Puja according to Gaudiya Vaishnavism, and Chaitanya Charitamrita

[Baobabtree]

Namaste all.

 

Does anyone have an outline of how to preform puja according to the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. I used to consider myself Shaiva, but I'm becoming more and more attracted to Vaishnavism and Krishna. In particular I have become interested with Gaudiya Vaishnavism and I'd like to know if any one could tell me where I could find an online puja outline, or where to find the Chaitanya Charitamrita.

 

Jai Shree Krishna!

[mahak]

love your handle, since I was a wee lad, I loved the baobab tree. You ought to get a good photo of one to use for your avatar. In fact, Ill get you one and post it here.

 

I dont speak from a platform of ISKCON, Gaudiya, or any of that. Im just and old hipster who spends much time in graveyards (as an occupation, not a necro-hobby, which aint a bad hobby BTW). I speak trying to convey the messaage of my guru maharaja, Srila AC BHaktivedanta Swami. He teaches there is no hard and fast rules for performing yuga dharma. Puja means worship, which is connected to sanatana dharma. In this age, Kali Yuga, the process for puja is hearing and chanting the names of Krsna. Lord Chaitanya insists there are no hard and fast rules for performing such. There are many levels of rules and regulations, as explained by the acaryas in the line of Srila Prabhupada, but when summarizing, Srila Rupa Goswami, the basis for the4 science of sadhana bhakti yoga, he states that there are only two rules, one to always remember Krsna, and two is to never forget him. By Krsna, we mean his name, form, pastimes, his unalloyed servants, etc.

 

As far as what you seek, I suggest to go to a post by THEIST, who has a signature hotlink to veda basee where chaitanya charitamrta, bhyagavad gita, srimad bhagavatam, all are available on-line. I also strongly recommend to go to GHARI's signature hotlink titled "kingdom of God", where there is nicely published everything needed to know about anything at all.

 

But, bottom line, to practice Gaudiya Vaisnavism, one need only to chant the names of Krsna.

 

Hare krsna, yus, mahaksadasa

[mahak]

 

Awesome tree, aint nothin like it.

 

gHaris website

 

Seeking the Kingdom of God

 

Theists signature:

 

http://www.vedabase.net

 

haribol, ys, mahaksadasa

[Baobabtree]

Namaste Mahak.

 

Thnak you so much for the links and this information you've shared with me Bhakta. I'm already doing puja as prescribed in this way (eg: chanting, Jap, remembering Gods leelas, form and associates) so I'm very glad to ehar that Chaitanya was not a big ritualist and such things are excepted themselves as being the very core of devotion. I would however like to know how the more complex forms of worship (such as preforming worship to a murti, or preforming yagnas etc.) are carried out in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

 

 

 

Awesome tree, aint nothin like it.

Indeed its certainly a beautiful form of life, I've always been awe struck by the kinfd of beauty it manages to convey despite being almost leafless and without any sort of plants or fruits growing off of it.

 

Again thank you for giving me a link to the divine nectar that is the Chaitanya Charitamrita and for taking the time to reply to my thread.

 

Jai Shree Krishna!

Jai Shree Radha!

[mahak]

haribol, baobab. The most ancient of trees, perhaps even predating the sacred banyan.

 

Sometimes I get into arguements with my peers concerning ritual. Of course, our spiritual master brought the paraphenalia of Krsna Puja to the west, and he set up very nice facility for his disciples to engage in such ritual. However, ritual is a type of yajna prescribed in different ages, where brahmanicaL STANDARD were normaL, not exceptional. Thus the ritual prescribed by srila prabhupada, when viewed by a ritualist (caste brahmanas, et al), is fraught with many errors. But when we study the methodology of Srila Prabhupada, we see that ritual is not the goal, just a means where his disciple can facillitate the actual yuga dharma, samkirtana yajna. So we do deity worship, do it our best as fraught with error that it is, because we chant hare krsna while doing this puja. The temple life, the vows, the ritual, all are just a means to the real end of hearing and chanting the names of Krsna. Srila Prabhupada, throughout his teachings, emphasizes this fact, that chanting Krsna's names is the puja for this age, exclusive of all other ritualistic practice.

 

When Lord Chaitanya performed samkirtana to give us all the example for yuga dharma, he included in his kirtana the following prayer, "Harinama, harinama, harinama eva kevelam, kalau nasteva, nasteva, nasteva gatih anyatha." Chant the holy names of the Lord Hari, Chant the holy names of the Lord Hari, Chant the holy names of the Lord Hari, continually. In this age of Kali yuga, there is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way, for true deliverance. The three utterences are described by praBHUPADA as exstreme emphasis, that there is truely no superior method of worshipping the supreme Lord than chanting HARINAMA. Srila Prabhupada set up the ISKCON foundation to give us all a place to gather and perform this samkirtana yajna. Samkirtana yajna is performed simultaneously with all the other ritual he has made available, and the ritual without samkirtana is never approved, nor has any value whatsoever.

 

Hope this is sufficient explanation. Bottom line, any kind of puja is perfected by the addition of harinama samkirtana, even christian ritual, even druid ritual. There is no ritual that has good effect in this age if it is absent harinama samkirtana.

 

Haribol, ys, mahaksadasa