temple update - of suras and asuras (part seven)

[Guest guest]

--- premananda wrote:

> premananda

> Tue, 16 Jul 2002 10:45:56 -0400

> temple update - of suras and asuras (part

> seven)

> premananda

>

> ISKCON-BOSTON WEEKLY ELECTRONIC UPDATE

> 72 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02116

> 617-247-8611

> WEB SITE ADDRESS: www.iskconboston.org

>

> Hare Krishna!

>

> CONTENTS

> *DISCOUNT PARKING NEAR THE TEMPLE

> *Arati-Darshan Schedule and Sponsorship Program

> *Upcoming Events

> *Summer Festival Schedule

> *Reminders

> *Vaishnava Calendar for July

> *Suras and Asuras (part seven)

>

>

> DISCOUNT PARKING NEAR THE TEMPLE

> Available: After 4 PM on Weekdays

> All day on Weekends

> Location: Boston Common Garage (3 blocks from

> temple)

> Cost: $4.00 (normally $8.00)

> The Boston Common Garage is located underground

> below the Boston Common.

> The entrance to the garage is on Charles Street

> between the Public Garden

> and the Boston Common. Getting to the temple is

> easy. When you leave

> the garage, walk west across Charles Street,

> straight through the Public

> Garden. This brings you to Commonwealth Avenue.

> The temple is just 1.5

> blocks west on Commonwealth on the left side of the

> street.

> How it works: When you park at the garage, take

> your ticket as you

> normally would. When you come to the temple, ask

> for a parking

> concession coupon (available for $4 in the temple

> gift shop on the second

> floor). Present the coupon and your original ticket

> as you leave the

> garage. You will not be charged.

>

>

> DAILY ARATI-DARSHAN SCHEDULE AND SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

> You can sponsor an offering of food and an arati to

> the Temple Deities

> in honor of a loved one or a special occasion. It's

> a unique gift which

> confers the blessings of Sri Sri Radha-Gopivallabha

> to those dear to you.

> Sponsorship costs are included below. If you'd like

> to sponsor, write

> premananda and let us know the date, the

> offering and the

> person or occasion in whose honor you'd like to

> sponsor.

>

> Morning

> 4:15 - 5:00 Mangala arati & Tulasi Puja (sponsorship

> $11 - offering

> consists of milksweets, milk, khir and sweet rice)

> 7:00 - 7:30 Darshina Arati ($21 - offering consists

> of fruits, sweets and

> milk)

> 7:30 - 8:20 Darshan continues

> 8:20 - 8:30 Dhupa Arati ($31 - breakfast offering)

> 8:30 - 11:30 Darshan continues

> Afternoon/Evening

> 12:00 - 12:30 Raj Bhoga Arati and darshan ($51 -

> lunch offering)

> 4:30 - 4:45 Dhupa Arati and Darshan ($21 - offering

> consists of fruits

> and sweets)

> 4:45 - 6:30 Darshan continues

> 7:00 - 7:30 Sandhya Arati and darshan ($31 - dinner

> offering)

> 8:30 - 8:45 Sayana Arati and darshan ($11 - offering

> consists of milk,

> sweets and khir)

> Whole day's sponorship $101.00

> Flower garland sponsorship $41.00

>

>

> Wednesday, July 17 6:30 PM

> WEDNESDAY FEAST PROGRAM

> Guest Speaker: Her Grace Anangamanjari dasi

>

>

> Saturday, July 20 5:00 PM

> NECTAR OF DEVOTION STUDY CIRCLE

> Location: Home of Narayanan and Sumathi Narasimgam

> 11 Duncannon Avenue, Unit 11,

> Worcester, Mass.

> Speaker: Premananda dasa

> Topic: Chapters 14 & 15

> Please read this section ahead of time and come with

> your questions and

> comments.

> The program will also include bhajan, arati/kirtan

> and prasadam. For

> directions

> from your door to Duncannon Avenue, click on

> www.mapquest.com

>

>

> Sunday, July 21 4:30 PM

> SUNDAY FEAST PROGRAM

> Guest Speaker: Raghunatha Anudasa

> Topic: Varnasrama Economics for the Modern Day

> Rathunatha Anudasa discusses the economic impacts of

> love and hate based

> upon the varnasrama model of social organization.

> What are the broader

> economic costs associated with meat consumption,

> intoxication, illicit

> sex and gambling? What would these activities cost

> if those who

> participated in them had to pay the real costs?

> What economic value do

> sadhus, children, mothers, and teachers add to

> society? Join us for a

> new and interesting look at the concept of the "sin

> tax" and the sound

> economics of ethics.

>

>

> SUMMER FESTIVAL SEASON BEGINS SOON

> Thursday, August 8 6:00 PM 31st Anniversary of

> Radha-Gopivallabha's

> installation

> Sunday, August 18 4:30 PM Jhulan Yatra

> (Radha-Krishna Swing Festival)

> Monday, August 19 7:00 PM Jhulan Yatra

> Tuesday, August 20 7:00 PM Jhulan Yatra

> Wednesday, August 21 6:30 PM Jhulan Yatra

> Thursday, August 22 6:00 PM Balarama's Appearance

> and Jhulan Yatra \

> Saturday, August 31 6:00 PM Sri Krishna Janmastami

> Sunday, September 1 10:30 AM Srila Prabhupada's

> Vyasa Puja

> Friday, September 13 6:00 PM Sri Radhastami

> Saturday, September 23 Srila Prabhupada's Arrival

> in the USA

>

> If you would like to sponsor any of these festivals,

> please contact

> Premananda dasa.

>

>

>

> REMINDERS REMINDERS REMINDERS REMINDERS REMINDERS

> REMINDERS

> *Chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna

> Hare Hare

> Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare

> Hare

> *If you shop on-line, you can have part of your

> purchases donated to the

> temple. See www.iGIVE.com, and register ISKCON of

> New England as your

> charity of choice (our ID number is 14277).

>

>

> VAISHNAVA CALENDAR, JULY 2002 (dates and times for

> Boston)

> Saturday 20th Sayana Ekadasi (break fast July 21

> from 4:26 - 4:55 AM)

> Tuesday 23rd Guru Purnima (Appearance of Sri

> Vyasadeva)

> Disappearance of Srila Sanatana Gosvami

> First month of Caturmasya begins (fast from

> green leafy vegetables)

> Monday 29th Disappearance of Srila Gopala Bhatta

> Gosvami

>

================================================================

> SURAS AND ASURAS: OF SOMEWHERE BETWEEN DEMON AND

> SAINT

> Reflections on Nrsimha Caturdasi (Part Seven)

>

> The devotee and demon within

> Anyone who chooses to be a devotee may be the

> recipient of such

> partiality. Even if one is demoniac, if he

> surrenders to Krishna and

> becomes His devotee, he will be favored by the Lord.

> In other words,

> Krishna excludes no one from the ranks of His

> devotees. One must simply

> develop the qualification. Instead of persecuting

> the Lord's devotees,

> if one serves the Lord's devotees and glorifies the

> Lord, he can become a

> devotee. The Lord is most forgiving and willing to

> overlook one's past

> sins.

>

> Lord Caitanya is the embodiment of forgiveness and

> compassion. We

> explained earlier that Prahlada Maharaja was very

> forgiving and

> compassionate toward his father. Given one

> benediction by Lord

> Nrsimhadeva, Prahlada requested that the Lord

> forgive all his father's

> offenses. Sri Caitanya is Krishna Himself coming in

> the mood of His

> greatest devotee, Srimati Radharani. As Prahlada

> requested forgiveness

> for his father, Lord Caitanya overlooks the sinful

> actions of the souls

> in Kali-yuga, and compassionately and

> indiscriminately distributes the

> perfection of life, pure krsna prema, love of God.

> Most of us are not

> pure devotees like Prahlada Maharaja, nor are we

> pure demons like

> Hiranyakasipu. We are somewhere in between on the

> continuum of

> acceptance and denial of transcendent reality.

> Understanding this, the

> Lord does not come as Nrsimha to punish us for our

> lower nature. Rather,

> He comes as Sri Caitanya to uplift us, to inspire us

> to become devotees

> of Krishna.

>

> Sometimes, when we can bear to look into our hearts,

> we are not proud of

> what we find. We are trying to become devotees, but

> we see mountains and

> mountains of material desires. We may become

> discouraged. Regret over

> our condition is good and it is necessary. Shame

> and guilt, however,

> have a paralyzing effect on our spiritual lives.

> Rather than fearing

> God's wrath for our sinful condition, we should

> remember His compassion.

> Another name of Krishna is Sri Janardana, which

> means He understands the

> innermost desire of our hearts. Srila Prabhupada

> writes (SB 8.23.2),

> "The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as

> bhava-grahi janardana

> because He takes only the essence of a devotee's

> attitude. If a devotee

> sincerely surrenders, the Lord, as the Supersoul in

> everyone's heart,

> immediately understands this. Thus even though,

> externally, a devotee may

> not render full service, if he is internally sincere

> and serious the Lord

> welcomes his service nonetheless. Thus the Lord is

> known as bhava-grahi

> janardana because He takes the essence of one's

> devotional mentality."

>

> Peering into the heart, the aspiring devotee may see

> a tiny spark of

> sincerity in devotional service. Krishna is so kind

> that He protects His

> aspiring devotee (Bg 9.22):

>

> ananyas cintayanto mam

> ye janah paryupasate

> tesam nityabhiyuktanam

> yoga-ksemam vahamy aham

>

> "But those who always worship Me with exclusive

> devotion, meditating on

> My transcendental form-to them I carry what they

> lack, and I preserve

> what they have."

>

> One might reply, "But this verse refers to the pure

> devotee who worships

> the Lord with exclusive devotion. I'm far from that

> stage. Furthermore,

> I don't want the Lord to preserve my material

> desires. So, how does this

> apply?"

>

> The Lord protects His devotees, be they pure or

> still developing their

> purity (Bg 2.40):

>

> nehabhikrama-naso 'sti

> pratyavayo na vidyate

> sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya

> trayate mahato bhayat

>

> "In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution,

> and a little

> advancement on this path can protect one from the

> most dangerous type of

> fear."

>

> As Janardana, the Lord protects our spark of

> sincerity, and He makes

> arrangements to fan that spark, allowing us to hear

> about the Lord and

> chant His glories in the association of inspired

> devotees. It is up to

> us to take advantage of those arrangements, and that

> is the mark of our

> sincerity. If we do not do so, clearly our

> spiritual lives are

> temporarily waning. If we do, however, it's like

> pouring rocket fuel on

> that spark.

>

> Even though we may find ourselves torn between the

> divine and demoniac

> natures, the Lord is acting in such a way as to

> protect our Prahlada-like

> higher nature from the Hiranyakasipu-like lower

> nature within our hearts.

> Our challenge is to reaffirm each day the

> aspiration of the higher self,

> and act accordingly.

>

> to be concluded next week...

>

>

 

 

 

 

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