[world-vedic] Sri Gita, Preface: 'fruit of Sri Guru's seed'

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>"S a n g a " <sadhusanga

>"Vrindavan das" <vedic108

>Sri Gita, Preface: 'fruit of Sri Guru's seed'

>Wed, 16 Feb 2000 12:36:50 -0800

>

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sri Gita, Preface: 'fruit of Sri Guru's seed'

>

>"Faithfully distributing what another has drawn down from the infinite

>should enable that distributor in time to draw down something himself. This

>is the fruit of the seed that Sri Guru plants in the heart of the

>disciple."

>

>Preface to 'Bhagavad Gita, Its Feeling and Philosophy'

>by Swami B.V. Tripurari

>

>Early one morning in the spring of 1973 I was invited to accompany my

>spiritual master on a morning walk. As the sun rose to a sleeping Los

>Angeles, I climbed, wide-eyed at the prospect of intimate association with

>my guru, into a small white Toyota station wagon along with two of my

>godbrothers and our Prabhupada. This was Prabhupada's car, one that I also

>used in his service, the distribution of his books.

>

>We drove to Cheviot Hills, one of two places that Prabhupada would take his

>morning walk when in Los Angeles. He preferred Venice Beach, but variety

>has value. On this particular morning, the park was damp and the ground had

>just been aerated. After Prabhupada indirectly let us know his preference

>for Venice Beach through his critique of the park, he spoke to us about the

>shortcoming of modern science. In the course of questioning the potential

>of something arising out of nothing, the conversation itself dissipated and

>we walked in silence.

>

>The little clumps of earth scattered all about appeared like stools to the

>uninformed, and I found myself questioning why we had brought Prabhupada to

>this place. Were they stools? Prabhupada broke the silence to ask this very

>question. Too embarrassed and ignorant to answer, I left it to the others,

>one of whom explained in brief the science of aerating the earth.

>

>The silence continued, and I felt the need to absorb my mind in spiritual

>thoughts, lest it not take full advantage of the opportunity at hand. As we

>crossed the field, as if influenced by a force beyond myself, I thought

>spontaneously of Vrndavana, Krsna, and his cowherds and cows. Almost

>effortlessly my mind conjured up a sense of the pastoral setting of

>Vrndavana and Krsna's lilas of cowherding with his friends. Where were we

>really?

>

>Clad in saffron robes, an elderly man of five feet four or five, no more,

>walked with an eternal youthfulness that questioned the apparent youth of

>those who walked beside him. With his cane in hand, head held in absolute

>confidence, he challenged the metanarrative of modern science, as if the

>missing link were a poke from his cane. His glance so captivating,

>benedicting, his eyes tinged with the ointment of love of Krsna, our

>beloved Prabhupada wanted the world to stop and just love Krsna. He wanted

>us to be his instruments through which this would be accomplished.

>

>Prabhupada compellingly told us to write articles, publish them, and

>replace the prevailing paradigm with Krsna's message. Then someone

>mentioned my name and success in the field of distributing his books.

>Prabhupada turned to me and said, "By distributing these books, you are

>doing a great service to Krsna. He [Krsna] wanted to say to everyone:

>sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. He comes, therefore. So

>anyone who is doing the same service, he is recognized by Krsna very

>nicely. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: na ca tasman manusyesu. In the

>human society, nobody is dearer than he who is helping preaching work."

>

>In his first words to me, Prabhupada cited three verses from the

>Bhagavad-gita, all from the eighteenth chapter. First he cited the

>conclusion of the Gita: "Abandoning all consideration of dharma, just

>surrender unto me." Then he cited Krsna's two verses of praise for those

>involved in disseminating this conclusion. The actual verses run thus: "For

>one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional

>service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to me. There is no

>servant in this world more dear to me than he, nor will there ever be one

>more dear."

>

>In his Gita commentary, Prabhupada comments on Krsna's words regarding

>those who explain his message: "Anyone, however, who tries sincerely to

>present Bhagavad-gita as it is will advance in devotional activities and

>reach the pure devotional state of life. As a result of such pure devotion,

>he is sure to go back home, back to Godhead." By the term "as it is," which

>became the subtitle for Prabhupada's edition of the Gita, Prabhupada meant

>explaining the Bhagavad-gita from a devotional perspective. Only one who

>loves Krsna is privy to the implications of his eloquent speech.

>

>After Prabhupada encouraged all of us to write and distribute books about

>Krsna, one of my godbrothers commented, "We are simply your puppets, Srila

>Prabhupada. You're giving us the books." This did not seem to satisfy Srila

>Prabhupada, as he made the following reference to the guru-parampara. "No.

>We are all puppets of Krsna. I am also a puppet. This is disciplic

>succession." While he humbly gave all credit to his own guru and Krsna for

>anything he had accomplished, he implied that becoming the puppet of Guru

>and Krsna in a dynamic sense as he had done involved not merely circulating

>one's guru's writings, but writing books oneself. This was the example he

>set. While writing his own books, he considered that he was merely acting

>as a puppet of Guru and Krsna. Becoming the puppet of one's guru is about

>getting a spiritual life, and thinking for oneself within the parameters of

>that which is actually spiritual.

>

>Looking back at that spring morning in Los Angeles's Cheviot Hills, I felt

>that my life would be incomplete if I did not author an edition of

>Bhagavad-gita in contemporary language. Faithfully distributing that which

>another has drawn down from the infinite should bear the fruit of enabling

>such a distributor in time to draw down something himself. This is the

>fruit of the seed that Sri Guru plants in the heart of the disciple.

>

>In the form of this edition of Bhagavad-gita, I have been able to taste

>this fruit to some extent only by my spiritual master's grace, and he sent

>several persons to assist me in this effort. I am grateful to all of them.

>May he bless them, and may Sri Caitanya, who is none other than Radha-Krsna

>combined, continue to bless the world with his doctrine of love of Godhead.

>

>May that blessing come in the form of devotional literature written from

>within the cultural context of devotees of Krsna who are now taking birth

>all over the world.

>

>Swami B. V. Tripurari

>

> ~~~~

>

>At this time I would also like to thank my godbrothers, godsisters, friends

>and followers for their contributions towards the publishing of this work.

>

>Although already indebted to all of you, who have been so kind as to keep

>me engaged in divine service with your sincere and thoughtful questions and

>ongoing spiritual interest, shamelessly I ask more service of you.

>

>If any of you can help me to raise the considerable balance still required

>to publish and publicize this commentary on Bhagavad Gita, however small, I

>will be eternally indebted.

>

>Please contact him at sadhusanga regarding your donation,

>however small.

>

>In service,

>

>Swami

>

>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>UPCOMING PROGRAMS

>

>Thursday, February 17, 6 PM

>Appearance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu

>At the home of Nagapatni dasi. Discourse, kirtan, prasadam feast.

>524 N. Velie, Visalia, California.

>For more information, call (559) 734-4463

>Swami Tripurari will be speaking at 6 PM

>

>Friday, February 18, 7 PM

>Mandala Publishing Group, discourse, kirtan and prasadam.

>Corner of 12th & Folsom, City Lights Bldg, Second Floor, San Francisco.

>For more information call 1-800-668-2218

>Swami Tripurari will be speaking at 7 PM

>

>VRINDAVAN SANGA, India, March 2000

>

>Join our international Sanga community in Vrindavana, India where Tripurari

>Swami will be holding discourses morning and evening during the month of

>March, 2000.

>

>All friends and members of our internet Sanga are cordially invited to

>attend. Meals and accommodations, as well as recommendations for discount

>air tickets, can be arranged in advance by contacting sadhusanga.

>

>The Vrindavan Sanga program is as follows:

>

>Morning, 7:00 a.m. Bhagavad-gita discourses, from Swami's recently

>completed manuscript, 'Bhagavad-gita: It's Feeling and Philosophy' followed

>by breakfast prasad.

>

>Afternoon, 12:00 p.m. Arotika and lunch prasad.

>

>Evening, 5:00 p.m. Caitanya-caritamrta discourses, from Adi-lila, followed

>by Arotika and dinner prasad.

>

>For more information and a map to Vrindavan Sanga visit:

>http://209.235.193.78/Pages/vrindavana.html

>

>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

>Moderator: sadhusanga

>2/16/00

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