that you need the association of a higher class of Vaisnava(s), which means higher than yourself. Watching a Prabhupada Memories Video is good but it is not the same as having been there yourself, sorry.
  19. Srila Narayana Maharaja: Now the disciples of Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada cannot have the opportunity for his vapuh association, so they can remember him and learn from him about bhakti and associate with him through his books. The books will assuage their separation, while at other times they (the books) will trigger such pangs of separation from their beloved guru who they sincerely served and continue to serve. When they have difficulty understanding bhakti though his books they can go to persons who have assimilated these conceptions and now live them in their practical lives. As Swami B.R. Srihar Maharaja has said, books will help us when we do not have the opportunity for sadhu sanga. Of course even if we have sadhu sanga the books are very important in Kali Yuga because of our poor memories.
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