Guest guest Posted April 24, 2002 Report Share Posted April 24, 2002 Haribol Please allow me to reveal my mind. In 1997 my wife and I traveled to Vrndavan. At that time we had no intention other than to visit the Holy Dharm. Co-incidentally we got attracted to their Lordships Gaura Nitai so we bought them and the Murti From of His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabupada. In his extensive purport to Bhagavata 7.5.23-24, Srila Prabhupada makes an even stronger point: "Grhastha devotees, however, are generally engaged in material activities, and therefore if they do not take to Deity worship, their falling down is positively assured." The main problem here is that we are not initiated...and we did this on our own hearts desire Our deity worship is not of the top most standard ( like in the temple) with a little daughter to care of and so many other engagements....work etc. But when time permits we cook opulently and make nice clothes etc for the Lord. Recently the Temple devotees asked to do deity bathing ceremony for Gaura Purnima with our deities. I try to read out the appropriate verse for water cleansing etc.....pancaratrika book. Mostly I read brahma samhita and purusa shakta for the benefit of their Lordships Gaura Nitai. In our hearts we are serving the Lord to the ability, but many devotees seem to have a problem with that. They have the perception that we do not offer bhoga daily and that we do not bath the Lord appropriately etc. When they visit it is only for fault finding with our worship etc which they mostly talk amongst them selves and we also hear rumour about criticism about us not being initiated.... We certianly do not want to fall down from what ever level of devotional practice we have achieved. Formal initiation seems a long time away so what do we do.....? Regards rakesh Engen Petroleum Limited, disclaims liability for any loss, damage or expense however caused, arising from the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail and on any reliance placed upon the information provided through this service and does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information. Please visit http://www.engen.co.za/content/disclaimer/default.htm to view the full disclaimer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2002 Report Share Posted April 25, 2002 > In our hearts we are serving the Lord to the > ability, but many devotees seem to have a problem > with that. They have the perception that we do not > offer bhoga daily and that we do not bath the Lord > appropriately etc.> I have read in various Deity worship manuals and household worship handbooks that Sri Sri Gaura Nitai are the ideal Deities for beginning devotees, and devotees who worship at home, etc., since They are extremely tolerant of offenses committed during worship. I don't think initiation can be that important (in terms of the worship of uninstalled Deity worship--initiation *is* important to spiritual advancement in general, and that's not what I'm questioning) to general Deity worship-- in gurukula we were encouraged to practice Deity worship, and we were certainly not initiated, being mostly 5-9 years old. In gurukula, and in most home worship guides, it is acceptable to bathe and dress the Deity once a week. Offer the Deity whatever it is that you will have, say, for dinner, each day. This is much less time consuming than many people think. With children in the house, Deity worship is very pleasurable, and a child won't mind waiting an extra 15 minutes (or even less, depending on your standard) for the Lord to have His dinner if it is explained to her. I would say the best, easiest way to worship Sri-Sri Gaura Nitai is to chant a kirtan for Them every day! This is so much fun for children, who can sing and dance and play kartalas, and what could please Lord Caitanya more than the chanting of the Holy Name? I am sure you are already doing this, prabhu. I also think that since Their Lordships are omniscient, They know that you are sincerely attracted and trying your best to care for Them. This will surely give Them pleasure, since loving service is what attracts the Lord most. Nitai-Gaura Haribol! your servant, Maharani dd Games - play chess, backgammon, pool and more http://games./ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2002 Report Share Posted April 25, 2002 achintya, "Manohar, Rakesh" <rakesh.manohar@e...> wrote: > When they visit it is only for fault finding with our worship etc which they mostly talk amongst them selves and we also hear rumour about criticism about us not being initiated.... > I think that these kinds of criticisms are very unbecoming of Vaishnavas, and consequently I do not have much regard for "devotees" who visit one's home on invitation only to criticize their hosts for whatever reason. A devotee who wants to teach the proper standard for anything, such as Deity worship, can best do so by setting a good example himself so that others can follow. Brahminical culture requires that some gentle behavior be observed, what to speak of Vaishnava culture. Please note Srila Rupa Gosvami's instructions in Nectar of Instruction. Therein, he describes various kinds of interactions between devotees of the Lord, such as giving and receiving gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, etc. As far as my understanding of Deity worship is concerned, I was taught that having an archa-vigraha in the home is like inviting the Lord Himself to reside there (even before performing the praana- pratishtha ceremony). This of course brings up the question of the significance of the praana-pratishtha itself. But the point is, Deity worship is supposed to be quite strict, lest one commit an offense. That being said, I have some archa-vigrahas of Lord Baala Krishna and Lord Venkateshwara, Sridevi, and Bhuudevi in my home, and my wife and I also try to keep to a daily routine. I'm certainly in no position to criticize anyone's standard of worship, nor would I want to even if I could. As far as these "critics" are concerned, my recommendation would be to simply tolerate them as much as possible, accepting their immature criticisms as some reaction to previous karmas. We can learn humility even from those who have no right to try to humiliate us. Aside from that, try to associate preferentially with those devotees whose example you would actually like to follow. That may be a tough one to do, since there are so few advanced souls in this world. But then, we should expect that, given BG "manashyaanaam sahasreShu kaschid yatati siddhaya..." etc. yours, - K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 26, 2002 Report Share Posted April 26, 2002 On Wed, 24 Apr 2002, Manohar, Rakesh wrote: <<<<Co-incidentally we got attracted to their Lordships Gaura Nitai so we bought them and the Murti From of His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabupada. The main problem here is that we are not initiated...and we did this on our own hearts desire Our deity worship is not of the top most standard ( like in the temple) with a little daughter to care of and so many other engagements...work etc.>>>> Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai are the right Deities. Do what you feel you can for Them, sincerely. When They want more from you, one way or another They'll let you know! :-) Gaura-Nitai are especially merciful, too, and their seva doesn't have to be elaborate, especially in our homes. Household Deities are like our esteemed guests, so they just graciously accept whatever we can humbly offer Them with affection and purity. Srila Prabhupada even said that kirtana alone is sufficient to please Gaura-Nitai. <<<<When they visit it is only for fault finding with our worship etc which they mostly talk amongst them selves and we also hear rumour about criticism about us not being initiated....>>>> Hmmm. This sounds a bit like neophyte devotion (see Bhagavatam, 11.2.47). If they're offensive, they themselves will probably be gone soon enough; then you won't have to listen to them anymore. ;-) Better to listen to the devotees who are considered more advanced; they generally aren't so harsh with others (see Bhagavatam, 11.2.46, or 11.2.48-55). <<<< We certianly do not want to fall down from what ever level of devotional practice we have achieved. Formal initiation seems a long time away so what do we do.....?>>>> Worship the Deity as best as you can now, and as you approach the standard appropriate for installed Deities, the Lord will make arrangements as He sees fit. Initiation is definitely necessary, especially for anyone worshipping installed Deities, but it isn't that someone who isn't initiated is "fallen" or somehow can't serve Krsna. No one should feel compelled to take initiation quickly either; everyone's committment to Krsna consciousness is always voluntary. That's just the nature of love. However, those who have taken advantage of initiation see that it actually makes everything easier, not harder. That's what it exists for. In the beginning, though, we have to develop such faith. We do so by seeking out sadhu-sanga, for which even great mahajanas like lord Siva pray (e.g., Bhagavatam, 4.24.58): "My dear Lord, Your lotus feet are the cause of all auspicious things and the destroyer of all the contamination of sin. I therefore beg Your Lordship to bless me by the association of Your devotees, who are completely purified by worshiping Your lotus feet and who are so merciful upon the conditioned souls. I think that Your real benediction will be to allow me to associate with such devotees." I hope this is helpful. Hare Krsna! MDd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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