from Mahanidhi Swami-purushottama adhika masa vratas

[Guest guest]

"13:23 tapasya means to undergo voluntarily some inconveinences of this

body, be we are accustomed to enjoy bodily senses, tapasya means to give up

the idea of sense gratification, just like ekadasi one day fasting in a

fortnight, or other auspicious day that tapasya is good even for health, and

what to speak of advancing In Krsna Consciousness. so we should accept this

tapasya upavasa there are many prescribed days for fasting-we should

observe.14:18 15:15 we are suffering in this material world on account of

this material body, if you want real happiness then we must accept tapasya,

without tapasya if we think that without tapasya we can get it out of

immagination then we become sahajiya, no Krsna says tapas casmi this tapasya

IS Krsna you are associating with Krsna.16:04: BG 7.9 Vrndavana 8/15/74

spl cd #9

 

this is from a letter I've written to one devotee who had some questions

about this topic.

 

I felt many devotees may also like to see it:

 

I beg you-Please give me your blessings I can perform the vratas to purify

my wretched western bodily identifcation of life, and please Their

Lordships.

 

I desire to attain my Lord's Krsna Balarama, Radhe-Syama's shelter. These

are the main reasons one adopts these purifying vratas. to purify one's

nature with the hope of pleasing the Lords so they may give Themselves to us

and allow us Their company in the bhauma lila's They execute.

 

> Thanks for interesting material. And if you don't mind I have several

> questions.

 

ok.

 

First question is about cutting the nails.I think it looks odd

> if some pujari has nails like Dracula. Is the hair-hail austerity must be

> practiced.

 

No. On behalf of pujaries, I personally asked this question to Gaudiya math

sannyasi friends of mine in 1993, and they told me that one may omit certain

aspects of the vratas that may not be in tune with one's devotional sevice

or circumstances.

 

But it is mentioned in Hari Bhakti Vilasa. HBV was a smiti shastra written

in India mainly for Indians. But these occaisional vrata's do help the

sadhaka focus on 'bhava samshuddhi' 'sattva samshuddhi' these words are

mentioned in BG. look them up if you don't know what they mean.

 

the followers of SBSST followed them, and Prabhupada adjusted them to both

western circumstances and the abilities of his fallen men to apply. Yet,

Increasingly he encouraged the sannyasi's in the dhama's in the last year to

adopt these things for atma shuddhi.

 

That is for sure..He let Bhavananda do it in Mayapura. some Householders I

know are leaving the west to come to Vrndavana especially to execute these

vratas. they are purifying for all.

 

They must not get in the way of the preaching and maintaining the rest of

Srila PRabhupada's standards in the temple life, nor obstruct the service of

the other congregational devotees.

 

they are optional additional *PRIVATELY DONE AND NOT FLAUNTED* items of

devotional service to be done in a humble manner to increasingly purify

one's wretched western & (read conditional) mentality.

 

or should we more concentrate on sravanam kirtanam if we have no

> chance to make full tapasya.

 

Yes, increase the rounds etc as mentioned in the vrata's. very good, but

don't break it, make sure you can execute what you promise Krsna you'll

do..consider soberly and perhaps start slowely (to buildup conviction) and

accept more increasingly as Purushottam adhika masa or Caturmasya or at

least Kartika masa when it occurs.

 

I've heard some of the older devotees

> strongly criticizing practice of cathurmasya and different vratas.

 

who's that? Not the older devotees I associate with.

 

Resorting to Criticizing something they don't understand or can't apply are

sometimes opted by the weak minded sense gratifiers who are trying to cover

up their possible own lack of determination to purify their senses, but

Krsna knows who's who.

 

saying

> that Srila Prabhupada didn't want us to fast and grow beard but he wanted

> us to preach.

 

Preachers are the most to be glorified. If one PReaches the Lords glories,

in tough areas of the world, like Estonia--then Yes, they may attain the

benefits of all devotional vrata's (as per BG 8.28).

 

for some westerners some of the vratas may not be possible or neccessary. If

they are sincerely preaching, they are exempt, but even the preachers try to

execute Kartika and other vratas, they'll get strength to continue preaching

the rest of the year.

 

Why not see this as a nice opportunity to charge one's batteries in the

dhamas (or the temple)?

 

Yet, watch out for saying, "Preaching" yet meaning--"I can't give up my

regulated sense gratification I'm getting from the temple-not even for one

month."

 

They say Preach, how much preaching are they doing or facilitating? If they

are donating their salary for keeping the temple afloat like you are doing

in Tallinn, this may be some valid reason for avoiding *some* of the vratas.

 

I do remember one brahmacari in 1976 in LA who did chaturmasya, but at the

end of it got married, so one devotee said sarcastically," Oh I understand,

the fruit of his austerities was to get a good wife." Naturally when

someone sees adverse things happening at the end of the vrata or in the

middle when someone unfortunately tried to take too much for their mind to

bear and therefore breaks it (bhoga-tyaga mentality) due to immature

practice of such things, it doesn't help encourage it in the vaisnava

community.

 

Purushottama Adhika masa vrata's come once every 3 years. A wonderful

opportunity to evoke a new you... If you can successfully complete it you

should consider continuing it to some degree. not that when you finish it,

go on an eating binge or sense gratification of sorts.

 

This is why those who try must be humble and not flaunt this ability, or

criticize those who can't.

 

One may fall down further into bhoga-tyaga if one opts for criticizing these

vratas due to sense gratifying propensities done openly in the name of

'preaching'.

 

That doesn't mean you should throw the baby out with the bath water. Yes,

never stop or obstruct the preaching *and* purify one's existence too, both

simultaneously..

 

Shridhar swami wrote me once, "the biggest things are the sravanam and

Kirtanam and it means that one should be able to follow the diet, no one

should do the beard things of the vrata unless they can follow the strict

diet and vows such as increased chanting and hearing."

 

If one can't follow the whole Chaturmasya vows strictly due to traveling and

preaching commitments elsewhere on the battlefield in the west, one may try

to adopt at least Kartika vrata yearly seriously and thus you may get the

full fruit of the whole 4 months.

 

I personally think that if renunciates in Iskcon increase it humbly in the

proper mood, and do it regularly it will strengthen convictions,

determination, a preaching spirit and it will promote purity which will

shine when they preach when they travel after the vrata's are over.

 

Your further comments are welcome. Please bless me for a good serious

successful vrata.

 

ys MMDASBR