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Bhakti Yoga - The Topmost Yogic Practice!
A SAFE PLACE
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 2004)
How can you figure out what's realistic while you're in maya?
A brahmacari called Giriraj Das once said to Prabhupada:
"Prabhupada, sometimes I'm in maya".
Prabhupada said:
"What do you mean, you're always in maya!"
Are we any different from that? Aren't we always in maya?
So how can you figure out what's realistic when you're in a illusion?
There is a fundamental difficulty there. So we can only figure out what's realistic, if we're free from maya in a sense. Therefore it's better to take the superior instruction from our Spiritual Master, who will tell us when to walk on our toes and when to relax- that's safer!
So what is realistic?
(Kadamba Kanana Swami,2004)
We become attached to the deity. To just see the deity, and diety's darshan. It's a whole experience and we wouldn't want to miss it; to do the service for the deity, kirtan, prasadam……all these things we develop attachments – hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and so on.
We are hankering for the association of the devotees. Just go away from the devotees for a while and then we are getting eager to be with the devotees again. So like this, we are noticing that our attachments to these items is growing, and gradually the denseness of many aspects of Krishna Consciousness that we get attached to, are just growing and growing. And we go from one attachment onto the next!
In this way our whole day is filled with different types of attachments to Krishna! So we can see what is really developing is very condensed, ecstatic Krishna Consciousness or:
'sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā,(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.17).
So we are seeing how the gradual quality of, 'sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā',
or a very condensed Krishna Consciousness is developing. Not only is the quantity developing but also the quality is developing. Our relationship with the various items of devotional services is growing, as we are putting more and energy in serving Krishna in these various ways (through the sixty four aspects of devotional service, especially through the five principle ones) we begin to experience more and more attachment there and also more intensity.
So again we can see how, 'sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā', is very condensed – bliss that it cannot be penetrated by anyone else anymore! From one attachment to Krishna to another, and there is no more room for anything else to enter!
Developing a very condensed Krishna Consciousness
Spiritualize Your Subtle Body
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.8 |
Srila Prabhupada speaks on: Spiritualize Your Subtle Body
[srilaprabhupadanectar] Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Reactions due to initiation
Bhagavad-gita As It Is | Part [BG.11.29]
TEXT 44:
tasmat pranamya pranidhaya kayam
prasadaye tvam aham isam idyam
piteva putrasya sakheva sakhyuh
priyah priyayarhasi deva sodhum
TRANSLATION:
You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respectful obeisances and ask Your mercy. As a father tolerates the impudence of his son, a friend the impertinence of a friend, or a husband the familiarity of his wife, please tolerate the wrongs I may have done You.
PURPORT:
Krishna's devotees relate to Krishna in various relationships; one might treat Krishna as a son, or one might treat Krishna as a husband, as a friend, or as a master. Krishna and Arjuna are related in friendship. As the father tolerates, or the husband or a master tolerates, so Krishna tolerates.
TEXT 45:
adrishta-purvam hrishito 'smi drishtva
bhayena ca pravyathitam mano me
tad eva me darsaya deva rupam
prasida devesa jagan-nivasa
TRANSLATION:
After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. Therefore please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
PURPORT:
Arjuna is always in confidence with Krishna because he is a very dear friend, and as a dear friend is gladdened by his friend's opulence, Arjuna is very joyful to see that his friend Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and can show such a wonderful universal form. But at the same time, after seeing that universal form, he is afraid that he has committed so many offenses to Krishna out of his unalloyed friendship. Thus his mind is disturbed out of fear, although he had no reason to fear. Arjuna therefore is asking Krishna to show His Narayana form, because He can assume any form. This universal form is material and temporary, as the material world is temporary. But in the Vaikuntha planets He has His transcendental form with four hands as Narayana. There are innumerable planets in the spiritual sky, and in each of them Krishna is present by His plenary manifestations of different names. Thus Arjuna desired to see one of the forms manifest in the Vaikuntha planets. Of course in each Vaikuntha planet the form of Narayana is four-handed, but the four hands hold different arrangements of symbols—the conchshell, mace, lotus and disc. According to the different hands these four things are held in, the Narayanas are variously named. All of these forms are one with Krishna; therefore Arjuna requests to see His four-handed feature.
Translation and commentary by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
--
Yours
Dinesh
Blog:http://dinesh-krsna.blogspot.com
Please tolerate the wrongs I may have done You
Govardhan photos
Decision is yours! Love or Lust???
We don't want to miss the boat! Posted: 03 Oct 2011 02:33 PM PDT Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011) In preaching we should not throw Krishna Consciousness like a tonne of bricks on peoples' heads, and all at once tell them: "You have to follow everything!" And they runaway, and are never to be seen again. No, preaching means that we have to be sensitive, pending on what stage that person is at, and offer them the next step – that's preaching. It's not that there is a stereotype lesson for everyone. No, each person is somewhere and the preacher has to check out partially by asking some questions and by being partially sensitive, towards this person and try to give the person the next step to take. In book distribution, Vaisheshika was saying interesting things. He was saying: "When we take members out of the congregation out to the book distribution for the first times. Usually I tell them that for the first three times they are not allowed to distribute any books, since they can only watch. Anybody who is a little bit of a natural – ignores those instructions and starts distributing the books. But the ones who are shy, they feel secure with them instructions. It's authorised now for them to watch three times and they don't feel pressurised". So I thought it was intelligent………….give people the next step…….yes why not, but life is short and we don't want to also miss the boat! |
KKSblog.com - We don’t want to miss the boat!
Sri Radha Krishna |
Sri Radha Krishna - Dont Miss!!!
Finding He who is difficult to find in the Vedas!
"...even if there may be some problems, always try to remain in Krsna consciousness. Do not give up chanting the Hare Krsna mantra simply due to some external difficulties. Under all circumstances you should always chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This will protect you from all danger of being influenced by maya or the material energy."
Even if there may be Problems
Dependent on the Mercy of Krishna
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011)
One can never take Krishna for granted. He can never think:
"I've done so much service… so much! You know in my days, we used to go to sankirtan and we used to distribute so many books. There were so many books that one man could not lift them! So in the past we did so much service, and that's why in the present we don't have to do anything!"
It's not like that, then immediately maya is there!
'Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha haiyā bhoga-vāñchā kare
nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpatiyā dhare',
Jagadananda Pandita in 'The Prema Vivarta', says that:
"Maya is waiting nearby, and as soon as we are showing a little interest by just looking with interest in the material energy – maya is not waiting for us to fall down… she will slap us DOWN!"
So, yes maya is a great devotee of Krishna, and maybe a greater devotee than we are! We need the shelter of Krishna, again and again. Even in the spiritual world, we have to always conquer Krishna. In the spiritual world we are free from maya, but to get the mercy of Krishna we have to always conquer it again and again!
Maya will slap us down!
Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011)
You know how it is when a lady gets married. Before the marriage everything is romantic, and then there is the marriage. Once he has the ring on his finger, then something has changed. Now you have responsibilities. He's your husband:
"You have to protect me! You have to provide. It's your duty to bring in the money!"
"Yes dear…of course….yes!"
The relationship that Krishna has with the gopis is 'parakīya', paramour.
Paramour – no rights… no claim… nothing. In married life some claim is there. But with paramour there is no claim – that's Krishna Consciousness!
No rights… no claim
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, New Ekacakra, Slovakia, 2011)
We have to try and understand what Krishna is teaching us. Krishna is the teacher. He is teaching Bhagavad Gita. So Krishna says:
"In this material world there are three modes of material nature. We gradually have to rise from the lower modes of nature of passion and ignorance to the mode of goodness!".
In the mode of passion, we don't think, we react immediately! If someone says:
"You stupid!"
We say:
"What!!"
No thinking in between, since in the mode of passion we respond immediately! But in the mode of goodness, we don't respond immediately, since we have to think first! So if someone says to us:
"You stupid!"
"I have to think about that. Or maybe he's right… but still I wish he didn't say all of that to me."
Well Krishna says in 'The Nectar of Instructions' that:
"There are six loving exchanges between devotees".
It says that one of these exchanges is that you have to give gifts to devotees.
"Maybe I'll try that… or some prasadam – maybe that will work".
Even if the other devotee still doesn't change, and continues to say:
"You stupid".
At least we will change by trying to act as a vaisnava, and gradually we develop the qualities of the vaisnava, and then we become more tolerable by doing all of these things. So we are no longer disturbed.
The fact that we are disturbed when someone doesn't behave very nicely with us, means that we are still under the influence of the three modes of material nature. So we are not transcendental.
So lets first come to the mode of goodness and think before we act, and look at what Krishna says, to do in these situations. That's how we deal with these situations!
Everyone has somebody or a few people who they don't get on so well with. Some people don't get on with anybody! We have to try to change, by becoming more in the mode of goodness. It will take some time, but we have to practise it!
We have to change
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Helsinki, Finland, 2011)
We are chanting in a matter of routine – the same everyday…….and everyday we are not making a fresh attempt. It's because we are affected by impersonalism, because we are chanting the holy name without appreciating that the holy name is Krishna. In the relationship with Krishna, one has to always conquer Krishna. We have to always keep in mind, that each time we want the mercy of Krishna than we have to conquer Krishna and never think:
"I did it yesterday, so I have a special relationship with Krishna. I have done all this service in the past and therefore Krishna will grant me special mercy!"
No! One has to conquer Krishna again and again! That is what we see….Krishna in Vrindavan…..he disappears from the rasa lila. The devotees have to conquer him again and again! So we also have to think like that, that everyday again we have to try a special endeavour.
It's difficult to do….it's not so easy. It is for that reason that the acaryas have selected quotes from the scripture about the special dates in Krishna Consciousness. For example, Ekadasi, and on such days we try and do something more. Or in Janmashtami, we try and do something more, in terms of chanting and service.
Those special occasions are very important, because they break the routine of getting into an automatic level of chanting. But then when we sometimes try something special, then we can break out from this mood of routine.
So Srila Prabhupada did not recommend that the devotees would regularly take time off from active service to chant very large numbers of rounds. We don't see that, that Prabhupada started a day with chanting sixty four rounds like everyday or on Ekadasi, or regularly. But Prabhupada at least recommended that one would chant twenty five rounds on Ekadasi. Prabhupada was certainly in favour in chanting more rounds. In one letter he said:
"Why sixteen rounds? Why not sixteen thousand rounds?"
So he definitely was wanting us to do more.
And at the time of initiation, we also ask devotees to chant inimum of sixteen rounds, but not just sixteen but a minimum!
So one must have the attitude of trying to chant more and especially on special occasions!
Conquering Krishna
When your heart becomes clean, then you will realize the mission of the spiritual master more and more. Your role there also will become very clear because you will realize that you are an eternal servant of Krishna and that serving the spiritual master's order is not different from serving Krishna. But without hearing it is very difficult for the heart to become clean.
HH Niranjana Swami
Realizing the mission of the spiritual master
Radhanath Swami also reveals God's plan in testing His dear devotees. God wants us to be purified of all contamination and be desirous of exclusive dedication to a spiritual cause. He wants to also strengthen our faith in him. Quoting his guru, Radhanath Swami offers another interesting reason why God tests his devotees. "God wants to glorify His devotees to the whole world", says Radhanath Swami, "He wants us to see the calibre of His dear devotees who face hardships, and yet never give up their loyalty to God." Radhanath Swami gives the analogy of an Indian home where the daughter-in law is new to the customs of her husband's family. The mother-in-law sees minor mistakes in the cooking of the newly arrived bride. She knows if she corrects her, she would be nervous. Hence she chastises her own daughter about a mistake, within the earshot of the daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law then gets the message and learns her lessons. Similarly, Radhanath Swami says God puts his own dear devotees in difficulties so that a neophyte can take inspiration and learn his own lessons in his spiritual quest.
Why the Lord tests His devotees?
Looking over my garden this morning, I saw that it needed weeding.
With limited time however, I could weed only a small patch. Nonetheless, I walked away happy.
If I had thought of weeding the whole yard, I may have postponed the work leaving the weeds -- which never take time off -- to gain ground.
However, dealing with just a small patch allowed me to focus until that small area was clean and neat.
Indeed, after I had completed this small task, I felt satisfied and encouraged.
Similarly, purifying the heart and controlling the mind and senses sometime seem a daunting task. But, if I focus on one aspect of my bhakti practice each day and make a small, incremental improvement, I gain confidence and look forward to doing more the next day.
Achieving a tiny bit of progress in your devotional practice each day builds faith and momentum and leads to a beautiful-looking bhakti garden in your heart.
Which little area of your bhakti garden will you work on today?
With gratitude and affection,
Vaisesika Dasa
Taking small incremental steps...
1. O Lord Nitai, please be merciful to me! The devotees say You are the shelter of the fallen souls who have no shelter.
2. Glories to You! Among the saints who give the gift of devotional service and spiritual love, You are the leader who carries the flag. You make no distiction between high and low. You give spiritual love to everyone.
3. Your gift of love brings happiness to the hearts of everyone on the world. You are, in fact, the Lord of Mercy. When You are present how can I remain unhappy?
4. Kanurama dasa says: What shall I say? O Lord Nitai, my faith rests in You alone. You are the Deity I and my family worship.
[ Kanurama dasa]
daya kara more nitai daya kara more
agatira gari nitai loke bale
jaya prema bhakti data pataka tomara
uttama adhama kichu na kara bicara
prema dane jagaj janera mana kaila sukhi
tumi dayara thakura ami kena dukhi
kanarama dasa bale ki baliba ami
e bada bharasa mora kulera thakura tumi
Nitai! Let us serve your glorious mission.
Meditations On the Way To Brazil