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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – November 5, 2006

November 5th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

November 5, 2005
Govardhana

Karttika ends. All glories to Karttika!

I got a lot of feedback that the japa journal was appreciated. Thank you, dear readership.

I think one of my main realizations for Karttika was the importance of spending quality time with the holy name. The holy name is a person as it is non-different from Krishna. By spending time with a person whom we have a natural relationship our rapport and love for them grows. We then enjoy their company. When we are focused and not indifferent when the holy name appears, a real bond develops. We become happy anytime are in the company of the holy name. That’s the blessings of Karttika – sambandha or relationship to the holy name. kirtaniya sada harih.

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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – November 4, 2006

November 4th, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

November 4, 2006
Govardhana

A friend of mine – a professor in America – had problems with his chanting. He couldn’t concentrate and it frustrated him. While visiting Vrindavana, he went to his very elderly guru, a very renowned Vaisnava scholar in Vraja, and opened his heart.

“I just can’t concentrate on my chanting. Why should I do?”

“Don’t eat grains cooked by non-devotees!”

“But I have to attend the college’s conferences and they only serve grains cooked by non-devotees. What should I do?’

“Don’t eat.”

Moral: Don’t ask a sadhu a question unless you are ready to follow his advice. Well, my friend did. It was inconvenient, but it changed his life and his concentration improved significantly .

Commentary: Small things make big differences. During Karttika I only eat freshly prepared and purely cooked food offered to Giriraja. It really helps the consciousness.

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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – November 3, 2006

November 3rd, 2006

Karttika 2006
Japa Meditations

November 3, 2006
Govardhana

An individual not only speaks or writes words, but his words have “voice”; the sound and expression of those words that communicates his very heart. Two people speak the same words, but say different things according to their voice. The words may lie, but the voice doesn’t. It is who you are. Two people chant Hare Krishna, but God hears completely different entreaties depending on their “voice”. I chanted today and not only listened to the words, but to the voice of my chanting. It became clear. Unless humility becomes the voice of our chanting there is little taste to our prayers.

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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – Novmber 2, 2006

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.

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Karttika 2006: Service to the Vaisnavas and Bhisma Pancaka – October 20 – November 1, 2006

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.

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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 19, 2006

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.”

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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 18, 2006

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?

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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 17, 2006

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.

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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 16, 2006

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.”

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Karttika 2006: Japa Meditations – October 15, 2006

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.”

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