Tuesday, April 23, 2013

I WANT TO GO HOME


How many lifetimes have I tried to make my home here? How many lifetimes have my efforts been useless, ending in death?
Why am I homeless? If I have a home why do I try to make one? Why don't I just go to my real home?
Why do I try to find happiness and love in a place where no one is truly happy and no one truly loves?
Why do I think that if just do this or that, or make this adjustment or that adjustment I will be successful when no one I see is successful in that way?
What is my stubbornness and foolishness?
What is this defiance?
It is me wanting to assert myself as independent and powerful and so I have absorbed myself in everything not-Krishna. But this is impossible. Knowing my defiant mood the Lord has allowed me to become illusioned into thinking that there is something other than Himself. He must have provided this illusory realm. I must have become angry with the Lord and wanted to show Him I didn't need Him. I must have wanted to see if He really cared about me. If He really did love me He would not let me go. 
Oh my Lord, to not be with You is more than I can bare. 
No more do I desire the illusion that You do not exist. I am done with this angry defiant mood, I only want to go home. 
There is no life without You. 
Crying I fall at Your Feet. 




Lessons from the followers of Jesus:

God WILL put more on you than you can bare!

You may think this isn't true. But it is, God will put more on you than you can handle. Why? Because He doesn't want you to rely on your own strength, your own works, your own mettle to live the Christian life. He wants to do it for you, He wants to be your strength, your source of life, so sometimes He (lovingly) has to allow you to be broken by your circumstances.
Read this passage from 2 Corinthians 1: 8-11

8-118We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our[a] behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Paul said "He didn't think he was going to make it"... other translations say "we despaired even of life" (NASB)... "we were so utterly and unbearably weighed down and crushed that we despaired even of life [itself]." (Amplified Bible)... any way you look at it, they were under more pressure than they could humanly take.
And what was the purpose of this? Why did God ALLOW them to be crushed?
So they would turn to God and trust in Him as their strength... and KNOW that He is the only one who can successfully live the "Christian Life".


WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY SAY (LINK)
GAURAHARIDAS AVADHUTA (YOUTUBE LINK)


Monday, April 22, 2013

NO IMPEDIMENTS TO DEVOTIONAL SERVICE



Even someone with no qualifications can engage in hearing and chanting about the Personality of Godhead. In fact it is absolutely necessary for everyone to hear and chant about the Lord. This is the process for developing Love of God in this age.  By the association of a devotee who is relishing hearing and chanting we develop faith in the process. A miracle occurs. The self within begins to wake up to the actual poisoned condition of entanglement in the material energy. It becomes clear that the potency inherent in the chanting and hearing of the Lord's Name, Pastimes, Qualities, Activities and so on are the antidote.
There is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way in this age.


Sunday, April 21, 2013

DEVOTIONAL SERVICE IS PERFECT


 There are no errors in devotional service. There are no imperfections. There are no mistakes that need to be corrected. There are no shortfalls or shortcomings.


"On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world's misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.

Srila Prabhupada prepared a package for mailing. One of the disciples tried to correct Prabhupada by pointing out that the wrapping was not good for mailing. Srila Prabhupada didn't like that. He made it known to the disciple that what he had done needed no correcting.

The tendency for correctness can block loving devotional service. 

Arjuna presents arguments to Krishna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra about what is the correct course of action from different perspectives. Moral, social, governmental, traditional which all give support to not engaging in the battle. But the highest correctness appears to go in opposition to all of them. The highest correctness being pure devotional service to the Lord to fulfill his desire which is that the battle be fought. 

This is especially significant in the present age of Kali yuga. In this age it is not possible to perform religious sacrifices and rituals perfectly. Nor are there brahmins who can pronounce the mantras perfectly. The entire human society is in so much disarray that the varnas and ashrams are hardly recognizable. No one is able to perform their occupational duty perfectly. 

In such a situation the only perfection available is devotional service by the Mercy of the Lord's empowered representatives in Sri Krishna Chaitanya's sankirtan movement. 

"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it."

The essential ingredient of the verse is the love and devotion. He doesn't say a perfect leaf, a perfect flower, a perfect fruit or perfect water. The perfection is the love. If the love is there then the offering will automatically be perfect. If a person does not have the essential ingredient, the love, then it is imperative that they find someone who does have love of God and beg for it from them.




Saturday, April 20, 2013

THE SCIENCE OF COMMUNICATION - TEACHER/STUDENT


When the student asks the teacher questions the student is not sure of the answers and seeks clarification.
When the teacher asks the student questions the teacher is not sure if the student understands the answers and seeks to clarify.
In both cases anyone else that may be participating by hearing benefits.
This is an actual teacher student relationship  The student is not questioning the teacher because he has doubts about the teachers qualifications to teach. There should be no doubts or else the teacher should be rejected.
Only serious inquiries on the subject matter being discussed should be made.
It takes both a sincere student and a qualified teacher for actual transmission of knowledge to take place.


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

THE FINE ART OF COMMUNICATING


Communication isn't always literal. The deeper meanings are sometimes in-between the lines, hidden from those who are not qualified to receive the messages. Not necessarily hidden on purpose, just that the nature of the message being delicate does not lend itself well to blatant exposure. Something gets lost in the brashness.

We see that saints, acaryas and enlightened teachers often try to communicate a delicate but essential truth by using parables and stories. Illustrations.

So too we may also in our dealings with each other paint pictures with words to try to communicate with others. Music, Art. Poetry.

Sometimes a slight bodily gesture conveys a world of meaning.

Once there was a young girl, Aryani. She loved animals and birds and all living things. At eleven years old her fascination with baby creatures kept her in rapt attention. One day Aryani found a small baby duckling that had wandered a distance from it's mother. The cuddly little yellow ball of feathers was irresistible to Aryani, she had to have this chicky as her very own pet.

Aryani couldn't get enough the chicky. Fondling it's soft little body and thrilling at the helpless little peeps it made. Wherever Aryani went the chicky was with her, in her pocket, in her sweater next to her body, sleeping in it's little cardboard box next to Aryani's head at night.

Aryani loved the chicky intensely.

Then the chicky died. Aryani had not quite seen to its basic needs, like food and water, what to speak of being with it's mother at such a young age.

Aryani was heartbrokern and cried and cried.

What we often mistake for love is really just our own sense pleasure that is somehow stimulated by someone  else. We really don't love the other person, we love the sensual and emotional feeling that we get when we are around them. Love means service. If Aryani had truly loved the chicky she would have served in such a way as to provide what the chicky wanted and needed. At least its basic needs for survival.

So it is safe to say Aryani loved the chicky to death. But what kind of love is that?




Tuesday, April 16, 2013

GETTING 1 + 1 TO EQUAL 2


For the aspiring transcendentalist it is necessary to practice the art of cutting back attachments. This can be a slow ongoing process for most of us. Some of us, whether from advancement made in previous lives or simply by causeless mercy either directly from the Lord Himself or His Empowered Representative(s) may be able to cut all attachments right away. But for most of us it will be a slow painful, difficult, and often times bewildering process.

I am in the second category. Slow to learn. I am thankful that at least I do learn  eventually. Ah yes, if I put my hand in the fire it gets burnt. I may have to touch fire a zillion times until it registers. Fire burns. Or as the saying goes. 1+1=2.

Four types of intelligence are seen in humans.
1. Best intelligence. Learn by hearing from those who have knowledge
2. Second best   Learn by seeing someone receive the reactions of their actions.
3.Third   Learn by experiencing the reaction personally (maybe several times for the same lesson)
4. Most unfortunate type of intelligence. Even after hearing, seeing and experiencing for themselves still can't get 1+1=2

The amazing grace is that the Lord in His incarnation as Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya is claiming everyone, and especially the most unfortunate. Those with very little intelligence who just can't get the math right.
His mercy is so unconditional that there are no impediments to developing love of God in the highest perfection for those with even the least brain substance. It is not brain substance that is the qualification. Rather it is the Causeless Mercy of the Lord which He is distributing freely through His surrendered servants.

For those that can understand the process of cutting back material attachments it goes something like this:
When there is pain and embarrassment from unwanted behavior or thought that becomes unbearably embarrassing and painful, the mind races to try to figure out what the source of the problem is and fix it. That is the function of the mind. Too hot, open a window, too cold put a coat on.

But the mind cannot find a solution for the discomfort coming from itself. For it is the mind that is causing the problem. Thinking this or that which is going against transcendental progress and leading someone to actions not in their own best interest. So this is where the intelligence is forced to step in. When the mind is baffled, the intelligence must analyse what is causing the problem. So the intelligence will help the mind to recognize when it is falling into an unwanted pattern. The intelligence can perceive that if we think like this as we have done a zillion times before we know where it goes. Do we really want to go there? Again... With this help from the intelligence a person can catch themselves in the initial stage of the pattern that is etched into the mind and cut it back. Each time the mind tries to start it's pattern of thought with all its justifications and reasons why this is the thing to do, the intelligence is now awake and reminds the mind of where it all goes.

The effects of this cutting back can be felt immediately in the form of relief from anxiety. There really is no problem at all. In fact it is the mind that is creating a problem which it then worries itself sick about solving and can't solve.

But it is not just the mind involved, the mind will try to involve the senses to take some action in an effort to find relief. If things get to this point it is very difficult to curtail the process and who knows what kind of karma will be generated. This is now in something of an addiction stage.

So to practice cutting back on the level of thinking, feeling and willing is important.

But without the intelligence waking up and doing it's job a person is left to the mercy of the mind and the senses and that is not a good place to be for an aspiring transcendentalist.

Chanting Names of God refreshes the intelligence so that it may act for directing the person back to Godhead.

Mantra... means to control the mind.  
 man... mind            tra...to control.

At this particular time the recommended mantra is the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE/
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

Especially in the association of devotees under the guidance of an advanced servant of the Lord.

Monday, April 15, 2013

I CARRY YOUR HEART WITH ME


O my Lord, when will my eyes be decorated with tears of love flowing constantly when I chant Your holy name? When will my voice choke up, and when will the hairs on my body stand on end at the recitation of Your name?

Friday, April 12, 2013

NEW HOPE


To be honest with you, when our dear Srila Prabhupada left the planet Lord Chaitanya's sankirtan movement left with Him. Where was to be found that devotee who embodied Love of God empowered by the incarnation for this age for sankirtan?

Only a devotee especially favored by the Lord Himself can push forward the sankirtan. Such a devotee must be empowered by the Lord.

If you have not cried tears of love for the Lord while chanting his Name then Love of God has not taken root in your heart. Please know you have more to go. Economic stability, sufficient sense gratification, performance of religious activities and freedom from anxiety are not the summum bonum.

That highest most relish-able fruit of Love of God is reserved for those who have taken shelter of a devotee who is empowered for sankirtan in Love of  God.

He has Love of God and can give Love of God to you.

If your teacher is not crying in ecstasy of separation how can he give ecstasy to you?

In Gauraharidas Avadhuta we find such a devotee.



Dear Gauraharidas prabhu,
My heart is breaking to see the world now that I am hearing from you. The actual sankirtan movement of Lord Chaitanya is not just a faint and distant memory now that Srila Prabhupada has left, it is an ever growing reality in your presence. 
I'm thankful my body is old and may not have that much longer so that I might leave before you do and not have to go through again in this life what I went through with Srila Prabhupada's departure. 
For my remaining time here let me see how to serve nicely.
It is a great puzzle how there are so few who know how to cry for the most valuable treasure - Love of God.




Tuesday, April 9, 2013

FIRST DAY WITH THE LYRE



Dear Lord, why do You show me things. Why do You let me see your secrets and mysteries? I am a dog  The lowest of the low  I don't just say this. It is a fact. I have absolutely no qualifications for such amazing grace. Still you reveal yourself to me in millions of uncountable ways, so that I am kept in constant ecstasy.

The following account may seem like nothing very much to those whose hearts are still steel framed, but for one who's heart is melting they will see the value.

Today I walked around the shopping center, well not exactly walked, sort of danced and chanted Hare Krishna and played a small lyre, a child's toy actually, but it makes a nice sound when I pluck the strings. It was my first day with this new musical instrument and it wasn't the best "musical performance". But nonetheless it somehow got by everyone and I was received very favorably. Lots of smiles and nods of approval.

No mrdunga playing for a while due to a dislocated thumb. I noticed that playing the stringed instrument made me a lot more accessible to people. The drum seems to keep everyone at a distance but the soft lyre brought me in very close to people as they walked by. Perhaps I didn't look threatening.

Several people wanted to talk. Friendly. And I was able to impart at least something to them about chanting God's names in a way that was acceptable to them.

One woman in particular, a Christian with a large gold cross on her neck wanted to talk. She worshiped God in the Spirit of love. The Holy Spirit. We both agreed that is the way to approach God. She wanted to pray together and started to make a long prayer, "Dear Father, in the Name of Jesus...." like that. But I stopped her and suggested we just chant the Name of Jesus. This was something new to her. To chant the name of Jesus. So I plucked the stings of the lyre and we sang the Name of Jesus to each note. Like a little song. But  the only words in the song were, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It was very sweet.

This is different from prayer. Or hymns. It is approaching the Lord through His Pure Representative by chanting. There are arguments sometimes that vain repetition of God's Name is condemned  Yes, indeed how distasteful to simply repeat mechanically the Name of God, but when the Name of God is sung with heartfelt love that is something different. God is non-different from His Names. What could be more pleasing to the Lord than to sing His Name with love?

Just for a moment I saw the Christians all take to the chanting of Names of God and dancing in ecstasy with drums and cymbals and musical instruments.


Monday, April 8, 2013

PARROT-LIKE CHANTING




WE CAN GO ON FOR MILLIONS OF LIFETIMES CHANTING HARE KRISHNA IN THIS WAY!!

What makes the difference is hearing and chanting in the association of a Vaisnava who is free from the desire for wealth, power and material sense enjoyment and in the mood of Sri Chaitanya mahaprabhu is enriched with pure devotional service. 
Such a soul is rare. Those who recognize the value of such association are the most fortunate. 
Gauraharidas Avadhuta prabhu is such a Vaisnava. 


Sunday, April 7, 2013

BHAGAVAD GITA 10:9




"The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me."

This life is meant for becoming attached to God and detached from illusion. Whatever it takes. We must become determined, remain patient and have confidence all at the same time. The best thing that can happen is good association. To hear, chant and discuss the transcendence with like minded aspirants. Good fortune like that is a rare opportunity and is the sure secret to success. Guaranteed.

COW PATTIES

     I watched some videos of Radhanath swami, esp the one in UK House of Parliament. Nice introductory preaching.
     I tried to watch one with Indradyumna swami, Radhanath swami and Jayapataka swami all appearing together at Bhaktivedanta Manor, but just couldn't get more than 1/3 of the way through Jayapataka swami's accounts of Lord Chaitanya..Seemed so dry and flat. I got more appreciation of Krishna out of this:

    Sachi and I chanted japa and read morning our time (Radha lila and Bhagavatam-description of Vaikuntha planets revealed to Lord Brahma) and Arjaya and I read and chanted japa evening our time (10th Canto Srimad Bhagavatam- Indra surrenders), waiting for Gaurahari's health to return. 


Cow patties, that's what the story telling about Lord Chaitanya seemed like, dry cow patties. flat and dry. If ignited would make a nice fire. 



"...Sometimes there are indirect sarcastic remarks which also create atihasita circumstances. An example of one such remark was made by one of the cowherd girls to Kuṭilā, the daughter of Jaṭilā and sister of Abhimanyu, the so-called husband of Rādhārāṇī. Indirectly Kuṭilā was insulted by the following statement: "My dear Kuṭilā, daughter of Jaṭilā, your breasts are as long as string beans-simply dry and long. Your nose is so gorgeous that it is defying the beauty of the noses of frogs. And your eyes are more beautiful than the eyes of dogs. Your lips are defying the flaming cinders of fire, and your abdomen is as beautiful as a big drum. Therefore, my dear beautiful Kuṭilā, you are the most beautiful of all the cowherd girls of Vṛndāvana, and because of your extraordinary beauty, I think you must be beyond the attraction of the sweet blowing of Kṛṣṇa's flute!"  

Thursday, April 4, 2013

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS



Temple of the Heart April 3, 2013

Version in the Gospel of the Hebrews

Eusebius of Caesarea includes a paraphrased summary of a parable of talents taken from a "Gospel written in Hebrew script" (generally considered in modern times to be the Gospel of the Nazarenes); this gospel was presumably destroyed in the destruction of the Theological Library of Caesarea Maritima in the 7th century and has yet to be found. In that gospel, Eusebius writes that while the man who had hid the talent was rebuked for his burial, only the man who had received two talents had invested and gained a return on his investment. The recipient of the five talents instead "wasted his master’s possessions with harlots and flute-girls;" it was he, in the Hebrew gospel, that was sent into the darkness (Eusebius expressly identifies the darkness as being imprisonment).[10]

As a critique of religious leaders

Joachim Jeremias believed that the original meaning of the parable was not an ethical one about every man. Instead, he saw it as aimed at the scribes who had withheld "from their fellow men a due share in God's gift."[18] In his view, Jesus is saying that these scribes will soon be brought to account for what they have done with the Word of God which was entrusted to them.[18]
Jeremias also believed that in the life of the early church the parable took on new meaning, with the merchant having become an allegory of Christ, so that "his journey has become the ascension, his subsequent return ... has become the Parousia, which ushers his own into the Messianic banquet."[18]
My understanding:
The Lord entrusts His servants with the treasure of Love of God - "Devotional Service." The nature of Love of God (His pleasure potency) is to always expand and increase just as God Himself is always expanding and increasing. That servant who receives the Pleasure Potency but does serve or allow the increase and expansion is a disturbance to the Lord and has not properly understood the Lord's desires. That servant will have access to Pleasure Potency taken away, and be relocated to a more suitable position for service, outside the Pleasure Potency of God.
Needless to say that servant who tries to misuse the Pleasure Potency of God for his own sense gratification either gross or subtle will also be removed and situated more suitably in the external energy of Lord. 
Only the servant who allows the Pleasure Potency of the Lord (Srimati Radharani) to manifest according to Her inherent nature of expanding and increasing has understood the Desire of Krishna. And to that servant more is given. 

Monday, April 1, 2013

DEMIGOD DEVOTEE


Kesava Kashmiri pleased Goddess Saraswati who is an exalted devotee of the Lord. He was dedicated to Her worship and glorified Her in all his victories  He attributed all his success to her. He always glorified her. For this She was pleased to arrange for his meeting with the Lord and his ultimate perfection, realization of love of God.

She gave him faulty poetry to present to Nimai pandit so that Kesva Kasmiri would be defeated by the Lord and then be able to understand who is her Lord and Master. Where she receives her power. His offering of one hundred verses in praise of the Ganges was grammatically flawed by Her arrangement and the pandit was defeated by the Lord. In his defeat was his greatest victory. Surrender to love of God. Goddess Saraswati must have been so happy to be able to deliver one of her worshippers to the Lord. Her joy at being able to make this offering must have been very great. Krishna must have been so happy to see Saraswati happy. So the whole episode is simply bliss.

The path back to Godhead is through the devotee of the lord. The devotee is situated in the devotional energy of the Lord. The Lord's pleasure lies in His devotional energy. When the devotee brings Krishna's attention to someone who has attained their favor and well wishes Krishna's happiness lies in satisfying his devotee  Krishna accepts that person as His devotee to please his devotee.

For the pandit, his life and soul was his service relationship with the Goddess Saraswati. The devotee he surrendered to was a Demigod. It was by pleasing Her that she made arrangements for him to return back to Godhead.

Such devotees of the Lord are the life and soul for the aspiring devotee. Their lotus feet are everything. A devotee like this is rare to find but they may be found anywhere. They are not limited to any class or rung of society  They can be educated or not. A Demigod or a sudra. They are recognized by their uncommon devotion to God and their uncommon activities and realizations. They are the answer to our prayers.