Mea culpa: Do you confess to KRSNA, it is all due to my own most grievous fault.??

[krsna]

Mea culpa

 

From Wikipedia

 

 

 

Mea culpa is a Latin phrase that translates into English as "my fault", or "my own fault". In order to emphasize the message, the adjective "maxima" may be inserted, resulting in "mea maxima culpa," which would translate as "my most [grievous] fault."

 

Origin

 

The origin of the expression is from a traditional prayer in the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church known as Confiteor (Latin for "I confess"), in which the individual recognizes his or her flaws before God.

 

The text in Latin is:

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><DL><DD>Confíteor Deo omnipoténti et vobis, fratres, <DD>quia peccávi nimis <DD>cogitatióne, verbo, ópere, et omissióne: <DD>mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa. </DD></DL><DL><DD>Ideo precor beátam Maríam semper Vírginem, <DD>omnes Angelos et Sanctos, <DD>et vos, fratres, oráre pro me <DD>ad Dóminum Deum nostrum. </DD></DL></TD><TD><DL><DD><DL><DD>1973 ICEL translation </DD></DL><DD>I confess to almighty God, <DD>and to you, my brothers and sisters, <DD>that I have sinned through my own fault, <DD>in my thoughts and in my words, <DD>in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; <DD>and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin, <DD>all the angels and saints, <DD>and you, my brothers and sisters, <DD>to pray for me to the Lord our God. </DD></DL></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The traditional translation of the phrase, which appeared in most people's missals prior to 1970, was "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."

 

This same translation appears in missals used today in Masses of the Extraordinary Form, the so-called Traditional Latin Mass.

 

Anglican Missals of the Episcopal Church in the USA and in the Church of England that included this prayer used the same translation, though sometimes the last part was translated "my own most grievous fault."

 

Popular meaning

 

In the popular vernacular, the expression "mea culpa" has acquired a more direct meaning, in which, by doing or performing a "mea culpa", someone admits to having made a mistake by one's own fault (meaning that it could have been avoided if that person had been more diligent).

 

It may be used even in trivial situations: if an American football player, for instance, admits that his team lost a game because he missed a field goal, this may be called a "mea culpa", meaning that he admitted his mistake, which he could have avoided (at least in theory), and that resulted in a subsequent evil. In today's American vernacular, people often say "my bad."

[cbrahma]

I didn't know we could actually talk to Krsna. Isn't that sahajiya?

Don't we need layers and layers of mediators?

[krsna]

 

I didn't know we could actually talk to Krsna. Isn't that sahajiya?

Don't we need layers and layers of mediators?

 

"my own most grievous fault."

 

 

 

Bhaktivinode Thakur

 

SARANAGATI (written in 1880-1897)

 

 

 

 

 

Introductory song

1. sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu jibe doya kori

swa-parsada swiya dhama saha abatori

2.atyanta durlabha prema koribare dana

sikhaya saranagati bhakatera prana

3.dainya, atma-nivedana, goptritwe barana

abasya rokhibe krsna — biswasa, palana

4.bhakti-anukula-matra karjera swikara

bhakti-pratikula-bhava barjanangikara

5.sad-anga saranagati hoibe jahara

tahara prarthana sune sri-nanda-kumara

6.rupa-sanatana-pade dante trina kori

bhakativinoda pore duhun pada dhori

7.kandiya kandiya bale ‘ami-to’ adhama

sikhaye saranagati koro he uttama

 

Translation

 

Out of compassion for the fallen souls, Sri Krisna Caitanya came to this world with His personal associates and divine abode to teache saranagati, surrender to the almighty Godhead, and to freely distribute ecstatic love of God, which is ordinarily very difficult to obtain. This saranagati is the very life of the true devotee

The ways of saranagati are humility, dedication of the self, acceptance of the Lord as one’s only maintainer, faith that Krishna will surely protect, execution of only those acts favorable to pure devotion, and renunciation of conduct adverse to pure devotion.

The youthful son of Nanda Maharaja, Sri Krishna, hears the prayers of anyone who takes refuge in Him by this six-fold practice.

Bhaktivinoda places a straw between his teeth, prostrates himself before the two Goswamis,Sri Rupa and Sri Sanatana, and clasps their lotus feet with his hands. “I am certainly the lowest of men.” he tells them weeping, “but please make me the best of men by teaching me the ways of saranagati”

 

Dainya, humility, 7 songs

1. bhuliya tomare, somsare asiya

peye nama-bidha byatha

tomara carana asiyachi ami,

bolobo duhkhera katha

2. janani-jathare, chilama jakhona,

bisama bandhana-pase

ek-bara prabhu! dekha diya more,

boncile e dina dase

3. takhona bhavinu, janama paiya,

koribo bhajana taba

janama hoilo, pori maya-jale

na hoilo jnana-laba

4. adarera chele, swajanera kole,

hasiya katanu kala

janaka-janani- snehete bhuliya,

somsara lagilo bhalo

5. krame dina dina, balaka hoiya,

khelinu balaka-saha

ara kichu dine, jnana upajilo,

patha pori ahar-ahah

6. bidyara gaurave, bhromi dese dese,

dhana uparjana kori

swajana palana, kori eka-mane,

bhulinu tomare, hari!

7.bardhakye ekhona, bhakativinoda

kandiya katara ati

na bhojiya tore, dina britha gelo,

ekhona ki habe gati!

 

Translation

 

</B>I forsook You, O Lord, and came to this world of pain and sorrow. Now I submit my tale of woe at Your lotus feet.

While still in the unbearable fetters of my mother’s womb, I saw You before me You revealed Yourself but briefly and then abandoned this poor servant of Yours.

At that moment I swore to worship You after taking birth; but birth came, and with it the network of wordly illusion which robbed me of all good sense.

As a fondled son in the lap of relatives, I passed my time smiling and laughing. My parents’ affection helped me to forget the pangs of birth, and I thought the world was very nice.

Day by day I grew and soon began playing with other boys. Shortly my powers of understanding emerged. I read and studied my lessons incessantly.

Travelling from place to place, proud of my education, I grew wealthy and maintained my family with undivided attention. O Lord Hari, I forgot You!

Now in old age, Bhaktivinoda is sad. He weeps. I failed to worship You, O Lord, and instead passed my life in vain. What will be my fate now.

[bhaktajan]

saranagati, surrender to the almighty Godhead.

(This saranagati is the very life of the true devotee)

 

The ways of saranagati are:

1- humility,

2- dedication of the self,

3- acceptance of the Lord as one’s only maintainer,

4- faith that Krishna will surely protect,

5- execution of only those acts favorable to pure devotion, and,

6- renunciation of conduct adverse to pure devotion.

 

The youthful son of Nanda Maharaja, Sri Krishna, hears the prayers of anyone who takes refuge in Him by this six-fold practice.

[Bishadi]

 

saranagati, surrender to the almighty Godhead.

(This saranagati is the very life of the true devotee)

 

The ways of saranagati are:

1- humility,

2- dedication of the self,

3- acceptance of the Lord as one’s only maintainer,

4- faith that Krishna will surely protect,

5- execution of only those acts favorable to pure devotion, and,

6- renunciation of conduct adverse to pure devotion.

.

great practice

 

and if these rules had been understood 25 years back when the truth revealed itself, then Mea culpa.... would not be one of my known sins.

 

Meaning; I chose to learn for these last 2 decades to make sure what was being understood was true but if I had been knowledged to the point as now, perhaps much of the corruption we are experiencing on this earth could have been avoided;

 

but we should all know; we are simply pawns to existence (vishnu) so a trust is known yet still; this idea 'Mea Culpa' is something i can only wish to let go of

 

as for when folk chose to defile, discount and isolate the truth when it is upon their site; then let them know the same

[Amlesh]

I don't think we need to confess to the one who already knows our sins even well before committing it. Accepting our vileness and surrendering is the real process.

 

Mea Culpa, is only a temporary and mild atonement process which does not remove the sin from the root level.

[bija]

 

Accepting our vileness and surrendering is the real process. posted by amlesh

 

I let out a big hearty laugh when I read this Amlesh (wish you heard it). Why a big heart laugh?

 

There is no other way but surrender, is there. God help us;).

 

Wholeness:pray:.

[Amlesh]

 

I let out a big hearty laugh when I read this Amlesh (wish you heard it). Why a big heart laugh?

 

There is no other way but surrender, is there. God help us;).

 

Wholeness:pray:.

 

Yep, there is no other way. Initially, it appears to be tough, but when done, it is the easiest.

 

But to invoke the initial setup, we need to chant, as prescribed by the Great Acharyas.

[Bishadi]

 

I don't think we need to confess to the one who already knows our sins even well before committing it.

Then you realize what is and will be is already written/known to existence. That is the advanced class and not much this 'i' dwells in as to prove it mean t<0 in math and most just can't accpet that but it appears internally you already know it......

 

 

Accepting our vileness and surrendering is the real process.

Simply enjoy the ride and upon each experience even if a car wreck; offer yourself to find the lesson; all have purpose!

 

 

Mea Culpa, is only a temporary and mild atonement process which does not remove the sin from the root level.

No adversity imposed to existence is ever removed; can't be undone.

 

But in an example; if a child steals a candy bar from a store owner. It seems the best medicine is to have that child face the owner, be humbled to ask for forgiveness from the one damaged and seek the humble comprimise. One it offers the one committing an ability to atone, directly as well if the compassion is identified by the one harmed, maybe just maybe the humble apology will keep the atrocity from being branded upon the mind of the one harmed and cause him/her the distrust towards another.

 

The point is, to ask directly from one harmed the best hope any could ever have is that the imposition will not continue living in them who are damaged.

 

That is how people live in 'hell' in a literal sense, as we live in what we do.

 

And no one wants to be known as 'bad' .....(loss to the common)

[theist]

The need for repentance, remorse and guilt are all vaisnava feelings. The prodigal son felt great shame and remorse for having left his Fathers estate and tried to find happiness away from that connection. He came to understand how well off he was with his father. It was the remorse that came from this relection on his life that began his journey homeward. he turned the direction of his life around and that is the meaning of repentance.

 

He felt his sin in rejecting his father so grievious that he sought not to approach his Father as a son but rather as a common servant. But on his return his Father was so overjoyed he embraced him as his own lost son who has returned at last.

 

We of course are the prodigal son's of God. To return to our true glorious positions in our Fathers eternal estate we must also have our own personal Mea Maxima Culpa.

 

But what was our own grievious sin? Well the original sin of course. That moment when we experienced the urge to be the prime enjoyer forgetting Krsna.

 

Think long and hard on why we avoid the Supreme Person Krishna even as we chant and offer flowers our hearts are still somewhere else. Why because we haven't gone through our own Mea Culpa concerning our original sin. We still have those feeling of wanting to be the enjoyer.

 

Knowing this leaves me feeling very dry and empty. In fact it can be said that my Vaisnava spirit hasn't yet truly begun to awaken. I am still only considering the need for it to awaken.

 

Hopeless. That is there is no hope but Krishna's grace. And since His grace is unlimited hope springs eternal for all of us and that is reason to rejoice in spite our completely fallen status. The ONLY reason.

[jeffster]

Theist,

Nice read. I am only hanging on by causeless mercy, certainly not because of anything I am doing.

jeffster/I.M. Faulty/ AMdas

[Amlesh]

 

Then you realize what is and will be is already written/known to existence. That is the advanced class and not much this 'i' dwells in as to prove it mean t<0 in math and most just can't accpet that but it appears internally you already know it......

 

 

Knowing the future does not mean influencing someone in choosing his path.

 

 

Simply enjoy the ride and upon each experience even if a car wreck; offer yourself to find the lesson; all have purpose!

 

No adversity imposed to existence is ever removed; can't be undone.

 

 

In that case there would be many other different wrecks since there is no limit to the stupidity of man. In you believe in the soul, then I cannot afford to make mistake all the time, and if you don't believe in the soul, then there is no guarantee of perfection before our so-called end.

 

 

But in an example; if a child steals a candy bar from a store owner. It seems the best medicine is to have that child face the owner, be humbled to ask for forgiveness from the one damaged and seek the humble comprimise. One it offers the one committing an ability to atone, directly as well if the compassion is identified by the one harmed, maybe just maybe the humble apology will keep the atrocity from being branded upon the mind of the one harmed and cause him/her the distrust towards another.

 

The point is, to ask directly from one harmed the best hope any could ever have is that the imposition will not continue living in them who are damaged.

 

 

The shopkeeper might be unaware of the thief, then whatever you've said is applicable and it is applicable even if he is aware of it. But in the end you need to surrender before the Shop Keeper.

 

Same way, Krishna Knows, confessing or not confessing is the same (Shop keeper might or might not be ignorant but Krishna is not).

 

However surrender is a must.

 

 

That is how people live in 'hell' in a literal sense, as we live in what we do.

 

And no one wants to be known as 'bad' .....(loss to the common)

 

Yes you are right, devoid of Truth, everything becomes hell.

 

But no one wants to inquire about the Guardian of Heaven and Hell. The Judge, the Chastiser, the Maintainer of the Law of Karma.

[Bishadi]

 

Knowing the future does not mean influencing someone in choosing his path.

is like suggest that transcribing the Gita into English was fruitless. A purpose is not often known; yet the experience without predeterminations shares life is simply bliss.

 

Originally Posted by Bishadi

Simply enjoy the ride and upon each experience even if a car wreck; offer yourself to find the lesson; all have purpose!

No adversity imposed to existence is ever removed; can't be undone…….

Then you wrote: In that case there would be many other different wrecks since there is no limit to the stupidity of man. In you believe in the soul, then I cannot afford to make mistake all the time, and if you don't believe in the soul, then there is no guarantee of perfection before our so-called end

where is the similarity?

Perhaps what was mentioned does not make sense? Maybe ask a question.

The point was do not live in what the mind predetermines in thought but experience each moment as if (krshna) intended; there is a lesson to learn (by his purpose, not yours) find it or simply appreciate it (bliss)……

The last point was in time; each moment will not be a loss or a waste or ‘it didn’t happen my way’….. but that with pure humility to existence (submission) then an awareness becomes part of each experience; (what people often meditate for; when it can be at all times)

Thanks….. for the learning experience on that point; you taught me ‘just now’ how to self examine the conveyance of that specific ‘event’ … (our collision (wreck))

 

Same way, Krishna Knows, confessing or not confessing is the same (Shop keeper might or might not be ignorant but ffice:smarttags" /><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<st1:place>Krishna</st1:place> is not).

So existence never forgets but in ‘confessing’ then 2 things can be learned/felt by what occurred in the interaction (karma is addressed on both sides) The bad returns to humility versus the self; the shop owner is given back the loss as well capable of sharing compassion. Each pole can be corrected versus one side having karma follow. This is responsibility as to be aware of in pure form each become inertly responsible. The example shares a lesson and the observance of truth.

 

Yes you are right, devoid of Truth, everything becomes hell.

But no one wants to inquire about the Guardian of Heaven and Hell. The Judge, the Chastiser, the Maintainer of the Law of Karma

We each are! Equally and as each learns the greatest Good to ‘do’ is to learn the lesson and convey, so the next generation doesn’t ‘do’ the same negative; hence Srila conveyed into English (truths) as he knew fit so others can learn in ‘translations’ as to what the ‘rules’ mean.

This is normal and the end result (via time) is that ‘Absolute Truth’ (what is God)…..

Each moment has a choice; Good: supports life………….. Bad: loss to the common.

This is what human beings are within existence; we experience existence and either do good or do bad in each and every action we ‘choose to do’….

And who are the longest living of all; them who are teachers and the ‘good’ knowledge lives a long time; and we as people identify (remember) them teachers by what they did. Their ‘soul’ continues in life.

[Dark Warrior]

 

The need for repentance, remorse and guilt are all vaisnava feelings.

 

They are also Shaiva feelings, as even Shaivites surrender to Shiva. And we do not call them Vaishnavas.

 

Mea Culpa is different from Vaishnava philosophy. Vaishnavas accept that they have sinned due to Karma, but we do not accept that the Jiva's svarupa itself is sinful (Christianity posits that man is innately sinful). Your brand of Christian Vaishnavism, of course, ignores that.

 

 

The prodigal son felt great shame and remorse for having left his Fathers estate and tried to find happiness away from that connection. ...blah, blah

 

We were never with Vishnu, we did not 'fall'. The Jiva is eternally in Samsara. There is only an end to Samsara, no beginning.

 

The whole philosophy of Vedanta is based on the fact that Brahman, Jivas and even insentient Prakrti are eternal. So, biblical tales of the Prodigal Son are restricted only to Theist's imaginations.

 

 

We of course are the prodigal son's of God. To return to our true glorious positions in our Fathers eternal estate we must also have our own personal Mea Maxima Culpa.

 

Sri Vaishnava theology accepts that repentance and admission is needed for Saranagati. But after performing the act of Surrender, one should never even worry about his past sins. He should feel secure and revel in the fact that its all up to the Lord now, and continue serving Him with confidence.

 

 

But what was our own grievious sin? Well the original sin of course. That moment when we experienced the urge to be the prime enjoyer forgetting Krsna.

 

Are you a self-professed 'Vaishnava', or a Christian evangelist? There is NO original sin in Vedanta. There is no beginning to Samsara. Kapish?

 

AnAditva is unique, and is what separates Vedanta from Western Philosophy. The reason many thinkers like Spinoza, Aquinas and the rest struggled to even define a 'soul' is because they did not have the useful tool of AnAditva.

 

 

Think long and hard on why we avoid the Supreme Person Krishna even as we chant and offer flowers our hearts are still somewhere else.

 

Coming from a guy who still lacks the very basic knowledge of Vaishnavism, and yet keeps asking all believers, 'Why did Ugrasena have a million bodyguards?'

 

The problem with this person is that, he hasn't taken his nose out of Srila Prabhupada's books, and discovered that there is more to Vaishnavism than the latter's translations of two books, vis, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana.

 

 

Knowing this leaves me feeling very dry and empty. In fact it can be said that my Vaisnava spirit hasn't yet truly begun to awaken. I am still only considering the need for it to awaken.

 

He's got it right. So far, I don't even see a 'Vaishnava Spark' in him, let alone a 'Vaishnava spirit'. Just pompous posts full of self-professed 'knowledge' on matters he hardly knows a thing about.

 

 

Hopeless. That is there is no hope but Krishna's grace. And since His grace is unlimited hope springs eternal for all of us and that is reason to rejoice in spite our completely fallen status. The ONLY reason.

 

Since you have ignored me, my post will not be visible to you. I can only hope that others avoid your misinterpretations, by Krishna's Grace indeed. Which is the reason for my posts.

[krsna]

 

Here is a quotation from Srimad Bhagavatam 6.2.13 (6th Canto, 2nd Chapter, 13th verse):

 

"One who has killed a brahmana, one who has killed a cow or one who has killed his father, mother or guru (spiritual master) can be immediately freed from all sinful reactions simply by chanting the Holy Name of Lord Krsna or Narayana. Other sinful persons, such as dog-eaters and candalas, who are less than sudras, can also be freed in this way".

 

Also Srimad Bhagavatam 6.2.9-10:

 

"The chanting of the Holy Name Lord Krsna is the best process of atonement (prayascitta) for a thief of gold or other valuables, for a drunkard, for one who betrays a friend or relative, for one who kills a brahmana, or for one who indulges in sex with the wife of his guru or other superior. It is also the best method of atonement for one who murders women, the king or his father, for one who slaughters cows, and for all other sinful men. Simply by chanting the Holy Name of Krsna, such sinful persons may attract the attention of the Supreme Lord, who therefore considers, "because this man has chanted My Holy Name, My duty is to give him protection."

 

 

[krsna]

 

 

 

Transcendent love that can unite us as jivas and Vaisnavas in a generous spirit of non-sectarian pure bhakti

 

 

 

Who are the Vaishnavas?

 

 

by Bhakti Ananda Goswami

 

 

In their book Vaishnavism and Nam-Bhajan, two great Gaudiya Vaishnava acaryas, Srila Thakur Bhaktivinoda and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, give an astounding definition of "Vaishnava".

 

" The word 'Vaishnavism' indicates the normal, eternal and natural condition, functions and devotional characteristics of all individual souls in relation to Vishnu, the Supreme, the All-pervading Soul.

 

 

"But an unnatural, unpleasant and regrettable sense has been attributed to the word, making one understand by the word 'Vaishnava' (literally a pure and selfless worshipper of Vishnu) a human form with twelve peculiar signs (Tilak) and dress on, worshipping many gods under the garb of a particular God and hating any other human form who marks himself with different signs, puts on a different dress and worships a different God in a different way and designated by the words 'Saiva', 'Shakta', 'Ganapatya', 'Jaina', 'Buddhist', 'Muhammadan', 'Christian', etc.

 

 

"The word 'Vaishnava' literally and naturally means one who worships Vishnu out of pure love, expecting nothing from Him in return.

 

 

"Vishnu, the Supreme, All-pervading Soul, gives life and meaning to all that is. He is the highest, unchallengeable Truth, devoid of illusion everywhere and existing through eternity. He is

sat

(ever existing),

cit

(all-knowing),

ananda

(ever-blissful) and fully free.

 

 

"He is in jivas and jivas are in Him, as are the rays in the glowing sun and the particles of water in the vast rolling ocean. As nothing but heat and light of the sun, and coldness and liquidity etc. of the sea is found in the constituents of the rays and the particles of water respectively, so nothing but

sat, cit

or free will, and

ananda

is found in the jiva.

 

 

"The ingredients and attributes of the whole must remain in the part in a smaller degree. So the part is identical with the whole when taken qualitatively and different when taken quantitatively.

 

 

"As the service of the master is the fundamental function of the servant, so the service of Vishnu is natural and inherent in the jiva; it is called Vaishnavata or Vaishnavism, and every jiva is a Vaishnava. As a person possessing immense riches is called a miser if he does not display and make proper use of them, so jivas when they do not display Vaishnavata are

called

non-Vaishnavas or a-Vaishnavas, though in reality they are so."

 

From The Bhagavata, we read on page 18:

 

"The superiority of Bhagavan consists in the uniting of all sorts of theistic worship into one excellent principle in human nature, which passes by the name 'bhakti'. This word has no equivalent in the English language. Piety, devotion, resignation, and spiritual love unalloyed with any sort of petition except in the way of repentance, compose the highest principle of bhakti. The Bhagavata tells us to worship God in that great and invaluable principle which is infinitely superior to human knowledge and the principle of yoga."

 

On page 32:

 

"The spirit of the text [of the Srimad Bhagavatam] goes far to honour all great reformers and teachers who lived and will live in other countries. . . . Vaishnavism is the Absolute Love binding all men together into the infinite unconditioned and absolute God. . . . Plato looked at the peak of the spiritual question from the West and Vyasa made the observation from the East."

 

Regarding divisive sectarianism or the 'party spirit,' he also wrote in The Bhagavata:

 

"The true critic is a generous judge, void of prejudices and party spirit. One who is at heart the follower of Muhammad will certainly find the doctrines of the New Testament to be a forgery by the fallen angel. A Trinitarian Christian, on the other hand, will denounce the precepts of Muhammad as those of an ambitious reformer.

 

 

"The critic should be of the same disposition of mind as the author whose merits he is required to judge. Thoughts have different ways. One who is trained up in the thoughts of the Unitarian Society or of the Vedanta of the Benares school, will scarcely find any piety in the faith of the Vaishnavas. An ignorant Vaishnava, on the other hand, whose business it is to beg from door to door in the name of Nityananda, will find no piety in the Christians. This is because the Vaishnava does not think in the way in which the Christian thinks of his own religion.

 

 

"It may be that both the Christian and the Vaishnava will utter the same sentiment, but they will never stop their fight with each other only because they have arrived at their common conclusion by different ways of thought."

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda has lamented, "Oh! What a trouble it is to get rid of prejudices gathered in unripe years!"

 

In these words of two of our great Vaishnava acaryas, we see a concise description of the prejudice that continues to divide us as jivas and Vaishnavas, and of the

transcendent love that can unite us as jivas and Vaishnavas in a generous spirit of non-sectarian pure bhakti

.

 

External matters of race, class, dress, lineage markings, language, ritual differences, etc. are not significant when compared to the fact that we are all jivas -- 'children' of the same God. What is spiritually significant however, is our fundamental difference in devotion as a matter of rasa, or our natural taste for specific flavors (rasas) of divine love, in our personal relationships with God. While these various flavors and their tasteful combinations may predominate in various religions, and in different lineages of the same religion, they should never cause so-called 'spiritual pride' or prejudice, and hostility towards other devotees.

The Sankirtan movement of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai was not restricted to those who worshipped Sri Caitanya or Sri Sri Radha-Krishna in a single lineage. Nor was it meant simply to unite the various factions of Madhva-related Vaishnavas, or even only the 'Hindu' Vaishnavas. The Sankirtan movement of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai's time embraced, and was embraced by Saivites, Muslims and Buddhists.

 

Nama-bhajan -- or the simplest form of the heartfelt invocation of God by His Holy Name -- is common to all great bhakti traditions. Vaishnavas, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Pure Land Buddhists, Saivites, members of many Indigenous traditions and other devotees of the Supreme Lord, since ancient times and to the present, practiced and still practice Nama-bhajan.

 

Sri Krishna has hundreds and millions of holy names and there are no hard and fast rules for invoking Him. God delights to hear His name from our lips and to know that we desire His company within our hearts. To invoke God by His name is to acknowledge His Being and to re-establish our (forgotten) unique personal relationship with Him. The pleasure that the Absolute experiences, when the finite jivas acknowledge Him, is gifted back to the jivas unlimitedly as the jivas hear God's own loving reply in the depths of their soul.

May Sri Nityananda Balarama be the constant inspiration of all Gaudiya Vaishnavas as they prosecute the non-sectarian Sankirtan movement of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu for the benefit of all.

 

 

 

[krsna]

 

 

 

KALYAN KALPA-TARU,

SRILA SACCIDANANDA

BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA.

 

SECOND BRANCH: “UPALABDHI”

 

"Alas, alas, what have I done, what have I done?"

 

 

 

 

PART I)

 

Anutapa-laksana-upalabdhi ---

Attainment of the symptoms of

repentance

( 5 songs)

SONG ONE --- MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN WASTED

 

(1)

ami ati pamara durjana

ki korinu hay hay, prakrtir dasatay,

katainu amulya jibana

(2)

koto-dina garvbhavase, katainu anayase,

balya gelo bala-dharma-base

gramya-dharma e jaubana, miche dinu bisarjana,

brddha-kala elo abasese

(3)

bisaye nahiko sukha, bhoga-sakti subaimukha,

anta danta, sarira asakta

jibana jantranamoy, maranete sada bhoy,

bolo kise hoi anurakta

(4)

bhoga-bastu-bhoga-sakti, ta’te chilo anurakti,

je-paryanta chilo dehe bala

samasta bigata ho’lo, ki loiya thaki bolo,

ebe citta sadai cancala

(5)

samarthya thakite kay, hari na bhajinu hay,

asanna kalete kiba kori?

dhik mor e jibane, na sadhinu nitya- dhane,

mitra chadi’ bhajilam ari

(1)

Oh no! Just see my condition now! I must be the most sinful rogue of all! Alas, alas, what have I done, what have I done? The human for of life is very rare, but I have passed such a priceless life engaged simply as a slave in the service of the material energy!

(2)

How much time have I spent being packed up in the womb of my mother? After being born, my childhood was spent simply playing around frivolously, according to the nature of children. Then my youth quickly passed by in executing many different obligations according to social customs. All those days having been wasted uselessly, I now suffer old age in the end as my only reward.

(3)

I can no longer get any pleasure from sense gratification, for my power to enjoy has now become reversed. My teeth as well as my whole body have now become disabled and weak. Various aches and pains make my daily life unbearable, and I am haunted by continuously hovering fear of death. Due to all this, I don’t feel as if there is any security or protection from any quarter. Therefore to what can I possibly remain attached to in this world?

(4)

My enjoyment of this body was limited to material sense objects coupled with my drive to enjoy them. But now my attachment and inclination to all this has faded away. Everything in life having now passed me by, my heart is extremely worried about how to hold onto this emaciated old life.

(5)

Alas! The real problem is that when I was young and fit, I have passed this life without ever worshiping the Supreme Lord Hari. Being bereft of the power to hold onto this body, what will I do now that the final moment is approaching? Oh, to hell with my entire life! I never took advantage of the actual eternal treasure. Instead, I have abandoned my real friend (Hari) only to worship my enemy, (this miserable material energy).

 

 

 

[suchandra]

 

 

 

 

Mea culpa is a Latin phrase that translates into English as "my fault", or "my own fault".

 

Here at our Center for Geriatrics you find that old people are not considering that there could be future consequences for what we did during this lifetime.

That there're six planetary systems upwards, the heavenly planets, and seven planetary systems of lower planets where people suffer the results according the quality of their past actions on planet Earth.

 

 

There are six planetary systems above Bhūrloka and seven planetary systems below it. Therefore the entire universe is known as caturdaśa-bhuvana, indicating that it has fourteen different planetary systems. Beyond the planetary systems in the material sky, there is another sky, which is known as paravyoma, or the spiritual sky, where there are spiritual planets.

 

SB 4.20.37

 

What is quite strange is that they even have no sense from material point of view to consider that all people get old.

Instead they see old people as a kind of prey and exploit them with horrendous nursing expenses although living in their homeland where they paid taxes for their whole life.