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Who Needs a Guru? Part Three

By: Mahanidhi Swami

The Vedas contain all the knowledge and mantras oneneeds to achieve both material happiness and spiritualperfection. So why can’t one just study the Vedas by himself, without a spiritual master, and attain all material and spiritual perfection? Besides, it is said that the Supreme Lord is within everyone, so why does one need an external spiritual guide to realize God?

The sacred books alone are not the revelation. The acaryas, spiritual teachers, are a necessary part of revelation. The Vedic texts preserve the spoken words of the Supreme Lord and various liberated saints known as rishis. But alone, the bookscannot speak personally to us. God is sound and He must be heard.Therefore, the Vedic literature is called Shruti, whichmeans that which is heard or communicated orally from the beginning; sacred knowledge orally transmitted by the spiritual teachers from generation to generation. The word shruti also means the ear organ or the power of hearing.

The transcendental sound spoken by a God realized soul, the spiritual master, to the surrendered disciple disposed to rendering unconditional service to Sri Guru, is not the same as the transcendental sound written in or read in the sacred scriptures, the Vedas.

The personal factor, Sri Guru, provides the essential link connecting the covered consciousness of thedisciple and the Absolute Truth.

The Supreme Lord engages select persons to act as His delegated, empowered representatives, the spiritual masters, who act in this world to dispel the ignorance eclipsing the original, pure and brilliant consciousness of the conditioned souls.

By His own will the Absolute Truth appears on the lips of a surrendered devotee. But the Absolute Truth, which is fully experienced as Sri Krishna the transcendental autocrat, forever reserves the right of not revealing Himself to the mundanesenses of the conditioned soul attached to material sense enjoyment. Personal submission to the living pure devotee isthe key to spiritual perfection. The spiritual preceptor is the empowered representative of Srila Vyasa-deva, who is none other than Lord Narayana Himself.

Mundane scientists research the phenomenal world to make discoveries to improve the quality of human life. Similarly, one may argue that, “Since God is within everyone, why can’t a spiritual seeker independently research within himself, and thereby gain transcendental knowledge and realization of God?

Such statements as why does one need a guru simply reveal one’s ignorance about the essential nature of the Absolute Truth and transcendental knowledge of Him.

In summary, the Absolute Truth is the fully conscious, supreme Absolute Person. In other words, God is the supremely conscious individual. Connection with the Absolute Truth depends solely on His sweet will, which God expresses by sending his agent, the spiritual master, when I am qualified with transcendental faith and surrender.

Sri Gurudeva ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Why Do We Worship the Guru? Part Two

By: Mahanidhi Swami

Vyasa-puja is that one day in a year wherein a sadhaka compresses a lifetime of thoughts, feelings and acts of dedication into a few words of praise of his eternal spiritual guide, friend, master and mentor; a few drops of water humbly offered back to the ocean.

To serve and not to be served is the constitutional position of the jiva, the living entity. Forgetting his real eternal nature, the conditioned soul becomes the false master of the material world. He plays the role of God and tries to enjoy his senses in every way imaginable and unimaginable.

Though he tries very hard to be the supreme enjoyer, in reality the conditioned soul becomes a completely bound slave of Maya. Ironically, the more one strives for lordship, freedom and pleasure, the more he increases his bondage of servitude.

For a fortunate soul, the spiritual master, Sri Guru, appears in his life to remove the darkness of misconception and establish him in the light of eternal truth.

Sri Guru proclaims, “O lost soul! Verily, my dear friend, you are actually the eternal servant of the Supreme Lord Krishna (jivera svarupa haya nitya Krishna dasa).” A new life begins. Joy awakens and the highest divine prospect descends to lighten the burden of a million previous births.

But who is the spiritual master? What is his relationship with Sri Krishna and Srila Vyasa-deva, the compiler of all Vedic thought? And lastly why and how is Sri Guru worshiped in a ceremony commonly known as Vyasa-puja?

Sri Guru ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Karttika Purnima: Mahaprabhu’s 500th Anniversary Vraja Yatra

By: Mahanidhi Swami

Bhagavan Sri Krishna, in the form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, came to Vrindavana to fulfill the purpose for which He descended to this material world. There is a direct connection between Mahaprabhu’s coming to the world in 1486, and His coming to Vrindavana on Kartika Purnima in 1515.

Other than sankirtana prachara, which Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja said is the external purpose (bahya hetu Cc. 1.1.102) for His appearance, Krishna Chaitanya, assuming the mahabhava and prema kanti of Srimati Radharani, came for 3 principal reasons mentioned in Sri Chaitanya Caritamrta (1.1.6):

Sri radhayah pranaya mahima kidrsho vana yaiva

Svadyo yenadbhuta madhurima kidrsho va madiyah

Saukhyam casya mad anubhavatah kidrsham veti lobhat

Tad bhavadhyah samajani shaci garbha sindhau harinduh

“Bhagavan Sri Krishna appeared as Mahaprabhu to 1) understand the greatness of Radhikara prema; 2) taste the amazing sweetness of His own love; 3) experience the happiness Radha feels in loving Him.”

Later Kaviraja Goswami confirms the main cause of Sri Krishna descent:

Sei bhave nija vancha karila purana avatarera ei vancha mula karana

“In the mood of Radha bhava (mahabhava), Mahaprabhu fulfilled His own desires. This is the root cause of Krishna’s avatara as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. (Cc. 1.4.221)

In 1515, Sri Chaitanyadeva came to Vrindavana and visited many places within Vraja Mandala. After Radha-Krishna closed Their Bhauma Vrindavana prakata-lila, Sri Radha Kunda became hidden and lost (tirtha lupta) to the world. Being the sarvajna bhavagan, however, the omniscient Mahaprabhu revealed the exact location of Radha’s Lake of Love Divine.

After joyfully bathing in Radha Kunda, Krishna Chaitanya glorified it with prayers:

“Radha Kunda is very dear to Sri Krishna because it is very dear to Priyaji Sri Radha” (taiche Radha kunda priya priyara sarasi Cc. 2.18.7).

“Sri Krishna gives Radha prema to whoever bathes even once in Radha Kunda” (sei kunde yei eka bara kare snana, tanre Radha sama prema Krishna kare dana Cc. 2.18.10) Thus the merciful and compassionate Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu fulfilled His purpose in coming to Vrindavana.

When the brothers Sri Rupa and Sanatana Goswamis met Mahaprabhu in Ramakeli, they glorified the Lord, saying:

namo maha vadanyaya Krishna prema pradaya te

Krishnaya Krishna Chaitanya namne gaura tvishe namah

“You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Chaitanya with the golden color of Srimati Radharani. You are most charitable for You are giving Krishna prema. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.” (Cc. 2.19.53)

In 1515, Mahaprabhu bestowed the greatest charity upon the world by coming to Vrindavana to reveal the lost reservoir (lupta tirtha) of Radha prema. Combining the affection of bhakta-vatsalya Sri Krishna and the unlimited compassion of Karunamayi Radha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Vrindavana to reveal Radha Kunda and make Radha prema available to everyone in the world for time ever more.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Vrindavana Agaman Lila ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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HOLI PASTIMES OF GAURANGA

By: Mahanidhi Swami

From the first day of spring, Vasanta Pancami (Visnupriya’s appearance day) until Gaura Purnima, Lord Gauranga plays Holi for 40 days continuously. On each day of these 40 days, Sri Gaurasundara performs Holi lila in the homes of His various confidential devotees. First Holi is in Advaitacarya’s house on Vasanta Pancami. Then on Trayodasi, He plays Holi in Nityananda’s house. In this month on Sukla Sasthi (March 6) , Gauranga plays Holi in Gauridasa Pandita’s house. Then on astami, in Uddharana Datta’s house. On Purnima, Mahaprabhu plays Holi in own home.

Holi Pastimes of Gauranga

On the bank of the Ganga, Sri Gauranga divided His intimate devotees into two groups: One team with Gauranga, and one team with Gadadhara Pandita. In Gadadhara’s team, there were Svarupa Damodara, Mukunda, Vasu Ghosa and many others. Gauranga’s side was led by Gauridasa Pandita. As previously in Krsna-lila, all the sakhis and manjaris sided with Radha and all the sakhas teamed up together with Krsna to attack the sakhis. And now in Nadiya, the same devotees sided with either Gaura or Gadadhara respectively. Picking up pichkaris (syringes), Gauranga’s team squirted Sri Gadadhara and his team. Then in retaliation, Svarupa Damodara and others began to hurl coloured powders bombarding Gauranga and His party from all sides. As the fun pastimes of Holi progressed, Gauridasa started clapping his hands and shouting excitingly, “Gauranga has won, Gauranga has won!” Then Svarupa Damodara angrily replied, “No, Gauranga has lost. The winner is my Gadadhara!” At this instant, some devotees slapped their chests and others sang and danced raising their hands into the sky, “Haribol! Haribol! Gaura Haribol!” (Mohandasa, disciple of Srinivasa Acarya)

Om tat Sat

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Raghava Pandita’s Amazing Bags (raghavera jhaali)

By: Mahanidhi Swami

Two days before Ratha-yatra, all the devotees from Bengal arrived at the Gambhira in Jagannatha Puri. For the pleasure of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Raghava Pandita brought many bags of food that had been very nicely prepared and carefully packed by his sister, Damayanti. The bags of food that Damayanti lovingly made for Mahaprabhu have become famous throughout the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya as raghavera jhaali.

Damayanti made varieties of unparalleled food that were the favorites of Mahaprabhu, which the Lord relished continually for one year. The many tasty foods included a hundred varieties of condiments and pickles, various sweets from milk, cream and grains, rich tasty dishes from dried and flat rice. Because of her intense affection for Mahaprabhu, Damayanti thought that Gauranga might get indigestion from eating the heavy foods. So she also packed digestive aids in the bags, such as dried karela and other bitter vegetables known as sukutaa, which help digestion. Mahaprabhu derived more happiness from eating this sukutaa than from drinking pancamrta. Other digestive aids were small sweet balls made of dried ginger, and also one of powdered coriander and anise seeds. Damayanti ingeniously created an amazing digestive aid by drying, powdering and straining mud from the Ganga. Then she mixed in aromatic ingredients and rolled it into small balls.

Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja sums Damayanti’s pure love offering by saying, “I could not mention the names of all these wonderful eatables, even in a lifetime. Damayanti made hundreds and thousands of varieties.”

This blissful spiritual festival, which is still celebrated in Jagannatha Puri every year two days before Ratha-yatra is called “Gaura Gambhira me Raghava Panditaji ka Jhaali Samarpana”.

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

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Today is the day of Alalanatha Gamana Lila

By:Mahanidhi Swami

While Lord Jagannatha spent a fortnight in seclusion during His anavasara ceremony, Sri Caitanyadeva struggled with the most intense pangs of love in separation. Wrapped in Rādhā’s mahabhāva, Gaura felt one moment without Jagannatha Kṛṣṇa to be like four million years. One can only imagine how Mahaprabhu suffered without seeing His Prananatha for two long weeks. Even when Jagannatha Swami was granting daily darsana that was not enough to soothe the aching heart of Gauranga. Hence, every night Sri Caitanyadeva escaped from His tiny room at Gambhira to search for Sri Kṛṣṇa, hankering for His darsana.

Often late at night, Mahaprabhu ran to the Mandira hoping to get a glimpse of Jagannatha. Locked doors forced Gaura to climb the walls near Simha Dvara. Failing in His attempt, the golden Lord collapsed on the ground swooning in divine rapture. Sri Caitanyadeva, torn by the anguish of separation, then exhibited His extraordinary Kurma Caitanya rupa; arms and legs withdrawn into His torso, and head crunched down on His shoulders like a giant tortoise or pumpkin. This unique form of ecstasy in separation resembled the form of Lord Jagannatha.

Such astounding displays of divine love were occurring on a regular basis whenever Gauranga saw Lord Jagannatha. Now, it is inconceivable how, without any darsana whatsoever for two weeks, Sri Caitanyadeva survived in such an extremely tortuous state of misery. He could not, so Gauranga left Sri Ksetra, Purusottama Dhama, and walked twenty-four km. away to see Lord Ālālanātha. When Gauranga took darsana of Lord Alarnath, He did not see Him as Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa, but as Gopinatha Sri Kṛṣṇa, playing a flute. Sri Caitanyadeva’s ecstasy of seeing Lord Ālālanātha in this way has its parallel in a pastime of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Therefore devotees in the line of Sri Caitanyadeva consider Lord Ālālanātha to be two-armed Sri Kṛṣṇa.

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The Dog Gets a Siddha Deha

By: Mahanidhi Swami

Let’s look at a pastime of Lord Gauranga from Caitanya-caritamrta. The story is about how Sivananda Sena, Lord Gauranga’s eternal associate, personally cared for and a loved a stray dog traveling with him on a yatra to Jagannatha Puri. The dog ran ahead to Puri, met Mahaprabhu, got the mercy and went to the spiritual sky.

Now let us compare Sivananda Sena’s liberal compassionate world view, which includes the welfare of a dog, with the modern men of this world. As you all know in the modern world we live in, most people don’t even care for the guy next door. They think “you live or die, let me live.” It’s a sad state of affairs but it’s a fact.

This Caitanya-caritamrta chapter contains many verses and pages describing Sivananda Sena’s lila with a lowly dirty dog. It’s all about love—pure love of dog. In America they have an interesting phrase which Srila Prabhupada liked, “Love me, love my dog.” This phrase means, if I love my friend, then I should love his brother, all his relatives, and everyone connected to him, even his pet dog. Here Sivananda Sena is practically showing that if you love Bhagavan, you love Bhagavan’s dog also!

That’s why Srila Prabhupada said Krishna consciousness is a perfect paradigm, the ideal world view. A Krishna devotee is truly an all-embracing, all-encompassing wholistic individual. Of course, the Krishna consciousness world view includes the happiness and welfare of all human beings on the planet. But unlike other world views or religious perspectives, Krishna consciousness also includes the happiness and welfare of dogs, cats, birds, squirrels, ants, whales, deer, trees, plants, and every living entity, along with care for the earth, air, water, ether and hearts of all human beings.

The Krishna conscious person cares about everyone’s happiness, welfare, comfort and peace of mind; and also the purity, harmony, balance, preservation and future of one and all and everything! Isn’t this the most all embracing, all-inclusive, love based, God-centered, wholistic and unified field world view conceivable? Certainly it is. We say, “Let everyone and everything be happy.” Moreover our scriptures say, vishvam purna sukhayate…”Let the whole universe be happy.”

The whole universe means the universe and everything in it. Let brother sky move purely. Let mother earth be happy. Don’t pollute mother earth. Let the sacred rivers and waters be happy, pure and flow freely. Don’t put dams up on the rivers. It is a great offense to the rivers. Rivers are meant to flow to their husband. The rivers are the wives of the ocean. The ocean is their husband. So you should never stop the flow of a woman’s love to her husband or prevent a woman from meeting her husband. As it is a pious activity to bring separated people together, it is a grave sinful activity to prevent people from meeting each other that are meant to meet.

So when one is Krishna conscious then everything is perfectly adjusted. The earth is happy, the air is happy, and the water and oceans are happy—thriving in the love light of the pure devotee’s heart. When devotees walk on the earth, mother Earth becomes thrilled. And when Sri Caitanya traversed the land, mother Earth felt so thrilled that her grass stood on end in ecstatic rapture. When Krishna walks the earth, not only does the grass stand straight in jubilation or exaltation but flowers bloom instantly. Lotus flowers! Wherever Krishna walks, mother Earth says, “O! Krishna’s feet are so soft and tender with many beautiful marks and radiant toenails; such a loving touch and caress.” Bhumi Mata feels so thrilled from the core of her heart and she responds by blossoming forth flowers at every step that Krishna takes.

If there is a Krishna devotee in charge of the government, then guaranteed there will be pure air, pure water, pure land, pure food, pure behavior, pure environment, and most importantly pure minds, hearts and dealings. All will experience peace, happiness and fulfillment in loving and realizing God. Pure dealings means love, appreciation, generosity, peace, harmony, health and joy. All will live happily. All will eat sufficiently. All will prosper. All will be fulfilled—thy kingdom come, thy will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. There will truly be the kingdom of God on earth. Sometimes we see phrases like ‘Heaven on earth,’ but it is only a phrase, a reality no one has ever seen.

This story of Sivananda Sena illustrates the Krishna conception and its practical application. It really happened and can happen today. He really loved the dog so much that he spent his own hard earned money on a stray dog. He even paid the tax for the dog to cross the river. Because he knew that if the dog associates with Vaisnavas, he will greatly benefit. If the dog moves with the devotees, he will hear sankirtana and wag his tail and dance along in his own way. Unknowingly just by hearing harinama sankirtana, the dog’s mind will become purified. He will get the remnants from the Vaisnavas. And by that the dog will become a human being in his next life. Just see the incredible power of Krishna love.

A loving devotee wants to help and give Krishna’s love to everyone and everything he contacts. Let everyone be benefited. Let everyone improve. Let everyone rise. Let everyone grow. No stifling. No suffocation. No destruction. No degradation. No diminishing. Let everyone expand. Let everyone grow, love freely, be happy and fulfilled. Let everyone thrive and prosper. This is the beautiful heart and the vision of a devotee who loves and lives in the Krishna conscious world view.

Sivananda Sena is opening our tightly close-fisted hearts, and softening our very stiff brains so that we can understand what is the Krishna conception. Because without hearing about Krishna conscious behavior and without seeing examples of it, we will never know what it is. We say Krishna consciousness! Ok, what is it is? Is it a phrase, a jargon, or a product we market? What is Krsna consciousness? Where is it found or seen? How is it applied? What does it mean? How is it expressed? How is it felt? How does it interface with the world? And how does it impact on others, as they say? So this story is marvelous and it has a miraculous ending.

This loved and cared for dog ran to Puri and met Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu even before Sivananda Sena arrived. Like His devotee Sivananda, Sriman Mahaprabhu also extended his love and care to that dog by hand-feeding it coconut pulp. The dog ate, chanted and danced near the Lord. Then amazingly the next day, the dog went to the spiritual world. In the Chaitanya Caritamrta, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja said by receiving the love and care of a Vaisnava and Lord Gauranga that dog got his siddha-deha, spiritual body, and attained the perfection of life. This is the result of a devotee’s true love.

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

Gauranga Mahaprabhu ki jai!

Sivananda Sena ki jai!

Saubhagyavan Bhakta Dog ki jai!

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Tirobhava Haridas Thakur Part VII Haridasa Praises Nitai Avadhuta

By: Mahanidhi Swami

One day in Navadvipa when Haridasa went preaching with his partner Sri Nityananda Prabhu, they approached two notoriously violent and degraded drunken brahmins named Jagai and Madhai. Enraged, the drunks chased the divine pair with the intention of beating them to death for disturbing their stupor of intoxication. Haridasa was horrified and after the divine duo reported to Gauranga Mahaprabhu, Haridasa Thakura went to reveal his mind to his best friend Sri Advaita Acarya.

Haridasa Thakura said, “O Acharyaji, Mahaprabhu has sent me out preaching with an extremely restless person. We start out together and then Nitai leaves me behind and who knows where He goes? Sometimes Nitai jumps in the Ganga and tries to catch the crocodiles. I stand on the banks shouting for Him to return, but Nitai just ignores me and floats downstream like a dead man. If He sees some boys on the banks, Nitai comes out of the Ganga and chases them to beat them. And when their parents come with sticks in their hands, I fall at their feet and beg them to return to their homes.

“Sometimes Nitai steals butter and yogurt from the cowherd men and runs away. But I am old and can’t run, so they catch me and want beat me up. Nitai milks other people’s cows and directly drinks it. If the Avadhuta comes across a young maiden, He asks her to marry Him. Absorbed in the bhaava of Shankara Mahadeva, Nitai rides on the back of a bullock and bellows, “I am Mahesh!!!” It seems that everything Nitai does is unreasonable.

“Then when I try to teach Him something, Nitai abuses me and says, ‘What can that Advaita of yours do to Me? And that person whom you call Chaitanya, what can He do to Me?’Acharyaji, I have not said anything about this to Thakura Gauranga, but today I must tell you that my life has been saved by only by the grace of providence.” (CB Madhya 13)

Avadhuta Nityananda Rama ki jai!

Haridasa Thakura ki jai!

Sri Harinama Sankirtana ki jai!

Nitai Gaura Premanande ki jai!

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Tirobhava Haridas Thakur Part VI Nagaraja Glorifies Haridasa

By: Mahanidhi Swami

Once upon a time in Nadia, a snake charmer named Nagaraja, who was a great devotee of Lord Ananta Sesa Vishnu earning his living by charming snakes in public performances, glorified Haridasa Thakura after the Namacharya danced in the ecstasy of Krishna prema.

Nagaraja said, “Haridasa is truly worthy of his name because Lord Krishnachandra constantly dwells in his heart. Haridasa is affectionate to all living entities, always engaged in their welfare, and he accompanies Sri Krishna whenever He incarnates. Haridasa never offends Vishnu or the Vaisnavas, and even in dreams he never forgets the spiritual path.

“Haridasa appeared in a low-class family to prove the scriptures which state that even if a devotee takes a low birth, he still worthy of worship. If I glorify Haridasa for a hundred years with a hundred mouths I would still not reach the end of his glories. It is a fact that if one simply chants the name of Haridasa, he will certainly attain the abode of Krishna.” (Chaitanya Bhagavata Adi 16)

Haridasa ki jai! Namacharya Haridasa Thakura ki jai!

Sri Harinama Sankirtana ki jai! Nitai Gaura Premanande ki jai!

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Tirobhava Haridas Thakur Part V Haridasa Preaches Nama-tattva

By: Mahanidhi Swami

Srila Haridasa passed his time relishing the nectar of the holy name and giving his enlightened association to the pious pure-hearted brahmanas of Nadiya. Once in a public assembly, an angry, arrogant brahmin criticized Haridasa Thakura for chanting loudly, and challenged him to prove the validity of his practice. That narrow-minded brahmin said sastra only prescribes silent chanting.

Haridasa Thakura replied, “The main result of loudly chanting God’s Holy Name is that it purifies one a thousand times more than any other form of worship. The Srimad Bhagavatam (10.34.17) states, ‘Anyone who chants Krishna’s name purifies all who hear his chanting, as well as himself.’

Speaking from his own realization, Haridasa Thakura described the efficacy of personal nama-japa v.s. Harinama Sankirtana: “If one does japa of Sri Krishna nama, he delivers himself; but if one performs loud Harinama Sankirtana, he delivers others too, “japile Sri Krishna nama apane se tare, uccha sankirtana para upakara kare. Although all living entities have a tongue, only the human beings are able to chant the names of Krishna.” (CB Adi 16)

Haridasa Thakura daily chanted 192 japa rounds or 3 lacs of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. In the particular circumstance cited above, Haridasa Thakura is preaching to an impious doubtful brahmin about the 100x power of Harinama Sankirtana over solitary Nama japa. But in his personal practice of Nama bhajana, we see that Haridasa Thakura daily chanted 64 totally silent rounds in his mind (manasic-japa); 64 rounds inaudibly whispering (upamshu-japa; and 64 rounds loudly vibrated (uccha-japa), which is technically actually called kirtana or sankirtana. Most devotees have heard about this, and it is confirmed in Ishana Thakura’s Advaita Prakash (7.152): prati-dina tin lakshaa haridasa kore, manane jihvay ar uccaihsvare, “Every day Haridasa Thakura chanted three lacs (300,000 Holy Names) in the mind, with the tongue, and loudly.”

So from the personal example of the Namacharya, one can understand that chanting one’s daily rounds can be done either silently in the mind, inaudibly whispered or chanted loudly as in sankirtana. However, every sadhaka must remember that in all bhakti-sadhana practices it is best to follow the instructions of one’s Guru.

Namacharya Haridasa Thakura ki jai!

Sri Harinama Sankirtana ki jai!

Nitai Gaura Premanande ki jai!