Varnasrama College Diary

[Guest guest]

Varnasrama College Diary

By Rabindranatha Dasa Adhikari

Saturday, January 22, 2005

 

 

Things went on as usual today.*

 

Finished my 16 rounds at 6:51 p.m. and Vijaya Prabhu lead mangala arati and

Amala Bhakta (ACBSP) gave the Srimad Bhagavatam Class on 3.33.11

 

Today I went for a walk at Topanga canyon state park, this time on one of

the other sides at Temescal Canyon by Sunset Blvd. I went up to the

waterfall there that is next to the foot brige There is still a lot of

water up there in the creek and I took a bath going under the water, right

by the falls. Also during this time, there were many flowers growing there

which I call "soap flowers" which you can make a nice soapy lather. They are

small and bluish and come in clusters.

 

As I mentioned yesterday we have a new program here at the college, which is

as follows:

 

Bhaktivedanta

Reading Program

 

The Bhaktivedanta Reading Program is to **encourage others to read the

books of Srila Prabhupada. It consists of mostly (at least in the

beginning) reading the books of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada

 

This is done by reading at least all the translations and everything that is

in the purports; such as Sanskrit verses that are being quoted. Thus there

is no skimming but every word in the verses and purports must be read and

the Sanskrit verses in the purports pronounced, either aloud or silently.

 

Everyone is to keep track on when they begin a certain book and when they

complete it and they are to write one of their favorite quotes from the

book.

 

Afterwards they will be given a title and certificate

 

Besides giving awards for reading a book once, there will be higher degrees

given for such things as reading a book three times.***

 

The books that are presently in the program are as follows:

 

1) Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 2) Srimad-Bhagavatam 1st Canto, 3)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2nd Canto, 4) Srimad Bhagavatam 3rd Canto, 5)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 4th Canto, 6) Srimad-Bhagavatam 5th Canto, 7)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6th Canto, 8) Srimad-Bhagavatam 7th Canto, 9)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 8th Canto, 10) Srimad-Bhagavatam 9th Canto, 11)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10th Canto, 12) Srimad-Bhagavatam 11th Canto, 13)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 12 Canto, 14) Caitanya Caritamrta-Adi lila, 15) Caitanya

Caritamrta-Madhya lila, 16) Caitanya Caritamrta-Antya lila, 17) Teaching of

Lord Caitanya, 18) Nectar of Devotion, 19) Nectar of Instruction, 20) Sri

Isopanisad, 21) Easy Jouney to other Planets, 22) Krsna Consciousness: The

Topmost Yoga System, 23) Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, 24)

Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers

25) Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahuti, 26) Transcendental

Teachings of Prahlada Maharaja

27) Dialectic Spiritualism-A Vedic View of Western Philosophy, 28)Teaching

of Queen Kunti, 29) Krsna, the Reservoir of Pleasure, 30)The Science of

Self-Realization, 31)The Path of Perfection, 32) Search for Liberation, 33)

Life Comes from Life, 34) The Perfection of Yoga, 35) Beyond Birth and

Death, 36) On the way to Krsna, 37) Raja-vidya: The King of Knowledge, 38)

Elevation to Krsna Consciousness, 39) Krsna Consciousness: The Matchless

Gift, 40) Light of the Bhagavat, 41) Speaking About Varnasrama

 

**"Make nice paper, nice script, and the titles should be written in

handwriting so that he can frame it and keep it…It should be attractive.

He'll like to keep it. People should be encouraged. Utsaha. Utsaha. Utsaha

is an item in bhakti, first the utsaha. Just like this boy. He did not come

here, so he's so utsaha, enthusiasm. So he should be encouraged. And the

whole basis of the devotional service is utsaha. Just like unless there was

utsaha, how a man of seventy years old, without any hope, could go to such

distant place from Vrndavana to New York? The only platform was utsaha. So

utsaha is so important thing. Means they should be encouraged, spiritual

life. Utsahan niscayad dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat [upadesamrta

3]"-Srila Prabhupada (Room Conversation February 27, 1977)

 

***TRANSLATION

The great personality Brahma, with great attention and concentration of the

mind, studied the Vedas three times, and after scrutinizingly examining

them, he ascertained that attraction for the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Sri Krsna is the highest perfection of religion.

 

PURPORT

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami is referring to the highest Vedic authority, Lord

Brahma, who is the qualitative incarnation of Godhead. The Vedas were taught

to Brahmaji in the beginning of the material creation. Although Brahmaji was

to hear Vedic instructions directly from the Personality of Godhead, in

order to satisfy the inquisitiveness of all prospective students of the

Vedas, Brahmaji, just like a scholar, studied the Vedas three times, as

generally done by all scholars. --Bhag. 2.2.34

 

For enrolling in this program see Rabindranath Dasa Adhikari

 

Quote of the day

 

"To maintain proper social order and help the citizens gradually progress

toward the goal of life-namely spiritual understanding-the principles of

varnasrama-dharma must be accepted. From this verse, Maharaja Priyavrata

appears to have been so strict in maintaining this institution of

varnasrama-dharma that anyone neglecting it would immediately flee from his

presence as soon as the King warned him by fighting or administering light

punishment. Indeed, Maharaja Priyavrata would not have to fight, for simply

because of his strong determination, they dared not disobey the rules and

regulations of varnasrama-dharma. It is said that unless human society is

regulated by varnasrama-dharma, it is no better than a bestial society of

cats and dogs." --Bhag. 5.1.29P

 

 

*For now that means me raising up before 4 a.m., brushing my teeth, taking

bath, putting on tilaka, getting dressed, getting in my car and driving for

about a mile to the temple, being on time for mangala arati, Going back into

the Pujari rooms and making sure that everyone is there to bath and dress

the Deities, then worshiping my four Salagrama silas, then chanting some

rounds in the temple room, then greeting the Deities at 7a.m. then going to

Guru-puja, then being on time for the Srimad Bhagavatam class, giving out

maha prasadam halava and fruits right after the Srimad Bhagavatam class,

cleaning the Varnasrama college office by sweeping and mopping the floor,

empting the trash and cleaning off the office desk and at night setting two

alarm clocks before I turn out the lights. As time goes on I will write down

some of the other things that I do on a regular basics.

 

One may ask why mention all these things? The reason I do is to get feedback

from others whether or not one should do such things or for that matter even

mention them. Another reason being is that I am interested in writing a book

on Nitya-Kriya i.e. regular daily activities and also giving a class in it

here at the college.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/22/2005 10:10:42 PM Mountain Standard Time,

Rabindranatha.ACBSP (AT) pamho (DOT) net writes:

One may ask why mention all these things? The reason I do is to get feedback

from others whether or not one should do such things or for that matter even

mention them. Another reason being is that I am interested in writing a book

on Nitya-Kriya i.e. regular daily activities and also giving a class in it

here at the college.

 

 

I think it's great - for one, because it's your diary (which has relevance to

you personally, to your Varnashrama College service and community, and for

posterity in general) and also because hearing that you're sweeping and mopping

 

the office floor is not some mundane, irrelevant fact. It's enlivening. A

devotee's service is glorious and transcendental. When I first read that I

thought, "This is so nice! It's one of the regulative principles (from the

long

lists of what devotees are supposed to do - not the 4 regs.) that we're

supposed to do. Clean our homes (or offices!) to start the day in devotional

service

right!" So all glories to your orderly life and detailed information! By

being so regulated and having records, you are giving a good example of the

qualities of a brahmana.

 

Your servant,

Kalavati devi dasi