Sri Radha Ramanaji

In honor of the Disappearance Day of Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami (which was at the start of this week), whose deity was manifested from his love (and used to be a shila stone), here is Sri Sri Radha-Raman:



To see more pictures and find out more about Radha Raman, go here: history, gallery, or main website.

Jai Sri Radha Ramanaji! Sri Gopal Bhatta Goswami ki jai! Srimatiji ki jai! Srila Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada, guruvarga, ki jai!

Krsna runs weeping after the jiva souls

From Jaiva Dharma, chapter 16, Babaji speaking:

"The independent jiva is a beloved servant of Krsna, and thus Krsna is kind and compassionate towards him. Seeing the jiva's misfortune as he misuses his independence and becomes attached to maya, Krsna chases after him, weeping, and He appears in the material world to deliver him. Sri Krsna, the ocean of compassion, His heart melting with mercy for the jivas, manifests His inconceivable pastimes in the material world, considering that His appearance will enable the jiva to see those nectarean pastimes.

"However, the jiva does not understand the truth about Krsna's pastimes, even after being showered by so much mercy. Lord Krsna then descends in Sri Navadvipa in the form of guru. He personally describes the supreme process of chanting His name and glorifying His form, qualities and pastimes. He personally instructs and inspires the jivas to take to this path by practicing it Himself. How can you accuse Krsna of being at fault in any way, when He is so merciful? His mercy is unlimited, but our misfortune is lamentable."

Isn't this just amazing? So much mercy!!

Gurudeva will manifest all truths

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.


This is an excerpt from a conversation between Srila Gurudeva and Tamal Krishna Maharaja, spoken in Mathura in 1991. It is part of a series of conversations, on purebhakti.com. The link to the one below is here: "On Raganuga-bhakti".

Here, Gurudeva speaks on how all truths are manifested from guru by the mercy of Krsna:

Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja:


In Bhagavad-Gita (10.10) it is stated:

tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te

["Upon those who perform bhajana to Me with love, yearning for My eternal association, I give them the intelligence by which they can come to Me."]

If a soul surrenders to Krsna and possesses pure greed, if he has a pure heart and sufficient samskaras, the Lord reveals everything in his heart (dadami buddhi-yogam) as caitya-guru. Krsna states in Bhagavad-gita, “I give him the wisdom to achieve my bhakti.” He does not give this openly; He gives it in the heart. He benedicts His devotee with a sphurti (internal vision), inspiring him from within, and personally manifests in his heart all siddhantas. He also gives instructions externally, in the form of the diksa-guru or siksa-guru.

Sripad Tamal Krsna Gosvami: You say he dictates within the heart?

Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Yes. He dictates in the heart. Certainly.

People may see that this devotee has no guru and wonder, “How does he know these things?” Here is the answer. Krsna dictates everything, He manifests Himself, from within, whether or not anyone else sees.

I have sometimes experienced this myself. I feel something within myself – I have not read, nor have I seen or heard a certain fact; yet, sometimes very beautiful things come in my heart. Perhaps you have also had this experience? Certainly you will have had this experience, because one who serves his gurudeva will surely receive these realizations. Even if gurudeva is not present in our sight, still, he will manifest all these truths.

What strikes me in this one, is how Gurudeva explains and knows all of this, and yet he is so humble and says, he has experienced this, as if he is not an associate of Sri Krsna who already knows all this tattva. I love also how merciful Krsna and guru are, to give us jivas this knowledge. And, how sweet, and how *important* to remember, that this is a HEART exchange, it is a heart thing. We cannot get the nectar with our minds, bodies, intelligence - only the heart.

Jai!

Prayer while chanting

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.


This book by Srila Gurudeva, Harmony, it is SO beautiful!! Every page is a gem of instructions. Instructions on what is proper behavior, on how to honor vaishnavas, on how to be humble, on householder or sanyasi life, etc. etc....there is so much nectar here.

I am sharing from this book again today:

"Consider thinking in this way: 'I am worthless. I have offended many vaishnavas, and the reaction is that I am stupid and nonsense. Although I chant the holy name, tears do not come and my heart does not melt. O Krsna, what shall I do?'

art by Annapurna dasi

"You can also remember Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and pray: 'O Caitanya Mahaprabhu, You are causelessly merciful. Plese bestow Your mercy upon me. In this kali yuga life is short, there are many problems, and the mind is always upset. What should I do? I am always besieged with obstacles in my attempt to execute bhakti. I am without vaishnava association. I am weak, and I have not obtained Krsna's mercy. O Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I know only You. You have given mercy to Jagai and Madhai. Why not to me? I am more wretched than them, and therefore I am qualified to receive Your mercy.'


"If you weep in this way, Krsna will bestow His mercy. By chanting in this way, you heart will melt and tears will come. If tears are not coming, you can think, 'I have committed so many offenses.' Always repent like this and chant, 'Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.'"

- Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja, Toulouse, France, July 1999

Looking at your own condition

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.

Today I am sharing another excerpt from Srila Gurudeva's book, "Harmony". This book is very wonderful! Every day I am reading a little bit, and it really makes me think and assess myself. It is very humbling, and it makes me feel so strongly, that I am so fortunate to have these instructions, to have Gurudeva; all of our guru varga are so very merciful.

Srila Gurudeva: Be very careful. First look at your own condition and try to purify yourself. Is there any lust in you? Is there any deceit and hypocrisy in you? Be worried about that; do not worry about others. Guru and Krsna are responsible for others. You cannot do anything to help them, so you have no right to criticize. This instruction is for all.

Hilo, Hawaii: February 7, 2005

"The Medicine to Cure Criticizing"

The following is an excerpt from Srila Gurudeva's book, "Harmony":

Anandini dasi: How can I stop myself from criticizing?

Srila Gurudeva: You can criticize yourself, but not others. This is an offense, and bhakti [love] will go away. Be careful.

Vrndavana, India: August 9, 2009


Prakasatma dasa: How can I curb my tendency to always speak prajalpa [nonsense] and criticize others?

Srila Gurudeva: You can do so by always being in sadhu-sanga and hearing harikatha. Pariksit Maharaja had no time to speak with anyone, or to sleep or eat or drink. He was drinking only the nectar of Krsna-lila. Sadhu-sanga is the best medicine. Chant the holy name in sadhu-sanga, and don't associate with persons who are chattering and pattering.

Read books and engage your mind at all times. If the mind is not engaged by you, then it will automatically engage itself in bad things. The mind wants something to eat, so we should give it harikatha - as much as you can hear and chant and meditate on.

Paris, France: June 30, 2009

Nectar from New Braj 2011

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.


I have been sick with a cold/fever thing lately, and out of town, so I am just now updating after a very long time!!

Badger festival, New Braj 2011, was so beautiful. It was the Crying Festival. We shed so many tears in separation from Gurudeva...each day was heart-wrenching...yet it was wonderful, to share it all with so many devotees, to hear all of their sweet katha and memories. We had a glorious ceremony for Gurudeva's puspa-samadhi, and there were three beautiful drama plays. More from the festival later. I will be posting ongoing nectar from the festival, notes from classes, and maybe some pictures and videos.

I got diksa from Sripad Madhava Maharaja, by the mercy of Srila Gurudeva, and now I am feeling very much invigorated in my service. I have been depending more on guru and Krsna lately, and living in the present. It is so wonderful, knowing that they are always supporting and guiding me, and feeling that when I give up my idea of, "I am in control", they facilitate so many loving exchanges and service.

During New Braj festival, I wrote down many notes on many Maharajas and Didis classes. I also wrote down notes from things Gurudeva said in videos. I put stars by statements that really resounded within me. After the festival, I made a list of those very moving, thought-provoking, sweet statements. It is mostly guru tattva, but because it is variegated, I am simply calling this, "variegated tattva."

Here is my list:

* By service, one can get mamata, my-ness, towards guru and Krsna.

* Weep

* Try to advance by relationship; then preach to others.

* Serve and appreciate each other.

* Follow instructions, and guru will be with you.

* Instead of trying to repress your desires, use them for Krsna, chant, and mood will come.

* Gurudeva said in a class, "When I am not here, you can still ask me any question." So now, we can still ask him any question.

* When we sit down to read something, we should pray to that book's author and guruvarga, "Please give me your mercy and help me get realizations from this reading."

* Take out time to cultivate weeping for Gurudeva.

* Don't read while chanting, because then you can't concentrate on the reading or the chanting properly. You can meditate on a bhajan in your mind while you chant. This is okay, because we want the moods of those vaishnavas.

* Any suffering we experience comes from our enjoying spirit.

* Guru nistha is the backbone of devotion.

* Unlike in mundane separation, in spiritual separation we are pacified by remembrances.

* Whoever makes us remember Gurudeva, that person is qualified to follow.

* Anyone who gives or receives harikatha is Gurudeva's disciple.

* ASSOCIATION

* Whatever you are doing, while doing it, sing, "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti..."

* Lack of faith in Krsna is the cause of all problems.

* Try to speak as if your guru is right in front of you.

* The 6 loving exchanges with devotees increases good qualities; when you do these things with materialists, it increases your bad qualities.

* Do anything to make your heart melt.

Srila Gurudeva ki Jai! Srila Prabhupada ki Jai! Sripad Madhav Maharaja ki Jai! All glories to the vaishnavas and vaishnavis and to harikatha and New Braj!