Dear devotees,friends and well wishers
Please accept my dandavat pranams
All Glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga
On wednesday the 18th November 2009
Sripad Damodara Maharaja and his team
of devotees i.e.Kishori Mohan,Sudevi,
Savitri,Nandini and Krsna Prem prabhu
arrived in South Africa and next week
Sripad Ashram Maharaja will be arriving
for almost 2 months intense preaching.
Firstly we will start with our tent campaigns
in Pietermaritzburg the City of Choice for
Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj`s Gaudiya
Matha preaching activities.
Also Srila Gurudeva(Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja
will be in Pietermaritzburg first to speak His
Transcendental sweet Hari Katha)then we move to Durban.
The tent campaigns also will move in the same manner
with a few more area`s to create awareness of Srila
Gurudeva`s historic visit to South Africa and also
to give the people Krsna Consciousness.
So please join us in these transcendental
preaching activities starting from the 26th
to the 28th November 2009.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja Initiates the Modern Day Prakashananda Saraswati
Srila Gurudevas China Preaching Tour
After Gaura Purnima, on March 29th 2009, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja Srila Gurudeva left from New Delhi for Guanghouz, China. Before Srila Gurudeva left for his first world preaching tour in 1996, he made an oath to never, under any circumstance, give up his sannyasa robes. Krsna is bhakta-vatsala, ever affectionate to His devotees, so He protected Srila Gurudeva’s vow and, although it is forbidden, we were allowed entrance without changing out of our sannyasa robes by being classified as Indian monks.
Srila Gurudeva’s preaching in China has some special features. First, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja Srila Prabhupada spread Sriman Mahaprabhu’s message all over the world. Although he never personally traveled to mainland China, but to Hong Kong where he established an ISKCON center, by his unlimited mercy and by the causeless mercy of Srila Paramgurudeva OM Visnupada Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva, in Indian sannyasa dress, engaged in extraordinary preaching in China. Another special feature of Gurudeva’s preaching in China was that Weng Sho Qin was finally able to receive harinama and diksa from Srila Gurudeva, which he had wanted for so long. Although Weng Sho Qin was being hospitalized, the doctor reluctantly allowed him to take the two and a half hour flight to meet Srila Gurudeva. Weng Sho Qin’s initiated name is Krsna-dasa. What is so special about this patient that he was able to compel the hospital to let him leave in such poor health?
Krsna-dasa is an extraordinarily famous Buddhist guru. He has forty thousand direct disciples, so he is
greatly honored by everyone, including the doctors. He has already constructed a beautiful mandira, with seventy rooms, and begun the process of registering it with the government. Buddhist gurus are very highly respected in China. Once Krsna-dasa completes the registration process, the Chinese government will lift the present ban against Indian monks in China, and Srila Gurudeva will personally install deities there. Srila Gurudeva has named the first Gaudiya Matha in China Sri Syama-brahma Mandira.
How wonderful was Srila Gurudeva’s preaching tour in China!
Only someone who has the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Sri Radha Krsna and the previous Acharyas can accomplish such a preaching feat. Srila Narayan Maharaja has now brought the modern day Prakashananda Saraswati into the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya. Srila Narayan Maharaja has received the direct Mercy of Srimati Radhika who personally arranged for Him to receive Her Maha Prasadam from the rasa dance in Seva Kunja by telling the pujari in dream to bring it to Him, just like Sri Gopinathaji arranged for khira to go to Madhavendra Puri. Srila Narayan Maharaja brought Srila Prabhupada to external consciousness from ecstatic samadhi the way Sri Swarupa Damodara did to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Again and again the Supreme Lord and the previous Acharaya's are indicating by their mercy and the arrangement of his extraordinary pastimes who the most exalted personality amongst our present day Gaudiya Sampradaya actually is:
Vaishnava Sarvabhouma Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja Srila Gurudeva
Only the envious and the ignorant will refuse his association. Only those who are Kali Chelas will blaspheme Him. You should stay in whatever sanga or organization you are in and continue to serve there with love and affection and happiness. However you should offer all respect and honor to this great personality Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja Srila Gurudeava and never ever blaspheme him. Those who do are doing so at their own risk.
I the most unfortunate beggar at the lotus feet of the previous acharya's pray that all the vaishnava devotees will soon embrace in Vaishnava Prema as per the desire of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura.
Aspiring to be the servant of the servant
B.V. Bhagavat Maharaja
After Gaura Purnima, on March 29th 2009, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja Srila Gurudeva left from New Delhi for Guanghouz, China. Before Srila Gurudeva left for his first world preaching tour in 1996, he made an oath to never, under any circumstance, give up his sannyasa robes. Krsna is bhakta-vatsala, ever affectionate to His devotees, so He protected Srila Gurudeva’s vow and, although it is forbidden, we were allowed entrance without changing out of our sannyasa robes by being classified as Indian monks.
Srila Gurudeva’s preaching in China has some special features. First, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja Srila Prabhupada spread Sriman Mahaprabhu’s message all over the world. Although he never personally traveled to mainland China, but to Hong Kong where he established an ISKCON center, by his unlimited mercy and by the causeless mercy of Srila Paramgurudeva OM Visnupada Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja – Srila Gurudeva, in Indian sannyasa dress, engaged in extraordinary preaching in China. Another special feature of Gurudeva’s preaching in China was that Weng Sho Qin was finally able to receive harinama and diksa from Srila Gurudeva, which he had wanted for so long. Although Weng Sho Qin was being hospitalized, the doctor reluctantly allowed him to take the two and a half hour flight to meet Srila Gurudeva. Weng Sho Qin’s initiated name is Krsna-dasa. What is so special about this patient that he was able to compel the hospital to let him leave in such poor health?
Krsna-dasa is an extraordinarily famous Buddhist guru. He has forty thousand direct disciples, so he is
greatly honored by everyone, including the doctors. He has already constructed a beautiful mandira, with seventy rooms, and begun the process of registering it with the government. Buddhist gurus are very highly respected in China. Once Krsna-dasa completes the registration process, the Chinese government will lift the present ban against Indian monks in China, and Srila Gurudeva will personally install deities there. Srila Gurudeva has named the first Gaudiya Matha in China Sri Syama-brahma Mandira.
How wonderful was Srila Gurudeva’s preaching tour in China!
Only someone who has the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Sri Radha Krsna and the previous Acharyas can accomplish such a preaching feat. Srila Narayan Maharaja has now brought the modern day Prakashananda Saraswati into the Gaudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya. Srila Narayan Maharaja has received the direct Mercy of Srimati Radhika who personally arranged for Him to receive Her Maha Prasadam from the rasa dance in Seva Kunja by telling the pujari in dream to bring it to Him, just like Sri Gopinathaji arranged for khira to go to Madhavendra Puri. Srila Narayan Maharaja brought Srila Prabhupada to external consciousness from ecstatic samadhi the way Sri Swarupa Damodara did to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Again and again the Supreme Lord and the previous Acharaya's are indicating by their mercy and the arrangement of his extraordinary pastimes who the most exalted personality amongst our present day Gaudiya Sampradaya actually is:
Vaishnava Sarvabhouma Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja Srila Gurudeva
Only the envious and the ignorant will refuse his association. Only those who are Kali Chelas will blaspheme Him. You should stay in whatever sanga or organization you are in and continue to serve there with love and affection and happiness. However you should offer all respect and honor to this great personality Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja Srila Gurudeava and never ever blaspheme him. Those who do are doing so at their own risk.
I the most unfortunate beggar at the lotus feet of the previous acharya's pray that all the vaishnava devotees will soon embrace in Vaishnava Prema as per the desire of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura.
Aspiring to be the servant of the servant
B.V. Bhagavat Maharaja
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Peace and Prayer
Peace and Prayer
by Tridandiswami B.V. Vana Maharaja
Material sense gratification should not be the main aim of human life. One should lead a simple existance and use one's valuable time to inquire into the absolute truth. There is no meaning what-so-ever in endless material activities.
All mankind inquires after complete peace and happiness, therefore the Vedas explain:
"natalpa sukham bhumeva sukham"
This world is called the 'incomplete creation,' therefore no one can fulfil all their own desires, but still everyone searches after happiness. Scripture gives evidence about the happiness of the transcendental world only. This transcendental world is called the 'complete creation.' Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita:
tam eva saranam gaccha sarva-bhavena bharata
tat prasadat param santim sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam
"O Bharata, surrender exclusively to that Isvara in every respect. By His grace, you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme eternal abode."
(18.62)
Attempts are made from time to time to make the kingdom of heaven descend on earth. Those attempts are of different natures. One type is to bring about world peace.
Peace-makers have been glorified at different tiimes. The political history of the world has seen many. Their extrordinary qualities of heart and mind bring them into promanancy and even among their peers they are noteworthy. This enables them to control the minds of millions who, in their eagerness to have peace, gather round ready to work under their dictation. Very soon these exalted personalities succeed in establishing an era of 'world peace.' But soon after, people realise they have been cheated. The peace they attained is just the seed of more unrest ready to sprout at any moment. The reputation of those great peace-makers soon becomes degraded and they are forced to give up their position. Somebody else is then pushed into that position to carry on. Such is the fate of every human conception of peace.
There are two types of jivas that manifest from the Lord, the bound and the liberated. The liberated souls always remain in the transcendental world and the bound souls live in this material world. Those who are bound in this world are of two types: pious and impious. The pious jiva who is situated in the material body is controlled by eating, sleeping and sensual activities, as his material sense desires dictate. In order to enjoy material comforts he engages in a variety of activities that are born from his material desires. Performing the purifying ceremonies prescribed in the Vedas, his intention is to gather pious credits so that he can enjoy material pleasures by taking birth in a high class family in this world and after attain godly pleasures in the higher planets. Thus he undertakes the path of karma.
In contrast, impious souls take shelter of irreligion and enjoy sense gratification by performing various types of sinful activities. The conclusion is that the aim and object of both types of jivas, pious and impious, is sense gratification, but the Srimad Bhagavatam explains that we should give up gratifying our own senses to gratify the senses of Lord Krishna.
In His Siksastakam Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (who, appearing in this age of kali-yuga, is non-different from Lord Krsna,) declared:
na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
"O Jagadisa ! I do not desire wealth, followers such as wife, sons and friends and relatives, or mundane knowledge expressed in poetic language. My only desire is that in birth after birth I may have pure devotional service unto your lotus feet."
(no.4)
World peace is only possible when we stop identifying our real selves with this material world, and when the mundane happiness of this world stops being our aim and object.
Vaisnavaism deals with the religion of the soul as distinguished from the body or the mind. Neither the body nor the mind is eternal, only the soul, and therefore it is the religion of the soul that is eternal. Vaisnavaism is the eternal religion of the soul. The object of the pursuit of other religions is one of the following four things: virtue, wealth, desire and salvation. But Vaisnavas have nothing to do with any of these things as none of them is the real object of the soul. Vaisnavaism begins with distinguishing between temporary and permanant things. Both the body and the mind are noticed by the Vaisnavas to be subject to birth and death and therefore temporary, but the soul is eternal as we can see in the Bhagavad Gita: " The soul is eternal and not born or destroyed with the distruction of the body." (2.20)
The Srimad Bhagavat discourses on who is the greatest benefactor in this world:
tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad atatam
bhuvi grnanti ye bhuri-da janah
The gopis of Vrindavan declare "The nectar of your words and the discriptions of your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent."
(10.31.9)
We must hear the dictation of the soul in this matter. Soul is all love, and hence peace established on the principles of soul is what is real peace. The soul loving God loves all. It is all accommadating.
Teachers of this devine love are genarally misunderstood; people who are unaccustomed to the study of things without reference to flesh and blood, see disturbance of all social and moral ettiquette in their teachings. Addressing such an assembly Christ said, "Think not that I come to send peace on earth. I come to set a man against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." (New Testament) He meant to say that love built on the stands of blood relationships is no love. A God loving son is sure to go against his father who does not love God. Here, in going away from one's father there is peace. There is peace in rebellion against all the social and moral conventions, if that is prompted by Devine Love. There is peace when Prahlad disobeyed his father Hiranyakasipu who pleaded with him not to worship Lord Krsna. There is peace when Arjuna commanded by Lord Krsna, killed in the battle of Kuruksetra his relatives including Bhisma, his own grandfathers step-brother. There is peace when Christ, crucified alive, prayed to God saying "father forgive them they no not what they do". There is peace in peace as well as in disturbance. God knows how to maintain peace, even if it appears apparently harmful to its cause it is in fact favourable.
Some are karmins (performers of fruitive actions), some are jnanins (followers of the path of knowledge), but we are the servants of the true devotees of Hari. One who cultivates a bonafide spiritual process for cleansing his heart and mind and prepering for the hereafter, is considered to be an intelligent person and knows the real goal of life. Bhakti-yoga or devotional service to Krsna, is the fastest means of achieving happiness and real security for the future. In this age of chaos and confusion, known as kali-yuga, the easiest method recommended is the hearing and chanting of the sublime names of God, the Supreme person, Krsna.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
These 16 names are all that is required to deliver one from the darkness of ignorance and situate him or her on the highest platform of God-realisation. Krsna is not an Indian God, or the head of the "Hindu" religion. "Hare" is the vocative or spoken word used to address the supreme Lord "Hari." Krsna is an address we use for the Lord, asking him to please deliver us from the maya of material existence. And when we say "Rama" we are requesting the Lord to please sport with us. We humbly request every one to take this sublime procces of bhakti-yoga and become truely happy in this life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contemporary Disciples Page
Material sense gratification should not be the main aim of human life. One should lead a simple existance and use one's valuable time to inquire into the absolute truth. There is no meaning what-so-ever in endless material activities.
All mankind inquires after complete peace and happiness, therefore the Vedas explain:
"natalpa sukham bhumeva sukham"
This world is called the 'incomplete creation,' therefore no one can fulfil all their own desires, but still everyone searches after happiness. Scripture gives evidence about the happiness of the transcendental world only. This transcendental world is called the 'complete creation.' Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita:
tam eva saranam gaccha sarva-bhavena bharata
tat prasadat param santim sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam
"O Bharata, surrender exclusively to that Isvara in every respect. By His grace, you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme eternal abode."
(18.62)
Attempts are made from time to time to make the kingdom of heaven descend on earth. Those attempts are of different natures. One type is to bring about world peace.
Peace-makers have been glorified at different tiimes. The political history of the world has seen many. Their extrordinary qualities of heart and mind bring them into promanancy and even among their peers they are noteworthy. This enables them to control the minds of millions who, in their eagerness to have peace, gather round ready to work under their dictation. Very soon these exalted personalities succeed in establishing an era of 'world peace.' But soon after, people realise they have been cheated. The peace they attained is just the seed of more unrest ready to sprout at any moment. The reputation of those great peace-makers soon becomes degraded and they are forced to give up their position. Somebody else is then pushed into that position to carry on. Such is the fate of every human conception of peace.
There are two types of jivas that manifest from the Lord, the bound and the liberated. The liberated souls always remain in the transcendental world and the bound souls live in this material world. Those who are bound in this world are of two types: pious and impious. The pious jiva who is situated in the material body is controlled by eating, sleeping and sensual activities, as his material sense desires dictate. In order to enjoy material comforts he engages in a variety of activities that are born from his material desires. Performing the purifying ceremonies prescribed in the Vedas, his intention is to gather pious credits so that he can enjoy material pleasures by taking birth in a high class family in this world and after attain godly pleasures in the higher planets. Thus he undertakes the path of karma.
In contrast, impious souls take shelter of irreligion and enjoy sense gratification by performing various types of sinful activities. The conclusion is that the aim and object of both types of jivas, pious and impious, is sense gratification, but the Srimad Bhagavatam explains that we should give up gratifying our own senses to gratify the senses of Lord Krishna.
In His Siksastakam Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (who, appearing in this age of kali-yuga, is non-different from Lord Krsna,) declared:
na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
"O Jagadisa ! I do not desire wealth, followers such as wife, sons and friends and relatives, or mundane knowledge expressed in poetic language. My only desire is that in birth after birth I may have pure devotional service unto your lotus feet."
(no.4)
World peace is only possible when we stop identifying our real selves with this material world, and when the mundane happiness of this world stops being our aim and object.
Vaisnavaism deals with the religion of the soul as distinguished from the body or the mind. Neither the body nor the mind is eternal, only the soul, and therefore it is the religion of the soul that is eternal. Vaisnavaism is the eternal religion of the soul. The object of the pursuit of other religions is one of the following four things: virtue, wealth, desire and salvation. But Vaisnavas have nothing to do with any of these things as none of them is the real object of the soul. Vaisnavaism begins with distinguishing between temporary and permanant things. Both the body and the mind are noticed by the Vaisnavas to be subject to birth and death and therefore temporary, but the soul is eternal as we can see in the Bhagavad Gita: " The soul is eternal and not born or destroyed with the distruction of the body." (2.20)
The Srimad Bhagavat discourses on who is the greatest benefactor in this world:
tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad atatam
bhuvi grnanti ye bhuri-da janah
The gopis of Vrindavan declare "The nectar of your words and the discriptions of your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent."
(10.31.9)
We must hear the dictation of the soul in this matter. Soul is all love, and hence peace established on the principles of soul is what is real peace. The soul loving God loves all. It is all accommadating.
Teachers of this devine love are genarally misunderstood; people who are unaccustomed to the study of things without reference to flesh and blood, see disturbance of all social and moral ettiquette in their teachings. Addressing such an assembly Christ said, "Think not that I come to send peace on earth. I come to set a man against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." (New Testament) He meant to say that love built on the stands of blood relationships is no love. A God loving son is sure to go against his father who does not love God. Here, in going away from one's father there is peace. There is peace in rebellion against all the social and moral conventions, if that is prompted by Devine Love. There is peace when Prahlad disobeyed his father Hiranyakasipu who pleaded with him not to worship Lord Krsna. There is peace when Arjuna commanded by Lord Krsna, killed in the battle of Kuruksetra his relatives including Bhisma, his own grandfathers step-brother. There is peace when Christ, crucified alive, prayed to God saying "father forgive them they no not what they do". There is peace in peace as well as in disturbance. God knows how to maintain peace, even if it appears apparently harmful to its cause it is in fact favourable.
Some are karmins (performers of fruitive actions), some are jnanins (followers of the path of knowledge), but we are the servants of the true devotees of Hari. One who cultivates a bonafide spiritual process for cleansing his heart and mind and prepering for the hereafter, is considered to be an intelligent person and knows the real goal of life. Bhakti-yoga or devotional service to Krsna, is the fastest means of achieving happiness and real security for the future. In this age of chaos and confusion, known as kali-yuga, the easiest method recommended is the hearing and chanting of the sublime names of God, the Supreme person, Krsna.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
These 16 names are all that is required to deliver one from the darkness of ignorance and situate him or her on the highest platform of God-realisation. Krsna is not an Indian God, or the head of the "Hindu" religion. "Hare" is the vocative or spoken word used to address the supreme Lord "Hari." Krsna is an address we use for the Lord, asking him to please deliver us from the maya of material existence. And when we say "Rama" we are requesting the Lord to please sport with us. We humbly request every one to take this sublime procces of bhakti-yoga and become truely happy in this life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contemporary Disciples Page
by Tridandiswami B.V. Vana Maharaja
Material sense gratification should not be the main aim of human life. One should lead a simple existance and use one's valuable time to inquire into the absolute truth. There is no meaning what-so-ever in endless material activities.
All mankind inquires after complete peace and happiness, therefore the Vedas explain:
"natalpa sukham bhumeva sukham"
This world is called the 'incomplete creation,' therefore no one can fulfil all their own desires, but still everyone searches after happiness. Scripture gives evidence about the happiness of the transcendental world only. This transcendental world is called the 'complete creation.' Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita:
tam eva saranam gaccha sarva-bhavena bharata
tat prasadat param santim sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam
"O Bharata, surrender exclusively to that Isvara in every respect. By His grace, you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme eternal abode."
(18.62)
Attempts are made from time to time to make the kingdom of heaven descend on earth. Those attempts are of different natures. One type is to bring about world peace.
Peace-makers have been glorified at different tiimes. The political history of the world has seen many. Their extrordinary qualities of heart and mind bring them into promanancy and even among their peers they are noteworthy. This enables them to control the minds of millions who, in their eagerness to have peace, gather round ready to work under their dictation. Very soon these exalted personalities succeed in establishing an era of 'world peace.' But soon after, people realise they have been cheated. The peace they attained is just the seed of more unrest ready to sprout at any moment. The reputation of those great peace-makers soon becomes degraded and they are forced to give up their position. Somebody else is then pushed into that position to carry on. Such is the fate of every human conception of peace.
There are two types of jivas that manifest from the Lord, the bound and the liberated. The liberated souls always remain in the transcendental world and the bound souls live in this material world. Those who are bound in this world are of two types: pious and impious. The pious jiva who is situated in the material body is controlled by eating, sleeping and sensual activities, as his material sense desires dictate. In order to enjoy material comforts he engages in a variety of activities that are born from his material desires. Performing the purifying ceremonies prescribed in the Vedas, his intention is to gather pious credits so that he can enjoy material pleasures by taking birth in a high class family in this world and after attain godly pleasures in the higher planets. Thus he undertakes the path of karma.
In contrast, impious souls take shelter of irreligion and enjoy sense gratification by performing various types of sinful activities. The conclusion is that the aim and object of both types of jivas, pious and impious, is sense gratification, but the Srimad Bhagavatam explains that we should give up gratifying our own senses to gratify the senses of Lord Krishna.
In His Siksastakam Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (who, appearing in this age of kali-yuga, is non-different from Lord Krsna,) declared:
na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
"O Jagadisa ! I do not desire wealth, followers such as wife, sons and friends and relatives, or mundane knowledge expressed in poetic language. My only desire is that in birth after birth I may have pure devotional service unto your lotus feet."
(no.4)
World peace is only possible when we stop identifying our real selves with this material world, and when the mundane happiness of this world stops being our aim and object.
Vaisnavaism deals with the religion of the soul as distinguished from the body or the mind. Neither the body nor the mind is eternal, only the soul, and therefore it is the religion of the soul that is eternal. Vaisnavaism is the eternal religion of the soul. The object of the pursuit of other religions is one of the following four things: virtue, wealth, desire and salvation. But Vaisnavas have nothing to do with any of these things as none of them is the real object of the soul. Vaisnavaism begins with distinguishing between temporary and permanant things. Both the body and the mind are noticed by the Vaisnavas to be subject to birth and death and therefore temporary, but the soul is eternal as we can see in the Bhagavad Gita: " The soul is eternal and not born or destroyed with the distruction of the body." (2.20)
The Srimad Bhagavat discourses on who is the greatest benefactor in this world:
tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad atatam
bhuvi grnanti ye bhuri-da janah
The gopis of Vrindavan declare "The nectar of your words and the discriptions of your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent."
(10.31.9)
We must hear the dictation of the soul in this matter. Soul is all love, and hence peace established on the principles of soul is what is real peace. The soul loving God loves all. It is all accommadating.
Teachers of this devine love are genarally misunderstood; people who are unaccustomed to the study of things without reference to flesh and blood, see disturbance of all social and moral ettiquette in their teachings. Addressing such an assembly Christ said, "Think not that I come to send peace on earth. I come to set a man against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." (New Testament) He meant to say that love built on the stands of blood relationships is no love. A God loving son is sure to go against his father who does not love God. Here, in going away from one's father there is peace. There is peace in rebellion against all the social and moral conventions, if that is prompted by Devine Love. There is peace when Prahlad disobeyed his father Hiranyakasipu who pleaded with him not to worship Lord Krsna. There is peace when Arjuna commanded by Lord Krsna, killed in the battle of Kuruksetra his relatives including Bhisma, his own grandfathers step-brother. There is peace when Christ, crucified alive, prayed to God saying "father forgive them they no not what they do". There is peace in peace as well as in disturbance. God knows how to maintain peace, even if it appears apparently harmful to its cause it is in fact favourable.
Some are karmins (performers of fruitive actions), some are jnanins (followers of the path of knowledge), but we are the servants of the true devotees of Hari. One who cultivates a bonafide spiritual process for cleansing his heart and mind and prepering for the hereafter, is considered to be an intelligent person and knows the real goal of life. Bhakti-yoga or devotional service to Krsna, is the fastest means of achieving happiness and real security for the future. In this age of chaos and confusion, known as kali-yuga, the easiest method recommended is the hearing and chanting of the sublime names of God, the Supreme person, Krsna.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
These 16 names are all that is required to deliver one from the darkness of ignorance and situate him or her on the highest platform of God-realisation. Krsna is not an Indian God, or the head of the "Hindu" religion. "Hare" is the vocative or spoken word used to address the supreme Lord "Hari." Krsna is an address we use for the Lord, asking him to please deliver us from the maya of material existence. And when we say "Rama" we are requesting the Lord to please sport with us. We humbly request every one to take this sublime procces of bhakti-yoga and become truely happy in this life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contemporary Disciples Page
Material sense gratification should not be the main aim of human life. One should lead a simple existance and use one's valuable time to inquire into the absolute truth. There is no meaning what-so-ever in endless material activities.
All mankind inquires after complete peace and happiness, therefore the Vedas explain:
"natalpa sukham bhumeva sukham"
This world is called the 'incomplete creation,' therefore no one can fulfil all their own desires, but still everyone searches after happiness. Scripture gives evidence about the happiness of the transcendental world only. This transcendental world is called the 'complete creation.' Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita:
tam eva saranam gaccha sarva-bhavena bharata
tat prasadat param santim sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam
"O Bharata, surrender exclusively to that Isvara in every respect. By His grace, you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme eternal abode."
(18.62)
Attempts are made from time to time to make the kingdom of heaven descend on earth. Those attempts are of different natures. One type is to bring about world peace.
Peace-makers have been glorified at different tiimes. The political history of the world has seen many. Their extrordinary qualities of heart and mind bring them into promanancy and even among their peers they are noteworthy. This enables them to control the minds of millions who, in their eagerness to have peace, gather round ready to work under their dictation. Very soon these exalted personalities succeed in establishing an era of 'world peace.' But soon after, people realise they have been cheated. The peace they attained is just the seed of more unrest ready to sprout at any moment. The reputation of those great peace-makers soon becomes degraded and they are forced to give up their position. Somebody else is then pushed into that position to carry on. Such is the fate of every human conception of peace.
There are two types of jivas that manifest from the Lord, the bound and the liberated. The liberated souls always remain in the transcendental world and the bound souls live in this material world. Those who are bound in this world are of two types: pious and impious. The pious jiva who is situated in the material body is controlled by eating, sleeping and sensual activities, as his material sense desires dictate. In order to enjoy material comforts he engages in a variety of activities that are born from his material desires. Performing the purifying ceremonies prescribed in the Vedas, his intention is to gather pious credits so that he can enjoy material pleasures by taking birth in a high class family in this world and after attain godly pleasures in the higher planets. Thus he undertakes the path of karma.
In contrast, impious souls take shelter of irreligion and enjoy sense gratification by performing various types of sinful activities. The conclusion is that the aim and object of both types of jivas, pious and impious, is sense gratification, but the Srimad Bhagavatam explains that we should give up gratifying our own senses to gratify the senses of Lord Krishna.
In His Siksastakam Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (who, appearing in this age of kali-yuga, is non-different from Lord Krsna,) declared:
na dhanam na janam na sundarim
kavitam va jagadisa kamaye
mama janmani janmanisvare
bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi
"O Jagadisa ! I do not desire wealth, followers such as wife, sons and friends and relatives, or mundane knowledge expressed in poetic language. My only desire is that in birth after birth I may have pure devotional service unto your lotus feet."
(no.4)
World peace is only possible when we stop identifying our real selves with this material world, and when the mundane happiness of this world stops being our aim and object.
Vaisnavaism deals with the religion of the soul as distinguished from the body or the mind. Neither the body nor the mind is eternal, only the soul, and therefore it is the religion of the soul that is eternal. Vaisnavaism is the eternal religion of the soul. The object of the pursuit of other religions is one of the following four things: virtue, wealth, desire and salvation. But Vaisnavas have nothing to do with any of these things as none of them is the real object of the soul. Vaisnavaism begins with distinguishing between temporary and permanant things. Both the body and the mind are noticed by the Vaisnavas to be subject to birth and death and therefore temporary, but the soul is eternal as we can see in the Bhagavad Gita: " The soul is eternal and not born or destroyed with the distruction of the body." (2.20)
The Srimad Bhagavat discourses on who is the greatest benefactor in this world:
tava kathamrtam tapta-jivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad atatam
bhuvi grnanti ye bhuri-da janah
The gopis of Vrindavan declare "The nectar of your words and the discriptions of your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one's sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent."
(10.31.9)
We must hear the dictation of the soul in this matter. Soul is all love, and hence peace established on the principles of soul is what is real peace. The soul loving God loves all. It is all accommadating.
Teachers of this devine love are genarally misunderstood; people who are unaccustomed to the study of things without reference to flesh and blood, see disturbance of all social and moral ettiquette in their teachings. Addressing such an assembly Christ said, "Think not that I come to send peace on earth. I come to set a man against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." (New Testament) He meant to say that love built on the stands of blood relationships is no love. A God loving son is sure to go against his father who does not love God. Here, in going away from one's father there is peace. There is peace in rebellion against all the social and moral conventions, if that is prompted by Devine Love. There is peace when Prahlad disobeyed his father Hiranyakasipu who pleaded with him not to worship Lord Krsna. There is peace when Arjuna commanded by Lord Krsna, killed in the battle of Kuruksetra his relatives including Bhisma, his own grandfathers step-brother. There is peace when Christ, crucified alive, prayed to God saying "father forgive them they no not what they do". There is peace in peace as well as in disturbance. God knows how to maintain peace, even if it appears apparently harmful to its cause it is in fact favourable.
Some are karmins (performers of fruitive actions), some are jnanins (followers of the path of knowledge), but we are the servants of the true devotees of Hari. One who cultivates a bonafide spiritual process for cleansing his heart and mind and prepering for the hereafter, is considered to be an intelligent person and knows the real goal of life. Bhakti-yoga or devotional service to Krsna, is the fastest means of achieving happiness and real security for the future. In this age of chaos and confusion, known as kali-yuga, the easiest method recommended is the hearing and chanting of the sublime names of God, the Supreme person, Krsna.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
These 16 names are all that is required to deliver one from the darkness of ignorance and situate him or her on the highest platform of God-realisation. Krsna is not an Indian God, or the head of the "Hindu" religion. "Hare" is the vocative or spoken word used to address the supreme Lord "Hari." Krsna is an address we use for the Lord, asking him to please deliver us from the maya of material existence. And when we say "Rama" we are requesting the Lord to please sport with us. We humbly request every one to take this sublime procces of bhakti-yoga and become truely happy in this life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contemporary Disciples Page
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Rays of The Harmonist
Welcome to
Welcome to
Rays of The Harmonist
Monthly On-line Edition – Year 2
By the causeless mercy of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga, the Rays of The Harmonist team would like to welcome you to this monthly on-line edition, which features some of Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s discourses.
The domain name of this email address, sarasvatī-vinoda, has a special meaning. Sarasvatī is the name of transcendental knowledge herself and also the embodiment of transcendental knowledge Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, and vinoda means “spiritual bliss” or more particularly “one who increases Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s transcendental bliss”. In other words, vinoda refers to Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s illustrious disciple Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī, later known as Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja is the sannyāsa guru of Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja and the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
If the souls suffering in this world receive this transcendental knowledge with faith, they will experience spiritual bliss. At the same time, the aim of distributing this transcendental knowledge is to enhance the vinoda of Sarasvatī Prabhupāda.
We hope these articles nourish you. In this way we may all increase the bliss of Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda.
Aspiring for the service of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga,
The Rays of The Harmonist team
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda (right) and Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī (second from left).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
śrī śrī guru gaurāṅga jayataḥ!
Year-2, Issue 10
Posted: 7 November 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dedicated to
nitya-līlā praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Inspired by and under the guidance of
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ārohavāda – The Ascending Process
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Editor’s note: The words ārohavāda and avarohavāda literally mean the ascending (āroha) path and the descending (avaroha) path. The former refers to depending on one’s own abilities to elevate oneself to a higher stage of existence, while the latter refers to depending on help from above to become elevated.
Question 1: What is ārohavāda, or the ascending process?
Answer: The policy of ārohavāda is, like Rāvana, to attempt to construct a stairway to reach Heaven. That kind of uphill work is most puzzling.* In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it has been prescribed that this ‘uphill work’ – namely trying to construct a stairway to heaven – be abandoned.
_____________________
* The underlined phrase appeared in English in the original article.
On one end of the spectrum is attempting to force the sun to become visible at night by using lanterns, and on the other end is prayerfully waiting for sunrise and then viewing the sun by way of its own rays of light. If we hanker for temporary objects of enjoyment we are bound to become followers of the path of ārohavāda, compelled to endeavour to acquire jñāna, or perform karma or yoga.
But endeavours on the path of ārohavāda will always remain incomplete. A twenty year-old civilization shall surely prove to be deficient and fault-ridden in comparison to a one hundred year-old civilization, and the knowledge and culture of a two-hundred year old civilization shall at once be rejected in favour of the knowledge and culture of a one-thousand year old civilization. In fact intelligent men do not pursue the ascending path (ārohavāda) in any of their activities; rather they are avaroha-panthi, followers of the descending process.
Question 2: Can the mentality of inductive reasoning (ārohavāda) be permanently relinquished?
Answer: As long as someone maintains the mentality that he can fully depend on his own strength and abilities, his own self-confidence and his own understanding, he will be unable to surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān. And he will have great regard for the notion of argument and reasoning (ārohavāda) as long as the notion of surrender has not manifested in his heart.
Only when someone realizes the insignificance of his own ability to support himself, the worthlessness of his proud self-conception and the ineffectiveness of his own endeavours, can he surrender himself and accept the path of receiving help from above (avarohavāda).
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam recounts the history of Gajendra, the king of the elephants. Once, Gajendra was passionately engaging in water sports within a lake, along with all his wives. Due to his wild stamping, he was a threat to all the other living beings in the lake who lived in constant fear of being trampled to death by him.
But then, a very powerful crocodile suddenly appeared from within the lake and caught hold of the leg of the intoxicated Gajendra. A fierce fight ensued between the elephant and the crocodile. It was so severe that it continued to rage even after a thousand years had passed, since they were both trying to display their might by overpowering the other. Gradually, however, Gajendra’s strength began to diminish. As he lost his power his madness, bravado and self pride also began to wane. When Gajendra, who was hopelessly trapped by the crocodile, saw that there was no way for him to escape, he realized that the most beneficial course of action for him was to accept the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.
Like the proud elephant, as long as the jīva considers his insignificant existence to be important, he follows the path of ārohavāda, but when the glories of surrendering unto the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān manifest within his heart, he accepts the path of surrender, or avarohavāda. All the sādhus preach only the path of surrender. They never instruct us to adopt ārohavāda (the ascending process). However great a person may be, if he follows the path of ārohavāda, considering it to be auspicious, he is bound to fall down. Kṛṣṇa is the sole shelter of all. The belief that anyone else can provide us shelter can never protect us.
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
Bhagavad-gītā (3.27)
All aspects of material activity are performed by the modes of material nature, yet he whose intelligence has become bewildered by false ego considers himself to be the doer.
Due solely to their false ego, the intelligence of dull-minded people is inclined towards mundane goal-oriented activities. These elevationists are of course followers of ārohavāda.
Likewise, the jñānīs, who seek emancipation, want to attain greatness solely by their own endeavours: “jñānī jīvan-mukta-daśā pāinu kari’ mane – the jñānīs falsely consider that they have attained the stage of liberation” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 22.29). The jñānīs wish to become brahma (the Supreme Absolute). This longing of one who is utterly insignificant to become the most prominent of all is called ārohavāda. The yogīs wish to become only a litte greater than they already are by acquiring some supernatural power and opulence, or else they desire liberation by merging with the existence of brahma. All these endeavours are nothing but ārohavāda.
We should simply remain in our own station, whatever it may be. We should never become a jñānī and follow the path of ārohavāda, nor should we engage in the ill-minded endeavours of a karmī or yogī on the path of ārohavāda. We should not be influenced by the desire for the attainment of monistic emancipation (mokṣa) or enjoyment (bhoga). Rather, surrendering our body, mind and words , we should hear hari-kathā from the mouths of sādhus. Then, only, shall the unconquerable and unattainable Śrī Bhagavān be conquered by us.
* * *
It does not matter whether one is a scholar or a fool. Whatever and wherever someone is, from his own position, it is essential that he simply engage in hearing transcendental hari-kathā from the lips of the sādhus. That hari-kathā has descended from Vaikuṇṭha. At present we remain in a veiled condition within this realm of kuṇṭha, or anxiety. Therefore, if we start analyzing the scriptures through mental speculation, we will be deprived. When our deliberation on the scriptures is motivated by the desire to enjoy or the desire to attain liberation, it is tantamount to attempting to make the scriptures subordinate to ourselves, but the scriptures are the direct, non-different manifestation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said:
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñānīnas tattva-darśinaḥ
Bhagavad-gītā (4.34)
Acquire this knowledge by offering prostrated obeisances to a guru who imparts transcendental knowledge, by asking relevant questions from him and by rendering service to him. Those who have seen the truth, the tattva darśīs, who are expert in the imports of śāstra, and the jñānīs, who have realized Absolute Reality, will enlighten you with that knowledge.
Endeavours to become the Lord are actually just karma-khaṇḍa. When someone is overpowered with the intoxicating desire to become the Lord, his pretentious display of accepting the instructions of the scriptures leaves him deprived of their actual import, which never manifest for him. The real meaning of the scriptures only manifests for surrendered souls. It is written in the Vedic literature:
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23)
The meaning of this verse is that all the deepest meanings of the scriptures become manifest for those who have, equally, the same implicit faith in and devotion for the spiritual master as they do for the Lord.
Śrīman Mahaprabhu has given the instruction, tṛṇādapi sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. In other words, hari-kīrtana is only possible when one considers oneself to be lower than a blade of grass. If one harbours the desire to become even slightly distinguished, his desire will compel him to bid his performance of kīrtana farewell.
Translated from Śrīla Prabhupadera Upadeśāmṛta
Questions re-numbered for this on-line presentation
Posted by the Rays of The Harmonist team
_____________________
Śrīla Prabhupadera Upadeśāmṛta is a compilation of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda’s instructions in question-and-answer form.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special On-line Edition: On the disappearance day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, 5 December 2009
Next Issue - Year 2, Issue 11: “The One Absolute – Part II”, 6 December 2009
Visit Rays of The Harmonist Monthly On-Line Edition at purebhakti.com for a complete list of articles.
Or click here to download PDFs of the Rays of The Harmonist yearly magazine.
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Rays of The Harmonist On-line; Year 2, Issue 10, "Ārohavāda – The Ascending Process", by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License to ensure that it is always freely available.
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Monthly On-line Edition – Year 2
By the causeless mercy of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga, the Rays of The Harmonist team would like to welcome you to this monthly on-line edition, which features some of Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s discourses.
The domain name of this email address, sarasvatī-vinoda, has a special meaning. Sarasvatī is the name of transcendental knowledge herself and also the embodiment of transcendental knowledge Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, and vinoda means “spiritual bliss” or more particularly “one who increases Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s transcendental bliss”. In other words, vinoda refers to Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s illustrious disciple Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī, later known as Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja is the sannyāsa guru of Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja and the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
If the souls suffering in this world receive this transcendental knowledge with faith, they will experience spiritual bliss. At the same time, the aim of distributing this transcendental knowledge is to enhance the vinoda of Sarasvatī Prabhupāda.
We hope these articles nourish you. In this way we may all increase the bliss of Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda.
Aspiring for the service of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga,
The Rays of The Harmonist team
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda (right) and Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī (second from left).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
śrī śrī guru gaurāṅga jayataḥ!
Year-2, Issue 10
Posted: 7 November 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dedicated to
nitya-līlā praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Inspired by and under the guidance of
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ārohavāda – The Ascending Process
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Editor’s note: The words ārohavāda and avarohavāda literally mean the ascending (āroha) path and the descending (avaroha) path. The former refers to depending on one’s own abilities to elevate oneself to a higher stage of existence, while the latter refers to depending on help from above to become elevated.
Question 1: What is ārohavāda, or the ascending process?
Answer: The policy of ārohavāda is, like Rāvana, to attempt to construct a stairway to reach Heaven. That kind of uphill work is most puzzling.* In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it has been prescribed that this ‘uphill work’ – namely trying to construct a stairway to heaven – be abandoned.
_____________________
* The underlined phrase appeared in English in the original article.
On one end of the spectrum is attempting to force the sun to become visible at night by using lanterns, and on the other end is prayerfully waiting for sunrise and then viewing the sun by way of its own rays of light. If we hanker for temporary objects of enjoyment we are bound to become followers of the path of ārohavāda, compelled to endeavour to acquire jñāna, or perform karma or yoga.
But endeavours on the path of ārohavāda will always remain incomplete. A twenty year-old civilization shall surely prove to be deficient and fault-ridden in comparison to a one hundred year-old civilization, and the knowledge and culture of a two-hundred year old civilization shall at once be rejected in favour of the knowledge and culture of a one-thousand year old civilization. In fact intelligent men do not pursue the ascending path (ārohavāda) in any of their activities; rather they are avaroha-panthi, followers of the descending process.
Question 2: Can the mentality of inductive reasoning (ārohavāda) be permanently relinquished?
Answer: As long as someone maintains the mentality that he can fully depend on his own strength and abilities, his own self-confidence and his own understanding, he will be unable to surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān. And he will have great regard for the notion of argument and reasoning (ārohavāda) as long as the notion of surrender has not manifested in his heart.
Only when someone realizes the insignificance of his own ability to support himself, the worthlessness of his proud self-conception and the ineffectiveness of his own endeavours, can he surrender himself and accept the path of receiving help from above (avarohavāda).
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam recounts the history of Gajendra, the king of the elephants. Once, Gajendra was passionately engaging in water sports within a lake, along with all his wives. Due to his wild stamping, he was a threat to all the other living beings in the lake who lived in constant fear of being trampled to death by him.
But then, a very powerful crocodile suddenly appeared from within the lake and caught hold of the leg of the intoxicated Gajendra. A fierce fight ensued between the elephant and the crocodile. It was so severe that it continued to rage even after a thousand years had passed, since they were both trying to display their might by overpowering the other. Gradually, however, Gajendra’s strength began to diminish. As he lost his power his madness, bravado and self pride also began to wane. When Gajendra, who was hopelessly trapped by the crocodile, saw that there was no way for him to escape, he realized that the most beneficial course of action for him was to accept the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.
Like the proud elephant, as long as the jīva considers his insignificant existence to be important, he follows the path of ārohavāda, but when the glories of surrendering unto the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān manifest within his heart, he accepts the path of surrender, or avarohavāda. All the sādhus preach only the path of surrender. They never instruct us to adopt ārohavāda (the ascending process). However great a person may be, if he follows the path of ārohavāda, considering it to be auspicious, he is bound to fall down. Kṛṣṇa is the sole shelter of all. The belief that anyone else can provide us shelter can never protect us.
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
Bhagavad-gītā (3.27)
All aspects of material activity are performed by the modes of material nature, yet he whose intelligence has become bewildered by false ego considers himself to be the doer.
Due solely to their false ego, the intelligence of dull-minded people is inclined towards mundane goal-oriented activities. These elevationists are of course followers of ārohavāda.
Likewise, the jñānīs, who seek emancipation, want to attain greatness solely by their own endeavours: “jñānī jīvan-mukta-daśā pāinu kari’ mane – the jñānīs falsely consider that they have attained the stage of liberation” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 22.29). The jñānīs wish to become brahma (the Supreme Absolute). This longing of one who is utterly insignificant to become the most prominent of all is called ārohavāda. The yogīs wish to become only a litte greater than they already are by acquiring some supernatural power and opulence, or else they desire liberation by merging with the existence of brahma. All these endeavours are nothing but ārohavāda.
We should simply remain in our own station, whatever it may be. We should never become a jñānī and follow the path of ārohavāda, nor should we engage in the ill-minded endeavours of a karmī or yogī on the path of ārohavāda. We should not be influenced by the desire for the attainment of monistic emancipation (mokṣa) or enjoyment (bhoga). Rather, surrendering our body, mind and words , we should hear hari-kathā from the mouths of sādhus. Then, only, shall the unconquerable and unattainable Śrī Bhagavān be conquered by us.
* * *
It does not matter whether one is a scholar or a fool. Whatever and wherever someone is, from his own position, it is essential that he simply engage in hearing transcendental hari-kathā from the lips of the sādhus. That hari-kathā has descended from Vaikuṇṭha. At present we remain in a veiled condition within this realm of kuṇṭha, or anxiety. Therefore, if we start analyzing the scriptures through mental speculation, we will be deprived. When our deliberation on the scriptures is motivated by the desire to enjoy or the desire to attain liberation, it is tantamount to attempting to make the scriptures subordinate to ourselves, but the scriptures are the direct, non-different manifestation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said:
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñānīnas tattva-darśinaḥ
Bhagavad-gītā (4.34)
Acquire this knowledge by offering prostrated obeisances to a guru who imparts transcendental knowledge, by asking relevant questions from him and by rendering service to him. Those who have seen the truth, the tattva darśīs, who are expert in the imports of śāstra, and the jñānīs, who have realized Absolute Reality, will enlighten you with that knowledge.
Endeavours to become the Lord are actually just karma-khaṇḍa. When someone is overpowered with the intoxicating desire to become the Lord, his pretentious display of accepting the instructions of the scriptures leaves him deprived of their actual import, which never manifest for him. The real meaning of the scriptures only manifests for surrendered souls. It is written in the Vedic literature:
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23)
The meaning of this verse is that all the deepest meanings of the scriptures become manifest for those who have, equally, the same implicit faith in and devotion for the spiritual master as they do for the Lord.
Śrīman Mahaprabhu has given the instruction, tṛṇādapi sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. In other words, hari-kīrtana is only possible when one considers oneself to be lower than a blade of grass. If one harbours the desire to become even slightly distinguished, his desire will compel him to bid his performance of kīrtana farewell.
Translated from Śrīla Prabhupadera Upadeśāmṛta
Questions re-numbered for this on-line presentation
Posted by the Rays of The Harmonist team
_____________________
Śrīla Prabhupadera Upadeśāmṛta is a compilation of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda’s instructions in question-and-answer form.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special On-line Edition: On the disappearance day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, 5 December 2009
Next Issue - Year 2, Issue 11: “The One Absolute – Part II”, 6 December 2009
Visit Rays of The Harmonist Monthly On-Line Edition at purebhakti.com for a complete list of articles.
Or click here to download PDFs of the Rays of The Harmonist yearly magazine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rays of The Harmonist On-line; Year 2, Issue 10, "Ārohavāda – The Ascending Process", by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License to ensure that it is always freely available.
You may redistribute this article if you include this license and attribute it to Rays of The Harmonist. Please ask for permission before using the Rays of The Harmonist banner-logo.
--
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters, follow this link
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit this link
Forward a Message to Someone by following this link
powered by phplist v 2.10.9, © tincan ltd
__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4580 (20091106) __________
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Welcome to
Rays of The Harmonist
Monthly On-line Edition – Year 2
By the causeless mercy of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga, the Rays of The Harmonist team would like to welcome you to this monthly on-line edition, which features some of Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s discourses.
The domain name of this email address, sarasvatī-vinoda, has a special meaning. Sarasvatī is the name of transcendental knowledge herself and also the embodiment of transcendental knowledge Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, and vinoda means “spiritual bliss” or more particularly “one who increases Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s transcendental bliss”. In other words, vinoda refers to Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s illustrious disciple Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī, later known as Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja is the sannyāsa guru of Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja and the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
If the souls suffering in this world receive this transcendental knowledge with faith, they will experience spiritual bliss. At the same time, the aim of distributing this transcendental knowledge is to enhance the vinoda of Sarasvatī Prabhupāda.
We hope these articles nourish you. In this way we may all increase the bliss of Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda.
Aspiring for the service of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga,
The Rays of The Harmonist team
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda (right) and Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī (second from left).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
śrī śrī guru gaurāṅga jayataḥ!
Year-2, Issue 10
Posted: 7 November 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dedicated to
nitya-līlā praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Inspired by and under the guidance of
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ārohavāda – The Ascending Process
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Editor’s note: The words ārohavāda and avarohavāda literally mean the ascending (āroha) path and the descending (avaroha) path. The former refers to depending on one’s own abilities to elevate oneself to a higher stage of existence, while the latter refers to depending on help from above to become elevated.
Question 1: What is ārohavāda, or the ascending process?
Answer: The policy of ārohavāda is, like Rāvana, to attempt to construct a stairway to reach Heaven. That kind of uphill work is most puzzling.* In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it has been prescribed that this ‘uphill work’ – namely trying to construct a stairway to heaven – be abandoned.
_____________________
* The underlined phrase appeared in English in the original article.
On one end of the spectrum is attempting to force the sun to become visible at night by using lanterns, and on the other end is prayerfully waiting for sunrise and then viewing the sun by way of its own rays of light. If we hanker for temporary objects of enjoyment we are bound to become followers of the path of ārohavāda, compelled to endeavour to acquire jñāna, or perform karma or yoga.
But endeavours on the path of ārohavāda will always remain incomplete. A twenty year-old civilization shall surely prove to be deficient and fault-ridden in comparison to a one hundred year-old civilization, and the knowledge and culture of a two-hundred year old civilization shall at once be rejected in favour of the knowledge and culture of a one-thousand year old civilization. In fact intelligent men do not pursue the ascending path (ārohavāda) in any of their activities; rather they are avaroha-panthi, followers of the descending process.
Question 2: Can the mentality of inductive reasoning (ārohavāda) be permanently relinquished?
Answer: As long as someone maintains the mentality that he can fully depend on his own strength and abilities, his own self-confidence and his own understanding, he will be unable to surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān. And he will have great regard for the notion of argument and reasoning (ārohavāda) as long as the notion of surrender has not manifested in his heart.
Only when someone realizes the insignificance of his own ability to support himself, the worthlessness of his proud self-conception and the ineffectiveness of his own endeavours, can he surrender himself and accept the path of receiving help from above (avarohavāda).
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam recounts the history of Gajendra, the king of the elephants. Once, Gajendra was passionately engaging in water sports within a lake, along with all his wives. Due to his wild stamping, he was a threat to all the other living beings in the lake who lived in constant fear of being trampled to death by him.
But then, a very powerful crocodile suddenly appeared from within the lake and caught hold of the leg of the intoxicated Gajendra. A fierce fight ensued between the elephant and the crocodile. It was so severe that it continued to rage even after a thousand years had passed, since they were both trying to display their might by overpowering the other. Gradually, however, Gajendra’s strength began to diminish. As he lost his power his madness, bravado and self pride also began to wane. When Gajendra, who was hopelessly trapped by the crocodile, saw that there was no way for him to escape, he realized that the most beneficial course of action for him was to accept the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.
Like the proud elephant, as long as the jīva considers his insignificant existence to be important, he follows the path of ārohavāda, but when the glories of surrendering unto the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān manifest within his heart, he accepts the path of surrender, or avarohavāda. All the sādhus preach only the path of surrender. They never instruct us to adopt ārohavāda (the ascending process). However great a person may be, if he follows the path of ārohavāda, considering it to be auspicious, he is bound to fall down. Kṛṣṇa is the sole shelter of all. The belief that anyone else can provide us shelter can never protect us.
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
Bhagavad-gītā (3.27)
All aspects of material activity are performed by the modes of material nature, yet he whose intelligence has become bewildered by false ego considers himself to be the doer.
Due solely to their false ego, the intelligence of dull-minded people is inclined towards mundane goal-oriented activities. These elevationists are of course followers of ārohavāda.
Likewise, the jñānīs, who seek emancipation, want to attain greatness solely by their own endeavours: “jñānī jīvan-mukta-daśā pāinu kari’ mane – the jñānīs falsely consider that they have attained the stage of liberation” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 22.29). The jñānīs wish to become brahma (the Supreme Absolute). This longing of one who is utterly insignificant to become the most prominent of all is called ārohavāda. The yogīs wish to become only a litte greater than they already are by acquiring some supernatural power and opulence, or else they desire liberation by merging with the existence of brahma. All these endeavours are nothing but ārohavāda.
We should simply remain in our own station, whatever it may be. We should never become a jñānī and follow the path of ārohavāda, nor should we engage in the ill-minded endeavours of a karmī or yogī on the path of ārohavāda. We should not be influenced by the desire for the attainment of monistic emancipation (mokṣa) or enjoyment (bhoga). Rather, surrendering our body, mind and words , we should hear hari-kathā from the mouths of sādhus. Then, only, shall the unconquerable and unattainable Śrī Bhagavān be conquered by us.
* * *
It does not matter whether one is a scholar or a fool. Whatever and wherever someone is, from his own position, it is essential that he simply engage in hearing transcendental hari-kathā from the lips of the sādhus. That hari-kathā has descended from Vaikuṇṭha. At present we remain in a veiled condition within this realm of kuṇṭha, or anxiety. Therefore, if we start analyzing the scriptures through mental speculation, we will be deprived. When our deliberation on the scriptures is motivated by the desire to enjoy or the desire to attain liberation, it is tantamount to attempting to make the scriptures subordinate to ourselves, but the scriptures are the direct, non-different manifestation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said:
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñānīnas tattva-darśinaḥ
Bhagavad-gītā (4.34)
Acquire this knowledge by offering prostrated obeisances to a guru who imparts transcendental knowledge, by asking relevant questions from him and by rendering service to him. Those who have seen the truth, the tattva darśīs, who are expert in the imports of śāstra, and the jñānīs, who have realized Absolute Reality, will enlighten you with that knowledge.
Endeavours to become the Lord are actually just karma-khaṇḍa. When someone is overpowered with the intoxicating desire to become the Lord, his pretentious display of accepting the instructions of the scriptures leaves him deprived of their actual import, which never manifest for him. The real meaning of the scriptures only manifests for surrendered souls. It is written in the Vedic literature:
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23)
The meaning of this verse is that all the deepest meanings of the scriptures become manifest for those who have, equally, the same implicit faith in and devotion for the spiritual master as they do for the Lord.
Śrīman Mahaprabhu has given the instruction, tṛṇādapi sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. In other words, hari-kīrtana is only possible when one considers oneself to be lower than a blade of grass. If one harbours the desire to become even slightly distinguished, his desire will compel him to bid his performance of kīrtana farewell.
Translated from Śrīla Prabhupadera Upadeśāmṛta
Questions re-numbered for this on-line presentation
Posted by the Rays of The Harmonist team
_____________________
Śrīla Prabhupadera Upadeśāmṛta is a compilation of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda’s instructions in question-and-answer form.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special On-line Edition: On the disappearance day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, 5 December 2009
Next Issue - Year 2, Issue 11: “The One Absolute – Part II”, 6 December 2009
Visit Rays of The Harmonist Monthly On-Line Edition at purebhakti.com for a complete list of articles.
Or click here to download PDFs of the Rays of The Harmonist yearly magazine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rays of The Harmonist On-line; Year 2, Issue 10, "Ārohavāda – The Ascending Process", by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License to ensure that it is always freely available.
You may redistribute this article if you include this license and attribute it to Rays of The Harmonist. Please ask for permission before using the Rays of The Harmonist banner-logo.
--
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters, follow this link
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit this link
Forward a Message to Someone by following this link
powered by phplist v 2.10.9, © tincan ltd
__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4580 (20091106) __________
The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
http://www.eset.com
Monthly On-line Edition – Year 2
By the causeless mercy of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga, the Rays of The Harmonist team would like to welcome you to this monthly on-line edition, which features some of Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s discourses.
The domain name of this email address, sarasvatī-vinoda, has a special meaning. Sarasvatī is the name of transcendental knowledge herself and also the embodiment of transcendental knowledge Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, and vinoda means “spiritual bliss” or more particularly “one who increases Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s transcendental bliss”. In other words, vinoda refers to Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s illustrious disciple Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī, later known as Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja is the sannyāsa guru of Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja and the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
If the souls suffering in this world receive this transcendental knowledge with faith, they will experience spiritual bliss. At the same time, the aim of distributing this transcendental knowledge is to enhance the vinoda of Sarasvatī Prabhupāda.
We hope these articles nourish you. In this way we may all increase the bliss of Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda.
Aspiring for the service of Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga,
The Rays of The Harmonist team
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda (right) and Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī (second from left).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
śrī śrī guru gaurāṅga jayataḥ!
Year-2, Issue 10
Posted: 7 November 2009
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dedicated to
nitya-līlā praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda
Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Inspired by and under the guidance of
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ārohavāda – The Ascending Process
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Editor’s note: The words ārohavāda and avarohavāda literally mean the ascending (āroha) path and the descending (avaroha) path. The former refers to depending on one’s own abilities to elevate oneself to a higher stage of existence, while the latter refers to depending on help from above to become elevated.
Question 1: What is ārohavāda, or the ascending process?
Answer: The policy of ārohavāda is, like Rāvana, to attempt to construct a stairway to reach Heaven. That kind of uphill work is most puzzling.* In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, it has been prescribed that this ‘uphill work’ – namely trying to construct a stairway to heaven – be abandoned.
_____________________
* The underlined phrase appeared in English in the original article.
On one end of the spectrum is attempting to force the sun to become visible at night by using lanterns, and on the other end is prayerfully waiting for sunrise and then viewing the sun by way of its own rays of light. If we hanker for temporary objects of enjoyment we are bound to become followers of the path of ārohavāda, compelled to endeavour to acquire jñāna, or perform karma or yoga.
But endeavours on the path of ārohavāda will always remain incomplete. A twenty year-old civilization shall surely prove to be deficient and fault-ridden in comparison to a one hundred year-old civilization, and the knowledge and culture of a two-hundred year old civilization shall at once be rejected in favour of the knowledge and culture of a one-thousand year old civilization. In fact intelligent men do not pursue the ascending path (ārohavāda) in any of their activities; rather they are avaroha-panthi, followers of the descending process.
Question 2: Can the mentality of inductive reasoning (ārohavāda) be permanently relinquished?
Answer: As long as someone maintains the mentality that he can fully depend on his own strength and abilities, his own self-confidence and his own understanding, he will be unable to surrender unto the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān. And he will have great regard for the notion of argument and reasoning (ārohavāda) as long as the notion of surrender has not manifested in his heart.
Only when someone realizes the insignificance of his own ability to support himself, the worthlessness of his proud self-conception and the ineffectiveness of his own endeavours, can he surrender himself and accept the path of receiving help from above (avarohavāda).
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam recounts the history of Gajendra, the king of the elephants. Once, Gajendra was passionately engaging in water sports within a lake, along with all his wives. Due to his wild stamping, he was a threat to all the other living beings in the lake who lived in constant fear of being trampled to death by him.
But then, a very powerful crocodile suddenly appeared from within the lake and caught hold of the leg of the intoxicated Gajendra. A fierce fight ensued between the elephant and the crocodile. It was so severe that it continued to rage even after a thousand years had passed, since they were both trying to display their might by overpowering the other. Gradually, however, Gajendra’s strength began to diminish. As he lost his power his madness, bravado and self pride also began to wane. When Gajendra, who was hopelessly trapped by the crocodile, saw that there was no way for him to escape, he realized that the most beneficial course of action for him was to accept the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord.
Like the proud elephant, as long as the jīva considers his insignificant existence to be important, he follows the path of ārohavāda, but when the glories of surrendering unto the lotus feet of Śrī Bhagavān manifest within his heart, he accepts the path of surrender, or avarohavāda. All the sādhus preach only the path of surrender. They never instruct us to adopt ārohavāda (the ascending process). However great a person may be, if he follows the path of ārohavāda, considering it to be auspicious, he is bound to fall down. Kṛṣṇa is the sole shelter of all. The belief that anyone else can provide us shelter can never protect us.
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
Bhagavad-gītā (3.27)
All aspects of material activity are performed by the modes of material nature, yet he whose intelligence has become bewildered by false ego considers himself to be the doer.
Due solely to their false ego, the intelligence of dull-minded people is inclined towards mundane goal-oriented activities. These elevationists are of course followers of ārohavāda.
Likewise, the jñānīs, who seek emancipation, want to attain greatness solely by their own endeavours: “jñānī jīvan-mukta-daśā pāinu kari’ mane – the jñānīs falsely consider that they have attained the stage of liberation” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 22.29). The jñānīs wish to become brahma (the Supreme Absolute). This longing of one who is utterly insignificant to become the most prominent of all is called ārohavāda. The yogīs wish to become only a litte greater than they already are by acquiring some supernatural power and opulence, or else they desire liberation by merging with the existence of brahma. All these endeavours are nothing but ārohavāda.
We should simply remain in our own station, whatever it may be. We should never become a jñānī and follow the path of ārohavāda, nor should we engage in the ill-minded endeavours of a karmī or yogī on the path of ārohavāda. We should not be influenced by the desire for the attainment of monistic emancipation (mokṣa) or enjoyment (bhoga). Rather, surrendering our body, mind and words , we should hear hari-kathā from the mouths of sādhus. Then, only, shall the unconquerable and unattainable Śrī Bhagavān be conquered by us.
* * *
It does not matter whether one is a scholar or a fool. Whatever and wherever someone is, from his own position, it is essential that he simply engage in hearing transcendental hari-kathā from the lips of the sādhus. That hari-kathā has descended from Vaikuṇṭha. At present we remain in a veiled condition within this realm of kuṇṭha, or anxiety. Therefore, if we start analyzing the scriptures through mental speculation, we will be deprived. When our deliberation on the scriptures is motivated by the desire to enjoy or the desire to attain liberation, it is tantamount to attempting to make the scriptures subordinate to ourselves, but the scriptures are the direct, non-different manifestation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said:
tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñānīnas tattva-darśinaḥ
Bhagavad-gītā (4.34)
Acquire this knowledge by offering prostrated obeisances to a guru who imparts transcendental knowledge, by asking relevant questions from him and by rendering service to him. Those who have seen the truth, the tattva darśīs, who are expert in the imports of śāstra, and the jñānīs, who have realized Absolute Reality, will enlighten you with that knowledge.
Endeavours to become the Lord are actually just karma-khaṇḍa. When someone is overpowered with the intoxicating desire to become the Lord, his pretentious display of accepting the instructions of the scriptures leaves him deprived of their actual import, which never manifest for him. The real meaning of the scriptures only manifests for surrendered souls. It is written in the Vedic literature:
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.23)
The meaning of this verse is that all the deepest meanings of the scriptures become manifest for those who have, equally, the same implicit faith in and devotion for the spiritual master as they do for the Lord.
Śrīman Mahaprabhu has given the instruction, tṛṇādapi sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. In other words, hari-kīrtana is only possible when one considers oneself to be lower than a blade of grass. If one harbours the desire to become even slightly distinguished, his desire will compel him to bid his performance of kīrtana farewell.
Translated from Śrīla Prabhupadera Upadeśāmṛta
Questions re-numbered for this on-line presentation
Posted by the Rays of The Harmonist team
_____________________
Śrīla Prabhupadera Upadeśāmṛta is a compilation of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda’s instructions in question-and-answer form.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special On-line Edition: On the disappearance day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, 5 December 2009
Next Issue - Year 2, Issue 11: “The One Absolute – Part II”, 6 December 2009
Visit Rays of The Harmonist Monthly On-Line Edition at purebhakti.com for a complete list of articles.
Or click here to download PDFs of the Rays of The Harmonist yearly magazine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rays of The Harmonist On-line; Year 2, Issue 10, "Ārohavāda – The Ascending Process", by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License to ensure that it is always freely available.
You may redistribute this article if you include this license and attribute it to Rays of The Harmonist. Please ask for permission before using the Rays of The Harmonist banner-logo.
--
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters, follow this link
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit this link
Forward a Message to Someone by following this link
powered by phplist v 2.10.9, © tincan ltd
__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4580 (20091106) __________
The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.
http://www.eset.com
Friday, November 6, 2009
Srila Prabhupada's Last Conversation
Srila Prabhupada's Last Conversation
"The cassette was kindly provided by the BBT Archives.
This recording was in Bengali, and that's
why it wasn't distributed, here is the transcription"
Srila Prabhupada: Narayana Maharaja. He will come tomorrow?
Tamal Krsna Gosvami: He will come when we (discussing with others). If we pick him up he might come tonight.
Srila Prabhupada: Hmm.
Tamal Krsna Gosvami: If we go just now with the car. Bhakticaru is going just now with the car. Maharaja may come tonight.
(Someone begins to sing govindam adi purusam...)
Tamal Krsna Gosvami: Yeah, Srila Prabhpada. Should we put a little fan on? A little bit.
(The conversation with Srila Narayana Maharaja begins:)
Srila Prabhupada: Prabhupada (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) had a desire to preach all over the world - in Europe, America...I tried my best to fulfill his desire. Now we should preach together.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Yes.
Srila Prabhupada: We have got experience that if we endeavor collectively, there is great possibility to spread the message of akara matha: the mission of Mahaprabhu, 'prithvi te ache, everywhere in the world. I have contributed to this end to the best of my ability.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Hmm.
Srila Prabhupada: I wish that my god-brothers forgive my offenses...While preaching, many times we do say things contrary to each other, or we cut each other's philosophical arguments. That happens. Please ask my god-brothers to forgive my offences...(inaudible)
Srila Narayana Maharaja: All right.
Srila Prabhupada: (inaudible)?
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Whatever you will order I will accept completely. I consider you as my Guru.
Nov 6, 1977 Srila Prabhupada's instructions for cooperating with His God brothers
Prabhupada: At least one year. I want to develop Gauda-mandala. So in yoga-pitha they could not build even a darsana-mandapa in fifty, sixty years. So we can construct a, what is called, hall.
Jayapataka: Without mandira.
Prabhupada: Hm. Yes.
Jayapataka: Kirtana hall.
Bhavananda: No. Bhaktivedanta... Yoga Pitha Bhaktivedanta Hall. Bhaktivedanta Swami Hall.
Prabhupada: What do you think?
Bhavananda: With bookstand. Prabhupada has formed a trust, the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, and its purpose is to develop Gauda-mandala-bhumi. Prabhupada's one idea is to build this darsana-mandapa at the yoga-pitha. And another is to finish Sridhara Maharaja's darsana-mandapa at his..., like that, to develop the different..., to encourage cooperation between the different Godbrothers in the temples. The members of the trust are myself and Tamala Krsna Maharaja and Giriraja, Svarupa Damodara, myself, Madhava Maharaja and Madhusudana Maharaja. Prabhupada named those members.
Prabhupada: How do you think the idea?
Jayapataka: All of your ideas, Srila Prabhupada, are perfect. I am not someone to offer opinion. But if you ask, I think that actually, especially the yoga-pitha, natha-mandira, that's a very dynamic idea, and in general it must do good.
Prabhupada: We want cooperation.
Tamala Krsna: No more noncooperation.
Jayapataka: Generally the... Even Devananda Gaudiya Matha, they had invited us for the disappearance day of Kesava Maharaja, but I wasn't present at the time. So generally now they're inviting us, and everyone seems to have the desire for more and more cooperation.
Those, whose judgment is made of mundane stuff, being unable to enter into the spirit of the all-loving controversies among pure devotees
“Those, whose judgment is made of mundane stuff, being unable to enter into the spirit of the all-loving controversies among pure devotees, due to their own want of unalloyed devotion, are apt to impute to the devotees their own defects of partisanship and opposing views.” Sri Brahma Samhita 5.37 purport (p.72 in BBT edition)
“So far as your question about controversy amongst the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, that is a fact. But this controversy is not material. Just like in a national program, different political parties are sometimes in conflict and make propaganda against each other, but their central point is always service to the country. Similarly, amongst the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati there may be some controversy, but the central point is how to preach the mission of His Divine Grace. If the central point is fixed up then there is no harm in such controversy.
Letter to: Mandali Bhadra : 69-07-28 Los Angeles
“Among Vaishnava’s there may be some difference of opinion due to everyone’s personal identity, but despite all personal differences, the cult of Krsna consciousness must go on. We can see that under the instructions of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja began preaching the Krsna consciousness movement in an organized way within the past hundred years. The disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja are all Godbrothers, and although there are some differences of opinion, and although we are not acting conjointly, every one of us is spreading this Krsna consciousness movement according to his own capacity and producing many disciples to spread it all over the world.”
SB 4.28.31
“Practically there is no difference of opinion in our missionary activities, especially because we all are deriving inspiration from His Divine Grace Prabhupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. I think all of our Godbrothers are doing the same missionary activities without a doubt, but still the regrettable fact is we are doing all separately, not in conjunction.”
(Letter to Bhagavata Maharaja, August 21, 1969)
“Disunity between individual souls is so strong within this material world that even in a society of Krsna consciousness; members sometimes appear disunited due to their having different opinions and leaning toward material things. Actually, in Krsna consciousness there cannot be two opinions. There is only one goal: to serve Krsna to one’s best ability. If there is some disagreement over service, such disagreement is to be taken as spiritual. Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be disunited in any circumstance.” SB 4.30.8
"The cassette was kindly provided by the BBT Archives.
This recording was in Bengali, and that's
why it wasn't distributed, here is the transcription"
Srila Prabhupada: Narayana Maharaja. He will come tomorrow?
Tamal Krsna Gosvami: He will come when we (discussing with others). If we pick him up he might come tonight.
Srila Prabhupada: Hmm.
Tamal Krsna Gosvami: If we go just now with the car. Bhakticaru is going just now with the car. Maharaja may come tonight.
(Someone begins to sing govindam adi purusam...)
Tamal Krsna Gosvami: Yeah, Srila Prabhpada. Should we put a little fan on? A little bit.
(The conversation with Srila Narayana Maharaja begins:)
Srila Prabhupada: Prabhupada (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura) had a desire to preach all over the world - in Europe, America...I tried my best to fulfill his desire. Now we should preach together.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Yes.
Srila Prabhupada: We have got experience that if we endeavor collectively, there is great possibility to spread the message of akara matha: the mission of Mahaprabhu, 'prithvi te ache, everywhere in the world. I have contributed to this end to the best of my ability.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Hmm.
Srila Prabhupada: I wish that my god-brothers forgive my offenses...While preaching, many times we do say things contrary to each other, or we cut each other's philosophical arguments. That happens. Please ask my god-brothers to forgive my offences...(inaudible)
Srila Narayana Maharaja: All right.
Srila Prabhupada: (inaudible)?
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Whatever you will order I will accept completely. I consider you as my Guru.
Nov 6, 1977 Srila Prabhupada's instructions for cooperating with His God brothers
Prabhupada: At least one year. I want to develop Gauda-mandala. So in yoga-pitha they could not build even a darsana-mandapa in fifty, sixty years. So we can construct a, what is called, hall.
Jayapataka: Without mandira.
Prabhupada: Hm. Yes.
Jayapataka: Kirtana hall.
Bhavananda: No. Bhaktivedanta... Yoga Pitha Bhaktivedanta Hall. Bhaktivedanta Swami Hall.
Prabhupada: What do you think?
Bhavananda: With bookstand. Prabhupada has formed a trust, the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, and its purpose is to develop Gauda-mandala-bhumi. Prabhupada's one idea is to build this darsana-mandapa at the yoga-pitha. And another is to finish Sridhara Maharaja's darsana-mandapa at his..., like that, to develop the different..., to encourage cooperation between the different Godbrothers in the temples. The members of the trust are myself and Tamala Krsna Maharaja and Giriraja, Svarupa Damodara, myself, Madhava Maharaja and Madhusudana Maharaja. Prabhupada named those members.
Prabhupada: How do you think the idea?
Jayapataka: All of your ideas, Srila Prabhupada, are perfect. I am not someone to offer opinion. But if you ask, I think that actually, especially the yoga-pitha, natha-mandira, that's a very dynamic idea, and in general it must do good.
Prabhupada: We want cooperation.
Tamala Krsna: No more noncooperation.
Jayapataka: Generally the... Even Devananda Gaudiya Matha, they had invited us for the disappearance day of Kesava Maharaja, but I wasn't present at the time. So generally now they're inviting us, and everyone seems to have the desire for more and more cooperation.
Those, whose judgment is made of mundane stuff, being unable to enter into the spirit of the all-loving controversies among pure devotees
“Those, whose judgment is made of mundane stuff, being unable to enter into the spirit of the all-loving controversies among pure devotees, due to their own want of unalloyed devotion, are apt to impute to the devotees their own defects of partisanship and opposing views.” Sri Brahma Samhita 5.37 purport (p.72 in BBT edition)
“So far as your question about controversy amongst the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, that is a fact. But this controversy is not material. Just like in a national program, different political parties are sometimes in conflict and make propaganda against each other, but their central point is always service to the country. Similarly, amongst the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati there may be some controversy, but the central point is how to preach the mission of His Divine Grace. If the central point is fixed up then there is no harm in such controversy.
Letter to: Mandali Bhadra : 69-07-28 Los Angeles
“Among Vaishnava’s there may be some difference of opinion due to everyone’s personal identity, but despite all personal differences, the cult of Krsna consciousness must go on. We can see that under the instructions of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja began preaching the Krsna consciousness movement in an organized way within the past hundred years. The disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja are all Godbrothers, and although there are some differences of opinion, and although we are not acting conjointly, every one of us is spreading this Krsna consciousness movement according to his own capacity and producing many disciples to spread it all over the world.”
SB 4.28.31
“Practically there is no difference of opinion in our missionary activities, especially because we all are deriving inspiration from His Divine Grace Prabhupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. I think all of our Godbrothers are doing the same missionary activities without a doubt, but still the regrettable fact is we are doing all separately, not in conjunction.”
(Letter to Bhagavata Maharaja, August 21, 1969)
“Disunity between individual souls is so strong within this material world that even in a society of Krsna consciousness; members sometimes appear disunited due to their having different opinions and leaning toward material things. Actually, in Krsna consciousness there cannot be two opinions. There is only one goal: to serve Krsna to one’s best ability. If there is some disagreement over service, such disagreement is to be taken as spiritual. Those who are actually engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be disunited in any circumstance.” SB 4.30.8
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
A Joint Statement of: The BHAKTI Trust Public Affairs Office and the ISKCON Communications Ministry
by ISKCON News Service on 25 Oct 2009
Posted November 1, 2009
A Joint Statement of: The BHAKTI Trust Public Affairs Office and the ISKCON Communications Ministry
October 24, 2009,
Vrindavana, India - On October 17, five representatives of Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founder-acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, forming an official delegation, met with Srila B.V. Narayana Maharaja, founder-acarya of the BHAKTI Trust Mission, near the pilgrimage site of Govardhana Hill, just a few miles from Vrindavana, India. The meeting, which had been planned for several months, was held at Narayana Maharaja's Sri Sri Gauranga Radha Giridhari temple at Giridhari Gaudiya Math.
The ISKCON leaders in attendance were His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaja, His Holiness Lokanath Maharaja, Ravindra Svarupa dasa, Badrinarayan dasa, and Anuttama dasa. Besides Narayana Maharaja himself, BHAKTI Trust leaders present were Sripad B.V. Madhava Maharaja, Brajanath dasa and Jalakara dasa. The meeting lasted for more than thirty minutes. It was described by both sides as "respectful and cordial."
Upon arrival at the temple, the ISKCON leaders had a brief darshan of the temple Deities. Afterward, they were escorted to Narayana Maharaja's quarters. There, the participants were introduced to each other and there was an exchange of gifts and garlands.
Narayana Maharaja opened the meeting by expressing his appreciation for Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON's founder-acarya, and for Prabhupada's achievements in promoting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission around the world. Narayana Maharaja reminded those present of the assistance he had offered to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON in the early days of Prabhupada's mission, and after Prabhupada's passing in 1977.
Anuttama dasa, ISKCON's Communications Minister, speaking on behalf of the GBC, offered a formal apology to Narayana Maharaja for "the GBC's failure to communicate properly and in a timely personal manner," to Narayana Maharaja regarding ISKCON policies that were established in 1995. Although the GBC decided at that time the policies were necessary, Anuttama dasa regretted that they had not communicated them properly and the lapse had contributed to further misunderstandings. Anuttama dasa also shared the GBC's mandate from Srila Prabhupada that the GBC guide and manage his ISKCON institution.
Narayana Maharaja made several proposals how to improve the relationship between ISKCON and himself and his followers. The ISKCON delegation said it would convey those suggestions to the full GBC Body. Narayana Maharaja and the ISKCON leaders expressed their shared desire that the two Vaishnava organizations would like to see cordial relations between them based on mutual respect and understanding.
As the session drew to a close, both sides expressed gratitude to each other for the meeting and its pleasant tone. As the ISKCON emissaries prepared to leave, a delegation of senior devotees serving in the BHAKTI Trust (Jalakara dasa, B.V. Sajjan Maharaja and Jadurani (Syamarani) dasi) formally asked the GBC representatives to accept their apologies for all mistakes and offenses they had committed in their past relations with ISKCON. Obeisances were then exchanged all around.
Anuttama dasa, ISKCON Minister of Communications
Jalakara dasa, BHAKTI Trust Public Affairs Director
news.iskcon.com/node/2354
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Posted November 1, 2009
A Joint Statement of: The BHAKTI Trust Public Affairs Office and the ISKCON Communications Ministry
October 24, 2009,
Vrindavana, India - On October 17, five representatives of Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founder-acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, forming an official delegation, met with Srila B.V. Narayana Maharaja, founder-acarya of the BHAKTI Trust Mission, near the pilgrimage site of Govardhana Hill, just a few miles from Vrindavana, India. The meeting, which had been planned for several months, was held at Narayana Maharaja's Sri Sri Gauranga Radha Giridhari temple at Giridhari Gaudiya Math.
The ISKCON leaders in attendance were His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaja, His Holiness Lokanath Maharaja, Ravindra Svarupa dasa, Badrinarayan dasa, and Anuttama dasa. Besides Narayana Maharaja himself, BHAKTI Trust leaders present were Sripad B.V. Madhava Maharaja, Brajanath dasa and Jalakara dasa. The meeting lasted for more than thirty minutes. It was described by both sides as "respectful and cordial."
Upon arrival at the temple, the ISKCON leaders had a brief darshan of the temple Deities. Afterward, they were escorted to Narayana Maharaja's quarters. There, the participants were introduced to each other and there was an exchange of gifts and garlands.
Narayana Maharaja opened the meeting by expressing his appreciation for Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON's founder-acarya, and for Prabhupada's achievements in promoting Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission around the world. Narayana Maharaja reminded those present of the assistance he had offered to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON in the early days of Prabhupada's mission, and after Prabhupada's passing in 1977.
Anuttama dasa, ISKCON's Communications Minister, speaking on behalf of the GBC, offered a formal apology to Narayana Maharaja for "the GBC's failure to communicate properly and in a timely personal manner," to Narayana Maharaja regarding ISKCON policies that were established in 1995. Although the GBC decided at that time the policies were necessary, Anuttama dasa regretted that they had not communicated them properly and the lapse had contributed to further misunderstandings. Anuttama dasa also shared the GBC's mandate from Srila Prabhupada that the GBC guide and manage his ISKCON institution.
Narayana Maharaja made several proposals how to improve the relationship between ISKCON and himself and his followers. The ISKCON delegation said it would convey those suggestions to the full GBC Body. Narayana Maharaja and the ISKCON leaders expressed their shared desire that the two Vaishnava organizations would like to see cordial relations between them based on mutual respect and understanding.
As the session drew to a close, both sides expressed gratitude to each other for the meeting and its pleasant tone. As the ISKCON emissaries prepared to leave, a delegation of senior devotees serving in the BHAKTI Trust (Jalakara dasa, B.V. Sajjan Maharaja and Jadurani (Syamarani) dasi) formally asked the GBC representatives to accept their apologies for all mistakes and offenses they had committed in their past relations with ISKCON. Obeisances were then exchanged all around.
Anuttama dasa, ISKCON Minister of Communications
Jalakara dasa, BHAKTI Trust Public Affairs Director
news.iskcon.com/node/2354
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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