Sunday, November 2, 2008
Churn it! Churn it!
Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!
Dear Guruji and devotees please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to all of you. All glories to the guru parampara. All glories to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. All glories to Sri Sri Radha Govinda.
The ocean of nectar Sri Vrndavana dasa has given us is beyond measurement. All glories to him! All glories to his spiritual master Lord Nityananda Prabhu Who is the Jagat-guru of all. I just finished chapter twelve of the Madhya-kanda of Sri-Chaitanya-Bhagavata and although I have read the last two chapters with greatest attention I felt a deep urge to just go back and read it again. It’s amazing how everything seems new: new perspective, new nectar, new ecstasy, deeper love.
For instance the phrase ‘part and parcel’ got a new meaning to me. We all have read it so many times in Prabhupada’s books that we are part and parcels of the Lord. Although I have always accepted the phrase as an expression of who we are in essence, I never really fully realized what it meant. Today I realize that the whole acintya-bhedabheda-tattva philosophy is contained within the phrase. As a part we are one with the Lord. A finger in itself has no function but a finger manifests specific qualities when connected to a body. An atom by itself means nothing but when connected to a larger whole it gains meaning. In this sense we are always an integral part of Lord Gaura-Nityananda. But at the same time we are not Lord Gaura-Nityananda because we are a parcel. The part doesn’t have a free will because it functions under the direction of the whole. The parcel however has a free will and is eternally different from the whole. Thus the living entities are one with and different from Lord Gaura-Nityananda at the same time. The part is an essential component of the complete whole and is one with its origin. That same part is a parcel, a portion into which the original completeness is divided and is uniquely distinct from its origin. This little phrase, when perceived within the heart, reveals our whole philosophy and is a source of unlimited ecstasy.
The part that we are of the Lord means that we are always within the Lord and the parcel that we are means that He is not within us: “All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” Bhagavad Gita 9:4. With other words we are contained by Lord Nityananda but we are not containing Him. He is so unlimited that He can contain us but we are so infinitesimal that we are not able to contain Him. Our being a part of the Lord means we are always under His control but our being a parcel of the Lord means we can choose not to be in alignment with the Lord. This is illusion because in reality we are always under His Supreme control so when we don’t put ourselves into alignment with Him means that we are spiritually as good as dead. Although fulfilling our duties as a part we are not experiencing the unlimited ecstasy as a parcel. How do we get in alignment with the Lord? In the Padma Purana it is stated that “Lord Vishnu gives His darshana in a moment to those who are engaged in devotional service.” Devotional service is the supreme method of achieving darshana of the Lord. What is devotional service? In essence it is our affection for the Lord. We only have to have a tiny drop of love for Lord Nityananda and He will turn it into intense love. That tiny drop of love we have is in alignment with His unlimited ocean of love for Lord Gaura Krishna and therefore we are instantly given His devotion. Our devotion is very incomplete but through our tiny little bit of devotion to Him He in return gives His devotion instantly so our devotion becomes complete and beyond measurement. Then not only our part but also our parcel comes into alignment with Him. Then we see with His eyes of immense devotion and we see it in everything. “For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” Bhagavad Gita 6:30. Then we naturally offer our respects to everyone including meat-eaters, atheists, terrorists etc. so we can undisturbed chant the holy Names of the Lord. ‘One can chant the holy Name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, feeling himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respect to others.’ Siksastaka 3.
Who can understand the unlimited glories of Lords Nityananda? He is Adideva, the original Lord and is always engaged in the service of Lord Gauranga Krishna and does not engage in any other activity. He makes Himself accessible as a little boy, innocently inviting us to play with Him. When we give Him five sweets He will throw four away because He is satisfied with one; just one little drop of our love. He doesn’t require much and He is so easily available. Lord Gaura-Nityananda is the father and protector and friend of all living entities and He is the ultimate shelter. Within Him everything is realized and He is the source of all possibilities which is way beyond our comprehension. Lord Gaura-Nityananda is a manifestation of Lord Gauranga and Guruji is the incarnation of Lord Nityananda and is as good as the Lord Himself.
I tried to sleep last night. I dozed of a few times for maybe 15 minutes or so but most of the time I was so excited by being with Lord Nityananda. Flashes of the pure devotees wearing pieces of His kaupina on their heads, water that had washed His feet, dancing, singing, the holy Names and even when I fell asleep everything was so arousing. In my dream Guruji and I held each others wrists and we were spinning around and around during a tumultuous kirtan. The whole world faded and I only saw the transcendental smile of Guruji while Lord Nityananda shouted: “Churn it! Churn it!” I lost al external contact and the feelings I experienced can only be described as total madness and complete transcendental joy breaking all the unnatural boundaries of my conditioned being. Lately I am inclined to say that after these experiences I am never the same but my new gained identities are soon to be crushed for new ones. This is what happens when you give the Lord a drop of your love, He turns it into an ever-increasing ocean. What is today big is tomorrow small so why even bother giving it a measurement.
I pray that all devotees will receive the unlimited mercy of Lord Nityananda. Please don’t seek for it because as long as you are seeking for it you are not finding it. It is IN the holy Name. “Krishna will never leave that person who is touched by the air that has passed by Lord Nityananda’s body.” You find that air right here an now when you hear with faith the topics of Lord Gaura-Nityananda’s transcendental characteristics and right here and now when you utter His transcendental Name 'Nityananda' with a tine drop of love. O my dear devotee friends I so wish you all will be flooded with His unlimited mercy. You are so dear to me and I love you all so much!
Your aspiring servant,
Hadai Nityananda dasa
Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!
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.... [It is] composed of 18,000 Shlokas. It contains the best part of the Vedas and Vedanta.
pierced through the whole universe of matter for years and years in quest of the final cause of the world, but when he failed to find it abroad, he looked into the construction of his own spiritual nature, and there he heard the Universal Spirit speaking unto him:
It is the heart of Srila Vyasadeva! Sri Brahmaji! Sri Narada! and ofcourse, Sukadeva!!!