Guru nistha

om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

O Gurudeva, you are so merciful. I offer my humble pranama unto you and am praying from the core of my heart that, with the torchlight of divine knowledge, you open my eyes which have been blinded by the darkness of ignorance.

For the past few days out of town, I have been reading the beautiful, sweet, nectar-filled issue of The Rays of the Harmonist which is dedicated to Srila Gurudeva. This particular issue of the magazine is full of nectar about and from Srila Gurudeva - harikatha from him, pastimes, and so many sweet offerings from devotees worldwide. It is enough to melt even my stone heart.

I really, really hope this is available at Badger festival this year (New Braj 2011) as well as Gurudeva's new book, Harmony. From the sneak peeks I've had of them, I can tell they are suuuper special.

Also, another reason this Harmonist is amazing, is because there are tons of full page color pictures of Gurudeva! =D



I want to share a quote from Gurudeva on guru nistha:

What is the symptom of one who has guru nistha? He will give proper respect even to a dog that is related to his guru. If he does not give proper respect to everyone related to his guru whether they are initiated or not, if he has no regard and honor for them, then his honor for guru is actually a show.

Also I would like also to share a heartwrenchingly sweet part of an offering by Gopanandini dasi. I don't know if this is our New Braj Gopanandini, but if it is, I hope she is okay with my sharing part of her offering to Gurudeva:

'Often we would ask if you could give us bhakti, give this jewel.
"Yes, I can" you'd promptly answer, "Oh, but first join the Crying School."

When in New York you left me, and I did not know how I'd live,
You said, "Each day two years you send me, and two tears I will give."

"Send two tears to me," you'd told, "but now you must be calm.
And I will send two tears back to you, from Sri Vrndavana dhama."

Such tireless compassion as this, the world has never known.
Now you've left our earthly vision; Krsna's claimed you as His own.

The festival is over our lives will never be the same.
But I know that you're not gone at all...
You're only two tears away.'