Tag Archive for: Srila Prabhupada

,

Sri Guru and Vyasa Puja – part one

By Mahanidhi Swami

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 and misery.

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).” Ahh…… 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 Vyasadeva, the compiler of all Vedic thought? And lastly why and how is Sri Guru worshiped in a ceremony commonly known as Vyasa-puja?

Since the Vedas contain all the knowledge and mantras one needs to achieve both material happiness and spiritual perfection, 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 a 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 books cannot speak personally to us.

God is transcendental sound and He must be heard. Therefore, the Vedic literature is called Shruti, which means 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 the disciple 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 mundane senses of the conditioned soul attached to material sense enjoyment. Personal submission to the living pure devotee is the key to spiritual perfection. The spiritual preceptor is the empowered representative of Srila Vyasadeva, 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? Why does one need a spiritual master?” Such statements 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.

(Excerpt from Tribute of Love by mahanidhi swami)

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

Sri Guru and Vyasa Puja – part one

By Mahanidhi Swami

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 and misery.

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).” Ahh…… 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 Vyasadeva, the compiler of all Vedic thought? And lastly why and how is Sri Guru worshiped in a ceremony commonly known as Vyasa-puja?

Since the Vedas contain all the knowledge and mantras one needs to achieve both material happiness and spiritual perfection, 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 a 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 books cannot speak personally to us.

God is transcendental sound and He must be heard. Therefore, the Vedic literature is called Shruti, which means 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 the disciple 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 mundane senses of the conditioned soul attached to material sense enjoyment. Personal submission to the living pure devotee is the key to spiritual perfection. The spiritual preceptor is the empowered representative of Srila Vyasadeva, 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? Why does one need a spiritual master?” Such statements 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.

(Excerpt from Tribute of Love by mahanidhi swami)

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

,

Pre 1967 essay by Srila Prabhupada

By Mahanidhi Swami

WHY DID Krishna APPEAR ON EARTH Bhagavan Sri Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the womb of Srimat Sachimata to solve the following in relation with His transcendental pastimes with Srimati Radharani. Sri Krishna wanted to know [three things]

(1) What is the actual position of the loving attitude of Srimati Radharani?

(2) What is the position of My wonderful lovable qualities with which Radharani is so much addicted?

(3) And what does Shrimati Radharani feel by so being attracted by My lovable features?”

,

See All Stree as Gopi

By: Mahanidhi Swami

Forty-three years ago during Karttika in Vrindavana, Srila Prabhupada presented a most amazing conception. It was November 11, 1972 in the Radha Damodara Mandira. Srila Prabhupada sat facing North between Srila Rupa Goswamipada’s samadhi and bhajan kutir.

At that auspicious time and place, Srila Prabhupada presented to his disciples the vision of a transcendentalist. It was how he wanted his disciples to see reality. In his conception, Srila Prabhupada sees all women as belonging to Krishna. They are Krishna’s energies; and moreover they are gopis! All women are to be enjoyed by Krishna and served by others.

Adopting this transcendental vision will free one from illusion, create inner peace and purity and push one forward to perfection. May you all deeply ponder Srila Prabhupada’s holy words, which are still reverberating within the sanctified grounds of Seva Kunja.

On that chilly morning of November 11, 1972, Srila Prabhupada said, “There may be thousands of beautiful women before a devotee, but that does not disturb his mind.

He sees:

*They are all energies of Krishna.

*They are gopis of Krishna.

*They are enjoyable by Krishna.

*I have to serve them. They are gopis.

“A devotee should try to engage all beautiful women in the service of Krishna. That is his duty. Not to enjoy them. That is sense gratification. This is the position of a devotee. He is not pierced by the arrows of Cupid because he sees everything in relationship with Krishna, nirbandhe Krishna sambandhe yukta vairagyam ucyate.” (BBT Folio: 721111ND.VRN)

Srila Prabhupada ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

,

Intimate Lilas Question

By: Mahanidhi Swami

Who can hear and who can speak about Radha and Krishna’s intimate Vraja lilas? Radha-Madhava’s rasa-lila depicted in the Srimad Bhagavatam is undoubtedly one of the most famous of the confidential pastimes of the aprakrta Kamadeva Bhagavan Sri Krishna and the aprakrta Rati murti Srimati Radharani.

And somehow by the will of Sri Krishna, this intimate, transcendental loving pastime of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna has been translated into 50 languages and is being read worldwide by all classes of people.

To answer the opening question, we will quote from our Vaisnava acharyas, comments on the Rasa-panchadhyaya (5 rasa lila chapters) and then give a conclusion.

I. Sridhara Swami: Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s sporting in the rasa dance proclaims the conquest of Cupid by pure love of God, Krishna prema. In the guise of presenting topics of conjugal love, the rasa-panchadyaya aims at the conclusion of renunciation.

II. Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada: In the next five chapters of the Srimad Bhagavatam (10.29-33), which are the five life airs of the entire book (pancha-prana), Shukadeva Gosvami describes Sri Krishna’s rasa-lila which is the prize jewel within the whole treasury of Krishna’s pastimes. All glories to the rasa dance!

III. Srila Prabhupada:

  1. The reason the Lord displays the rasa-lila is essentially to induce all the fallen souls to give up their diseased morality and religiosity, and to attract them to the kingdom of God to enjoy the reality.” (Cc. 1.4.30 p.)
  1. Srimati Radharani is the central petal of the rasa-lila flower. (Cc. 1.4.81 p.)
  1. One who has developed his faith in Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Spirit Soul, can both describe and hear the rasa-lila.
  1. One must hear from an authorized person who is in the disciplic succession and is always engaged in Krishna consciousness.
  1. When a person hears the rasa-lila in this way, the effect will be sure: he will be elevated to the highest position of spiritual life.
  1. One who is actually deriving benefit from hearing the rasa-lila dance surely achieves the transcendental position. He surely loses all traces of lust in his heart. (# 3-6 Krsna Book chapter 33).

CONSLUSION:

Qualities of Speaker (of confidential topics like rasa-lila or others):

  1. FAITH; has faith that Sri Krishna is the transcendental Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
  2. PARAMPARA; has taken diksha in a disciplic succession.
  3. KRISHNA DASA; is always serving Sri Krishna.

Qualities of Listener (of divine confidential topics):

  1. FAITH; has faith that Sri Krishna is the transcendental Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

EFFECT OF RIGHT SPEAKER AND LISTENER

  1. You will definitely be elevated to the highest position of spiritual life!
  2. You will achieve the transcendental position!
  3. You will lose all traces of lust in the heart!
  4. And most importantly, YOU WILL ATTAIN Radha-Krishna Vraja madhurya-prema (SB 10.33.39)

Radha-Krishna Vraja-lila kathamrta ki jai!

Jai Jai Sri Radhe!