Re: Lord Balarama and Shrimati Radharani

Dear Hadai, Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! Please read about Lord Nitaai Balarama's Glories and Relationship here, Verses 5.1-141 and about Shrimati Radhika's Love and Glories here, Verses 4.55-277.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: Highly Ecstatic Kirtan

Dear Hadai, Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! I remembered this verse after reading your post:

evam-vratah sva-priya-nama-kirtya, jatanurago druta-citta uccaih
hasaty atho roditi rauti gayaty, unmada-van nrityati loka-bahyah

"'When a person is actually advanced and takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord, who is very dear to him, he is agitated and loudly chants the holy name. He also laughs, cries, becomes agitated and chants just like a madman, not caring for outsiders.' (Shrimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.40).

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: Offender chanting Hare Krishna

Very interesting points. Thanks to Mihir, Nava, Srinath, and Tommy for this nice discussion. I would like to add some more nectar to this discussion. One should try to cause minimum trouble to all souls whom we come across during our lives. According to Shri Chaitanya Bhagavata, offenses to sincere devotees chanting the Holy Names lead to 100 times more reactions than offenses to the normal non-devotee souls. In the absolute, intrinsic and ultimate sense all souls are pure devotees, but our Acharyas like Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada have not directly emphasized that the eternally conditioned nitya-baddha souls are pure devotees in their conditioned and embodied stage. Every soul is part of the Lord so it is fully pure. But as long as the souls are covered by the material bodies, the 100% purity of the soul is not accessible. That is why, considering the conditioned stage, our scriptures make a discrimination between uttama, madhyama and kanishtha devotees and non-devotees and how one should associate with each one of them.

"it is better to never know me than to know me and then deny me"

Yes Tommy, that is the precise situation with the deliberately offensive chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahaamantra. In this offensive stage, we have been saved by the Nityaananda and Gauraanga Mantraraajas, to which the above statement does not apply, because They do not consider any offenses. Please keep this nectar flowing. Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Jaya Shri Guru Parampara! Pranams!

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: Vice of Fault Finding

Nityaananda! Gauraanga! Hare Krishna! Yes, that is true Candace. We tend to often vent our own frustrations in the form of criticizing others. It is more of an exercize to release our pressure within. But the hurt it causes the audience is for real. I can suggest two ways to successfully cope with this:

(1) If we really need to speak something strong to someone at such a time, then speak it with very palatable words with a large smile on our face. As Shrila Prabhupada used to say...you can push but do it with a smile.

(2) Try to stop from reacting immediately. Tell the mind that I will say it later. Take a break and loudly chant the Holy Names or chant with some deep breathing if possible. In most cases, it will simply pass away if it was only impulsive and not important.  The same is true about facing other attacks of Maya.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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Re: Offender chanting Hare Krishna

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare krsna!

please accept my simple obeisances,

How can we criticize when we are everyones sincere well wisher in knowledge that everyone is being served perfectly?  How can we criticize if our true enemy is pratishta and lust?

aspiring service,
bhaktatommy

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Re: Offender chanting Hare Krishna

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna!

Dear Swami Gaurangapada and assembled devotees,

please accept my simple obiesances.

After making the last two posts, and some small errors, I studied a little of Sri Bhajana Rahasya by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to clarify* things I need to learn. It has a chart table in the back. Here are some points that may be of interest:

Siksastaka Verse 1: ceto-darpana-marjanam>faith(sraddha)

Siksastaka Verse 2: namnam akari bahudha>sahu-sanga, bhajan kriya, anartha-nivritti

Siksastaka Verse 3: trnad api sunicena>nistha(steadiness) *clarification

Siksastaka Verse 4: na dhanam na janam>ruci(taste)

Siksastaka Verse 5: ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram> asakti(attachment)

Siksastaka Verse 6: nayanam galad-asru-dharaya>bhava

Siksastaka Verse 7: yugayitam nimesena>bhava

siksastaka Verse 8: aslisya va pada-ratam>prema bhajan.

 

For Full Siksastaka with commentary click here

And here is Swami Gaurangapada's illumination to Siksastaka Verse 1:

Shri Shikshashtaka

 

Shloka One

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
shreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate shri-krishna-sankirtanam

Synonyms

cetah-of the heart; darpana-the mirror; marjanam-cleansing; bhava-of material existence; maha-davagni-the blazing forest fire; nirvapanam-extinguishing; shreyah-of good fortune; kairava-the white lotus; candrika-the moonshine; vitaranam-spreading; vidya-of all education; vadhu-wife; jivanam-the life; ananda-of bliss; ambudhi-the ocean; vardhanam-increasing; prati-padam-at every step; purna-amrita-of the full nectar; asvadanam-giving a taste; sarva-for everyone; atma-snapanam-bathing of the self; param-transcendental; vijayate-let there be victory; shri-krishna-sankirtanam-for the congregational chanting of the holy name of Krishna.

Explanatory Translation by Swami Gaurangapada

 

All Glories, supreme victory and all-prevailing triumph to Shri Krishna Sankirtana, the ecstatic and loud chanting of the supreme glories of the Holy Names (Hare, Krishna, Radha, Gauranga, Nityananda etc.), Forms, Pastimes, Qualities, Abodes and Associates of the Supreme Absolute Truth Lord Shri Krishna performed by following in the footsteps of the great Associates of the Lord. Shri Krishna Sankirtana is the summit of all spiritual practices and is characteristized by the attainment of the following seven superexcellent and matchless results:

 

(1) Cheto darpana marjana: Shri Krishna Sankirtana gradually but fully unstains, cleanses and purifies the mirror of the heart of each and every soul by eradicating the deep marks of the desires of dirty sensual enjoyment from the heart thus granting the vision, knowledge and direct realization of the soul's eternal constitutional relationship with the Lord and a glimpse of the entry into the five mellows of direct service to the Lord: neutrality, servitorship, fraternity, parenthood and conjugal love. This is the stage of bhajana kriya or beginning of the principal practice of chanting and hearing about the Lord practiced in the association of devotees (sadhu sanga) with faith (sraddha) in the Holy Names.

 

(2) Bhava maha davagni nirvapana: The great ambrosial shower of Shri Krishna Sankirtana snuffs out, quenches, extinguishes and fully terminates forever the blazing, searing and all-immolating gigantic forest fire of Bhava (nescience) which occurs due to the most terrorizing, horrifying and infinitely painful embodiment and transmigration of the spirit soul in the 8.4 million bodily species of life via the ghastly and repeated cycle of birth, old age, disease and death in this material creation. This forest fire of material existence which leads to the unlimited suffering of the souls for trillions of lives in this material creation but which is ended by Shri Krishna Sankirtana, was willingly ignited by the souls themselves from time immemorial due to misuse of their minute independence given to them by the Lord. This is the stage or anartha nivritti (or kleshaghni) or destruction of the unwanted things in the heart by the sheer and exclusive potency and power of Shri Krishna Sankirtana.

 

(3) Shreya kairava chandrika vitarana: The nectarine and peerless white-lotus blossoming moonlight of Shri Krishna Sankirtana radiates, disseminates and distributes to each and every soul in creation the supreme and the loftiest auspiciousness of Shreya i.e. the supreme benefit of the soul in the form of pure unalloyed devotional servitorship of the Lord in one's perfected spiritual body. This is the stage of nishtha or firm irrevocable attachment and ruchi or spontaneous attraction to hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord and also the stage of shubhada or the beginning of all auspiciousness for the soul.

 

(4) Vidya vadhu jivana: Shri Krishna Sankirtana is the very life, beginning, end, apex, and the inseparable and sweet bride of all branches of transcendental knowledge. This realization while performing Shri Krishna Sankirtana is achieved at the stage of asakti or magnetic and irresistible attachment to singing the glories of the Lord with the melting of the heart in pure love for the Lord.

 

(5) Anandambudhi vardhana: The moon of Shri Krishna Sankirtana increasingly agitates, expands and swells the already boundless and shoreless ocean of pure transcendental bliss and happiness of the soul in relation with the Lord. This stage is known as rati or bhaava and is most rarely attained (sudurlabha) by even the topmost transcendentalists. This stage is attained only by the causeless mercy of Shri Krishna Sankirtana and and it eclipses and belittles even the great achievement of moksha or liberation (moksha laghukrita) and makes it look very insignificant in comparison.

 

(6) Pratipadam purnamritasvadana: Shri Krishna Sankirtana guarantees the attainment of the direct audience of the Lord resulting in the undivided relish and savoring of the complete and unabridged nectar of pure love for the Lord at each and every step while chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord. At this stage of prema or pure love, the devotees experiences sandrananda visheshatma or the supremely condensed nectar of all forms of transcendental bliss and ecstasy.

 

(7) Sarvatma snapana: Shri Krishna Sankirtana thoroughly bathes, inundates and overwhelms one's whole self within and without including the soul's spiritual senses, mind and intelligence with the unadulterated ocean of rasa or pure nectarean mellows of love for the Lord. This is the final stage known as shri krishna akarshini where the ecstatic blissful symptoms developed by the pure love of the devotee through Shri Krishna Sankirtana enchant and attract even the Supreme Lord Himself who thus manifests in full in front of that devotee with His Name, Form, Pastimes, Qualities, Associates and Abodes.

your servant Nava.

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Re: Vice of Fault Finding

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!

I know that I often find that I am most critical of others when I am feeling conviction from the Lord about something amiss in my own life. That is when I find I am the most cruel and sharp in my fault finding. It is also the time I find I am the most humbled by the small voice inside telling me that my behavior is unacceptable.

Then of course I feel overcome with guilt and regret for my offensive words or thoughts.

In humble service,

Candace

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Re: Offender chanting Hare Krishna

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna!

Dear Swami Gaurangapada, Bhakta Tommy, and assembled devotees,

please accept my full obiesances.

What I am finding Bhakta Tommy, on a personal level is several perspectives. For millions of births, I have cultivated a subtle body full of ignorance...leaving multitudes of impressions. By some good fortune, coming into association of those on a higher platform, the light of the Holy Name makes the heart shine...bringing to light all these false impressions. By grace, a winding down and clearing begins, once bhajan is cultivated.

Faith>Association>Bhajan>>>then anartha nivritti (clearing of offences)>>>steadiness>taste>attachment>bhava>prema.

So, we can begin to see two things: Reality, and what is maya. So once we have glimpsed the higher platform, we can begin to serve. In all humility (like a tree and a blade of grass), we will acknowedge (through self-realization) the beginning of this clearing stage (of unwanted dust on the heart).

Each sadhaka who as studied sastra and begun Naam bhajan will realize where he/she is at in the progression toward love of God (prema).

This is all explained in Madhurya Kadambini by Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura found here.

We are very fortunate that we can approach the Supreme Absolute Non-Dual Truth, under the shelter of mercy. Mercy of Guru and Gauranga!. Of sastra, the saints, and the most merciful personalities Lords Nityananda Gauranga (who are non-different from their holy names)!

By the process of surrender, our journey back home is sure. Jaya Sri Sri Radha-Krsna!!!

your servant...Nava.

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Re: Offender chanting Hare Krishna

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna!

Dear Bhakta Tommy, please accept my full obiesances.

Reading this reminds me of the Christian saying, quoting Jesus, "it is better to never know me than to know me and then deny me". posted by Bhakta Tommy

Thank you for this wonderful reflection, the beautiful words of Lord Jesus Christ. Once we know the truth, the Lord grants us 'responsibility' as his parts and parcels. As christ said, 'sons of God and heirs'. Once we have tasted that truth, naam bhajan can only increase, in due course full surrender. A yearning may develop upon chanting each syllable of the Holy Names..."please allow me to serve"!

As christ is pointing out, to choose different than this, would be a very sad state, and deeply conditioned. As he says, one in that state would have had more peace to have never known me.

y.s. Nava.

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Re: Offender chanting Hare Krishna

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna!

please accept my simple obeisances,

How can we criticize when we view every creature as perfect Vaisnava.
Is everyone not serving the Lord even if they do not know it is the Lord they serve?

aspiring service,
bhaktatommy

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Re: Offender chanting Hare Krishna

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna!

Please Accept My Simple Obeisances,

Reading this reminds me of the Christian saying, quoting Jesus, "it is better to never know me than to know me and then deny me".

aspiring service,
bhaktatommy

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