suchandra Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 Some honest and inspiring words by His Holiness Partha Sarathi Goswami. He says, it became unfortunately hard to find godbrothers these days with whom you can be honest and frank - well, what can be said, welcome at audarya-fellowship, Maharaja! <table bgcolor="#d7d6d6" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="100%" width="760"><tbody><tr><td class="forCopyright" bgcolor="#dfdfdf" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr bgcolor="#dfdfdf" valign="top"><td class="forTexts"> Journal of a Struggling Sadhaka - Volume 7, Part 8 http://www.psdgoswami.com/joss59.htm By Partha Sarathi Das Goswami Monday, 16 April 2007 - Hillcrest Mid-afternoon: Woke up with a headache... it's been happening more frequently lately. Last night I spoke with H.H. B.B. Govinda Maharaja at the Sri Sri Radha Radhanatha Temple. I spoke truthfully to Maharaja... or as the saying goes 'laying my cards on the table.' It's therapeutic for me to be honest and frank. Unfortunately there aren't many godbrothers I can do this with. The conversation turned towards bhajan and I spoke about some of my practices. Usually when I meet devotees the subject is about preaching. I think that was Srila Prabhupada's main concern as well. How many books? How many new devotees? What's your idea to expand the preaching? Usually this is how progress is measured. But equally relevant is "How's your bhajan?" What are you reading? How many rounds are you chanting? Earlier during the Sunday afternoon program Govinda Maharaja and H.H. Indradyumna Maharaja both lead an ecstatic kirtan. It went on for ninety minutes and many devotees were dancing including my sister Sue and her ten-year-old daughter Jasmine. Chanting the holy name is our only business, the lectures are just to convince us of the need to chant. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu travelled throughout South India His main emphasis was to chant the holy name. It seems He didn't speak so much to the general public but He spoke extensively to qualified devotees like Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya and Ramananda Raya. I see the importance of having nice kirtans but unfortunately because of my weak health I can't lead them. My dancing kirtan days are history. Thursday, 19 April 2007 - Hillcrest It seems I have writer's block or perhaps I'm just becoming lazy. I'm not writing so much. I don't feel I have anything important to write about. Externally I lead a somewhat dull life... my main interest is my bhajan which can't really be explained. Or rather it wouldn't be appropriate to write about my bhajan. One thing that has been on my mind for a few days is the passing away of my senior godbrother Suhotra Swami. He had a heart attack in Mayapura while engaged in one of his marathons of studying the Bhagavatam. Apparently he was also depressed. Somehow Krsna took him away and now he's on a new chapter of his life. Seeing Maharaja's departure from a mundane perspective fills you with doubt, fear and despondency. Seeing Maharaja's departure from a spiritual point of view leaves you optimistic and positive. While oscillating between the two perspectives I thought about one of my favourite verses from the Srimad Bhagavatam. na hy asya karhicid rajan puman veda vidhitsitam yad vijijnasaya yukta muhyanti kavayo 'pi hi TRANSLATION O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [sri Krsna]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered. PURPORT The bewilderment of Maharaja Yudhisthira over his past sinful acts and the resultant sufferings, etc., is completely negated by the great authority Bhisma (one of the twelve authorized persons). Bhisma wanted to impress upon Maharaja Yudhisthira that since time immemorial no one, including such demigods as Siva and Brahma, could ascertain the real plan of the Lord. So what can we understand about it? It is useless also to inquire about it. Even the exhaustive philosophical inquiries of sages cannot ascertain the plan of the Lord. The best policy is simply to abide by the orders of the Lord without argument. The sufferings of the Pandavas were never due to their past deeds. The Lord had to execute the plan of establishing the kingdom of virtue, and therefore His own devotees suffered temporarily in order to establish the conquest of virtue. Bhismadeva was certainly satisfied by seeing the triumph of virtue, and he was glad to see King Yudhisthira on the throne, although he himself fought against him. Even a great fighter like Bhisma could not win the Battle of Kuruksetra because the Lord wanted to show that vice cannot conquer virtue, regardless of who tries to execute it. Bhismadeva was a great devotee of the Lord, but he chose to fight against the Pandavas by the will of the Lord because the Lord wanted to show that a fighter like Bhisma cannot win on the wrong side. (SB 1.9.16 Purport) The word "muhyanti" means bewildered and that's the conclusion of trying to understand death from the material perspective. Krsna, who is the supreme friend of all living entities has His plan. I may not understand iti you may not understand iti but Krsna knows what He's doing. Krsna is not a third rate megalomaniac power freak who whimsically moves living entities from one body to another. Krsna is our well-wisher, our friend, maintainer and supreme guardian. His only concern is Suhotra Maharaja's spiritual well being and happiness. Out of His infinite kindness and compassion He chose to have Suhotra Maharaja leave his mortal body and take birth again. In his next birth Maharaja will continue to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission until he comes to the level of bhava bhakti and then he'll take birth in the Lord's pastimes somewhere in the material world. Technically that's called "vastu-siddhi." It's essential that we see the "hand of God" behind everything otherwise we'll become bewildered. Evening - I am studying Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto ten, Chapter 82, entitled "Krishna and Balarama meet the residents of Vrndavana," in detail. It describes the heart rendering meeting of the residents of Vrndavana with Krishna and Balarama at Kuruksetra. The condition of separation that the gopis felt for Krsna at Kuruksetra is beyond description. Some words can be written but to actually taste it a devotee will have to do deep bhajan. And even with deep bhajan we will only realise a millionth particle of what the gopis actually experienced. While Krsna was meeting with the gopis He spoke this verse which I thought was extremely appropriate, regarding the passing away of Suhotra Maharaja and so many other Vaisnavas (in the last two weeks four of my disciples have left their bodies). Krsna spoke this verse to the gopis. vayur yatha ghananikam trnam tulam rajamsi ca samyojyaksipate bhuyas tatha bhutani bhuta-krt TRANSLATION Just as the wind brings together masses of clouds, blades of grass, wisps of cotton and particles of dust, only to scatter them all again, so the creator deals with His created beings in the same way. (SB 10.82.43) </td> </tr> </tbody></table></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="forCopyright" align="center" background="http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/images/down_blend.gif" height="30" valign="middle"></td></tr></tbody></table> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guruvani Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 Some honest and inspiring words by His Holiness Partha Sarathi Goswami. I agree with the "honest" part, but "inspiring"...............I don't know. He seems depressed. I am sorry for him if he is. I don't know for sure what the cure is. If he is chanting Maha-mantra and not feeling bliss and tasting nectarine freshness in his soul, then that is very sad. I know it takes time to get to the stage of actually feeling the direct effect of Namakirtan. I think I must have attained something in previous lifetimes. Otherwise, I can't explain why I feel so much pleasure in chanting Maha-mantra. There is no option but to just stick with the process and hopefully someday he will start to relish the nectar of the Holy Name. Maybe he should get away from ISKCON? The atmosphere there might be very polluted now. Maybe he should take off the costume and wear some pants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suchandra Posted June 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 I agree with the "honest" part, but "inspiring"...............I don't know. He seems depressed. I am sorry for him if he is. I don't know for sure what the cure is. If he is chanting Maha-mantra and not feeling bliss and tasting nectarine freshness in his soul, then that is very sad. I know it takes time to get to the stage of actually feeling the direct effect of Namakirtan. I think I must have attained something in previous lifetimes. Otherwise, I can't explain why I feel so much pleasure in chanting Maha-mantra. There is no option but to just stick with the process and hopefully someday he will start to relish the nectar of the Holy Name. Maybe he should get away from ISKCON? The atmosphere there might be very polluted now. Maybe he should take off the costume and wear some pants? Thanks, yes, you're correct, didnt read the portion where he says, "in the last two weeks four of my disciples have left their bodies", this is of course somewhat depressing:eek:. And since he says that, "He chose to have Suhotra Maharaja leave his mortal body and take birth again", that even Sohotra Swami has to take birth again - what is the destiny of his disciples? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krsna Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 verses from the Srimad Bhagavatam. na hy asya karhicid rajan puman veda vidhitsitam yad vijijnasaya yukta muhyanti kavayo 'pi hi TRANSLATION O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord [sri Krsna]. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered. PURPORT The bewilderment of Maharaja Yudhisthira over his past sinful acts and the resultant sufferings, etc., is completely negated by the great authority Bhisma (one of the twelve authorized persons). Bhisma wanted to impress upon Maharaja Yudhisthira that since time immemorial no one, including such demigods as Siva and Brahma, could ascertain the real plan of the Lord. So what can we understand about it? It is useless also to inquire about it. Even the exhaustive philosophical inquiries of sages cannot ascertain the plan of the Lord. The best policy is simply to abide by the orders of the Lord without argument. The sufferings of the Pandavas were never due to their past deeds. The Lord had to execute the plan of establishing the kingdom of virtue, and therefore His own devotees suffered temporarily in order to establish the conquest of virtue. Bhismadeva was certainly satisfied by seeing the triumph of virtue, and he was glad to see King Yudhisthira on the throne, although he himself fought against him. Even a great fighter like Bhisma could not win the Battle of Kuruksetra because the Lord wanted to show that vice cannot conquer virtue, regardless of who tries to execute it. Bhismadeva was a great devotee of the Lord, but he chose to fight against the Pandavas by the will of the Lord because the Lord wanted to show that a fighter like Bhisma cannot win on the wrong side. (SB 1.9.16 Purport) The word "muhyanti" means bewildered and that's the conclusion of trying to understand death from the material perspective. Krsna, who is the supreme friend of all living entities has His plan. I may not understand iti you may not understand iti but Krsna knows what He's doing. Krsna is not a third rate megalomaniac power freak who whimsically moves living entities from one body to another. Krsna is our well-wisher, our friend, maintainer and supreme guardian. His only concern is Suhotra Maharaja's spiritual well being and happiness. Out of His infinite kindness and compassion He chose to have Suhotra Maharaja leave his mortal body and take birth again. In his next birth Maharaja will continue to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission until he comes to the level of bhava bhakti and then he'll take birth in the Lord's pastimes somewhere in the material world. Technically that's called "vastu-siddhi." It's essential that we see the "hand of God" behind everything otherwise we'll become bewildered. Evening - I am studying Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto ten, Chapter 82, entitled "Krishna and Balarama meet the residents of Vrndavana," in detail. It describes the heart rendering meeting of the residents of Vrndavana with Krishna and Balarama at Kuruksetra. The condition of separation that the gopis felt for Krsna at Kuruksetra is beyond description. Some words can be written but to actually taste it a devotee will have to do deep bhajan. And even with deep bhajan we will only realise a millionth particle of what the gopis actually experienced. While Krsna was meeting with the gopis He spoke this verse which I thought was extremely appropriate, regarding the passing away of Suhotra Maharaja and so many other Vaisnavas (in the last two weeks four of my disciples have left their bodies). Krsna spoke this verse to the gopis. vayur yatha ghananikam trnam tulam rajamsi ca samyojyaksipate bhuyas tatha bhutani bhuta-krt TRANSLATION Just as the wind brings together masses of clouds, blades of grass, wisps of cotton and particles of dust, only to scatter them all again, so the creator deals with His created beings in the same way. (SB 10.82.43) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guruvani Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 he also says: Seeing Maharaja's departure from a mundane perspective fills you with doubt, fear and despondency. Seeing Maharaja's departure from a spiritual point of view leaves you optimistic and positive. While oscillating between the two perspectives I thought about one of my favourite verses from the Srimad Bhagavatam. He admits that his mind is battling back and forth between doubt, fear and despondency and then optimism. Really, I don't see how anyone with that kind of weakness could ever be guru to anyone. Why does he have disciples? He is still very much a neophyte. This is making ISKCON totally irrelevant as a shelter for spiritualists seeking liberation from mundane existance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guruvani Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 It's just ridiculous. He labels himself as a "struggling sadhaka", yet he is going to accept disciples. Struggling sadhakas should not accept disciples. "Struggling" means his own faith is weak. This man should never have accepted the role as guru for anyone. He hasn't even convinced himself yet and he is going to lead others. It's very sad that ISKCON has come to this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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