Divine Guidance
» My boy, look at Me
The Lord is always there, even in the worst period of our lives. He is waiting, waiting to help us. We must only look up for His grace, with sincerity with all sincerity. He is everywhere, waiting; "My boy, look at Me. Don't make much of the external environment. I am here, very near to you. You have cast your focus aside, you have cast your consciousness outside. Make it internal and you will find Me here. Make it above. You are looking down to secure servants and comforts, but if you look up, for existence higher than you, you will find Me in that plane. Look up! Don't look down, searching for servants." - from
Focusing on Our Fortune by Swami B.R. Sridhar
» Save me
“I surrender. You may do whatever you like with me. I am the worst of sinners. What to do with me now is in your hands. You, Savior, I have come to you. If there is any possibility—save me. This is my open appeal, my one-sided appeal.” This sort of self-abnegation will automatically cleanse our hearts. By this attitude of
saranagati, or surrender, we invite the greatest attention from above.
Saranagati, surrender, is the only way to be reinstated in our lost prospect.” ~ from
Sri Guru and His Grace by Swami B.R. Sridhar
» Everything is Wonderful
Everything is full of wonder. If we analyze the atom, we will be in wonder. Only we impose limitations. But when we analyze the atomic parts of wood or stone, we will be in wonder. The infinite is everywhere. Perfection is everywhere. The trouble is that with our limited thinking we have produced a world of limits. But we who are captured by the “scientific” way of thinking are not ready to admit that. That is the puzzle. From the biggest to the smallest, from the lowest to the highest, everything is wonderful. ~ from
Subjective Evolution of Consciousness by Swami B.R. Sridhar
» Guru is the Key
From Svetasvatara Upanisad (6.23):
yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthao
prakaiante mahatmanao
“The key to success in spiritual life is unflinching devotion to both the spiritual master and Krishna. To those great souls who have full faith in both Krishna and the spiritual master, the inner meaning of the scriptures is fully revealed.”
Sunday 25 February 2007
Vidura Krishna Prabhu gave the talk this Saturday, very nicely answering questions from the assembly on the nature of service, growing up in the association of devotees, and the meaning of humility and surrender. He was so lucid and clear in everything he said that I could only be extremely impressed. He is always glorifying the Vaisnavas, especially Kum Kum devi, Sanatani and Srutasrava Prabhu, and Yudhamanyu Prabhu Seva Vikram. Vidura Krishna Prabhu spoke enthusiastically of the mission in China, how Yudhamanu Prabhu ends each class with 'don't worry, be happy' which is so foreign a concept to the Chinese students who are always in anxiety and competition. Vidura Krishna Prabhu ki jaya! He humbles me by showing how a real devotee behaves.
Sorry the picture is so bad but it is a camera phone picture. But a picture of an exalted devotee is beautiful no matter what
Wednesday 21 February 2007
More pictures posted from VerandaViews.
Monday 19 February 2007
Four new darshan recordings are posted on the official Math site:
Audio: Appearance Day of Bhagavan Sri Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad. Morning
darshan by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj on his
veranda here in Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. "Today is a very
auspicious day for us because our life and death, everything, is
depending upon the mercy of Gurudev."
(
31 minutes, 3.7 MB mp3 audio also in higher quality:
7.3 MB.)
Audio: "We have given our life for practising Krishna consciousness
but that will be properly adjusted with the environment, situation,
association, etc. Proper adjustment is necessary." Srila Govinda
Maharaj points out that if there is no hankering, no sincerity, no
chastity, no humility, no tolerance and no giving honour to others, in
which way shall we maintain our spiritual life? 2 February 2007.
(
41 minutes, 4.7 MB mp3 audio also in higher quality:
9.4 MB.)
Audio: Appearance Day of Sri Nityananda Prabhu.
Extensive, beautiful glorification of Sri Nityananda Prabhu by Srila
Govinda Maharaj in his morning darshan, 31 January 2007.
(66 minutes, 7.8 MB mp3 audio also in higher quality:
16 MB.)
Audio: "Everything is existing very near to us
- all knowledge and transcendental advice - but we cannot realise this.
We have no time to realise this. That is the difficulty for us. If we
understand that time is very short to try for our upliftment, then we
cannot lose one moment." Srila Govinda Maharaj, 15 January 2007.
(
21 minutes, 2.5 MB mp3 audio also in higher quality:
4.9 MB.)
Monday 19 February 2007
A new resident arrived at the San Jose Seva Ashram on Saturday to help with the chores
Saturday 17 February 2007
Excerpt from
Heart and Halo by Srila B.R. Sridhar
Sometimes we may be misguided to believe that we must not study the devotional books, thinking: “To analyze, to know, that is not part of devotion. That is not necessary; it is knowledge, jñana, and that is anti-devotion.” Thinking in this way we will go on taking the Holy Name, and wherever there is some explanation being given about the devotional school, we will try to avoid it. But that is not always best, because by hearing from the proper source we get the kind of knowledge that gives us impetus to go on in our sadhana. In Sri Chaitanya-charitamrta Srila Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami says: siddhanta baliya, we should discuss the siddhanta (perfect conclusions of devotion). Sanatana Goswami is the acharya of siddhanta.
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Saturday 17 February 2007
Tulasi puja in Nabadwip, photo from
galleries at the main Spanish language site.
Friday 16 February 2007
"'Totally abandoning
all kinds of religion, surrender exclusively unto Me.', why is this not the highest thinking?
Why is this not the highest conception?" Guru Maharaj answered me, "Because
you surrender to your Lord, here [in Bhagavad-gita] up to that Lord Krishna has
given the advice, but after surrender what you will do that is not mentioned
here. And because of that Bhagavad-gita 18.66 is not sufficient."
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Sunday 11 February 2007
Important advice on reading scripture under the guidance of a senior Vaishnava is available at Bhakti Lalita Akinchan Maharaj's iMonk website. An excerpt:
We forget that Krishna revealed the mystery of Bhagavad Gita —
"The hidden treasure of the Sweet Absolute" — to Arjuna only after
Arjuna acknowledged the futility of his own endeavor (visrjya sa-saram
capam) and accepted Krishna as his guru: "I am Your disciple (sisyas
te 'ham). Please instruct me (sadhi mam) because I am
completely dependent upon, and rely exclusively on Your divine grace
(tvam prapannam)."
We will understand the transcendental mystery of Bhagavad Gita not
by reading it on our own, but by following Srila Gurudeva's instruction to
read it under the tutelage of an experienced Vaishnava mentor who can show us
how to assimilate what we think we have already learned.
"That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you have
understood all your life, but in a new way" — Doris Lessing
(novelist).
Sunday 11 February 2007
New pictures posted at Veranda Views . While we wait and see if audio will be posted from this event, there are a couple of darshans from December where Srila Gurudeva glorified Srila Prabhupada extensively:
Audio: Srila Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur's life was so exalted from his birth.
"Do what is in favour of service to the Lord Krishna, and all the
illusion, bondage, disturbance, material mentality, everything will
disappear." Srila Govinda Maharaj, 23 December 2006.
(26 minutes, 3.4 MB mp3 audio also in higher quality: 6.3 MB.)
Audio: Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's totalitarian war against maya as it began through his preaching in Kolkata. Srila Govinda Maharaj, 20 December 2006.
(22+ minutes, 2.9 MB mp3 audio also in higher quality: 5.6 MB.)
Sunday 11 February 2007
I bought flowers for Sriman Mahaprabhu in San Jose but the weather was bad, so my wife and I made garlands for Mahaprabhu, Guru Maharaj and Gurudeva, and Sri Krishna in our living room. It was a very nice evening
Tuesday 06 February 2007
"If fire burns the whole world, do not waste time trying to put it out.
All necessities can be met only by serving Krishna."
nikhila-bhuvana-maya-chhinna-vichchhinna-kartri
vibudha-bahula-mrgya-mukti-mohanta-datri
sithilita-vidhi-ragaradhya-radhesa-dhani
vilasatu hrdi nityam bhakti-siddhanta-vani
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Tuesday 06 February 2007
sri-siddhanta-sarasvatiti vidito gaudiya-gurv-anvaye
bhato bhanuriva prabhata-gagane yo gaura-samkirtanaih
mayavada-timingilodara-gatan uddhrtya jivaniman
krsna-prema-sudhabdhi-gahana-sukhaì pradat prabhum tam bhaje
"In the great Gaudiya Vaisnava teachers’ line, as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati he’s renowned. Like the radiant sun in the morning sky, he appeared to rescue all souls swallowed by the all-devouring impersonal philosophy. By spreading the teachings of Lord Gauranga to sing the Holy Name of Lord Sri Krsna, he gave all the chance to dive in the ocean of love of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Person. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, my lord, divine master — at his feet do I pray to serve him forever."
~ Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
Monday 05 February 2007
More beautiful pictures from the Math are posted at at
Veranda Views.
I've never been to the Math and I don't properly know all the outlying buildings etc. and would be very happy if anyone reading this could post a comment describing all the little details they know of the kund, the boats, names of the geese, etc. Any and all details would be nectarine and deeply appreciated by me. My 'travels' to the Math are all in dreams and pictures and likely to remain that way. Jaya Gurudeva!
Sunday 04 February 2007
Yudhamanyu Prabhu Seva Vikram is visiting from China, where he works as an English teacher. He has also mercifully
introduced many sincere souls to Srila Gurudeva and is spreading Mahaprabhu's glories to the extent possible in modern China. He gave a very enlivening talk about the throwing potency and covering potencies of Mayadevi, "She has the throwing potency and she has the covering potency, the covering potency is that no matter what body that we get, whether it'd s a worm or a rat body, I hate rats so I always use them as an example. You get the body of a rat, even though it's such a disgusting body and everything, still, while is that body of a rat I think 'man, this is happening!. There's my she-rat, my little rat kids and we have a little rat hole and I could give a rat's...' well anyway (laughter).
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Friday 02 February 2007
