Friday, August 12, 2016

WHAT A WAY TO WAKE UP!








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What a way to wake up! The first thought: Krishna is non-different from His Name. Let me hold that thought all day. Everyday.

Thinking over the last little while about the significance of Harinam initiation. The Name Giving.
We are worshipers of the Holy Name. The temples are all temples of the Holy Name. We offer our food to the Holy Name. We are servants of the Holy Name. We perform devotional service to the Holy Name. The Holy Name is everything.

Lord Brahma at the creation of the material worlds prays:
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
"Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes." BS 5.1
Krishna is "Krishna."

The more we hear "Krishna" and about "Krishna" from self-realized souls....self-realization means having realized the self as an eternal servant of "Krishna".... the more we will become self realized.
This is the significance of the Harinam. Receiving "Krishna" from the self realized "Krishna" conscious person. Representative of "Krishna."

In 1971 I was wandering dazed and confused. What is the meaning of it all? Where is real knowledge? Where is that key that unlocks the door? How do I understand what I am seeing and experiencing in a way that makes sense. Everything is a jumble now. A cacophony. A storm. And people are living and dying like bugs.

I stumbled into "Krishna's" temple on Janmastami. I saw Krishna's smiling Deity... Lord Jagannatha, I heard the servants of "Krishna" chanting kirtan and I knew. Yes, this is the answer I have been looking for. I looked at the Deity of Krishna, Lord Jagannatha made of wood with a painted smile and painted eyes and thought within my heart, "You appear to be made of wood and paint but You are so powerful that You can melt the wooden and stone-like hearts of everyone."

The Deity of who or what? The Deity of the Holy Name of Krishna. "Krishna."

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