Happy Kirtan!
Wednesday 31 January 2007Here is a short video clip of Sripad Janardan Maharaj leading a lively kirtan for the devotees in Soquel on Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu's Appearance Day
Thanks to Vaidehi devi for submitting the video!
Divine Guidance
» This Love Naturally Awakens
nitya-siddha krsna-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya
śravanādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
Pure love for Krishna is eternally established in the hearts of the living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens. ~ Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya Lila 22.107
» So Many Mortal Things
We do not even know the extraordinary nature of our own self. It is of a very high order, but our attention is focused towards so many mortal things; we have been introduced to, and captured by, the meanest aspect of the world. This is the consequence of the mood of enjoyment. We want to enjoy, we want to exploit. A good exploiter is a king to us! But exploitation in itself is degrading, very mean and low. It takes us to the lowest position and makes us victims of a great reaction. ~ from Heart and Halo by Swami B.R. Sridhar
We do not even know the extraordinary nature of our own self. It is of a very high order, but our attention is focused towards so many mortal things; we have been introduced to, and captured by, the meanest aspect of the world. This is the consequence of the mood of enjoyment. We want to enjoy, we want to exploit. A good exploiter is a king to us! But exploitation in itself is degrading, very mean and low. It takes us to the lowest position and makes us victims of a great reaction. ~ from Heart and Halo by Swami B.R. Sridhar
» I Shall Be Good
We are what doing? Arrangement, making arrangement for Sankirtan. If there is no Sankirtan there is no result. And Sankirtan will be without offense. And first offense is satam ninda namnah param aparadham vitanute that meant sadhu ninda we not with... abuse anyone. Who is sadhu we do not know. Then we will be protected with that thought. I shall be good. You are good or bad, that is another thing. But first I shall be good, and with that knowledge if I shall proceed, I shall get benefit. ~ from Sharanagati To Humility, Tolerance & Giving Honor To Others Krsna.cc radio archives, by Swami B.S. Govinda
We are what doing? Arrangement, making arrangement for Sankirtan. If there is no Sankirtan there is no result. And Sankirtan will be without offense. And first offense is satam ninda namnah param aparadham vitanute that meant sadhu ninda we not with... abuse anyone. Who is sadhu we do not know. Then we will be protected with that thought. I shall be good. You are good or bad, that is another thing. But first I shall be good, and with that knowledge if I shall proceed, I shall get benefit. ~ from Sharanagati To Humility, Tolerance & Giving Honor To Others Krsna.cc radio archives, by Swami B.S. Govinda
» That Sort of Heart
It is the nature of one who appreciates the highest that he will think himself to be in the lower position. We find this in the practices and sayings of the great men. It is a question of trnad api sumcena, taror api sahisnuna, and this is a necessary qualification of a devotee. We must have that sort of qualification, that sort of heart. That must not be an artificial thing but if we are not ready to think ourselves lower, we cannot come in connection with the higher. ~ from Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion Volume 3 by Swami B.R. Sridhar
It is the nature of one who appreciates the highest that he will think himself to be in the lower position. We find this in the practices and sayings of the great men. It is a question of trnad api sumcena, taror api sahisnuna, and this is a necessary qualification of a devotee. We must have that sort of qualification, that sort of heart. That must not be an artificial thing but if we are not ready to think ourselves lower, we cannot come in connection with the higher. ~ from Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion Volume 3 by Swami B.R. Sridhar
» The Service of the Holy Name
The service of dham frees one from the jaws of Illusion, the terribly wrong theory that a jiva or creature is himself God and Master, and that there is no existence, except in the human imagination, of the holy Name, Form, Attributes, Pastimes and Paraphernalia of Godhead. The service of Krishna's Desire saves one from the hand of the great foe of hankering for one's own sensuous gratification. One is thereby freed from serving the earthly passions and may be installed in the service of the Desire of the transcendental Despot, in the singing of the saving hymn of transcendental love. ~ from Testimony of Love by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
The service of dham frees one from the jaws of Illusion, the terribly wrong theory that a jiva or creature is himself God and Master, and that there is no existence, except in the human imagination, of the holy Name, Form, Attributes, Pastimes and Paraphernalia of Godhead. The service of Krishna's Desire saves one from the hand of the great foe of hankering for one's own sensuous gratification. One is thereby freed from serving the earthly passions and may be installed in the service of the Desire of the transcendental Despot, in the singing of the saving hymn of transcendental love. ~ from Testimony of Love by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura
» The mind must be captured by Transcendence
“If at the time of dying I remember a dog then I shall go to the womb of a dog. Such danger is there. So we must do everything for the service of our Srila Guru Maharaj, then nothing can disturb us. It is necessary that the mind be captured by the transcendental environment.”
~ Swami B.S. Govinda
“If at the time of dying I remember a dog then I shall go to the womb of a dog. Such danger is there. So we must do everything for the service of our Srila Guru Maharaj, then nothing can disturb us. It is necessary that the mind be captured by the transcendental environment.”
~ Swami B.S. Govinda
Here is a short video clip of Sripad Janardan Maharaj leading a lively kirtan for the devotees in Soquel on Sri Advaita Acharya Prabhu's Appearance Day
Thanks to Vaidehi devi for submitting the video!
Dayal Nitai! Gaura Haribol!
Wednesday 31 January 2007
By the grace of Nityananda Prabhu we develop our attraction for Sri Gauranga.
Nityananda Prabhu helps us consolidate the foundation which helps us progress
further. His mercy sometimes exceeds the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He
won't allow even those who want to avoid Krsna consciousness to escape. If
someone says, "I don't want it," Nityananda Prabhu won't allow it. He will say,
"No! You must want it. I request you earnestly—take it! Use it and you will be
able to feel the value of Krsna consciousness." He used to roam about here and
there, rolling in the dust with tears in His eyes saying, "Take the name of
Gauranga and I will be sold to you." By His mercy, even the most fallen souls
can attain the supreme goal. He is the most generous-hearted aspect of
guru-tattva, so we must bow down our head to Him, accept His holy feet, and
surrender to Him.
~ An excerpt from The Golden Volcano by Swami B.R. Sridhar
Sachidevi's Dream
Wednesday 31 January 2007
Nityananda Prabhu knows only Gauranga. He is represented in krsna-lila as Baladeva. Baladeva apparently performed the rasa-lila, but at heart was only arranging rasa-lila for Krishna: His nature shows the experts of devotion that He is always dedicated to Krishna. Otherwise He would not be Baladeva. He has no individual thoughts for His own enjoyment; every atom of His body is always eager to make arrangements for the enjoyment of Krishna. In a similar way, every atom of the body of Nityananda Prabhu is conscious transcendental substance. And every atom of His body is meant only for the service and satisfaction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
One day, Mahaprabhu's mother, Sachidevi, had a dream that Krishna and Balarama were on a throne and Nityananda Prabhu was addressing Baladeva, "Come down from Your throne! Your days are over. Now my Lord Gauranga will be installed." Baladeva refused: "No. I have My Lord—Krishna." There was a fight, but Nityananda Prabhu was stronger and He took Baladeva down from the throne, saying, "Your day has gone. Now the time for My master, Gauranga, has come. You are a trespasser, a usurper—You must come down." And Baladeva could not defeat Nityananda, who took Him down from the throne. This is the nature of Nityananda Prabhu's relationship with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He has nothing of His own; His everything is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. As Baladeva is to Krishna, Nityananda Prabhu is to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The aim of Sriman Mahaprabhu's descent was to distribute the devotional service of Vrindavana most generously. On the other hand, Nityananda Prabhu used to sing:
bhaja gauranga, kaha gauranga laha gauranga nama,
yei jana gauranga bhaje sei amara prana
"Worship Gauranga, speak of Gauranga, chant Gauranga's name. Whoever worships Sri Gauranga is My life and soul." Nityananda Prabhu tried His best to make the people at large accept Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. What did He say? "Come straight to the campaign of Sri Chaitanya and you will safely attain Vrindavana."
~ An excerpt from The Golden Volcano by Swami B.R. Sridhar
Glorious Gurudeva!
Tuesday 30 January 2007
More mercy from Jamuna Priya Devi posted at VerandaViews . I posted a few that I don't want to lose track of over time.
So Much Mercy!
Tuesday 30 January 2007
Though it has been quiet at the official scsmath.com website for a bit, the floodgates have opened with so much news from India, Russia, Venezuala, London, Mexico and on and on are now posted online, as well as over 10 audio files and the Vyasa Puja Offerings by Sannyasi available in PDF! I can't even attempt to list all the glorious new content available! Many who love our Srila Gurudeva have limited association and our daily connection comes from the web, so for me personally this is such a huge wave of mercy. I hope all can find the time to read through all the offerings submitted from the devotees worldwide and see what affection exists for our beloved Gurudeva, His Math and mission. With Sri Nityananda Prabhu's Divine appearance day nearly here, this huge distribution seems like His mercy. Jaya Mahananda Prabhu for all this news!
Soquel Ekadasi Feast
Tuesday 30 January 2007
Jaya Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari!
I was so fortunate to make it to the Soquel Seva Ashram this past Sunday for the evening program and feast. It was Ekadasi, a fast with no grains. I took some photos, though I am a terrible photographer I hope you are pleased to see the devotees.
Click here for the full storyOrigin of the Soul
Friday 26 January 2007
An excerpt from "The Search for Sri Krishna" by Swami B.R.Sridhar
"How does the soul first appear in this world? From what stage of spiritual existence does he fall into the material world?" This is a broad question, which requires some background information.
There are two classes of souls, jivas, who come into this world. One class comes from the spiritual Vaikuntha planets by the necessity of nitya-lila, the eternal pastimes of Krsna. Another comes by constitutional necessity.
The brahmajyoti, the nondifferentiated marginal plane, is the source of infinite jiva souls, atomic spiritual particles of nondifferentiated character. The rays of the Lord's transcendental body are known as the brahmajyoti, and a pencil of a ray of the brahmajyoti is the jiva. The jiva soul is an atom in that effulgence, and the brahmajyoti is a product of an infinite number of jiva atoms.
Generally, souls emanate from the brahmajyoti which is living and growing. Within the brahmajyoti, their equilibrium is somehow disturbed and movement begins. From nondifferentiation, differentiation begins. From a plain sheet of uniform consciousness, individual conscious units grow. And because the jiva is conscious it is endowed with free will. So, from the marginal position they choose either the side of exploitation or the side of dedication.
The Loving Search for the Lost Servant
Tuesday 23 January 2007
"Why did you stay away? Why have you been living away from home for so long? How was it possible for you? How could you bear My separation? You left Me, and you have been passing lives after lives without Me? Still, I know what trouble you took to return to Me. You searched for Me everywhere and went to beg from house to house, and you were chastised by many, ridiculed by many, and you shed tears for Me. I know all these things. I was with you. And now, after great trouble, you have again come back to Me."
I found a PDF of this beautiful book and thought I would share it. Please click the file icon to view, right click to download: 
New Photos and New Baby!
Monday 22 January 2007
Subhada Didi from Siberia showing Srila Gurudeva pictures 'From Siberia with Love'
This baby deer was born at the Math four days ago.
Click here to see the rest of the pics from this series at Veranda Views.
Descent of the Holy Name
Wednesday 17 January 2007
As told to Achutyananda PrabhuHis Holiness B.R. Sridhara Maharaja sat on the roof of his quarters in Navadvipa. The now very old sadhu was in a contemplative mood, and to approach him in this state disturbed me. He motioned that I should sit in front of him, so I timidly went and sat down on a grass mat at his feet. There was no one to be seen for miles around. "There are many things to see from up here by which we can remember Sri Caitanya," His Holiness said. "We have this Ganges, this forest, the temples, His favorite tree, banana. What have you come here to ask me?" "Can you explain how, if the Name is a spiritual thing, how is it that we are all chanting it with a material tongue?" I asked, feeling quite foolish. After some silence he began to speak, "Nitai Caitanya, Nitai Caitanya," and then he proceeded:
Click here for the full storyRamai in Nabadwip with Gurudeva!
Monday 15 January 2007
See these and more posted today on VerandaViews
San Jose: Mathuranath Prabhu visits from the Eugene Seva Ashram
Sunday 14 January 2007
Mathuranath Prabhu is down from Oregon visiting the Soquel and San Jose ashrams and I had the great fortune to hear him speak in San Jose last night. Mathuranath Prabhu runs a sign business that helps support the Eugene Sri Caitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram. He told how in his sign business he uses monofilament lines to hang signs, and that you can't always tell there is a line there because it is so thin and transparent. But these lines are so strong they can hold hundreds of pounds of weight. In the same way, we can't always see Guru there supporting us but he is ever present, holding us up, and we should always remember that.
Click here for the full storyGeese and Gurudeva
Monday 08 January 2007
Click here for more pictures of our Paramahamsa Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev Goswami Maharaj visting with the devotees, the deer, and the geese on the temple grounds. I really appreciate these pictures of the animals at the Math. Look for the one of the boy herding cows.
Photos
Sunday 07 January 2007Below are links to various photo galleries on SCSMath websites:
- Audio archives from Undereternityblue
- Official Math photo series archive
- Veranda Views - informal photos of Gurudeva and the devotees by Jamuna Priya Devi
- Soquel photo galleries of Gurudeva's stay there for 7 months in 2004-2005
- Vaisnava.com pictures of Srila Govinda Maharaj
- Vaisnava.com pictures of Srila Sridhar Maharaj
- Vaisnava.com Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama 2004
- Vaisnava.com Sri Puri Dham Parikrama 2004
- Very nice photo galleries from the main Spanish website
USA Sri Caitanya Saraswat Math centers:
Sunday 07 January 2007California:
Sri Caitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram
2900 North Rodeo Gulch Road
Soquel, CA 95073, U.S.A.
Phone: (831) 462-4712
Fax: (831) 462-9472
http://www.sevaashram.org/Sri Caitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram
269 E. Saint James Street
San Jose
Ca 95112, U.S.A
Phone: (408) 288 6360 and (408) 287-6360Jumping Monkey (Vegetarian meals)
The Golden Road
418 Front St.
Santa Cruz, Ca 95060
Phone: (831) 466-0168
Phone: (831) 515-4129
http://www.goldenroad.org/
Oregon:
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram
268 1/2 W 7th. Ave. #B
Eugene, OR 97401
http://scsashram.org
The Golden Road
741 Lincoln St.
Eugene, Or 97401
Phone: (541) 434-1008
East Coast:
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
P.O. Box 311
Oaklyn NJ, U.S.A.
Phone: (856) 962-0894
http://www.scsmathny.org
http://www.scsmathnj.org
Hawaii:
Sri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Mission
RR1 Box 450-D, Crater Road
Kula, Maui, HI 96790, U.S.A.
http://www.krsna.cc/
Phone & Fax: (808) 878-6821Sri Chaitanya Sanctuary
P.O. Box 1292,
Honokaa, HI 96727, U.S.A.
For worldwide centers please visit:
San Jose: Honoring the Appearance of Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami Prabhu
Sunday 07 January 2007
The appearance of Gopal Bhatta Goswami Prabhu was honored last night in San Jose.
The following is from kindly borrowed from iskcon.com's Disciplic Successions page:
In the year 1510, while Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was on tour of South India, the family of Vyenkata Bhatta had the great fortune of hosting the Lord during the four months of the rainy season. Gopala, Vyenkata Bhatta's seven-year-old son, served Lord Caitanya continuously and developed an intense love for Him.
When Lord Caitanya was about to leave, Vyenkata Bhatta fainted and Gopala Bhatta's eyes filled with tears of love. For Gopala Bhatta's sake, Lord Caitanya agreed to stay a few more days.
Click here for the full storySoquel Seva Ashram ki jaya!
Saturday 06 January 2007These aren't the type of photos normally posted of festivals etc. so I thought they may be nice for all to see. I'm no photographer but I hope they please the devotees anyway.
Janardan Maharaj is the head of the temple and Soquel community and lends such a sweet mood to the ashram. Parvat Maharaj took me out on my first collecting service and I have special affection for his sense of humor. Both Swamis together make for a very happy, joyous mood.
Click here for the full storyNew Photos from Nabadwip
Tuesday 02 January 2007
It's always a happy day for me when there are new photos posted at Veranda Views Jamuna Priya devi's divine service ki jaya! I have never been to the Math in India and her site definitely helps me feel closer to Govinda Maharaj. Click the photo of Gurudeva above to see all the photos! All Glories to Srila Gurudeva!
