receiving the Holy Name

[bija]

Thanks for you kindness Myrla. I live at the end of the Great Ocean Road. Not so far away from Melbourne.

I am very fortunate that one other devotee lives in town here. We like to meet up at least a couple of times a month. The spiritual friendship is more relishable for me than all other association.

Basically over the years I tried to approach Iskcon Melbourne for association. But due to distance, and various material obstacles on my behalf, a close relationship never fully evolved.

By some good fortune I developed a very close relationship with a spiritual guide through the medium of internet. A not so orthodox approach; but nevertheless, through mediums such as regular email, google chat, and every now and then google talk, and a constantly evolving website; an approach that is working for me and most relishable.

Having a computer at home now for the last six months I am slowly teaching myself how to work this modern technology.

[theist]

The case is different with those few lucky ones who have an exclusively firm faith in Krsna's holy name; they take, by unbounded grace of Krsna, shelter at the feet of such a spiritual guide who is an ontologist of the holy name, i.e., who has realized and does see the svarüpa (form) of the holy name. Concerning the need for such a preceptor, Sri Mahäprabhu says that though formal initiation may not be necessary, still a guide is essential in näma-bhajana. The mere letters of the holy name may be had at any place and from anybody, but the profound and unknown truth that is lurking behind those letters can only be exposed by the grace of a true preceptor who is purely devoted to Krsna. The grace of the spiritual guide alone can pass over from the early twilight from the ten offenses hindering the true service of the holy name. -Bhaktivinoda Thakur from the Hari nama cintamani

[Guest guest]

Haribol Bija

 

Bija wrote: my guru’s …..novel strategy to spread Krsna conciousness to the most fallen souls of kali yuga

 

That strikes me. I wonder if my guru is your guru too and if you have been to the Murwillumbah festival?

 

Last year, I realized that my spiritual bandwidth was different from the course the management of ISKCON is taking the institution. We have a small sanga here in the Melb metropolitan area which is facilitated by home programs—although only during appearance and disappearance festivals. The sanga here is small but more on the personal level, like friends. A couple of Iskcon initiated devotees attend too. When I get the formality maybe I can do more. I mean I don’t want the senior initiated disciples here to think that this newbee thinks that their program is not enough.

 

Your good association with that one devotee in your town is nice, build it up. I know that there is an initiated male disciple in the Geelong area. Great Ocean Road, nice area. We once stayed overnight in Apollo Bay on the way to Adelaide. We are on the same coastline; if you go to Melb from Geelong my suburb is the first metropolitan suburb after Little River.

 

I am not into internet chat even though we are on unlimited broadband, well not quite, because downloading slows down when we pass the 36 Gig mark. The reason is that my job is about working at the computer (accounts work) and my fingers are tired at the end of the day. Though I read Vaishnava sites everyday I seldom post; if I do only on topics that I feel strongly about. But once in a blue moon, when I am bored, I go on MSN chat and talk to my husband and 2 teenagers, even if we are all only a few meters apart. We run a home office which explains why we have that connectivity – I think that is the buzzword nowadays.

 

If you think you would like to meet our sanga, you know how to contact us. Chant on !

 

Jaya Sri Radhe

Hare Krishna

Myrla

[bija]

"That strikes me. I wonder if my guru is your guru too and if you have been to the Murwillumbah festival?"quote by Myrla.

 

We have different Guru's. But I have often thought how nice it would be to live in Murwillumbah. I have never been there, but I am aware it hosts three different Hare Krsna sanga's which would be bliss. A very rare place in Australia indeed. I have spoken to one person who has been there and they said it is not uncommon to see devotees out and about on the street, shopping in supermarkets etc. That's my idea of paradise.

 

And thank you for the invite to meet your little sanga. I will write your mobile number down, and if I feel inspired at some stage to move in that direction for association I will give you a call. Chant on!