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The Mother, The Mind, and Food

August 31st, 2004

Recently my mother related to me how she was advising her daughter-in-law who had become overwhelmed with the responsibilities of her family and job. She quoted to her a Yiddish saying that her own mother told her when she was similarly overwhelmed with the care of her three young sons. She said something to the effect that ?it will all soon pass?. Now that my disciples have children, and I am often living among them, I have become more aware how much sacrifice a mother has to make. Somehow, until my mother recently told me about her own struggles as a mother raising young children, I never realized that she also underwent a similar sacrifice taking care of me and my two brothers. When she told me, my immediate reaction was to feel bad for the pain that I caused her by the insensitive way I joined the Hare Krishna movement (although I, of course, have no regrets with the fact that I joined). I have to say my admiration for motherhood has soared over the last few years!

A realization I recently gained from astrology about the importance of motherhood increased this appreciation more. In astrology different planets and different houses are the karaka, or main indicators, for the different prominent aspects of ones life. For example, we can look to the position of the sun and the strength of the ninth house for the nature of ones relationship with the father. The tenth house deals with one?s occupation, and Jupiter ones wisdom, guru or religiosity. In the same way, the moon and fourth house indicate ones mother. What struck me is the fact that the moon and the fourth house are also the indicators of the mind. As the mother and the mind have the same exact karaka, astrology shows that the strength of one?s relationship with one?s mother, the nurturing aspect of ones life, is also the main determining factor for ones strength of mind.

When we say ?mind? in this context, we are also referring simultaneously to what we call the heart. A strong mind thus means that one can both freely express, and when needed control, ones feelings. In other words, a person with a good mind is thus open-hearted and secure, but at the same time not overwhelmed by mood swings. They can thus control their mind, make decisions, and think clearly. A good mind (heart) is thus the foundation of properly relating, communicating, and learning, the emblems of culture.

An interesting incident last year reinforced this realization about the correlation between the mother and the mind. His Holiness Radhanatha Swami asked me to accompany him to place his mother?s ashes in the Yamuna. From the soberness and attentiveness he gave to this task, I could sense his gratitude and strong relationship with his mother, although he had left his family to become a monk, and is certainly a detached person. I was also told this later, about the positive influence his mother had on his life. As I reflected on the nature of his good heart, his ability to be open hearted and loving, and also the strength of his mind, his ability to remain fixed and undisturbed, it further dawned on me the strong connection between the nature of ones mind and the quality of the nurturing influences in one?s early life.

This understanding is also confirmed by my observation of those lacking formative nurturing influences. Years ago I was dealing with a person in Vrindaban who had all the signs of serious clinical depression. He was gradually losing touch with reality and needed serious mental health care. It took me months of pushing to finally get the temple authorities to seek professional consultation. Afterwards, I spoke to one of the leaders, a very cultured Indian, and told him frankly that he could never understand the need for psychiatric care because he had a loving mother at home who fed him. I also knew his mother and how close they were. He was startled by my statement, and told me I was absolutely right. He related to me that when he would sometimes read in the newspaper how the rich and famous had clinical depression, he would say to himself ?what is this depression?? having no personal frame of reference to understand it. We then discussed how much the sense of being loved in a family is transferred through the serving and taking of meals affectionately prepared by a loving mother, and especially how the children were inoculated against insecurity and depression by the love and security impressed within them by this loving exchange.

As a person?s real success is based on one?s strength of mind, there is, in a sense, a mother behind every successful man. As the strength of a society is the character of its people, the nature of their hearts and minds, we can also gauge how essential motherhood is to the proper development of society. Thank you mothers!

*Although the nurturing influences in one?s life is the most significant factor in the development of ones mind (heart), even if this is lacking it can be compensated for, or rectified, by other factors, like training and other forms of personal development, especially by cultivating a loving relationship with God and His devotees. Similarly, even if those nurturing influences are there, the mind can be disturbed by other factors such as sinful reactions from bad karma or traumatic experiences. However, the effect of the appropriate nurturing in childhood on the development of one?s mind cannot be underestimated. Also there is a difference between proper nurturing and co-dependence and other forms of over-indulgence.

Guru-tattva II: How to see the Guru as God

August 28th, 2004

August 28, 2004
Sri Vrindavana dhama
 
Guru-tattva II: How to see the Guru as God
 
The importance of guru-bhakti is highlighted in another famous verse about guru-tattva discussed in Sri Bhakti-sandarbha:
 
“One should know the preceptor to be my very self. One should never disregard or envy him in any way, thinking him to be mortal, because the guru is the embodiment of all the gods.”
 
This is probably one of the five most often quoted verses about the spiritual master. Sri Jiva Goswami reveals a startling fact about this verse. It does not even necessarily refer to a spiritual master, but a teacher in general!*
 
The thinking behind this verse is a little subtle. All teachers, even those teaching material knowledge, are to be seen, in a sense, by a cultured person as God, as all knowledge is ultimately meant to culture us towards the Absolute Reality. This refers to the parents who maintain social traditions, the maestro who knows the universal principles of music, or even the academic teacher who instructs us in basic reading and writing. In other words, as God's main relationship to this world is to educate us, and he does this through his representatives, the instructions of a teacher should be seen as God manifest through them. More important than this understanding, however, is the psychology behind it.
 
First, this mindset, abject faith in the teacher, is a prerequisite for learning, for without seriously considering a subject, it is impossible to understand it. Teaching also takes great effort. Unless the student establishes a conduit for learning that is nonresistance, the teacher will not be enthused to use their valuable time to enlighten them. Therefore the legitimate teacher must be seen and approached with great faith to create at atmosphere for learning, what to speak of how we must accept a spiritual master.
 
There's a problem however. It's hard to give up the false ego. We hate authority. Indeed, that attitude separates us from God. The tendency is thus to disregard and envy the guru. Often at best we struggle with it, because we just abhor the inferior position. The caution is therefore given, don't let your ego, your fear of being subordinate, obstruct your learning, Do not ?disregard or envy him thinking he is a mortal man? for you will remain in ignorance.
 
But what if he is mortal man? If he is guru, teacher, and you want to learn then he is devata, God, otherwise you will not. The person may be mortal, but if they have knowledge and you approach them properly, then Krishna, who represents knowledge, will certainly appear through them. Otherwise the relationship will not bear fruit and the teacher will be forced to neglect you.
 
Of course the expert teacher knows the nature of their students. Especially today most people are suspicious of authority, and for good reasons. The competent teacher has to know the art of creating an atmosphere where the student wants to learn. Still, it is expected that the intelligent student will eventually learn the subtleties of studentship so that his progress will not be thwarted with misconceptions, such as equating surrender and faithfulness with blind following.
 
In the very next section, Sri Jiva not only reinforces the need to approach the teacher properly, but makes his real point, the necessity for approaching the spiritual master with the highest regard:
 
“This being the case [that such respect even applies to the teacher of relative knowledge], it is all the more incumbent on those pursuing the path of spiritual realization, to have such feelings towards their guru, as Sri Narada told Yudhisthira:
 
“The spiritual master should be considered to be directly the Supreme Lord because he gives transcendental knowledge for enlightenment. Consequently, for one who maintains the material conception that the spiritual master is an ordinary human being, everything is frustrated. His enlightenment and his Vedic studies are like the bathing of an elephant.?” (Bhag. 7:15.26)
 
Srila Prabhupada's purport here is enlightening. It analyzes the same point being discussed:
 
“One may argue by saying that since the spiritual master's relatives and the men of the neighborhood consider him an ordinary human being, what is the fault on the part of the disciple who considers the spiritual maser an ordinary human being? This will be answered in the next verse, but the injunction is that the spiritual master should never be considered an ordinary man.”
 
In that next verse Sri Narada again compares seeing the spiritual master to directly seeing the Supreme Lord because he purely represents His teachings.
 
*Specifically he reveals that in the context of the Bhagavatam this verse is about a student who is studying karma.
 
 

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Guru Tattva I: The Glories of Guru Bhakti

August 27th, 2004

August 27, 2004
Sri Vrindavana dhama
 
Guru Tattva I: The Glories of Guru Bhakti
 
Sadhu-sanga is the single most important component for spiritual advancement on the path of bhakti. It has three components: the sadhu, our relationship with him, and our own receptivity. All are important, but in many ways our receptiveness is the most essential, for unless we open our hearts with faith, how will we benefit from sadhu-sanga?
 
I am thus going to discuss the subject of discipleship found in Sri Bhakti-sandarbha in the section where guru-tattva is analyzed. I will do this by commenting on two main verses quoted by Sri Jiva beginning with a very famous text from the Svetasvatara Upanishad:

“Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed.”

Svetasvatara Upanishad 6.23

 
“Implicit faith” refers to guru bhakti, devotion to the spiritual master. Why does guru bhakti help reveal the import of the sastra? It's because bhakti is the humble position of giving oneself to God and His devotees with love and it takes saranagata, or surrender. Bhakti thus naturally entails ridding oneself of the false ego, the consciousness that separates us from the Absolute Reality. As the ultimate aim of all scriptural studies is the eradication of false ego, one who has embraced guru bhakti, the position of humble servant, has intuitively understood the import of all scriptures. It's simple. When one understands the essence of a thesis, one has naturally understood the relevance of its parts. In other words, a humble soul, who has given himself to God through the Lord's devotees, upon hearing the sastra naturally, understands its intended import, others will not.
 
How many times have we witnessed prideful souls independent of guru miss even the most fundamental devotional precepts of humility and service, even when they are expert in intellectualizing and quoting sastra?
 
Guru bhakti, the mood of humble servant, thus acts like a password to the domain of sastra. Without it, we have no access to it.
 
 

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Purusottama Journal | August 1st -16th

August 16th, 2004

Purusottama Journal

August 1 – 16, 2004
Sri Vrindaban Dham

Vrindaban life: There’s not much social interaction or dynamic preaching here for me at this time of the year. My friends and students usually come later. There is, in that sense, little to satisfy my personal nature, only chanting and studying almost all day. It’s tapa, or heat, and I can feel the purification, but it’s divine, and also makes me happy. (August 1st )

Japa thoughts: Time is relative. When an activity lacks relish, time almost unbearably stretches. When an activity is full of pleasure, the oppression of time mystically dissolves. Is our japa “a moment that takes ten years or more”, or “a few hours that goes by in a flash”? Thoughts of finishing our rounds bring on the oppression of time. Ideally it’s the chanting itself that is important, not what we get from it. Attention in chanting plus thoughts of its relevance equals timelessness, because focus keeps us in the present. Concentrate on the holy name, think of its meaning and importance, and go deeper and deeper. Time will gradually cease. (August 1st)

Japa thoughts: Relevance of chanting the holy name: It cleans the heart and reveals Sri Krishna, and also our own true nature. It extinguishes suffering. It invokes the pleasurable sentiments of devotion and enlightens us with transcendental knowledge. We have a loving relationship with the holy name. In fact, our beloved has appeared. We thus humble ourselves and feel satisfied before the holy name. Sincere chanting pleases the spiritual master, which also makes us happy, as his pleasure is ours. We thus chant with affection for the holy name, and also for the giver of the holy name. Activities with love can never bore or burden us. (August 3rd)

Sadhus of Vrindaban: I went with Brajajana to Surya Kunda, a sublime, solitary and off-beaten place, where Sri Radha meets Sri Krishna every Sunday at noon on the pretext of worshipping the sun God, Surya Narayan, for the good health and long life of her husband. After visiting the temple of Surya Narayan, and paying respects to the bhajan kutir of Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji, we visit another pristine forest ashram on the bank of Surya Kunda, the place of bhajan and the samadhi mandir of a late and apparently famous local siddha mahatma or perfected soul. Unfortunately, I didn’t get his name. The ashram mostly consists of a large almost open-aired temple pavilion looking out on the forestry banks of Surya Kunda. Three dignified looking elderly men are dispersed in the temple, sitting peacefully, two absorbed in sastra and one in the holy name. Goodness pervades. They offer us humble respect, gently smile, and then dispassionately return to their service. I can sense pure devotion, hearing about Sri Krishna simply because of liking to do so, a state where one’s heart and attention flow effortlessly to His name and pastimes. They must sit there everyday, all year, for what else is here in this inaccessible and simple village. I also want to hear and chant more because of a simple liking to do so, not just obligation or fear. That’s certainly coming more and more, but I want to go even deeper. I’m enlivened by seeing the saints of Surya Kunda. I pray for akincana bhakti. (August 6th)

Vrindaban thoughts: The saints of Surya Kunda did inspire me. I try to continue my spiritual practices until lunch at noon. I sit late morning reading, “The Killing of the Kaliya Serpent”. Would I rather be preaching? I am preaching here in my own way. I give class twice a day and write. I want what Krishna wants for me. At least for now it’s this. (August 7th)

Bhagavatam thoughts: Bhakti flows unimpeded to Krishna. Why? Very simple, you can only stop an action by obstructing its cause. Bhakti is pure love, and love by definition is causeless. If it has a cause or motive, then it’s obviously not love. In other words, the only thing that can stop pure love is to stop loving, so if you have pure love, it will flow non stop, because there is no cause to stop it. If there were a reason or motive, it wouldn’t be love. For example, if we work for money, then the work can easily be stopped by just stopping the money or salary. If we are serving out of love, however, our service will continue, even without payment or prestige. It can’t be stopped. Its causeless devotion like the mood of the gopis who pray:

“I know no one but Krishna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.” (August 9th)

Japa thoughts: Chanting the holy name means turning oneself towards the Absolute Reality, Sri Krishna. It must be done with some affection. Why? If God is everywhere and everything, then we can only turn to and from Him in the sense of our consciousness. It is a fact. Not wanting the Absolute Reality, we become blinded to reality by envy or aversion. We thus fall in to maya, the illusion that God is not here. As it is, only non devotion, or dislike, turns us from the all-pervading Absolute Reality, then only the reverse, heartfelt affection, will reveal God and His holy name. Chant with attention, but chant with affection. It is the only means (abhideya) to reveal the Absolute Reality and to give us the experience (prayojana) of the Absolute Reality, love of Godhead.
(August 11th)

Vrindaban thought: I heard the distressing news of Sripad Bhakti-tirtha Swami’s illness, a very sincere servant of Srila Prabhupada and the holy name. My day is dedicated to prayers for his welfare. (August 12th)

Bhagavatam thoughts: As the import of all sastra is humble service, to deeply understand sastra one has to approach sastra and the teacher representing it in the mood of a humble servant. This methodology ingenuously affords sastra some protection from those who are proud, who would only use it only to enhance their prestige. A Sanskrit scholar here, an old friend, told that me that guru bhakti, the ultimate mood of humble service, serves almost as a password to enter the domain of the sastra. I pray not to forget why I am studying here. (August 13th)

Vrindaban life: After evening class I take a brisk walk to the Goshalla where Nandandana and his wife serve me fresh hot milk. She had just finished the milking before I arrived. I sit in front of their house watching the cows and admiring those who have real life, who do things directly connected with their own sustenance and survival. Afterwards I visit my godbrother, Prema Kishor, who has house on a small farm on the other side of the parikram path, right across from the Goshalla. Although only fifty yard from the parikram path, his house faces the Yamuna and his farm extends towards her shore. There is absolutely nothing between his property and the river. After his rigorous morning sadhana, which includes picking plenty of fragrant flowers and fresh tulasi for Giriraj, he works all day on the farm growing the flowers, harvesting the wheat, cultivating the vegetables and taking care of his cows. He even has a small orchid. I listen intently as he speaks, “Srila Prabhupada wanted his preachers to spend time in the Dham, but what is the Dham. It’s vraja, the forest and pasturing grounds of Vrindaban. It’s the sound of birds, the fragrance of flowers, the feel of its earth, the taste of its natural bounty.” Today I lament as a city boy who grew up thinking that milk came from a store. Those impressions run deep. (August 14th)

Bhagavatam meditations: I read something today that confirmed that our main spiritual practice is the mood of humble service to guru and the vaisnavas: “For those devoid of ego, Sri Krishna is not at all distant. But for those who are full of ego, mountain ranges stand between them and the Lord.” (Brahma Vaivarta Purana) (August 16th)

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Purusottama Journal | July 15th-30th

July 30th, 2004

Author?s Note: Approximately every three years on the Indian lunar calendar a leap year, called Purusottama, is added. It is considered very auspicious, much like Karttik, where completing spiritual vows accrues immense spiritual benefit. Throngs of pilgrims, hundreds of thousands, thus flock to Vrindaban this month. In this regard, the vow to complete dandavat parikram (prostrated obeisances around Vrindaban) has become increasingly popular. I see pilgrims doing it everyday while walking to and from the temple on the parikrama path. I?ve especially noticed a lot of youth there, mostly below fourteen. It seems to have become like a fad for them. Thousands are prostrating themselves in the mud of the parikram road. I sense in them the bravado of boys meeting a physical challenge. As I walk by, I thus occasionally nod in appreciation. They smile or gesture in return. I have my own chanting vow, but mostly I am studying and teaching Sri Bhakti Sandarbha. I still, however, have some time to jot down a few journal notes to share with you. The first are below. More will come.

Purusottama Journal

July 15-July 30th, 2004
Sri Vrindaban Dham

Two thoughts on my way to Vrindavan by the main highway from Delhi:

Thought 1: I can feel the pressure of the Dham even before reaching her borders. What is that pressure? The pressure is bhagavat dharma?putting Krishna in the center of our lives. Without putting Krishna in the center our lives twenty-fours a day, there is no meaning to ?I am a resident of Vrindaban?.

Thought 2: It?s the rainy season in vraja, one of its six distinct seasons. The effects of the changing seasons can be used for spiritual life. For example, in the winter one is forced to spend more time at home, which is good for introspection. Similarly, in the rainy season sannyasi?s traditionally settled in holy places, as the rains made their wanderings difficult, if not impossible. They took advantage of the season to regulate and increase their spiritual practices. Things are different today, but I see no harm in keeping the traditional spirit of the season by coming here to regulate and increase my spiritual practices. I look forward to it. (July 15th)

Vrindaban life: I take the taxi from the airport right to the bank of the Yamuna for an auspicious bath, before doing anything else. It?s my habit. The rains have not come. The water is warm and shallow. I walk to mid-stream and wade alone for quite some time gazing at the Kesi Ghat skyline. Again, home at last! (July 15th)

Vrindaban Life: At evening aratik a god-brother informs me that our god-sister, Mulaprakrti dd, has passed away. He invites me to a memorial for her that evening at Srila Prabhupada?s house.

Mulaprakrti is one of a group of god-sisters who dedicated themselves to book distribution in LA. They would try to go out every day of the week for nearly twelve hours, and she, I am told, was one of the best them. Their austerities weren?t artificial. They had a deep conviction, perhaps even from past lives, to dedicate themselves to guru, to sacrifice on his behalf. I think if there was some other motive, the result of their austerities would not have been Vrindaban. Their dedication to Sri Caitanya?s mission brought practically all of them here, either to reside, or to leave their body. Having lived here in Vraja myself, I know many of them. I can attest to their sincerity and remarkable service attitude. There is a lesson to be learned here from devotees like Mulaprakrti, and Gauri devi dasi (another LA Sankirtan god-sister who successfully left this world in Vrindaban):

Never underestimate the power of service and sacrifice to the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu under the blessings of Srila Prabhupada. (July 17th)

Sadhus of Vrindaban: Staying this year at Giriraja Swami?s small house/ashram in the giriraja bagiccha (garden), a cul-de sac just off the parikram path. It?s old vraja, just sadhus and ashrams. Across from me is Balaram Baba?s ashram, a small ashram, more like a modest house, but dedicated to kirtan and sadhu seva.

For this month Balarama Baba is feeding a minimum of over five hundred sadhus and pandits daily, sometimes even a thousand. He personally invites me also. At eleven in the morning, the prasadam is served conveniently outside our gate on the small eight foot wide brick path that winds through this small neighborhood. It?s served through out the small twelve house/ashram neighborhood on every path, in every little ashram, even the small goshalla to the back of me, and will be served every day this month. I honor the prasadam with the local Sanskrit students in the front courtyard of Sivaram/Govinda Swami?s house, a more peaceful setting to take.

Balarama Baba, graying, but not yet fifty, works hard, but remains jolly. He wear?s only a short white lungi rolled just below his bare chest with only a cell phone half tucked into his lungi, hanging from his neck by a cord necklace. Today thick wads of five rupee notes also are tucked all around his lungi, a real money belt. He walks briskly through the crowd, up and down the aisles, quickly dealing the notes, like playing cards, into each sadhus lap. Plop!-Five rupees in mine- How embarrassing! An ?ugly American? eats with poor sadhus, and gets charity too!

The prasadam is clean, very expertly served, and tasty, but can I eat puris and sweets everyday? I take mostly the rice, dahl and subji. I feel at home with the sadhus and brijabasi?s. I pray to become one. (July 18th)

Vrindaban thoughts: The law of co-incidence as a proof of God?s existence: Co-incidence means related incidences that have coincided supposedly by chance, despite the high improbability of them doing so. When we have multiple co-incidences, the probability of them being by chance becomes highly improbable, almost impossible. At least the likelihood of them coming together by some supreme intelligent force is far more probable than the odds of them coming together randomly. (July 20th)

Vrindaban life: Go the Yamuna with Bhurijana for a late afternoon bath. We also sit in the middle of her shallow waters, and gaze at the Kesi Ghat skyline. Wonderful, purifying, refreshing, no need to speak much, but Bhurijana shares a thought:

ISKCON life has at times been complex and difficult, but we got Vrindaban by that life, a wonderful and undeniable spiritual experience. It is Prabhupada that gave us that life, a life that brought us to Vrindaban. His potency and mercy can?t be denied. We remain eternally indebted. (July 22nd)

Japa thoughts: I pray deeply for perfection. I then hesitate. Perfection means becoming a devotee, meaning being only for Krishna. What would Krishna have to do to give me perfection? Am I ready to give up everything independent of Him? Do I want those things and attachment pulled away suddenly by force to fulfill my prayer? I pray deeply for perfection, but do I deeply pray for perfection? (July 25th)

Bhagavatam thought: Read today that the demigods fear that the devotees will go beyond them to the Lord?s abode by worshipping Him. They thus place obstacles before the devotees. The devotees, however, are protected by the Lord, crossing over those obstacles by using them as steppingstones. My own thought: How is the devotee protected? The Lord gives the devotee the knowledge and realization to use whatever apparent obstacles that have come to bring the devotee closer to Him. It is fact. Everything in our destiny is favorable as long as we have the knowledge and realization to learn the lesson of destiny. (July 27th)

Japa thought: Mantra cleans the heart. Today, I get a glimpse of myself, beyond any pretense. It?s bitter sweet. I see myself and feel bad about it. Humbling oneself before Krishna, however, is the taste of devotion. (July 30th)

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Did Sri Caitanya Appear to Taste Spinach?

July 20th, 2004

Sri Vrindaban

There is a range for creative speculation in Krishna consciousness. We may conjecture how the conclusions of sastra are true. This scope gives more leeway for the expressions of rasa , the flavor of the Absolute Truth.

For example, when I was at the home of an aristocratic Bengali Vaisnava, the lady of the house responded to my heartfelt appreciation of the many delicious Bengali preparations at dinner, especially sak, by suddenly describing her own idea of why Sri Caitanya appeared. Her theory, whether literally true or not, definitely added some savor (rasa) to my understanding about Mahaprabhu?s appearance:

?God also liked the many varieties of Bengali Prasad. That?s why he appeared as Sri Caitanya.” Lord Krishna relished the simple sak (spinach) at the home of his devotee Vidura, over the royal fare offered by King Duryodhana. Yes, it?s right there in Mahabharat, ?sak?! Sri Krishna thought, ?Here in the North you seldom get such nice vegetable offerings like this tasty sak. Mostly we get only aloo gobhi (cauliflower and potatoes). In Bengal, however, so many varieties of succulent subji grow. I?m tired of just puris, rotis, a little subji and so many heavy sweets! Let me take birth there.?

Eating all those delectable subji?s I couldn?t agree with her more!

I added my own thought on the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but inspired from a statement in sastra (Jaiva Dharma):

“The tenderness of the heart experienced towards Krishna is known as bhakti. All other jivas are servants of Krishna, and tenderness towards them is compassion (daya).” Jaiva Dharma p. 206

My idea on Sri Caitanya?s appearance was based on the above inspiration:

Radha and Krishna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are the exact same original personality of Godhead, only Their mood is different. When the mood of madhurya (the sweetness in intimate relation) predominates, the original Godhead is known as Radha/Krishna. When audarya (magnanimity) predominates the same Godhead is called Sri Caitanya. These are the two original and full complementary manifestations of Godhead.

It should not be surprising that a change in mood can alter ones physical appearance. For instance?happiness makes one more beautiful. We become red with rage and pale with fright.

In the same way, the original personality of Godhead has two different appearances according to his frame of mind; Sri Caitanya when over-flowing with magnanimity; Radha/Krishna when overflowing with the sweetest intimate love .

As the mood of overflowing magnanimity marks the manifestation of Sri Caitanya, to understand the cause of His appearance we have to understand the cause of that magnanimity. As these transformations in mood are all of the same original personality of Godhead (svayam bhagavan) we must first clearly understand the meaning of svayam bhagavan to understand the cause of that magnanimity.

Svayam bhagavan means God when God is most Himself. One is most oneself when one?s heart is fully open in reciprocation to the most intimate and intense love. Such love also needs the encouragement of the most intimate setting. Svayam Bhagavan is thus Sri Krishna, God at home in Sri Vrindaban, wholly reciprocating the perfect love of the Brijbasi?s, his most intimate associates, by opening his heart and giving Himself fully to them.

One?s heart cannot remain open, however, if marred by selfishness. God at the acme of His open heart (svayam bhagavan) must thus also have compassion for those suffering bereft of that love. Even a tinge of callousness closes the heart to perfect love. Svayam Bhagavan must therefore be the giver of love to remain the enjoyer of love. Sri Caitanya is thus Sri Krishna when out of compassion He reflects on those bereft of that love. And Navadvipa is that same Vrindaban transformed to facilitate that overflowing grace.

In conclusion, magnanimity (audarya) is the cause of Sri Caitanya, not in the sense that it precedes His being, in the sense that it is the very essence and mood of His being.

Magnanimity, the cause of Sri Caitanya, also tells us something very important about attaining love of God:

As pure love leads to pure compassion, since it is the same tender heart towards Krishna just reflected to the living entities, pure compassion also helps bring us to pure love, as it is the same tender heart towards the living entities just reflected back to Krishna. Embracing the mood of Lord Caitanya, by serving his mission of sacrifice and compassion, thus naturally prepares one to become a resident of Vrindaban, as it cultivates the heart of a Brijabasi, one of tenderness and sacrifice. Simply put, the giver of love is well suited to become the enjoyer of that love.

All our great teachers thus inform us that Daya (compassion) gives us special access to Bhakti (pure love).

?When one dives deeply into the ocean of Gaura-prema, and swims in the waves that ocean, one immediately becomes one of the confidential associates of Radha and Krishna. (Srila Narottama das Thakur)

?Showing compassion to the living entities by giving them the holy name of Krishna is the essence of all religion.? (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur)

?Preaching is the essence? (Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami)

Conclusion: There is certainly flavor in the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu!

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Japa Thoughts 2004

June 8th, 2004

Princeton, New Jersey

I tried to chant with concentration. As my attention became more focused, I tried to understand how the holy name is not merely akash (material sound produced by air), but Krishna Himself.

Like all endeavors, chanting the holy name should begin with thought and proceed to desire and will. In other words, we think of the spiritual master’s order to chant, we desire to chant, we move our lips, and a sound is produced. Although chanting the holy name appears to go through the same process, the holy name actually descends. It is not mechanically produced because it is not material. How?

Without resolving the subtleties of this quandary, I approached the problem of the non-mechanistic appearance of the holy name in a practical way to increase the quality of my chanting: I focused on my desire to chant. I prayed for the pure name to descend. I desired to be attentive and to pronounce clearly, begging for sincerity. More and more, I saw the holy name as reciprocation with my desire, rather than a product of mechanized endeavor.

In other words, while listening to my chanting, I intensely focused on my core desire to be a good chanter-as if my connection to the appearance of the holy name was my desire for it and not my physical ability to produce it. Chanting in this way gave more of a feel for the holy name as a divine manifestation of mercy instead of an ordinary product of my works. And finally, as that which comes by mercy evokes our love and our heart naturally flows to that which we love, my attentiveness also increased.

Windows To The Material World

May 27th, 2004

Vasant Falls, New York

I just finished assembling my journals into book form for a final edit. The book will be called Greetings from Vrndavana. I’m looking forward to writing new journal entries after a long intermission.

Fortunately, I finished the work before my computer crashed. I knew it was on the blink, but I dreaded the day when it needed to be sent for repair. Leaving the shop on my way home, however, I felt a surprising relief, a sense of liberation. Even though I use the computer almost exclusively for my writing and correspondence, it felt as if some shackle of illusion had been lifted.

I vaguely remember a popular book from my college days called The Medium is the Massage by Marshal McLuhan. His point was that the medium in which one receives information has a greater influence than the message it conveys. I recall him describing television as a cold medium because one generally learns passively from it. In contrast, he described the press as a hot medium because we have to activate our intellect in order to assimilate what we’ve read. McLuhan concluded that cold mediums. like television, make one lazy and dull the intelligence, while hot mediums have the opposite effect, regardless of the content one receives from either.

I am convinced that, like television, the medium of the computer also has insidious effects because it subtly injects one with the need for incessant distraction-an especially menacing prospect for those on a spiritual path where the mind needs to be calmed to touch one’s essence.

I lived in Vrndavana for 20 years without even a phone. I didn’t die of boredom; instead, I remained absorbed in scripture, nama, and seva. To be peaceful now, I require the world at my doorstep with the click of a button, even while living in Vrndavana. Something is wrong.

According to the Svetasvatara Upanisad, God sits within our heart to observe and advise us in the form of the paramatma, the Supersoul. It describes this by the analogy of two birds in a tree: one bird is eating the fruits of happiness and distress, while the other is watching, waiting for his friend to turn to him. The observant bird is compared to the Supersoul and the engrossed bird is compared to the individual living entity. The idea is that as long as we are externally absorbed in the chatter of the mind, we cannot hear the voice of God in the heart directing us.

Riding home, unshackled from my computer, it suddenly hit me how the medium of mass communication so strongly allures us to the platform of the mind, and how the effect is so pervasive that we usually mistake our bondage for normal life. I felt cheated of my innocence, a life unfettered by the unremitting dialogue of the mind that affords one the quietude to turn toward the Lord in the heart. Sadly we have been drawn in droves to the life of the engrossed bird. Perhaps it is more like lemmings to the sea.

Just to the right of the foot of Srila Prabhupada’s bed in Vrndavana hangs two beautiful paintings: one of Krishna and the cowherd boys returning home from the forest of Vrndavana, the other of Radha and Krishna by the bank of the Yamuna under a kadamba tree. Srila Prabhupada called such paintings of Krishna “windows to the spiritual world.” In my early Vrndavana days, I would gaze at these masterpieces during japa and think of Srila Prabhupada’s “windows” analogy. It made so much sense. Today I thought of another “windows” analogy, and unfortunately, it made just as much sense: Computers are the windows to the material world.

Lessons From The CC: Antya-lila

April 10th, 2004

Lessons From The CC: Antya-lila Ch. 9

Lesson 1: In the midst of danger, one should fearlessly take shelter of the holy name.

Gopinatha Pattanayaka was arrested and sentenced to death for a misappropriation of the King?s taxes. His brother Vaninatha was also subsequently arrested. When Sri Caitanya inquired about what Vaninatha was doing after his arrest, he received the following reply:

?The messenger replied, ?He was fearlessly, incessantly chanting the maha-mantra?Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.?? (Cc. Antya 9.56)

Lesson 2: One should not unnecessarily bring their social problems to a person who has dedicated himself to chanting and distributing the holy name of Krishna.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?s reaction after being asked, on four separate occasions, to intercede on behalf of his pure devotee, Gopinatha Pattanakaya, who was arrested and sentenced to be executed:

??I cannot stay here any longer,? the Lord said. ?I shall go to Alalanatha. There are too many disturbances here, and I cannot get any rest.?? (Cc. Antya 9.60)

??As a beggar sannyasi, a mendicant, I wish to live alone in a solitary place, but these people come to tell Me about their unhappiness and disturb Me.?? (Cc. Antya 9.64)

Lesson 3: If a devotee purposefully commits the same offense again and again, they should not necessarily expect protection from God.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?s comment after hearing the good news that Gopinatha Pattanakaya was saved from execution by the fervent prayers of the devotees to Lord Jagannatha:

?Jagannatha has saved him once from death today, but if tomorrow he again does not pay what he owes the treasury, who will give him protection??? (Cc. Antya 9.65)

Lesson 4: One should not approach the Lord with mundane demands.

Seeing that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is disturbed by the incessant demand of His devotees to intercede on behalf of Gopinatha Pattanayaka, even though he broke the law, Kasi Misra assures Him that His pure devotees approach without personal motive only for His satisfaction.

?Kasi Misra continued, ?If one engages in devotional service for Your satisfaction, this will result in his increasingly awakening his dormant love for You. But if one engages in Your devotional service for material purposes, he should be considered a number-one fool.?? (Cc. Antya 9.69)

Lesson 5: Although it is not proper for a devotee to ask the Lord for his own personal happiness and distress, one can pray to the Lord to protect His surrendered souls.

A surrendered soul does not approach the Lord for material things.
?It is not Gopinatha who sent all those men so that You would release him from his plight. Rather, his friends and servants, seeing his distressed condition, informed You because they all knew that Gopinatha is a soul surrendered unto You.? (Cc. Antya 9.74)

Lessons From The CC: Antya-lila Ch. 10

Lesson 1: One should seek the association of pure devotees at all costs, even at the risk of defying the order of the Lord or His devotees.

?Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had ordered Lord Nityananda to stay in Bengal, but nevertheless, because of ecstatic love, Lord Nityananda also went to see Him. Indeed, it is a symptom of real affection that one breaks the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not caring for the regulative principles, to associate with Him. During the rasa dance, Krishna asked all the gopis to return home, but they neglected His order and stayed there for His association. If one carries out Krishna?s order, Krishna is certainly pleased, but if one sometimes breaks His order due to ecstatic love, that gives Him millions of times greater happiness.? (Cc. Antya 10.5-8)

The highest love is executed out of pure affection, not obligation or duty. Therefore, it cannot be checked by stricture or rules. If one is not on the level of spontaneous love, however, one should strictly guide his devotion by guru, sadhu, and sastra.

Lesson 2: The ultimate value of everything, even delicious foodstuff, lies in the love with which it is offered.

Raghava Pandita was famous for bringing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bags of delectable foodstuffs cooked by his sister Damayanti. Out of affection, he also prepared very bitter preparations for medicinal use, fearing that the Lord would overeat and get indigestion. Krishna dasa Kaviraja thus instructs the reader that the ultimate value lies in love and not simply material objects:

?Do not neglect sukuta because it is a bitter preparation. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu derived more happiness from eating this sukuta than from drinking pancamrta [a preparation of milk, sugar, ghee, honey, and yogurt]. Since Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He extracts the purpose from everything. He accepted Damayanti?s affection for Him, and therefore He derived great pleasure even from the dried bitter leaves of sukuta and from kasandi [a sour condiment].? (Cc. Antya 10.17-18)

?A dear lover strung a garland and placed it on the shoulder of his beloved in the presence of her co-wives. She had raised breasts and was very beautiful, yet although the garland was tainted with mud, she did not reject it, for its value lay not in material things but in love.? (Cc. Antya 10.21)

Lesson 3: Impelled by love, a Vaisnava does his service with great care and attention.

Krishna dasa Kaviraja describes the care in which Damayanti packed the eatables for the Lord:

?She then wrapped and sealed each and every bag with great attention. The bags were carried by three bearers, one after another.? (Cc. Antya 10.38)

Lesson 4: One should offer observable affection upon meeting one?s loved ones.

The mutual exchange between the Lord and his devotees upon their arrival in Puri from Bengal:

?All the devotees immediately fell at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Lord lifted and embraced every one of them.? (Cc. Antya 10.45)

Lesson 5: For the service of the Lord or His devotees, one can even risk transgressing standard Vaisnava etiquette. For one?s personal service, a risk of committing even the slightest offense should be avoided.

After a vigorous kirtana and a sumptuous meal, an exhausted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu collapsed in front of the door to his room. In order to massage the Lord properly, His servant Govinda had to step over Mahaprabhu?s body?normally a grievous offense to one?s guru. He did not, however, cross back over the Lord?s body to take the meal that was lying outside the room for him. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked him why this was so, Govinda replied, ?I would not mind committing hundreds and thousands of offenses for the service of the Lord, but I greatly fear committing even a glimpse of an offense for my own self.? (Cc. Antya 10.96)

Lesson 6: One should not eat more than required. Otherwise, the mind will be disturbed.

?Because of Sivananda Sena?s glories, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ate all kinds of prasadam to honor his request. However, the Lord ate more than necessary, and therefore His mind was dissatisfied.? (Cc. Antya 10.147)

Lesson 7: One should cook according to the desire and needs of one?s guests.

?The next day, Caitanya dasa, the son of Sivananda Sena, extended an invitation to the Lord. He could understand the Lord?s mind, however, and therefore he arranged for a different kind of food. He offered yogurt, limes, ginger, soft bada, and salt. Seeing all these arrangements, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very pleased.? (Cc. Antya 10.148-49)

PURPORT

By the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Caitanya dasa understood the Lord?s mind. Therefore he arranged for food that would counteract the heavy meal the Lord had eaten the previous day?

Lessons From The CC: Antya-lila

April 1st, 2004

Lessons From The CC: Antya-lila Ch. 4

Lesson 1: One attracts the mercy and friendship of great souls with good qualities.

?Sanatana Gosvami was dear to everyone because of his exalted qualities and learning. Suitably, therefore, they bestowed upon him mercy, friendship, and honor.? (Cc. Antya 4.112)

Lesson 2: One should not instruct one?s senior.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabu?s reaction when he was told by Sanatana Gosvami that Jagadananda Pandit had advised Sanatana Gosvami, his senior, to go to Vrndavana:

?In affairs of spiritual advancement and even in ordinary dealings, you are on the level of his spiritual master. Yet not knowing his own value, he dares to advise you.? (Cc. Antya 4.159)

Lesson 3: Chastisement by a well-wisher often indicates the intimacy of the relationship, for only out of affection can such liberties in dealings be taken.

Sanatana Gosvami?s reaction after Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told him how upset he was with Jagadananda Pandit?s impudence for advising the Gosvami:

?Sir, You are making Jagadananda drink the nectar of affectionate relationships, whereas by offering me honorable prayers, You are making me drink the bitter juice of nimba and nisinda.? (Cc. Antya 4.163)

Lesson 4: A cultured person cannot tolerate transgressions of etiquette.

?My dear Sanatana, please do not think that Jagadananda is more dear to Me than you. However, I cannot tolerate transgressions of the standard etiquette.? (Cc. Antya 4.166)

Lesson 5: An elevated Vaisnava never thinks themselves advanced in spiritual life.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?s response to Srila Sanatana Gosvami?s expressions of intense humility in reaction to His praise:

?Wherever there is a relationship of love of Godhead, the natural symptoms are that the devotee does not think himself a devotee, but always thinks that he has not even a drop of love for Krishna.? (Cc. Antya 4.174)

Lesson 6: We should consider the body of a devotee fully surrendered to his spiritual master to be transcendental.

Although Sanatana Gosvami?s body was seriously diseased, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu embraced him. When Sanatana Gosvami objected, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu argued that because he is surrendered to the Lord, his body is no longer material:

?At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Krishna accepts him to be as good as Himself.? (Cc. Antya 4.192)

Lesson 7: A devotee who is mature in Krishna consciousness spontaneously desires to see all the places of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?s pastimes.

?Sanatana Gosvami decided to go to Vrndavana by the very forest path Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had traversed.? (Cc. Antya 4.209)

PURPORT

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur writes in a song (Saranagati 31.3):

gaura amara ye saba sthane
karala bhramana range
se-saba sthana heriba ami
pranayi bhakata-sange

?May I visit all the holy places associated with the lilas of Lord Caitanya and His devotees.? A devotee should make a point of visiting all the places where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed His pastimes. Indeed, pure devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu even want to see the places He visited for only hours or minutes.

Lesson 8: A devotee is dutiful to his social responsibilities so that he may practice Krishna consciousness without anxiety.

?Srila Rupa Gosvami had been delayed in Bengal for a year because he was dividing his money among his relatives to situate them in their proper positions.? (Cc. Antya 2.214)

PURPORT

Although Srila Rupa Gosvami had renounced his family life, he was not unjust to his family members. Even after renunciation, he returned to Bengal, where he properly divided whatever money he had and gave it to his relatives so that they would not be inconvenienced.

?He collected whatever money he had accumulated in Bengal and divided it among his relatives, the brahmanas, and the temples. Thus after finishing all the tasks he had on his mind, he returned to Vrndavana fully satisfied. (Cc. Antya 4.215-216)

April 10, 2004

Lessons From The CC: Antya-lila Ch. 9

Lesson 1: In the midst of danger, one should fearlessly take shelter of the holy name.

Gopinatha Pattanayaka was arrested and sentenced to death for a misappropriation of the King?s taxes. His brother Vaninatha was also subsequently arrested. When Sri Caitanya inquired about what Vaninatha was doing after his arrest, he received the following reply:

?The messenger replied, ?He was fearlessly, incessantly chanting the maha-mantra?Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.?? (Cc. Antya 9.56)

Lesson 2: One should not unnecessarily bring their social problems to a person who has dedicated himself to chanting and distributing the holy name of Krishna.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?s reaction after being asked, on four separate occasions, to intercede on behalf of his pure devotee, Gopinatha Pattanakaya, who was arrested and sentenced to be executed:

??I cannot stay here any longer,? the Lord said. ?I shall go to Alalanatha. There are too many disturbances here, and I cannot get any rest.?? (Cc. Antya 9.60)

??As a beggar sannyasi, a mendicant, I wish to live alone in a solitary place, but these people come to tell Me about their unhappiness and disturb Me.?? (Cc. Antya 9.64)

Lesson 3: If a devotee purposefully commits the same offense again and again, they should not necessarily expect protection from God.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?s comment after hearing the good news that Gopinatha Pattanakaya was saved from execution by the fervent prayers of the devotees to Lord Jagannatha:

?Jagannatha has saved him once from death today, but if tomorrow he again does not pay what he owes the treasury, who will give him protection??? (Cc. Antya 9.65)

Lesson 4: One should not approach the Lord with mundane demands.

Seeing that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is disturbed by the incessant demand of His devotees to intercede on behalf of Gopinatha Pattanayaka, even though he broke the law, Kasi Misra assures Him that His pure devotees approach without personal motive only for His satisfaction.

?Kasi Misra continued, ?If one engages in devotional service for Your satisfaction, this will result in his increasingly awakening his dormant love for You. But if one engages in Your devotional service for material purposes, he should be considered a number-one fool.?? (Cc. Antya 9.69)

Lesson 5: Although it is not proper for a devotee to ask the Lord for his own personal happiness and distress, one can pray to the Lord to protect His surrendered souls.

A surrendered soul does not approach the Lord for material things.
?It is not Gopinatha who sent all those men so that You would release him from his plight. Rather, his friends and servants, seeing his distressed condition, informed You because they all knew that Gopinatha is a soul surrendered unto You.? (Cc. Antya 9.74)

Lessons From The CC: Antya-lila Ch. 10

Lesson 1: One should seek the association of pure devotees at all costs, even at the risk of defying the order of the Lord or His devotees.

?Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had ordered Lord Nityananda to stay in Bengal, but nevertheless, because of ecstatic love, Lord Nityananda also went to see Him. Indeed, it is a symptom of real affection that one breaks the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not caring for the regulative principles, to associate with Him. During the rasa dance, Krishna asked all the gopis to return home, but they neglected His order and stayed there for His association. If one carries out Krishna?s order, Krishna is certainly pleased, but if one sometimes breaks His order due to ecstatic love, that gives Him millions of times greater happiness.? (Cc. Antya 10.5-8)

The highest love is executed out of pure affection, not obligation or duty. Therefore, it cannot be checked by stricture or rules. If one is not on the level of spontaneous love, however, one should strictly guide his devotion by guru, sadhu, and sastra.

Lesson 2: The ultimate value of everything, even delicious foodstuff, lies in the love with which it is offered.

Raghava Pandita was famous for bringing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu bags of delectable foodstuffs cooked by his sister Damayanti. Out of affection, he also prepared very bitter preparations for medicinal use, fearing that the Lord would overeat and get indigestion. Krishna dasa Kaviraja thus instructs the reader that the ultimate value lies in love and not simply material objects:

?Do not neglect sukuta because it is a bitter preparation. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu derived more happiness from eating this sukuta than from drinking pancamrta [a preparation of milk, sugar, ghee, honey, and yogurt]. Since Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He extracts the purpose from everything. He accepted Damayanti?s affection for Him, and therefore He derived great pleasure even from the dried bitter leaves of sukuta and from kasandi [a sour condiment].? (Cc. Antya 10.17-18)

?A dear lover strung a garland and placed it on the shoulder of his beloved in the presence of her co-wives. She had raised breasts and was very beautiful, yet although the garland was tainted with mud, she did not reject it, for its value lay not in material things but in love.? (Cc. Antya 10.21)

Lesson 3: Impelled by love, a Vaisnava does his service with great care and attention.

Krishna dasa Kaviraja describes the care in which Damayanti packed the eatables for the Lord:

?She then wrapped and sealed each and every bag with great attention. The bags were carried by three bearers, one after another.? (Cc. Antya 10.38)

Lesson 4: One should offer observable affection upon meeting one?s loved ones.

The mutual exchange between the Lord and his devotees upon their arrival in Puri from Bengal:

?All the devotees immediately fell at the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and the Lord lifted and embraced every one of them.? (Cc. Antya 10.45)

Lesson 5: For the service of the Lord or His devotees, one can even risk transgressing standard Vaisnava etiquette. For one?s personal service, a risk of committing even the slightest offense should be avoided.

After a vigorous kirtana and a sumptuous meal, an exhausted Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu collapsed in front of the door to his room. In order to massage the Lord properly, His servant Govinda had to step over Mahaprabhu?s body?normally a grievous offense to one?s guru. He did not, however, cross back over the Lord?s body to take the meal that was lying outside the room for him. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked him why this was so, Govinda replied, ?I would not mind committing hundreds and thousands of offenses for the service of the Lord, but I greatly fear committing even a glimpse of an offense for my own self.? (Cc. Antya 10.96)

Lesson 6: One should not eat more than required. Otherwise, the mind will be disturbed.

?Because of Sivananda Sena?s glories, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ate all kinds of prasadam to honor his request. However, the Lord ate more than necessary, and therefore His mind was dissatisfied.? (Cc. Antya 10.147)

Lesson 7: One should cook according to the desire and needs of one?s guests.

?The next day, Caitanya dasa, the son of Sivananda Sena, extended an invitation to the Lord. He could understand the Lord?s mind, however, and therefore he arranged for a different kind of food. He offered yogurt, limes, ginger, soft bada, and salt. Seeing all these arrangements, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was very pleased.? (Cc. Antya 10.148-49)

PURPORT

By the grace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Caitanya dasa understood the Lord?s mind. Therefore he arranged for food that would counteract the heavy meal the Lord had eaten the previous day?

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