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Govardhan My practices here are

November 25th, 2001

Govardhan

My practices here are finally becoming fixed. I am leaving the late morning open if devotees want to visit Govardhan and bless me with their association so that I may render some service to the Vaisnavas and chant in their company. Karnamrita and Archana Siddhi came last Sunday. Madhava is here today.

Madhava and myself went to rasa sthali at punchari, sight of Krishna?s spring rasa-lila. I have gone to this secluded, spiritual enriched, ancient forest many times and sat in the shade by the side of Govardhan next to a small white fortress like ashram. The door of that ashram just sits twenty feet to my left, and
although I have been here dozen of times I have never ventured in. Somehow today I am inspired. I pass the simple gateway and enter a simple but stunning courtyard temple of Sri Nathji, Lord Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill.

By the altar a few pilgrims are pouring their hearts out with devotion in simple song. I crowd closer to the altar. How clean and beautifully kept! The young, brahmana pujari gaits across the sanctum with grace and devotion. He finishes the arati, cleans the altar, and then greets his guru outside, bowing his head to his feet. His teacher is rustic, but regal, even with his light blue Praphupada hat with embroided multi-colored flowers. Guruji is renounced, living in the middle of this lonely forest, and accepts whatever Krishna gives him, even a funky hat. We have entered the spiritual world, a neat little enclave enriched with devotion. That?s how we feel among the six devotional pilgrims, the saintly pujari, and his stately forest guru.

I fold my hands and bow slightly to offer respect to all the vaisnavas. The guru sees me and says with faith and force, in a raspy deep Indian sadhu?s voice, “CARANAMRIT!” The disciple pours the caranamrita in small clay cups and gives each pilgrim a cup and a small Deity sweet. It?s like taking prasadam for the first time?an intoxicating, delectable, unprecedented taste!

Madhava, a great cook, famous for his gulabjammons, his eyes rolling in delight comments in earnestness, “I?ve never cooked a sweet like that!”

We alight back to the forest and then to the parikram marg and we are back to our taxi. I love such Vrindaban mysteries?opening unknown doors to the spiritual world by the key of causeless mercy!.

Govardhan Japa Thoughts XI The

November 24th, 2001

Govardhan

Japa Thoughts XI
The holy name has withdrawn His mercy. One can?t sit on his laurels. Constant striving and effort must continue, otherwise where is our bhakti, and without bhakti where is Krishna in the form of His Name? Some taste yesterday, some laxity today, Go forward. Give up the anchor of petty attachment. Never! Then never will Krishna appear.

Govardhan Japa Thoughts X Effective

November 23rd, 2001

Govardhan

Japa Thoughts X
Effective chanting must have relevance to ones life, be congruent with one?s heart. If our absorption is how avoid and counter the reverses of life, to become peaceful, moksa (liberation), how meaningful is our prayers for devotion, bhakti. If our mind is absorbed in economic development, increasing our resources and comforts, karma, then how meaningful is our prayers for devotion, bhakti. If bhakti has not yet captured our heart then take sadhu sanga, humbly serve the vaisnavas, and give the fruits of your work for the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and go on chanting, but pray for the mercy of the holy name. In time our heart and our prayers will be one.

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Govardhan Japa Thoughts VIII If

November 22nd, 2001

Govardhan

Japa Thoughts VIII
If we meditate on the form of Krishna in Vrindaban, a simple villager, how will we avoid envy and scorn, unless we know that He is not a simple cowherd, but God, or we have an intimate relationship with Him. And if we see Him as God, then are we meditating on Krishna in Vrindaban? Pray for sambandha jnana, an understanding of our relationship with Krishna, so that we may think of Him in Vrindaban, as just a cowherd, without misconception or malice. At least be cognizant that ultimately He is our friend, child or lover.

Japa Thoughts IX
Srila Prabhupada gave us Krishna, but couched in tattva, knowledge of His supreme position, so that we may respect and worship Krishna, even as a simple cowherd boy in Vraja, and gradually realize our intimate relationship with Him.

Govardhan Japa Thoughts VII My

November 21st, 2001

Govardhan

Japa Thoughts VII
My japa prayer is for visrambha guroh seva, worship of the guru with deep intimate attachment, not just obligation, but attachment that impels selfless and
loving service to his inner wishes and mission. That attachment is transferred to Krishna and qualifies us for His company. Can one enter Vrindaban without intimate attachment, and if it is lacking for His devotee will it manifest for God?.

I wish Srila Prabhupada were still here. His manifest form and visible loving reciprocation would certainly propel my heart further in His loving service. I search in the holy name and search in his mission for visrambha guroh seva. It?s the foundation of spiritual life, what Srila Prabhupada exemplified, what Srila Prabhupada taught, His main bhajan siksa (instructions for spiritual practice), but it is not sentimental or cheap. It takes sincerity of purpose and the mercy of the holy name.

Govardhan Japa Thoughts VI Prayer

November 20th, 2001

Govardhan

Japa Thoughts VI
Prayer is the earnest entreaty of the heart for purity. It is the essence of spiritual life and the essence of chanting Hare Krishna. Effective devotional service, effective chanting, chanting that absorbs the mind, must be done with feeling. Otherwise it is mechanical and tasteless. I pray to the holy name and by the holy name. I pray to Guru, I pray to God, the acaryas and the vaisnavas, past and present. I pray to the Deities, the Dham, the holy places and Lord?s eternal associates. I pray for myself, to understand myself, and I also pray for others. I pray for strength and I pray for humility, by notable prayers and my own words too. I seek mercy in all the Lord?s manifestations of grace. Such chanting absorbs the mind.

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Govardhan Japa Thoughts IV To

November 19th, 2001

Govardhan

Japa Thoughts IV
To perceive something, we must use the intelligence. Don?t void oneself of intelligence when seeking the holy name. The holy name will not come by our intelligence, but when the holy name comes use your intelligence to understand Him. Think deeply upon each word and search for meaning. It is part of attentive chanting.

Japa Thoughts V
Srila Prabhupada taught clearly the value of chanting with feeling and a proper conception in his simple instruction, “One should chant the holy name as a lost child crying for his mother.”

Govardhan Japa Thoughts V The

November 16th, 2001

Govardhan

Japa Thoughts V
The root of prema (love of Godhead) is dainya (humility). What is the question of love without humbly serving and submitting oneself to ones lover? Even a powerful man who falls in love willingly submits, and serves, the desires of his beloved. True love invokes humility, and true humility invokes love, for it enables one to serve others.

By the Hare Krishna mahamantra we are glorifying God and begging for His service. Can a proud man put his heart in such words, and if one can?t chant with
sincere feeling what is the question of chanting with devotion and relish?

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thus instructs:

“One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street, more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respects to others. In such a state of mind one can chant constantly.”

Only the humble soul can put his heart into the incantation of Hare Krishna and give it real meaning beyond just syllables and sounds.

Moral: If we want an attraction for the holy name we must serve, pray and chant for dainya (true humility).

Govardhan – Govardhan Puja It?s

November 15th, 2001

Govardhan – Govardhan Puja

It?s auspicious to celebrate a festival of Lord Krishna, or remember His pastime, on the day and in the place where it occurred. Such days and such places offer special opportunity to awaken devotion. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur describe this by a simple metaphor, “the days of Lord Hari give birth to devotion (bhakati janani madhava tithi). Everything in Krishna consciousness is personal. On special Vaisnava celebrations, the day, the place and the pastime thus all have potency to reciprocate our worship by opening the channel of mercy to the flow of bhakti. I am fortunate to be at Govardhan on the auspicious day of Sri Govardhan Puja.

Although I am glad to be here, I still opted to more or less continue my regular program of sadhana, rather than fully participate in the festivities. I don?t want to be distracted from my vow. However, as it is principle of devotional service to lavishly celebrate festivals of the Lord according to ones means, I build a little mountain of sweets for my Giriraj Maharaj with a variety of exotic sweets purchased at the famous Giriraj Misthan Bandhar (sweet shop) just down the road.

His Holiness Narayan Maharaj is now in Govardhan with his parikram party. Some of his disciples saw me on the road and told him I was here. One devotee therefore came to our ashram with a message from him inviting me to visit. Considering the tension between his mission and ISKCON I am never sure of the welcome there. By etiquette if a senior vaisnava calls one should go immediately, or at least as soon as possible. Tomorrow I go to Vrindaban, so I will visit him the day after tomorrow. I sense it will be a better day for meeting him as his party will be out on all day on parikram. The setting might be more personal.

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Govardhan Japa Thoughts IV A

November 14th, 2001

Govardhan

Japa Thoughts IV
A symptom of honesty is uniformity between what one is and what one portrays. An honest devotee faces his actual standing in devotion. It is thus paramount to
the cultivation of bhakti as it nourishes humility, the foundation of bhakti. Better to not chant ones rounds and admit it, than to not chant ones rounds and pretend to be chanting. The candor will foster modesty, a disposition helpful to chanting. It will also make it easier to fix at least some standard by which to proceed. Real integrity is to meet ones vows, but pretending will certainly doom progress.

Moral: Don?t bluff. Be who you are and then go forward in devotional service with sincerity.

I’m doing a lot of chanting, but without parikrama it appears more difficult to sustain the intensity of one’s focus. Parikrama naturally seems to maintain the force of one’s devotional practices. I miss it a lot, but can’t go yet. Still sore.

Occasionally in the evening, after my duties are finished, I catch a few minutes of the BBC news on my shortwave radio. Today I am sad to hear about another disaster in New York as a plane crashes in Queens. They interview the local residents. I appreciate one fireman’s realistic response to the reporter when asked how he’s personally handling such crisis after crisis:

“It’s unfortunate, but we are getting expert at disaster.”

The response is very matter of fact, and I see also a universal message. Material life is disaster after disaster and then we die?the ultimate disaster. We must become expert at disaster, ultimately dealing with inevitable death. We should all become expert at disaster by coming to the stage of pure chanting and thus transcending all dualities of the material world. Are we getting “expert at disaster”?

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