Glories
of Srila Bhativinoda Thakura
From: "Tusti Mohan Krsna (das) JPS (JPS Off. MYR-IN)"
To: "Deva Gaurahari das" , "Kalavati (dd) JPS
(Raleigh-Durham, NC - USA)"
Subject: Glories of Bhaktivinoda Thakura!
Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2001 11:52 +0630
Cited on material knowledge:
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has said that the advancement of material
knowledge renders a person more foolish, because it causes one to forget
this human form of life which is meant for getting out of material
contamination. By advancement of material knowledge, people are becoming
more and more entangled in material existence. They have not hope of
being liberated from this catastrophe.
Quoted on surrender:
Srila Bhaktivinoda has sung a very nice in this connection. "My
mind, my household affairs, my body, whatever is in my possession, my
dear Lord, I offer to You for Your service. Now You can do with them as
You like. You are the supreme possessor of everything, so if You like
You can kill me, or if You like You can give me protection. All
authority belongs to You. I have nothing to claim as my own." This
self-surrender is called atma-nivedana. According to different
authorities, self is differently defined. Self is sometimes considered
to refer to the spirit self, or soul, and self is sometimes considered
to refer to the mind or to the body. Full Self-surrender, therefore,
means not only surrendering one's self as spirit soul, but also
surrendering one's mind and body to the service of the Lord.
Quoted on living beings:
Srila Bhaktivinoda has stated: Mayara vase, yaccha bhese, khaccha
habududu,bhai! We are like straws on the waves of the ocean, and we are
fully under the control of the waves.
Quoted on material ocean:
He said: Anadi karama-phale, padi bhavarnava jale, taribare na dekhi
upaya. If we thrown into the ocean, there is a great struggle, even if
we may a very great swimmers. There is no peace in this material world,
however expert we may be in dealing with it. There is nothing but
struggle. We cannot live here peacefully. It is not possible. Even if we
are nonviolent and hurt no one, there will be trouble. However, if
somehow or other we manage to reach the shore, we will find peace. There
is peace even if we are an inch out of the water. Tava
pada-pankaja-sthita-dhuli sadrsam vicintaya(Sikastaka 5). If somehow or
other we become one of the particles of dust at Krsna's lotus feet, we
will be liberated.
- Teachings of Lord Kapila and Teachings of Lord Caitanya
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Observing
disappearance days of great Vaisnava Acaryas
from a lecture by HH Radhanath Maharaj on The Six Gosvamis of Vrndavana.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us that the highest consciousness of
Krishna is in the intense feelings of separation from Him. Sometimes,
Krishna is called upon by the name Madana Mohan. One definition of this
name is Madan meaning meeting and Mohan meaning separation. So the
supreme Lord is worshipped and loved in these two bhavas or feelings of
meeting Lord Sri Krishna and that love in separation.
And of the two, the great authorities in transcendental rasa have taught
us that feelings of separation is a more intense feeling of love than
that of being in the presence of the Lord.
And the personification of such Vipralambha seva or service in
separation is the Gopis, the damsels of Vraja Dhama. Sri Krishna
Caitanya Mahaprabhu the foremost sannyasi of all creation, has taught us
there is no finer method of worshipping the supreme Lord than that of
the Gopis in their feelings of separation while living in Vrindavana.
So just as when Krishna was separate from Gopis, he promised them that
at their very thought of Him, He would be living in His divine presence,
in His Bhava expansion. Because the supreme absolute, being absolute is
not different than the very rememberance of Him. When we remember
Krishna, we factually are with Krishna.
In this world, when we lament with separation, from a lost loved one, we
simply lament, because that person is factually not present within his
rememberance. That person is gone.
But the supreme personality of Godhead can fully reciprocate with us in
the very thought that enters into our mind. When we remember Krishna,
Krishna is manifested within our heart and therefore because the
rememberance of Krishna in separation is the most intense and
all-consuming of our entire consciousness, therefore Krishna
reciprocates in a more full and more satisfying manner in separation
than in meeting.
And the Lord's devotees, because they are surrendered to His divine
energy, they are of the same spiritual nature as the Lord Himself. So
separation from the Lord's devotees is absolutely the same as separation
from the Lord Himself, in that the devotee always is carrying the
supreme Lord within his heart.
Therefore when we are feeling the intense separation from His devotees,
that devotee is living within our heart and the Lord along with him is
living within our heart.
So, Narottam Das Thakur teaches us in this song, how to suffer the
ecstasy of separation from those devotees who have departed from our
personal presence.
How is it possible to suffer ecstasy? This is a great secret. A material
person cannot understand it. But in the path of Bhakti, it can be
understood.
If appears that we are suffering … that we are lamenting over a person
who is gone. But internally, because of the divine love for that person
that is awakened in the separation, that reciprocation brings highest
ecstasy.
So disappearance days of great acaryas, it is the great fortune of those
devotees to cultivate these sublime feelings of separation by longing to
be in their divine association.
[Note today, Sep 1 is the disappearance
day of Nama Acarya Srila Haridas Thakura]
[BACK]
Harinam
Nectar from Cakrapani Prabhu
Haribol Prabhu's
Please accept my humble obeisances
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada !
There is nothing comparable to the joy and satisfaction felt when one is
on Harinam. Today I went downtown with my Kartels and in the company of
the Panca Tattva. The first lady I met smiled and I put a garland on her
. Then I showed her Bhagavad Gita and her friend gave a little donation.
Wow. Then as I moved down the street , the next person wouldn't take a
book, but said,"Don't stop chanting" Then I met a person from
Peru who took a little book and was excited to hear about Krsna. It'
just amazing how many people smile when they hear the Holy Names of
Krsna!
Saturday morning - Radhastami - The Deities where so beautifully dressed
. The nectarean class about Srimati Radharani was so sweet I didn't want
to leave. Although I was schedualed to meet Prabhu Madan Mohan at the
Quinnett Civic center at 10:00am .
It was a struggle , but Prabhu Maitreya and myself got in the van with
cases of books and drove off to a Festival of India where we set up a
table and spent the next seven hours talking and chanting to a
predominatly indian crowd.
Maitreya prabhu and I steadily sold books all day (a total of
twenty-three Bhagavad Gitas) As we were getting more blissed out we had
to pack up to go back to the Temple for Arati. Then a man came up to buy
one Gita and I suggested he purchase one case of twenty Gitas. At first
he was hesitant, but explaining that it was Radhastami and the benefit
of giving Gitas to others on this day was such a blessing that he
decided to take the case . Even though his wife protested, and that he
was new in town and did not know who to give the books to. Still, he
took them. I could see Srimati Radharani influencing the man and thus
fulfilling my desire to distribute a case for the celebration of Krsna
and Prabhupada on this most auspicious day.
Getting back to the Temple and dancing for the Dieties was just
breathtaking. Their flower outfit so gorgeously swaying as they danced.
Anyone interested in going on harinam may contact me at the temple.
Thank you for you interest.
Hope all are well!
Sincerely,
Cakrapani dasa
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