Last Sunday we had a special sanyasi giving class. It was HH Bhakti Nrsinga Swami. Why is he special? ... Well for one thing I got to see Maharaja receive sanyasa at the Durban Ratha Yatra this year making him the first sanyasi from South Africa - Haribol! Despite maharaja being from South Africa I never really heard Maharaja speak before and, man, was I blown away!!
Because we have Gaura Nitai deities Maharaja gave class from the CC, the beginning where it describes how Lord Caitanya appeared like the sun rising from the ocean.
Maharaja read the purport from Ādi 1.102 where it is described that “and it is predicted that as the sun and moon gradually move west, the movement They began five hundred years ago will come to the Western civilizations by Their mercy.” And the person that was chosen to do this great service was HDG Srila Prabhupada! Actually Srila Bhaktisiddanta Maharaja was giving the same instruction to all his disciples and when Srila Prabhupada came along Bhaktisiddanta Maharaja gave the same instruction, “Preach to English speaking world” it was Srila Prabhupada who had the mercy and the compassion in his heart to fulfil this desire of Bhaktisiddanta Maharaja.
Nowadays there is a feeling among some devotees that Srila Prabhupada didn’t give us everything that perhaps we need to get more information from other places. But actually the special nature of Srila Prabhupada’s books is that each time you read it, if you reading carefully, newer and newer levels are reached each time creating more and more realisations. It’s amazing! Maharaja said that his been on 3 Nectar of Devotion courses and each time he felt like wow!
Maharaja was describing that he went to the Ratha Yatra in Newcastle where one devotee mother, standing with her 10 month old baby, was explaining that children at this age are very sensitive that they can not see clearly but they can smell, so they maybe passed from one lady to another but they are not happy until they come back again to their mother. They recognise there mother by the smell. So Srila Prabhupada is like our mother giving us milk since the time of birth.
Maharaja also spoke on the Caitanya tree, ISKCON being one the main branches that is actually producing the most juiciest fruits.
During the question and answer session, one devotee asked: the main activities that Prabhupada wanted were preaching, book distribution and harinaam. What if a devotee feels that the temple is not doing enough of this and that (like how Prabhupada left the gaudiya math) they would like to branch of and create there own centre and just get on with the mission.
Maharaja’s answer was brilliant: wherever one goes there has to be authority. There are different GBCs and perhaps we may get along with the temple president in Lenasia then we can go to a place where we do get along with the authority. We can not, not get along with all authorities. Just like Maharaja travels to different places in each place Maharaja has to check with the local GBC. Then Maharaja said you can try doing something on own but it won’t last. Maybe for a few years but after a while it will just dry up. Others have tried .. In terms of the Caitanya tree you maybe one branch that is not so firmly attached and gradually after a while that branch will dry up.
Free to be
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
Happy birthday, Sitala!
Yesterday was not a good day for me. Since Saturday I lost my bead bag! That is the bead bag with the beads I received at initiation, the same beads that my guru Maharaja had chanted on.
I felt it was a direct result of really bad chanting and that Krishna was telling to catch a wake up or loose more than what I have already. Fortunately, Krishna’s grace, I found it this morning as I was preparing to leave home for work, the one place I didn’t check struck me and there was my bead bag. shoo! close call…
Yesterday was also my birthday, not birthday into this material body but spiritual birth of formally receiving the holy name from my spiritual master. Yep, it’s been 5 years and as I sat at the initiation ceremony yesterday listening as the initiates got their new names I though about the sacrifice the spiritual master takes in accepting a disciple. Even if it takes several births to save a disciple the guru takes that risk.
My spiritual master is especially merciful, taking risks to save a fallen soul like me. Even at the time of initiation Maharaja knew I wasn’t hundred percent. But over the years since then maharaja has given me many opportunities to somehow gradually improve myself. I am forever grateful for that and I offer my deepest, most humble obeisance to Gurumaharaja, and I beg forgiveness for the multitudes of sin I commit daily at his lotus feet.
I beg the Lord to help me to overcome these offences and to help me become a good devotee.
All glories to Jagat Guru, Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Srila Gurudev!
I felt it was a direct result of really bad chanting and that Krishna was telling to catch a wake up or loose more than what I have already. Fortunately, Krishna’s grace, I found it this morning as I was preparing to leave home for work, the one place I didn’t check struck me and there was my bead bag. shoo! close call…
Yesterday was also my birthday, not birthday into this material body but spiritual birth of formally receiving the holy name from my spiritual master. Yep, it’s been 5 years and as I sat at the initiation ceremony yesterday listening as the initiates got their new names I though about the sacrifice the spiritual master takes in accepting a disciple. Even if it takes several births to save a disciple the guru takes that risk.
My spiritual master is especially merciful, taking risks to save a fallen soul like me. Even at the time of initiation Maharaja knew I wasn’t hundred percent. But over the years since then maharaja has given me many opportunities to somehow gradually improve myself. I am forever grateful for that and I offer my deepest, most humble obeisance to Gurumaharaja, and I beg forgiveness for the multitudes of sin I commit daily at his lotus feet.
I beg the Lord to help me to overcome these offences and to help me become a good devotee.
All glories to Jagat Guru, Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Srila Gurudev!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Hiranyakashipu’s school
I know 'The Apprentice' has been showing on TV for a long while now, but somehow I never ended up watching it until couple of weeks ago. Every time I watch it though I am filled with disbelief that grown people and so called upper class people could behave so churlishly and so childishly.
One of the weeks, while I was watching one episode, I had a flash in my mind of a scene from the Nrsingadev plays that are often shown. You know the part where Sananda and Amarka, the school teachers of Prahlad, are trying to instil some demonic qualities in to Prahlad. And on 'The Apprentice' Donald Trump was showing approval to one of the teams who did some real shifty stuff that had me quite horrified! At that point I suddenly thought this is just like Hiranyakashipu’s school!
This made me understand why we are warned against getting too close with materialistic people. Here, where I work, there are nice people. But I also get plenty of exposure to back-stabbers and the like. Of course you learn how to block those kind of people out so that they don’t get too close. But still their behaviour and the behaviour of the ‘nice' people can influence you on a subtle plain. To counteract that effect, I need to hear (nicely) plenty of holy names of the Lord and I need to associate on a deep level with devotees.
The holy names one I’ve got to work on. For the association I also need to work on but this Monday night I had a really nice time at book club. We discussed Krishna Book and it was just great! If some how we can do more things like this hopefully at the time of death, that is what will shine instead of all the materialistic things I am involved in.
Jai Sacinandan Gaura-Hari!
One of the weeks, while I was watching one episode, I had a flash in my mind of a scene from the Nrsingadev plays that are often shown. You know the part where Sananda and Amarka, the school teachers of Prahlad, are trying to instil some demonic qualities in to Prahlad. And on 'The Apprentice' Donald Trump was showing approval to one of the teams who did some real shifty stuff that had me quite horrified! At that point I suddenly thought this is just like Hiranyakashipu’s school!
This made me understand why we are warned against getting too close with materialistic people. Here, where I work, there are nice people. But I also get plenty of exposure to back-stabbers and the like. Of course you learn how to block those kind of people out so that they don’t get too close. But still their behaviour and the behaviour of the ‘nice' people can influence you on a subtle plain. To counteract that effect, I need to hear (nicely) plenty of holy names of the Lord and I need to associate on a deep level with devotees.
The holy names one I’ve got to work on. For the association I also need to work on but this Monday night I had a really nice time at book club. We discussed Krishna Book and it was just great! If some how we can do more things like this hopefully at the time of death, that is what will shine instead of all the materialistic things I am involved in.
Jai Sacinandan Gaura-Hari!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Salted Bread
Hare Krishna! When Srila Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja arrived in SA, Maharaja brought boxes of a book called Salted Bread. I would urge every devotee to read this amazing book!
I must offer my heartfelt obeisances at the dust of the lotus feet of the devotees from the former USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), to HG Sacisuta Prabhu and the author HG Sarvabhavana Prabhu. Even before meeting devotees these two personalities were so incredible. How they tried to keep places of God clean, how at a very young age they questioned religion and the purpose of life, how they became vegetarian and kept to it despite jeers and pressures.
From this book I think the most important lesson for me is to take advantage of every Krishna conscious moment because you never know when we may not have access to even a simple thing like a book!
The most heroic thing for me was how all these devotees maintained there sadhana of chanting 16 rounds every single day. Their beads were always taken away, they were beaten, they did not have sufficient food (salted bread for 2 years straight!), they were living in unclean places. Yet despite this, whatever they knew about Krishna they told others about it and at the same time kept up there own faith. How many opportunities they got to escape these horrible conditions but they would rather die then sign papers claiming that ISKCON was not a bona fide religion.
THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON, DON’T COMMIT VAISNAV APARADHA AND TRY YOUR UTMOST TO DEVELOP LOVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH DEVOTEES.
What is interesting from the political sense is that the thirst the former Soviet devotees had for spiritual knowledge was practically speaking a direct consequence of the communist culture forced upon them. The government forcefully rejected and discouraged religion which they though were based on sentiment only, thus the harassment of ISKCON devotees. Read Srila Prabhupada’s letter, http://society.krishna.org/Letters/2000/07/L00001.html, where it is described how serving or loving God is the natural proclivity of man. From that we can see how the suppression on the people of the USSR made the pure knowledge given by Srila Prabhupada all the sweeter to them.
Reading this book, particularly the hatred the KGB had for devotees reminded me of conflict between Germans and Jews. I remember hearing one class by Radhanatha Maharaja and Sacianandan Maharaja where one of them were describing how Radhanatha Maharaja is a from a very strict Jewish family and HH Sacinandan Maharaja is from Germany and his father was actually an officer or something like that in the German army. Materially speaking they should actually be great enemies but the fact is they are the greatest of friends.
I was also watching this movie of twin sisters born in Germany, when there parents died the 2 were separated at a very young age one going to Holland and the other remaining in Germany. They did not meet each other for a very long time, until they were much older. At that time the sister in Holland rejected her sister because her husband was an officer in the Nazi Army and the sister from Holland’s husband had been captured by Nazi soldiers. But actually all these young men were forced to act in these ways. The sister from Germany tried to show her sister how they were servants of their situations but the sister didn’t see this until the last days of her life.
Krishna consciousness crosses all boundaries and saves a lot of time and energy that is normally spent on being angry and hurt.
Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!
Devotees of the former USSR Ki Jai!
I must offer my heartfelt obeisances at the dust of the lotus feet of the devotees from the former USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), to HG Sacisuta Prabhu and the author HG Sarvabhavana Prabhu. Even before meeting devotees these two personalities were so incredible. How they tried to keep places of God clean, how at a very young age they questioned religion and the purpose of life, how they became vegetarian and kept to it despite jeers and pressures.
From this book I think the most important lesson for me is to take advantage of every Krishna conscious moment because you never know when we may not have access to even a simple thing like a book!
The most heroic thing for me was how all these devotees maintained there sadhana of chanting 16 rounds every single day. Their beads were always taken away, they were beaten, they did not have sufficient food (salted bread for 2 years straight!), they were living in unclean places. Yet despite this, whatever they knew about Krishna they told others about it and at the same time kept up there own faith. How many opportunities they got to escape these horrible conditions but they would rather die then sign papers claiming that ISKCON was not a bona fide religion.
THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON, DON’T COMMIT VAISNAV APARADHA AND TRY YOUR UTMOST TO DEVELOP LOVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH DEVOTEES.
What is interesting from the political sense is that the thirst the former Soviet devotees had for spiritual knowledge was practically speaking a direct consequence of the communist culture forced upon them. The government forcefully rejected and discouraged religion which they though were based on sentiment only, thus the harassment of ISKCON devotees. Read Srila Prabhupada’s letter, http://society.krishna.org/Letters/2000/07/L00001.html, where it is described how serving or loving God is the natural proclivity of man. From that we can see how the suppression on the people of the USSR made the pure knowledge given by Srila Prabhupada all the sweeter to them.
Reading this book, particularly the hatred the KGB had for devotees reminded me of conflict between Germans and Jews. I remember hearing one class by Radhanatha Maharaja and Sacianandan Maharaja where one of them were describing how Radhanatha Maharaja is a from a very strict Jewish family and HH Sacinandan Maharaja is from Germany and his father was actually an officer or something like that in the German army. Materially speaking they should actually be great enemies but the fact is they are the greatest of friends.
I was also watching this movie of twin sisters born in Germany, when there parents died the 2 were separated at a very young age one going to Holland and the other remaining in Germany. They did not meet each other for a very long time, until they were much older. At that time the sister in Holland rejected her sister because her husband was an officer in the Nazi Army and the sister from Holland’s husband had been captured by Nazi soldiers. But actually all these young men were forced to act in these ways. The sister from Germany tried to show her sister how they were servants of their situations but the sister didn’t see this until the last days of her life.
Krishna consciousness crosses all boundaries and saves a lot of time and energy that is normally spent on being angry and hurt.
Srila Prabhupada Ki Jai!
Devotees of the former USSR Ki Jai!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Seekers of Truth
5 seekers
Average guy
Business women
Scientist
Gothic
Peace loving Rastafarian
“Seekers of Truth” was the play we did for the Pre Gaura Purnim Festival.
Where else would 5 complete different types of people be able to stand being in each others company? Only ISKCON!
Jai Srila Prabhupada!
Average guy
Business women
Scientist
Gothic
Peace loving Rastafarian
“Seekers of Truth” was the play we did for the Pre Gaura Purnim Festival.
Where else would 5 complete different types of people be able to stand being in each others company? Only ISKCON!
Jai Srila Prabhupada!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Gaura Lila
Jaya Jaya Sri Caitanya Jaya Nityananda Jai Advaita Candra Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrnda!
Over Monday and Tuesday Srila Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja lead us in the most inspiring and instructive seminar on Lessons from the Pastimes of Lord Caitanya.
Who is Lord Caitanya? He is Krishna who has come in the form of His own devotee. Interestingly all the incarnations of Krishna are in the mood of servant. If you ask Krishna, “What or who is the absolute?” Krishna will very simply say “Me” but if you ask the incarnations starting from Baladev, they will answer, “Krishna!”
What did I learn?
1)
Things happen to you all the time but how if affects you depends on your consciousness. For example, Madavendra Puri chastised Ramachandra Puri. Because Ramachandra Puri was envious he could not accept this chastisement and thought, “how can he speak to ME like that” this kind of attitude is not good and led to Ramachandra Puri continuing his offensive course. The chastisement of the spiritual master is his mercy and if we take it in a submissive, humble way it will be of great benefit to us.
Once Srila Prabhupada also got chastised by Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur when Srila Prabhupada was listening to a lecture of Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur, he was sitting next to a gentleman who could not hear very well and who would keep asking Srila Prabhupada what Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Maharaja was saying. Finally Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada if he would like to give the class! Whoa! But Srila Prabhupada never felt resentful for this rather, he told his disciples, he cherished that moment for the rest of his life.
2)
Searching for recognition and fame is like taking bath in the Urine of a donkey! Oh yeah, I think this lesson was especially for me as I heard just read the same thing on the same day that Maharaja spoke about it. Twice in one day – definitely a sign from Krishna. This is like Gopala Chakravati who had great envy for Haridas Thakur just because Haridas Thakur was born a Muslim and he, Gopala Chakravati, was a “great” brahmana. Like this he lost he nose from leprosy.
3)
The devotee is never offended by the blasphemy on ignorant persons and Krishna never forgets the blasphemy done to His devotee.
I hear so much of this but am still prone to so much blasphemy! Don’t be like the fly be like the bee. When you blasphemy you don’t feel good.
What about constructive criticism?
Maharaja said practically there hardly anything like constructive criticism. One can give advice but not to criticise and get on someone’s case. Actually only the spiritual master and the father are justified in getting on someone’s case.
4)
Gopala Chapala left the paraphernalia of Durga worship on the doorstep of Srivas Thakur. When Srivas Thakur saw this he said, “Now you know my actual position” he did not defend himself. Maharaja explained we have 4 propensities: eating sleeping, matiung and defending. Defending is the most subtle. We mustn’t be in this defensive spirit.
Nice hey!!
Jaya Jaya Sri Caitanya Jaya Nityananda Jai Advaita Candra Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrnda!
Over Monday and Tuesday Srila Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja lead us in the most inspiring and instructive seminar on Lessons from the Pastimes of Lord Caitanya.
Who is Lord Caitanya? He is Krishna who has come in the form of His own devotee. Interestingly all the incarnations of Krishna are in the mood of servant. If you ask Krishna, “What or who is the absolute?” Krishna will very simply say “Me” but if you ask the incarnations starting from Baladev, they will answer, “Krishna!”
What did I learn?
1)
Things happen to you all the time but how if affects you depends on your consciousness. For example, Madavendra Puri chastised Ramachandra Puri. Because Ramachandra Puri was envious he could not accept this chastisement and thought, “how can he speak to ME like that” this kind of attitude is not good and led to Ramachandra Puri continuing his offensive course. The chastisement of the spiritual master is his mercy and if we take it in a submissive, humble way it will be of great benefit to us.
Once Srila Prabhupada also got chastised by Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur when Srila Prabhupada was listening to a lecture of Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakur, he was sitting next to a gentleman who could not hear very well and who would keep asking Srila Prabhupada what Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Maharaja was saying. Finally Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada if he would like to give the class! Whoa! But Srila Prabhupada never felt resentful for this rather, he told his disciples, he cherished that moment for the rest of his life.
2)
Searching for recognition and fame is like taking bath in the Urine of a donkey! Oh yeah, I think this lesson was especially for me as I heard just read the same thing on the same day that Maharaja spoke about it. Twice in one day – definitely a sign from Krishna. This is like Gopala Chakravati who had great envy for Haridas Thakur just because Haridas Thakur was born a Muslim and he, Gopala Chakravati, was a “great” brahmana. Like this he lost he nose from leprosy.
3)
The devotee is never offended by the blasphemy on ignorant persons and Krishna never forgets the blasphemy done to His devotee.
I hear so much of this but am still prone to so much blasphemy! Don’t be like the fly be like the bee. When you blasphemy you don’t feel good.
What about constructive criticism?
Maharaja said practically there hardly anything like constructive criticism. One can give advice but not to criticise and get on someone’s case. Actually only the spiritual master and the father are justified in getting on someone’s case.
4)
Gopala Chapala left the paraphernalia of Durga worship on the doorstep of Srivas Thakur. When Srivas Thakur saw this he said, “Now you know my actual position” he did not defend himself. Maharaja explained we have 4 propensities: eating sleeping, matiung and defending. Defending is the most subtle. We mustn’t be in this defensive spirit.
Nice hey!!
Jaya Jaya Sri Caitanya Jaya Nityananda Jai Advaita Candra Jaya Gaura Bhakta Vrnda!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
What’s happening?
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted not because nothing has been happening but because too much has been happening! :o)
Last Tuesday was the Appearance day of Sri Nityananda Rama. We are fortunate to have Deities of Gaura Nitai at our temple and Lord Nityananda is especially sweet and merciful.
The theme for the festival (like that of my blog) was “more cooling than a million moons”. We had cut out “millions” of silver moons and hung them all over the temple. The effect with just the blue lights was brilliant! In addition Veemal had arranged these 2 HUGE banners of the lotus foot of Nitai on each. We made the symbols glitter by painting on tinsel.
Govardhan Prabhu gave an amazing class of the meeting of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda described in the CC. It is mention at one point that Lord Caitanya felt that day to be the best day. It is so amazing that Lord Caitanya has a “best” day :o) Prabhu than went on to describe the misfortune that falls upon one who has attachment for Lord Caitanya but no attachment or affection for Nitai. Several personalities fell from there position due to this offence and several received unlimited mercy due to being loyal to Nityananda. One those personalities were Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj the writer of the CC who received the mercy to write about Lord Caitanya from Lord Nityananda.
I am a fool whose heart is as solid as rock, I have no affection for any of These amazing Lords yet I am here in ISKCON. I pray Nitai will be merciful to me and will melt my heart so that I may awaken love to His Lotus feet and compassion to myself and all those around me.
Jai Nitai!!
Last Tuesday was the Appearance day of Sri Nityananda Rama. We are fortunate to have Deities of Gaura Nitai at our temple and Lord Nityananda is especially sweet and merciful.
The theme for the festival (like that of my blog) was “more cooling than a million moons”. We had cut out “millions” of silver moons and hung them all over the temple. The effect with just the blue lights was brilliant! In addition Veemal had arranged these 2 HUGE banners of the lotus foot of Nitai on each. We made the symbols glitter by painting on tinsel.
Govardhan Prabhu gave an amazing class of the meeting of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda described in the CC. It is mention at one point that Lord Caitanya felt that day to be the best day. It is so amazing that Lord Caitanya has a “best” day :o) Prabhu than went on to describe the misfortune that falls upon one who has attachment for Lord Caitanya but no attachment or affection for Nitai. Several personalities fell from there position due to this offence and several received unlimited mercy due to being loyal to Nityananda. One those personalities were Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj the writer of the CC who received the mercy to write about Lord Caitanya from Lord Nityananda.
I am a fool whose heart is as solid as rock, I have no affection for any of These amazing Lords yet I am here in ISKCON. I pray Nitai will be merciful to me and will melt my heart so that I may awaken love to His Lotus feet and compassion to myself and all those around me.
Jai Nitai!!
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