Re: Falldown and avoiding offenses

Dear Bhakta Matus Prabhu,

  Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!
Jaya Visnupada Srila Prabhupada!
Jaya Visnupada Swami Gaurangpada!
All glories to the guru parampara!
All glories to the Vaisnavas!

  Thank you for the quote from Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya! I admit that I have not gone through any book properly so far. Thank you for having put my perspective right.

   Yes the mantrarajas will certainly get rid of the offensive mentality and there is no other sure way to get rid of them. I will certainly change that. This actually comes from my experience -- I see that if I personally want to keep committing offenses and continue chanting, I simply cannot keep it up for more than two days before it comes just to the standard of courtesy japa ( doing the bare minimum just for duty's sake ).

   But then the Lord does something that really drives me wild with myself and I again start chanting with renewed energy. So the mantrarajas, once you grab them will not let you go, not even if you can grip them properly.

     But if the sadhaka is serious about not committing offenses, then advancement is certainly much faster. The Lord makes me realise painfully at times that I mustn't waste time when I get it. Anyhow we all have to go from the offensive stage to the pure stage and with the mantrarajas around that is a certainty.

   Anyhow I agree that we are all fallen and we keep committing errors till we learn to walk. Certainly no Vaisnava will just send the sadhaka away just like that. I would be guilty of a very great offense if I went spreading such a theory, so please forgive me. But whatever the guru does, it is all for our spiritual benefit only and we come out more perfect than before. i am reminded of how Lord Chaitanya accepted Mukunda in the Caitanya Bhagavata.

   I feel that the second best deterrent from committing them is to consider every offense as an offense to the Lord, Vaisnavas and the guru because I feel guilty that I am not doing my best to reciprocate the infinite mercy they are showing me. If we consider every offence as a step towards the Vaisnava aparadha it certainly makes one serious enough to stay focussed on trying to achieve offenseless chanting. The ultimate deterrent to the offenses are the names of Nityananda and Gauranga and I just want them to come quickly and drive this offensive mentality away forever.

   So I feel that is very good to consider development of devotional service as a very serious issue and that the chanter ought to be more serious while chanting the mantrarajas as I very often tend to become too casual and slow down, morever it is too appealing to my false ego on top of it all. Keeping the tightrope attitude is like beating the mind with a shoe and it will keep us humble and not go too easy thinking that we are more advanced than what we are.
   
Aspiring to be a servant of the Lord and the Vaisnavas,

Srinath

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Re: Falldown and avoiding offenses

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!

Thank You Srinath for Your post. i find it very important and instructive.

i completely agree with You, that one should always try to avoid the offenses irrespective of the Holy Name one is chanting, be it even the Most Merciful Holy Names of Nityananda Gauranga. And when one commits offenses, due to ignorance or personal weakness, despite of a sincere wish not to commit them, one shall repent for that and ask for excuse in heart. i think it is a matter of sincerity. Lords Nitaai Gaura wants us to be sincere and humble.

Regarding following quote of Yours:

"In simpler language, it means if we commit an offense while chanting, that won't diminish the spiritual benefit we gained on that day's chanting. But at the same time the offenses being committed will not be eradicated unless there is a very powerful determination in the chanter that he should permanently cease from committing any of the offenses. Excusing is different from eradicating."

Good point. i believe however, that Nityananda Gauranga Naam and Shri Navadvipa Dhaama has the power to completely remove the offenses from one's heart even without the "very powerful determination". This is being pointed out several times in the introductory chapter of Shri Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya by Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. i would like to post some relevant verses here:

aparaadha baadhaa tara kichu naahi kare
niramala krishna-preme taara ankhi jhare..53

"Even the formidable obstacles posed due to the offenses in one's heart are rendered ineffective by the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga and the eyes miraculously flow with the sublime tears of pristinely pure love for Lord Krishna when one chants the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga even though offenses are present in the heart."

svalpa kaale aparaadha aapani palaaya
hridaya shodhita haya prema baadhe taaya..54

"After granting the most confidential pure love for Lord Krishna to even the offensive chanter, the Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga make the offenses run away from the heart within a very short time. Then the heart becomes fully purified and the love increases even more."

anya tirthe aparaadhi dandera bhaajana
navadvipe aparaadha sadaai maarjana..58

"The offenders and sinners in all other Holy Places of pilgrimage are liable to be heavily punished for their wrong-doings. But the offenses of the offenders in Shri Navadvipa Dhaam are destroyed and the offensive mentality is removed forever."

navadvipe jebaa kabhu karaya gamana
sarva aparaadha-mukta haya sei jana..64

"Those very fortunate souls who go to visit Shri Navadvipa Dhaam become totally free from all kinds of sins and offenses."

As per my limited knowledge, nowhere in this chapter it is mentioned that the prerequisite for Nityananda Gauranga Naam being able to manifest the above mentioned power of purification, is very strong determination. It could be mentioned however in some other scriptures. i would like also to know more in this regard... Please discuss.

Regarding Your other quote:

"Therefore the mantrajas mercy is not an excuse for committing offenses. It is very important to be vigilant as we do with the Hare Krishna maha mantra, perhaps even more vigilant because there is a risk of the lax attitude developing in the chanter which makes him go too easy on himself."

i totally agree. i sometimes feel the tendency of going to easy on myself because of my strong belief in the purificatory and merciful characteristics of Nityananda Gauranga Naam. How to deal with that?

Thank You very much

Yours humbly,
Matus

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Re: Falldown and avoiding offenses

Repeated dandavat maharajs and vaisnavas
Brother we are marginal and bound to fall; make mistakes.
Which Vaisnava could be so cruel to say your devotion is finish if you fall.
We are children learning to walk in the practice of Sri Guru Gauranga.
Yes we will make mistakes, cheat, have imperfect senses, and be in illusion.
Just like the child fall on occasion, but what does the child do?
Pick themselves up and walk on. Brothers and Sisters take heart
Don�t be discouraged in our fall, but pray to Sri Guru Gauranga
That we may go on.
Lowerthanarat

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