(Yesterday in class we heard many wonderful aspects of Sri Douji)
Oh most beautiful of the beautiful!
Sri Baladev, personification of Sri Krishna beauty.
Oh most compassionate of the compassionate!
You, who does not consider offences.
Oh cowherd boy who carries a plow!
Sri Haläyudha, who in transcendental anger, drag cities and rivers.
Oh servant Godhead!
Adi guru, who nicely sets the ‘stage’ for Sri Krishna’s divine appearance.
Oh supremely powerful!
Sri Balabadra, the giver of strength to hold up the sword of knowledge.
Oh elder Brother of the supreme!
Sri Acyutägraja, who by own example, was kicked by the Kesi demon!
Oh beloved of brilliant Revati!
Sri Revati Ramana, the only suitable husband of Srimati Revati.
Oh most transcendentally absorbed!
Sri Nilämbara, whose cloth matches the complexion of beautiful Lord Krishna.
Oh Baladev! Kindly bestow darshan of Your lotus feet to me!
Oh Balarama! Kindly protect me from offences to the Holy Name!
Oh Halayudha! Drag! Drag my mind to your lotus feet, once and than again and again!
Oh Adi Guru! Let me serve! Let me constantly serve the lotus feet of Sri Guru, your dear servants!
Oh Balabadra! Kindly persuade Sri Krishna to bestow transcendental knowledge upon me. And than! Help me! Please help me keep it! Use it! Distribute it!
Oh Acyutagraja! You may know about the weeds in my heart. One is very, very deep. Uprooting which will cause great pain. But having uprooted it how much bliss will it give You? Me? Gurudev? Kindly, oh most kindly, uproot this weed of pride, pratishta, which is very difficult to uproot!
Oh Revati Ramana! I am very found of love stories, kindly bestow upon me the mercy to serve the one who has captured Your heart!
Oh Nilambara! When will my restless mind be steady? When will the object of my devotion be only the Supreme lord and His pure servants? Please, my dear Lord, grant me the favour of pure devotional service!
Free to be
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Excitement? You looking for excitement?!
What could be more exciting than the appearance day to Lord Balarama?
Nityananda of ISKCON Lenasia is especially beautiful. I notice a lot of devotees are very much attracted to Lord Nityananda. I think it’s because we are all slightly mad and so are attracted to the transcendentally mad Nityananda!
Srila Prabhupada said once that if you have some deep spiritual desire you must pray to Lord Nityananda and He will fulfil your desire!
I love the pastimes of Haridas Thakur and Lord Nityananda doing sankirtan together. Like how Lord Nityananda would jump in the ocean and play with crocodiles and how He’d approach the young village ladies asking them to marry Him and than he would run away and old Haridas Thakur would get the flak for it.
I love it! I love it! I love it!
Nityananda of ISKCON Lenasia is especially beautiful. I notice a lot of devotees are very much attracted to Lord Nityananda. I think it’s because we are all slightly mad and so are attracted to the transcendentally mad Nityananda!
Srila Prabhupada said once that if you have some deep spiritual desire you must pray to Lord Nityananda and He will fulfil your desire!
I love the pastimes of Haridas Thakur and Lord Nityananda doing sankirtan together. Like how Lord Nityananda would jump in the ocean and play with crocodiles and how He’d approach the young village ladies asking them to marry Him and than he would run away and old Haridas Thakur would get the flak for it.
I love it! I love it! I love it!
Excitement
Ever yearn for excitement?
Something out the ordinary that lifts your spirits to where you think that life can just not get any better. Once, having tasted it, one can not be satisfied with anything less.
For a long time now I’ve been feeling that I am wasting my life. After returning from a 3 week trip to India last year this feeling has grown. It resulted in a completely ecstatic trip to America. After returning from that those feelings feel insurmountable.
How to remain in Vrindavan without being in Vrindavan
How to be enthusiastic when 80% of life is spent like a rat on a spinning wheel
These are the arts that I need to learn, that I need to develop. To have complete focus on my goal. To not be so influenced by maya’s so attractive snares that excites you in the beginning but leaves you gumption less at the end.
I need to appreciate the small things in spiritual life.
Something out the ordinary that lifts your spirits to where you think that life can just not get any better. Once, having tasted it, one can not be satisfied with anything less.
For a long time now I’ve been feeling that I am wasting my life. After returning from a 3 week trip to India last year this feeling has grown. It resulted in a completely ecstatic trip to America. After returning from that those feelings feel insurmountable.
How to remain in Vrindavan without being in Vrindavan
How to be enthusiastic when 80% of life is spent like a rat on a spinning wheel
These are the arts that I need to learn, that I need to develop. To have complete focus on my goal. To not be so influenced by maya’s so attractive snares that excites you in the beginning but leaves you gumption less at the end.
I need to appreciate the small things in spiritual life.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Responsibility
Srila Prabhupada talks about why we as human beings have better facilities than animals.
Srila Prabhupada says something like,
Animals and humans have economic necessities to fulfil. Animals do this primitively but human beings have more facility to do them. Why do human beings have better facility? Why does a government official have better facility than an ordinary clerk? The answer is simple; the government official has bigger responsibility.
So receiving a human form is a great responsibility and failing to take up the responsibility will result in one once again entering an animal form of life.
The responsibility we have is to re-establish our lost relationship with Krishna. The most effective way to do this is to chant
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Srila Prabhupada says something like,
Animals and humans have economic necessities to fulfil. Animals do this primitively but human beings have more facility to do them. Why do human beings have better facility? Why does a government official have better facility than an ordinary clerk? The answer is simple; the government official has bigger responsibility.
So receiving a human form is a great responsibility and failing to take up the responsibility will result in one once again entering an animal form of life.
The responsibility we have is to re-establish our lost relationship with Krishna. The most effective way to do this is to chant
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Sweetness of worship
For the last 2 nights we’ve been attending a Deity worship course.
There is sweetness in serving the Lord’s deity form that I am only now starting to realise and appreciate. Imagine! The Supreme Personality of Godhead is allowing us to dress, bath, put Him to rest! But more than that, He is teaching us that He is a PERSON, someone who will reciprocate with our tiny efforts. Some one who will help us just as a parent or a loving friend will help. He is a person.
Speaking of tiny today I heard Srila Prabhupada say something like, “I think” “My opinion” this is not right. We should always think ourselves very tiny and insignificant and thus what we think has no value. Simply repeat Krishna’s words without adding your own thoughts.
This applies to Deity worship too; the Lord describes exactly how He’d like to be worshiped. And actually is the same as how we’d like to be treated. With respect, with cleanliness, with punctuality. This is another great thing about deity worship it teaches you correct behaviour according to Vedic culture.
I can not thank Guru Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada for giving me these wonderful opportunities! Who would have thought it possible!
All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada!
There is sweetness in serving the Lord’s deity form that I am only now starting to realise and appreciate. Imagine! The Supreme Personality of Godhead is allowing us to dress, bath, put Him to rest! But more than that, He is teaching us that He is a PERSON, someone who will reciprocate with our tiny efforts. Some one who will help us just as a parent or a loving friend will help. He is a person.
Speaking of tiny today I heard Srila Prabhupada say something like, “I think” “My opinion” this is not right. We should always think ourselves very tiny and insignificant and thus what we think has no value. Simply repeat Krishna’s words without adding your own thoughts.
This applies to Deity worship too; the Lord describes exactly how He’d like to be worshiped. And actually is the same as how we’d like to be treated. With respect, with cleanliness, with punctuality. This is another great thing about deity worship it teaches you correct behaviour according to Vedic culture.
I can not thank Guru Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada for giving me these wonderful opportunities! Who would have thought it possible!
All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja ki jai!
Saturday we celebrated HH Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja’s vyasapuja.
For the first time in years Maharaja was not present in South Africa to shower us with his mercy…actually Maharaja’s mercy could be felt even from such a long distance away. Vyasapuja’s are “feeling” festivals. Devotees express what their spiritual master means to them. Some become so overwhelmed that they can’t even speak.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Not all are the same
Not all “karmis” are like that just that some are more insensitive than the rest.
You can expect that though. But what I struggle with is when do you protest and when do you not?
Like the other day when I was on training, the project involved pricing a leather frame. Some people were jokingly talking about how it should cost more because the cows were slaughtered humanely.
Obviously I couldn’t join in the laughter but do you stand up and openly question their lack of sensitivity? Or just wait for an appropriate moment to gently say what you think? That moment may never come.
It is tough living in a world where the masses are averse to a life of goodness. I can’t hold too much of a grudge against them. Only a few years ago I was in the same situation. Ever think back to the life before Krishna and Prabhupada, ever shake your head and think “How could I have been so insensitive?!” But I was I didn’t think anything was wrong at the time. Even when we met the devotees, it took a long time for the idea to sink in that eating the flesh of animals is not natural at all. It took along time after that to be aware of the feelings of other living beings.
Thank you Srila Prabhupada!
But what now?
Develop the courage to stand up for our fellow living beings.
You can expect that though. But what I struggle with is when do you protest and when do you not?
Like the other day when I was on training, the project involved pricing a leather frame. Some people were jokingly talking about how it should cost more because the cows were slaughtered humanely.
Obviously I couldn’t join in the laughter but do you stand up and openly question their lack of sensitivity? Or just wait for an appropriate moment to gently say what you think? That moment may never come.
It is tough living in a world where the masses are averse to a life of goodness. I can’t hold too much of a grudge against them. Only a few years ago I was in the same situation. Ever think back to the life before Krishna and Prabhupada, ever shake your head and think “How could I have been so insensitive?!” But I was I didn’t think anything was wrong at the time. Even when we met the devotees, it took a long time for the idea to sink in that eating the flesh of animals is not natural at all. It took along time after that to be aware of the feelings of other living beings.
Thank you Srila Prabhupada!
But what now?
Develop the courage to stand up for our fellow living beings.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Yesterday I spent my whole day in a room full of …the K word
No it wasn’t Krishna’s devotees but lost souls.
The contrast. The enthusiasm and hope of a new bhakta. The spite and vengeance of a misguided colleague. The care and compassion of a devi dasi. The power of Mr Manager. Something to think about.
The contrast. The enthusiasm and hope of a new bhakta. The spite and vengeance of a misguided colleague. The care and compassion of a devi dasi. The power of Mr Manager. Something to think about.
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