Waves of Devotion

Dhanurdhara Swami November 2nd, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

November 2, 2006
Govardhana

What is japa realization? It is awareness of our present spiritual potential and recognizing the obstacles that stop us from going beyond that. It is the shape that mercy takes to lead us forward.

Today the obstacle was clearly the selfish heart. I think too much of myself and not enough of others. The shape of the mercy was compassion, my prayer for compassion, and the understanding of why Srila Prabhupada gave us a mission. Dedication to helping others weans us away from self absorption and helps open the heart for nama bhajan.

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – Novmber 2, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami November 1st, 2006

Karttika 2006

October 20 – November 1, 2006
Govardhana

I am sorry to say that I was unable to keep up with writing my daily japa realizations. As soon as it gets near Govardhana Puja, and then Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day, people start to visit me. Although it left no time for writing (after my chanting), I was more than happy to oblige whoever came to visit me, whether by taking them on parikrama or giving class on Govardhana. It is my great fortune to serve the Vaisnavas. By doing so the holy name manifests its glories. It is one of the secrets of nama bhajan.

I was especially grateful to be able to give class on the Govardhana-lila to Gauranga prabhu and the devotees from Chowpatty. They came to Vrindavana just to organize and serve prasadam for Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance festival at the Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, as they do every year, and I met them in Govardhana the day after the festival. On the actual day they served six thousand devotees in two hours. It was so organized that each devotee, I was told, felt as if they were being served individually. I heard this many times. So much mercy comes from serving the devotees and especially serving those devotees who are serving the other devotees.

Hopefully the daily japa realizations will continue for the next five days, which is Bhisma Pancaka – the last days of Karttika.

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Service to the Vaisnavas and Bhisma Pancaka – October 20 – November 1, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami October 19th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

October 19, 2006
Govardhana

A very deep sadhaka here, and a friend, prays daily to all the associates of Lord Nityananda residing at Radha Kunda, including Jahnava Ma, Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami and Srila Krishna das Kaviraja. I ask about their bhajan. They describe to me the success of their prayers, “When emotion takes over their heart.” Today they prayed at Radha Kunda at the sitting place of Madhavendra Puri, the guru of Lord Nityananda. Thoughts of their first meeting of ecstatic embrace described in Caitanya Bhagavata came strongly to their mind. “That love is what we are aspiring for,” they humbly shared, “When thoughts of it overwhelms the heart, it is the success of chanting.”

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 19, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami October 18th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

October 18, 2006
Govardhana

I open my heart before the holy name: “This is who I am.” It is embarrassing, but unless I open my heart to the holy name, why will the holy name have the confidence to reveal itself to me?

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 18, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami October 17th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

October 17, 2006
Govardhana

Walk the Talk Japa

There is a phrase, “walk the talk”. It means carrying out (walk) what you actually say (talk). I am chanting for service. That’s my talk. But do I actually want to walk that path, to be an unalloyed servant, surrendering to and living for another? It is a difficult platform of consciousness to attain. I am struggling with it. Unless I mean what I say, what is the potency of the mantra? My chanting today is for sincerity. I pray to walk my talk, but I need mercy.

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 17, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami October 16th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

October 16, 2006
Govardhana

An old scholar friend of mine unexpectedly showed up at my door. Even in my hidden kutir acquaintances still find me. It’s the second day in a row that someone just showed up. I welcome my guest, but it leaves little time after my chanting for writing my japa realizations. My very learned friend, however, filled my late morning with quality katha. I especially remember a quote from a Bhagavatam commentator about how to view adversity:

“When providence seems to be digging a hole to throw us in, it is actually planning to quench our thirst by drawing water from the ground.”

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 16, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami October 15th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

October 15, 2006
Radha-Kunda

Attended Maha Nidhi Swami’s class on bhajan rahasya-two questions and a side point:

Question: How is japa also seva?
Maharaja: Seva means to please the object of love. Krishna is most pleased by prema (love). The more prema in the name the more seva in the japa.

Question: Which chanting is best, loud japa or silent japa?
Maharaja: That japa that gurudeva teaches us, for gurudeva knows best how to please Krishna.

As I am leaving a devotee, a good young sadhaka, asks how is my health.

“It’s good. Why do you ask?”

“I was sick this morning,” he replied. “ I couldn’t chant, but I had a realization. Better I develop faith in the holy name now. How will I develop it later when I am old and health becomes a problem?”

His realization struck me. “Thank you,” I replied. “It’s something I needed to hear.”

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 15, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami October 14th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

October 14, 2006
Govardhana

Ocean Chanting

Drowning—water everywhere, nothing else. Ocean chanting, the holy name everywhere, nothing else. I pray to drown in the ocean of nama kirtan. It takes concentration and mercy. My prayers finally reach Sri Caitanya. I think of Srivas Angan and the nocturnal kirtans. I imagine my japa as the name in that kirtan. I listen attentively and imagine I am drowning, the holy name everywhere, nothing else.

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 14, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami October 13th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

October 13, 2006
Govardhana

I want entrance – absorption – into the holy name. What is that door that leads to such immersion? It is attraction to Sri Krishna. I thus search for my taste – the particular manifestation of the Lord that today will somehow evoke my natural love and open my heart to Sri Nama. I begin my japa. I pray to Sri Guru and the Vaisnavas and, gradually, in my chanting progressively reach the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Gosvami. I think of his samadhi at Radha Damodara, his bhajan kutir at Ter Kadamba, I sing his song (sri rupa manjari pada) and meditate on the special mercy he received from Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The heart opens. A slight taste comes. I gain entrance – absorption – into the holy name knowing it is only mercy.

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 13, 2006

Dhanurdhara Swami October 13th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

October 10, 2006
Govardhana

Caterpillar Logic and Taste for the Holy Name

Bhaktivinoda Thakur explains that the fourth verse of the Siksastakam represents the stage of ruci, taste:

“O Almighty Lord! I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful women, nor do I want any number of followers. I only want Your causeless devotional service in my life, birth after birth.”

Just as the caterpillar cannot go to the next leaf unless it is firmly planted on the leaf before, we cannot attain the platform of ruci (taste) until we become detached from material life symptomized by na dhanam, na janam…

October 11, 2006
Govardhana

As a river requires two embankments to surge forcefully, spiritual taste, prema, flows within the banks of union and separation. Similarly chanting with relish requires these two opposing moods.

I chant. Yes, Krishna is there in His holy name. It is the internal potency – Vrindavana, sweetness personified – but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for the holy name. I chant with union and separation.

October 12, 2006
Govardhana

What is the holy name without the heart, without some feeling? Chanting means searching for the heart, how we feel about Sri Krishna in the form of His name. Chant the name, but search for the heart of the name, for feelings towards it, even the feeling of sadness and repentance of one with no devotion for it.

• Uncategorized
• Comments Off on Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 10-12, 2006