sleeping in tulasi's greenhouse, to do or not?

[Guest guest]

SrI SrI Guru Gaurangau Jayatah

 

Camp: Iskcon Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine

DaNDavats Dear Suvarnamanjari dasi. Jaya Krishna BalarAma!

Please accept my respectful obeisances. All Glories to Sreela PrabhupAda..

Glories to your sweet husband mayapura Chandra dasa!

 

Thank you for your letter.

 

> I'm writing to ask, about whether or not it is alright to sleep in

> Tulasi's house. Bhk Lila and I were inspired by one of your pastimes,

> when you slept in the tulasi house, so we tried it out last night, we also

> take care of tulasi devi.

 

what happened? Any spiritual experiences? I.e. dreams of finding oneself in

the midst of devotees in Kirtans, deity darsanas, SB classes). Any divine

dreams? that's what happened to me whenever I slept in Her room at night.

 

> One devotee couple got fried and said that we

> should of checked under what circumstances you slept in the tulasi house.

> We where just wondering what are the do's and dont's.

 

I see that Capetown (where there are ferocious winds in the winter months

May-August) has a strong greenhouse built to withstand the weather, so

unlike my 1973 story, may not risk falling apart like the huge flimsily

built Atlanta temple greenhouse that held 45 huge tulasis.

 

If the greenhouse facility doesn't risk falling down in the wind, I doubt

the authorities of the temple board would see the necessity of sanctioning a

"sleep in 'protector' in the night.

 

ok. Here's the whole detailed story:I hope you don't mind me adding a few

tulasi bhaktas to this receiver list.

 

in 1973 Atlanta temple had a flimsy 2 ply plastic polytheen greenhouse for

45 very huge Tulasi's.

 

since the weather got quite cold in the winter months, and the temple

authorities were worried that the wind might rip open the plastic and thus

harm Her security, heating and overall health. For Her service it was

decided that 1 devotee (on rotation) be allowed to sleep in Her greenhouse

to ensure that "She was ok".

 

as regards the devotees objecting to your sleeping in front of Her in Her

house. there is no direct pramana expressing forbidding it, but the NY

temple TP (who is a pujari).

 

sited the following:

 

(10) One should not lie down before the Deity of KŠa. (23) One should not

pass air before the Deity.

 

these devotees argue seriously that these same strictures should apply to

Krsna's dear liberated personalities like Tulasi (Narayana's consort).

and therefore one can see their rightful hesitantcies to allow us

conditioned souls to 'use Her facilities" other then daytime service,

reading, or chanting to Her.

 

their obtection is:

 

that aside from "not lying down infront of the deity" while sleeping ones

body emits foul gas, and therefore offensive to Her.

 

However, on the other side of the arguement, (what my Atlanta TP Balavanta

das in 1973 opined) In NOD it mentions:

 

"Sometimes it is found that a pure devotee lies down in the temple of the

Lord in order to serve Him as a confidential friend. Such friendly behavior

of a devotee may be accepted as r€g€nug€, or spontaneous. Although,

according to regulative principles, no one can lie down in the temple of the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, this spontaneous love of Godhead may be

grouped under devotional service in friendship."

 

in order to make sure that the wind did not blow over her clear plastic

greenhouse, and keeping in mind above NOD quote, the TP allowed it, and I

benefited from it.

 

It was thought" I will strive to protect Tulasi", but who was protecting

Whom? who were we to kid ourselves that "we were protecting Her"?

 

SHe is the curative hospital nurse (dhatri) or mother of the Universe. She

delivers the Universe (Visvapavani). so in reality She blessed us sleeping

young brahmacaries by Her mercy.

 

Tulasi Rani Ki jaya!!

 

TridaNDi BhikSu, Bhakti Visrambha MAdhava