Syamarani didi - Santa Cruz, June 5, 2012

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."

Forgive me for being so tardy with these short hand notes from the 2012 womens' book distribution tour:

Syamarani didi
June 5, 2012
Santa Cruz

"Whatever we think will make us happy will actually make us miserable. As bubbles in the ocean are we; popping up for a moment before disappearing. The anticipated happiness goes as soon as we get it - SREYAS.

"Krsna climbs the trees, eats their fruits, they are his friends. Trees in the material world are suffering - wanted to stand naked, got bodies of trees.

"Being in the material world is like being a blind man in a maze. He is running his stick along the wall but stops to scratch an itch and misses the doorway out. Misusing our human life for material desires is like that man scratching his itch and getting lost again - 8,400,000 species of life.

"PREYAS - I'm holding out for long-term happiness.

"Various material attractions, and the senses' urges, are like the dingaling of an icecream truck. 'Come on, enjoy.' Human beings can't control the six senses, including the mind.

"Q: How to make chanting the holy name most effective?
A:
- the HOly Name is a person
- do not criticize
- only pray for spiritual things
- what we repeat and experience - tv, movies, etc. - becomes part of us. By repeatedly singing bhajans, etc., we get those good impressions.
- pray we destitute appeal and humility
- pray for the ecstatic symptoms you want when chanting
- Gurudeva is IN the holy name, because he is in the pastimes. Pray to him.
- Pray for service to Radha and Krsna.

"Q: How can we resist the urge for short-term happiness and hold out for long-term happiness?
A: When we practice, the mercy descends. Practice very diligently - reading, chanting, etc. These will make impressions."

"Thinking 'I am this body' is like thinking, 'I am a sweater. Now I'm being ironed. Now I'm in the tumble machine. Now I"m covered in list.' This is insane! Especially to those more advanced.

"Gurudeva tells his initiates to remember the power of chanting. No need to worry about anything. Krsna will protect you. As Srila Prabhupada said, "When you $100 problems are solved, your $10 problems are solved.'"