America Plans Grand Start to 50th Anniversary!
The global celebrations for ISKCON’s 50th anniversary will be flagged off by mega-events in India and America that will track Srila Prabhupada’s epic journey on the Jaladuta from Kolkata to Boston in 1965. On August 13th, the day that Prabhupada boarded the Jalduta, devotees have planned a VIP event at Khidirpur Dock, where several Government ministers, politicians, businessmen, civil servants and celebrities are expected to attend.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/D2EfF1
In the Hertfordshire countryside just north of London, UK, Bhaktivedanta Manor, complete with its farmlands, beautiful gardens and temple is a real sanctuary for the soul. Open all year round to visitors and students of ancient wisdom, the temple offers a great experience with tours of the shrine, gardens and compassionate farm.
Where do your thoughts and actions gravitate towards when you are alone? What is your natural level of spiritual absorption behind closed doors? Good questions to assess our spiritual whereabouts, since our weaknesses are often exposed when nobody else is watching.
The much-awaited festival of chariots finally, after one year of absence, glided through the streets of the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi, with all glamour and grandeur. Hundreds of wanainchi (members of the public) came out on the streets to watch this colorful festival and the grand cart carrying the Lord of the Universe.
Why I Tithe. Anna Angell: The Krishna Consciousness movement has done so much for me, that it is a pleasure and an honor to tithe and thereby serve in some small way.
The School is affiliated with ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta College in Radhadesh, Belgium. Administrators of that College began working with Alfred Ford (Ambarisa Das) back in 2009, after the 2008 financial crisis showed that there was a need for a different approach to business management.
Hare Krishna! Remembering Lila Shakti Devi Dasi
Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Goswami: Another great soul has left this world to join Srila Prabhupada in nitya lila, that is my God sister, Lila Shakti Devi Dasi. In “modern ISKCON” she is known hardly at all by “newer devotees”. However, there was a time in the history of ISKCON decades ago when she was world famous as one of the world’s top distributors of Srila Prabhupada’s books. I knew her very well in her “hey-days”, or “golden years” of fame as a book distributor, for we were both living in Los Angeles, California, USA in those days. She was a Los Angeles book distributor, helping to make world history when Srila Prabhupada was so pleased by the hundreds of thousands or more books being sold, especially by the Los Angeles temple.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18071
Religions for Peace is the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition dedicated to advancing common action among the world religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than ninety national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network.
The Competition is Not Between One Religion and another!
Question: Nowadays different religions, especially those with extreme values, are aggressively penetrating into different parts of the world. Do you feel threatened? Do you consider them your competitors?
Radhanath Swami: I don’t see that it is religion that is causing the hatred, discrimination, and terrorism. It is just a very infatuated ego working in the name of religion, in the name of nationalism, etc.
Hitler and his people, they were like terrorists murdering millions and millions of innocent people, which wasn’t in the name of religion. That was in the name of a political agenda, and look at how much harm they did. And people have done the same kind of harm in the name of religion too. It is just that we superimpose our own arrogance, insecurity, envy and greed in the name of nationalism, politics, religion, or whatever it may be.
So the competition is not between one religion and another religion. The competition is between the good dog and the bad dog that is barking in our hearts, and in their hearts. For some people it is the barking of bad dog that is ruling over and controlling their decisions in life, and causing them to influence others. So the real competition is between light and dark, good and evil, truth and ignorance, in whatever form it takes.
Read the entire article here: http://goo.gl/wibBxm
Hare Krishna! Back to School: Three New Lessons for the New Goloka Community
While NCGS certainly provides students with the academic instruction and subjects they need to progress and become functional adults, our main mission is to teach them about Krishna and to love kirtan! This is what any devotee school should do, first and foremost. It really does take a village to raise a child (especially Vaishnava children). It became evident during the school year that although we have many well-wishers and supporters, a larger hands-on collective is needed. The vision of this community school is that it is the community’s school. Everyone is welcome to participate, and their input is valuable.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18068
Quite often, the small country towns get the biggest turnouts to their parades. The Lismore Lantern Festival has been celebrated every year going back decades.
It is a night time parade and Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi bestowed Their mercy to many thousands of Lismore residents.
We should not do anything artificial. As Prabhupada has said, the chanting is not an artificial imposition on the mind. Prabhupada has recommended that if we just hear the chanting then the time will come when simultaneously we will think of the form of Krsna. To concentrate on the sound may seem routine. Of course, that is only our neophyte stage.
From Japa Reform Notebook by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
The demigods can actually give us what the senses want. It is possible but we should know that all these fruits are temporary! It will be taken away. We will lose it anyway. Whatever we get, whatever we gain, we will lose it. It will be destroyed by time. Ask an old man. It all gets taken away by time. Time takes everything away. Like some men are old but they have beautiful hair and then you wonder, “Is it real or is it false?”
There was a film I saw. This couple had come back from a party. A Hollywood type of couple; they were like really good looking. He was athletic and she had gorgeous blonde hair and all the right measurements in the right places. When they came home, they took their shoes off and it turned out that he had false plateaus inside the shoes and immediately he became two inches shorter. Then as he took off his jacket with the false shoulder fillings, she let out the air of the balloons. He let his belly strap go, they both pulled their wigs off and in the end, there were these two old people, sitting in bed and their teeth smiling at you from a glass of water (laughter). It was a really good movie, very impressive. So all of us, to an extent, are playing that game. You know, a little aftershave, somehow or other, make it look good. Why do you think everyone is jogging like that? Why do you think? Why are people jogging?
They want to look good. Yes, but look good for what? They want to look good when they take their clothes off. That is why they want to look good. That is why they run around the block, to be fit for sex life; that message we get also from Bhagavatam. The centre of the entire world is sex life and everything else is a backdrop for sex life. Believe it or not but that is actually the root of everything.
Prabhupada’s disciple, Brahmananda, was saying that in university he had to write an essay and in the essay, he wrote that people are driven by a spiritual desire. Then he said, “And my professor did not like that essay.” To Prabhupada he said, “Because my professor was saying everything in this world is driven by sex desire.” Brahmananda was saying, “This professor was such a materialist.” And Prabhupada said, “Your professor was right!”
That is actually the case. When we take to Krsna consciousness, we realize that all these temporary things may offer some pleasures, but it will never be the most important thing in life. The only thing that is really important is Krsna.
Hare Krishna! Iskcon Alachua: New Community Social Services Network
The social services network will engage everyone as volunteers and recipients of service without consideration of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, and ability. Those who volunteer to help others are not obliged to help everybody or every time they are called. All services are given lovingly. Those who receive help will volunteer to help others when they are able. This social services program is simply a networking system and all who participate do so voluntarily with no guarantees or warranties or insurance for those who serve or those who receive services.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18065
Giriraj Swami read from Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.20 and spoke about His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami.
“One evening on the balcony of the Calcutta temple, Tamal Krishna Goswami opened up to me about many things that were confidential–especially to a new devotee like me. Amongst other things he said that the secret for success in spiritual life is to serve and please the spiritual master. Now, up until then I had been reading and hearing and I knew about chanting and doing service and so many items of bhakti. But, they were just items on a list. There was no single focus. So, when I heard what Tamal Krishna Goswami said, it actually gave me focus for all the different items of devotional service. And the focus was to please the spiritual master which became the organizing principle for my life.”
Hare Krishna! Brahmananda Katha
In the early days of ISKCON back at 26 2nd Avenue, Brahmananda Prabhu was all-pervasive. Whenever I would stop in at the Matchless Gifts, he was always parked Buddha-like on the rug chanting on his big red beads. He spoke rarely: he controlled the atmosphere simply by his glance which could be intimidating. Once when a guest inquired, he happily explained his name, “One who only likes only transcendental bliss.” I never forgot his presence and later when I wrote to Shrila Prabhupada from New Mexico that I wanted to re-join the NY devotees, His Divine Grace wrote back, “Yes, go to New York. Brahmananda will take care of you.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18062
SEBERANG JAYA - Srila Prabhupada visited Malaysia in 1971. Srila Prabhupada came with a mission to officially honor his pledge to receive a plot of land for a Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple building project in Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately, this gift of land did not materialize, as the conditions which came with the gift were not favorable with ISKCON management principles. Nevertheless, Srila Prabhupada continued with vigorous preaching programmes over four major towns from Central to North Malaysia within the remaining 5 days he was here.
In Kuala Lumpur the Puan Uma Sambanthan, the wife of a federal minister who was the head of the Indian Congress Party requested for a darshan with His Divine Grace (HDG). At one point during darshan, she begged Srila Prabhupada for his mercy. Srila Prabhupada immediately summoned his secretary to get his briefcase. Opening his briefcase, HDG took out a paper sketch of a temple and said “I want a temple like this”. Puan Uma did not commit and nothing happened after this meeting. Days passed and Srila Prabhupada left Malaysia for Australia.He had already set his lotus feet and planted the seeds of devotional service in Malaysia. We just needed to cultivate these seeds, realize the fruits and eventually fulfill his instructions. His instruction “I want a temple like this” remained to be fulfilled.
In 1980 ISKCON was officially a registered organisation. By 2001 ISKCON Malaysia had purchased a land of 10 acres bordering Kuala Lumpur and a 17,000 sq. ft. land and building in the city. Around the country, the society also operated about 24 preaching centres, some were purchased and some on rental. By this time ISKCON had already been established wherever Srila Prabhupada had set feet and these preaching centers were operating in their own properties except for the centers in Penang. It is hard to predict how the mercy of the spiritual master works. Finally, in Gaura Purnima 2001, the unfailing mercy of Srila Prabhupada was showered on the Penang state. Kalesa Dasa who was serving at the heart of the town planning office of the Penang Development Corporation, highlighted to ISKCON leaders the availability of an acre of land amidst a religious enclave at the new Seberang Jaya township. ISKCON wasted no time and grabbed the opportunity with the proper formalities, and eventually secured this God given land. More of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy on the Malaysian yatra will be spoken at the temple opening on 29 August. So, please be here during this time.
Srila Prabhupada left behind us other instructions and spoke of his desires for the Malaysia Yatra. Srila Prabhupada expressed one such desire in a letter to HH Giriraj Swami on 13 July 1972
“…So best thing is to open centers in Malaysia and Singapore, recruit as many Chinese speaking devotees, translate our books into Malaysia and Singapore languages, then with a party go to China later on”.
Incidentally about 150 Chinese devotees are scheduled to attend the temple opening.
His Divine Grace also said that nature had made Malaysia famous for her Malaya Candan trees or Malayan Sandalwood. But during the colonial rule, the British made Malaysia famous for rubber plantations. The resins from these two trees have exact opposing odors. The Malaya Candan tree is king of fragrance and the other, is guessable. One is very, very expensive and the other very, very cheap. Yet, the British preferred rubber, notably for so-called economic development. In the Caitanya Caritamrta, there is mention about the resin of the Malaya Candan which is used to anoint Krishna. This tree is also nature’s gift to Malaysia. And it is said that amongst all species the Malaysian Aguruspecies or the Malakansis is best. Srila Prabhupada also mentioned that the Vedic culture was once prevalent in Malaysia.
Malaysian history is certainly related to the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the history of Bharata Bumi. No wonder the many ISKCON devotees who visited Malaysia said that Malaysia is the “Hidden jewel”. You just need to make it to the temple opening to know more about Malaysia, the “Hidden Jewel” of Krishna consciousness. The “Hidden Jewel”, these histories, Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and desires for Malaysia preaching will also be explained and exhibited at our Srila Prabhupada gallery. The gallery is to be an innovation by the temple youths.
The Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple of Devotion and Understanding is scheduled to open on Balaram Purnima, August 29 this year. The address is Plot 10, LorongJelawat 4, Bandar Seberang Jaya, 13700 Prai, Penang.
The Co-Zonal Secretaries of ISKCON Malaysia HH Jayapataka Swami and HH Bhanu Swami and the President of ISKCON Malaysia HH Bhakti Vrajendranandana Swami will preside over the installation ceremony. HH Bhakti Vigna Vinash Narasimha Swami, HH Janananda Goswami Swami, HH Ramai Swami, HH Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Swami, HH Bhakti Vinoda Swami, HH Bhakti Nityananda Swami, HH Bhakti Purushotama Swami and HG Deena Bandhu prabhu have also confirmed attendance. The Mayapur Gurukul priests together with Mayapur Chandras from ISKCON world headquarters at Sridham Mayapur will perform the fire sacrifices, installation ceremonies and kirtan respectively.
On the 30th of August will be a National Abhiseka for Srila Prabhupada to warm up towards the 50th anniversary celebration of ISKCON in July 2016. There will be an prelude ceremony for the ISKCON 50th anniversary celebration followed by the opening of the Srila Prabhupada gallery.
While a detailed programme schedule will be posted later, please be informed of the main schedule for now. You can start making plans and book your accommodations with the hotels we have mentioned below.
Programme
Saturday, 28th August, JhulanYatra: 8.00a.m. - 10.00 a.m. Vastu Homa
Monday, 30th August, Srila Prabhupada leaves to America: 10.00 a.m. National Abhiseka Ceremony for Srila Prabhupada
Initiating the mood for ISKCON 50th anniversary celebrations
Official opening of Srila Prabhupada Gallery.
Note: There will also be the opening of another temple at Ipoh, of about 1 hour 30 minutes drive south of Penang on 31 August. Our Co-Zonal Secretaries of ISKCON Malaysia will also be attending.
a. Tips on Travel
Those on a tight budget will have to look out for Air Asia and Malindo Air. Both these airlines offer competitive prices.
b. Tips on Accommodation
As for accommodation we have spoken to hotels around our temple and appended below are the relevant information.
Hare Krishna! An Illustrious Teaching Career Honored – Sukhada Devi Dasi Retires
After an illustrious and pioneering teaching career which began in 1970, Sukhada devi dasi is now retiring from active teaching. Instrumental in starting what is currently known as the Bhaktivedanta Academy, as well as the Alachua Learning Center charter school, we would like to honor her contribution to the lives of many children as well as her creation of innovative curriculums. She will remain with the schools in a mentoring capacity. Sukhada prabhu knew her whole life that teaching was her calling. As the oldest of four children, she remembers always wanting to “play school” where she would be teacher to her younger siblings.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18055
PADAYATRA. Klaipeda-Palanga, 2015 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The holy name of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent; therefore when a devotee chants Hare Krishna, Krishna and His internal potency are dancing on the tongue of the devotee. Bhagavad-Gita 12.8 Purport.
See them here: https://goo.gl/xFL9wu
Hare Krishna! Position yourself to succeed!
Kadamba Kanana Swami: There is story of one sannyasi who was very dear to Srila Prabhupada and very dedicated. He preached so nicely but unfortunately, he found his ashram quite difficult. Of course, he was a young man at the time and when one is a young man then the sannyasa ashram is definitely much more difficult. For him it was too much so one day, he sent his danda back to Srila Prabhupada in the mail, thereby declaring his giving up of sannyasa ashram. Srila Prabhupada became very emotional about it because he liked this sannyasi very much.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18052
Purushothama month School program 24 June 2015 -Sri Jagannatha Mandir, ISKCON Malaysia HQ (Album with photos)
Purushothama month preaching program was held in SJK (T) San Peng, Kuala Lumpur. 145 students and 7 teachers participated in the program. HG Siva Caitanya Prabhu did kirtan and the students enthusiastically followed the kirtan. Everyone was given an opportunity to offer ghee lamp to Sri Radha Madhava and prasadam was distributed to all. A copy of English and Tamil Bhagavada Gita was given to the School library.
See them here: https://goo.gl/d36S51
Harinama in Milan Italy June 20 (Album with 26 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The devotee can constantly think of the object of worship, the Supreme Lord, in any of His features—Narayana, Krishna, Rama, etc. – by chanting Hare Krishna. This practice will purify him, and at the end of his life, due to his constant chanting, he will be transferred to the kingdom of God. Bhagavad-Gita 8.8 Purport.
See them here: https://goo.gl/lvnaSY
We encounter worship of (or via) stones in many diverse cultures across the world. It is a particularly fascinating phenomenon because it uniquely exemplifies “aniconic” worship. In contrast to the more prevalent iconic worship of an idol/statue, worship of a sacred stone is aniconic because the stone does not have visible correspondence to the deity or principle it enables worship of.
The most prevalent stone-worship in Indian culture centers on stones found near the town of Shaligram, in the Kali-gandaki River (a location now considered Nepal). All sorts of “Hindus” worship these “Śālagrāma Śila,”[i] especially Vaiṣṇavas, including Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. The Gauḍīyas, however, also have their own unique sacred stone, introduced by their founder, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya: the Govardhana Śila, a stone from Vraja’s foremost hill (originally a mountain), famous as a direct manifestation of Krishna, whose beautiful glens, valleys, rivers, lakes, and caves host Krishna’s countless sports and dalliances, including the most intimate springtime rāsa-līlā.[ii]
In this article I will demonstrate how Govardhana Śila worship very clearly exemplifies the core ideals of Śrī Caitanya’s Gauḍīya School, and I will compare his definition of the worship with modern conceptions.
Original Approach
Caitanya Caritāmṛta, the hagiography of Śrī Caitanya written in Bengali and Sanskrit by the outstanding Kavirāja, Śrī Kṛṣṇa dāsa, contains a brief but extremely useful section[iii] describing the origin of Govardhana Śila worship, as it was practiced by Śrī Caitanya and passed on to his follower Śrī Raghunātha dāsa, one of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism’s famous “Six Goswāmī’s of Vṛndāvana.”
Caitanya Caritāmṛta on the Origin of Govardhana Śila Worship
śaṅkarānanda-sarasvatī vṛndāvana haite āilā
teṅha sei śilā-guñjā-mālā lañā gelā
pārśve gāṅthā guñjā-mālā, govardhana-śilā
dui vastu mahāprabhura āge āni’ dilā [288-289]
Śaṅkarānanda Sarasvatī brought this [Govardhana] stone and Guñja necklace from Vṛndāvana, and gave them to Mahāprabhu, bound together.
dui apūrva-vastu pāñā prabhu tuṣṭa hailā
smaraṇera kāle gale pare guñjā-mālā
govardhana-śilā prabhu hṛdaye-netre dhare
kabhu nāsāya ghrāṇa laya, kabhu śire kare [290-291]
Prabhu was pleased to obtain these two rare things. When meditating he would wear the Guñja necklace on his neck, and hold the Govardhana-stone — sometimes to his heart, sometimes to his eyes, sometimes smelling it with his nose, and sometimes putting it on his head.
Like this, he kept the stone and necklace for three years. Then he was pleased to give them to Raghunātha.
prabhu kahe, — “ei śilā kṛṣṇera vigraha
iṅhāra sevā kara tumi kariyā āgraha
ei śilāra kara tumi sāttvika pūjana
acirāt pābe tumi kṛṣṇa-prema-dhana [294-295]
Prabhu told [Raghunātha]. “This stone is Krishna’s form, serve it very attentively. Worship this stone with your sattva [heartfelt sentiment, sincerity, and purity] and before long you will obtain a treasure of divine love of Krishna.
eka kuṅjā jala āra tulasī-mañjarī
sāttvika-sevā ei — śuddha-bhāve kari
dui-dike dui-patra madhye komala mañjarī
ei-mata aṣṭa-mañjarī dibe śraddhā kari’ [296-297]
Offer one cup of water and Tulasī buds [mañjarī], with heartfelt attention and pure emotions. Put your heart into offering eight buds, the soft young buds of each flanked by a leaf on each side.
The happiness that arose from these attentive offerings of water and Tulasī could not be matched by the happiness that arises from elaborate sixteen-item worship.
ei-mata kata dina karena pūjana
tabe svarūpa-gosāñi tāṅre kahilā vacana
“aṣṭa-kauḍira khājā-sandeśa kara samarpaṇa
śraddhā kari’ dile, sei amṛtera sama” [303-304]
Like this, he worshipped for some days. Then Svarūpa Gosāñi said, “Make an expensive offering of sweets (khājā and sandeśa). By putting your heart into the offering, it will be equal to offering heavenly nectar.”
tabe aṣṭa-kauḍira khājā kare samarpaṇa
svarūpa-ājñāya govinda tāhā kare samādhāna [305]
On Svarūpa’s order, Govinda made arrangements to pay for the expensive sweets to be offered.
When Raghunātha got that stone and necklace, he grasped the inner meaning of the Gosāñi’s gift. “By giving me the stone, Gosāñi granted me a place at Govardhana. By giving me the necklace of Guñja, he granted me a place at Rādhikā’s feet.”
Govardhana Śila & Rāga-Mārga
Pādas 290-292 in the above section describe how Śrī Caitanya worshiped the Govardhana stone: He wore the Guñja necklace, embraced the stone with great emotion, and constantly bathed it in his tears. This shows Govardhana Śila as a deity saturated in the trademark Gauḍīya focus on rāga-mārga, which emphasizes the importance of internal significance in external practices.[iv] It does not depict Śrī Caitanya worshiping the stone with any significant external formalities, as are so pervasive in the brahmiṇical approach to ritual worship. It depicts him engaged in the emotion-based worship that is a definitive hallmark of his school.
The passage also describes how he passed Govardhana Śila worship on to Raghunātha. In the 295th pāda he instructs Raghunātha to worship the Govardhana Śila with sāttvika pūja. This means, “Worship with purity, in sattva-guṇa.” The ultimate purity is the consciousness itself (sattva), so the advice ultimately means, “worship with heartfelt concentration.” In the next line, Kṛṣṇa dāsa clarifies this, sāttvika-sevā ei — śuddha-bhāva, “this sāttvika worship is done by pure bhāva [emotion].”
Thus, our first discovery on investigating the subject of Govardhan Śila is that it is primarily an internal, emotional affair, whose external actions are secondary and minimal, serving simply to symbolically support the internal bhāva in the sattva of the devotee. In more technical terms, it is rāga-mārga worship. It is, after all, quite appropriate that Govardhana Śila worship fully integrates rāga-mārga, since Govardhana Śila and the rāga-mārga are both unique hallmarks of the Gauḍīyas.
Internal Significance of External Actions
In ritual, especially in the rāga-mārga, every external act or object overflows with internal significance. To begin with, as should be obvious for any path, not just raga-mārga, the worshipper does not experience the stone itself as merely a stone. Pādas 292 and 294 explain how Śrī Caitanya saw the stone, and how he advised Raghunātha to see it. Śilāre kṛṣṇa-kalevara — “This stone is Krishna’s body.” Ei śilā kṛṣṇera vigraha — “This stone is Krishna’s form.”
In pādas 296 & 297, Śrī Caitanya defines the main items to be used for worshipping Govardhana Śila: a cup of water and eight Tulasī buds (mañjarī), each one soft and young, and flanked by two leaves. All of these are very simple items, but each has opulent internal significance. I will now suggest the analogues.
Water was likely used to bathe the stone, as that is an essential part of Śila worship[v]. Perhaps it was also offered as drinking water. Water has cross-cultural symbolic connection with the inner mind and its emotional reflections. In Vaiṣṇava (and especially Gauḍīya) connotations, liquidity and water is particularly associated with bhāva (emotion), and prema (love).[vi] Thus, a possible internal significance of pouring water over the Govardhana Śila is to express the desire to pour ones emotions over the divine body of Krishna.
Tulasī is famous for her connection to Viṣṇu in the clandestine-romantic parakīya-mādhurya-rāsa,[vii]which Gauḍīyas supremely revere in the divine context as the most intimate, powerful expression of divine love. Therefore offering Tulasī to Krishna is ripe with internal significance. Śrī Caitanya specified that Raghunātha should offer tulasī–mañjarī, not just her leaves. Amongst modern Gauḍīyas, the word mañjarī has become laden with a great deal of extrapolated definition and is the focus of a great deal of attention. It is far outside the scope of the current article to unravel all this. For our current discussion, I hope it will suffice to say that the word mañjarī literally means, “a cluster of blossoms; a budding flower.”[viii] In horticulture, the term refers to flowers clustered together, exactly as the Tulasī and other basils flower. The term is mainly used in Gauḍīya literature to indicate a young woman freshly blossoming into womanhood, and to indicate a “blossom” directly connected to the main “blossom” (Śrī Rādhā). Although it is beyond our scope to explore the word more thoroughly here, we can at least see that tulasī-mañjarī are symbolic of the young gopīs who are Krishna’s clandestine lovers.
Śrī Caitanya specifies that Raghunātha should offer eight mañjarī. Eight is a significant number because the closest friends of Śrī Rādhā are eight in number (aṣṭha-sakhi). Thus, the eight tulasī-mañjarī clearly symbolize these eight blossoming gopīs.
Śrī Caitanya specifies that each mañjarī should be flanked by two leaves. The Tulasī-mañjarī is not offered alone. Some foliage accompanies it. The symbolism here is that the worshipper of Govardhana Śila does not bring the aṣṭha-sakhī to Krishna without their young assistant maidens. With these simple metaphors, the external act of the offering of tulasī to Govardhana Śila expresses the Gauḍīya’s desire to assist the romantic services rendered to Krishna by Rādhā’s eight associates and their assistants.
Guñja is another absolutely essential item of Raghunātha’s Govardhana Śila worship. The 307th pāda describes Raghunātha thinking, “By giving me the necklace of Guñja, he offered me a place at Rādhikā’s feet.” So it appears that the Guñja necklace signifies Rādhā. Perhaps the metaphor centers on the fact that Rādhārāṇī always desires to embrace Krishna, just as a necklace wants to embrace the shoulders and neck. There may also be symbolic affinity between the primarily red colors of the Guñja beads and Śrī Rādhā’s passionate affections for Krishna. It is understandable that Śrī Caitanya would wear the necklace while worshipping Govardhana Śila, since Gauḍīyas identify him as Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Śaṅkarānanda-sarasvatī, on the other hand, kept the necklace wrapped around the stone, symbolizing Rādhā’s embrace of Krishna.
A cup for the water, two bits of cloth, and a wooden table are practical items given by Śrī Svarūpa Gosāñi to support the worship. Their simplicity is congruous with Raghunātha’s lifestyle as an extremely spartan ascetic. Generally a simple thing is less desirable than an opulent thing. No one would choose a free night at a one-star hotel over a free night at a five-star hotel. Kṛṣṇa dāsa said, however, “The happiness that arose from these attentive offerings of water and Tulasī could not be matched by the happiness that arises from elaborate sixteen-item worship.” In this case, the externally “one-star” approach was more wonderful than the externally “five-star” approach.
This is because Raghunātha’s simplicity evoked the Vṛndāvana-mood, the happiness of which excels the happiness of the Vaikuṇṭha-mood. Gauḍīya’s say that in Vaikuṇṭha, opulent majesty is a conspicuous component of the bhakti-ānanda, but in Vrndāvana the sweetness of bhakti-ānanda is so intense that it makes one relatively oblivious to the opulence and majesty of divinity. Denizens of Vṛndāvana therefore experience the opulent surroundings of divinity as if they were rustic, rural, cozy and simple.
The rustic, simple accouterments of Raghunātha’s worship resonate with this Vṛndāvana mood. That is not to say that the Vṛndāvana mood never commands external opulence. Quite the contrary, the powerful sweetness of the Vṛndāvana mood subjugates (i.e. utilizes and exploits) the greatest opulence. But in Raghunātha’s specific case, being a penniless renunciate, the extremely spartan setting is more appropriate.
A point worth considering here is that when the accouterments are fancy, the worshipper may rely upon them to make the worship suitable. If the accouterments are minimal, the worshipper must rely upon sincerity. A sincere worshipper can, however, utilize opulent accouterments in worship, similar to how Svarūpa Gosāñi soon advised Raghunātha to include another, more opulent element – yet still quite personal and romantic: sweets.
Replacing Śālagrāma Śila?
Some may express the opinion that Śrī Caitanya’s giving Raghunātha Govardhana Śila is tantamount to denying him Śālagrāma Śila. They say that only the Brahmin caste was permitted to perform such worship, so Śrī Caitanya declined to grant Raghunātha the Śālagrāma Śila, because Raghunātha was a Kayastha (an inferior derivation of the Brahmin caste who had brahminical literacy and intellect but applied it mainly to financial-political record-keeping).
Proponents of this theory may cite that Śrī Caitanya inspired Raghunātha’s compatriot, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa (a pure Brahmin) to worship twelve Śālagrāma Śila.
This theory has flaws. Śrī Caitanya was a Brahmin, but he worshipped the Govardhana Śila for three years. This plainly contradicts the idea that he considered Govardhana Śila something for those whose caste prevented them from worshiping the Śālagrāma-stone. Additionally, the depiction of Śrī Caitanya as being significantly encumbered by the caste system does not match the universally accepted descriptions of his personality.[ix]
It doesn’t seem accurate to suggest that Govardhana Śila worship was born from a caste issue. It seems far more in keeping with the known nature of Śrī Caitanya to say that he introduced Govardhana Śila worship out of his special affection for Vraja Dhāma, especially Govardhana Hill.
Gopāla Bhaṭṭa does not contradict this view, he simply stands as important evidence that Śālagrāma Śila worship is also a valid part of the Gauḍīya rāga-mārga.
Contemporary Approaches
We have familiarized ourselves with the conception of Govardhana Śila worship given by Śrī Caitanya to Raghunātha. In summary: The stone itself is Krishna, embraced by Rādhārāṇī in the form of a strand of Guñja, decorated by Rādhārāṇī’s eight principle friends and their assistants in the form of eight fresh Tulasī mañjarī each flanked by two leaves. Now we will review the modern Gauḍīya approaches to worshipping Govardhana Śila, and discuss how they harmonize with or differ from Śrī Caitanya’s original conception.
The Govardhan Shila of Śrī Raghunātha dās Goswāmī
I have observed, in both Śalagrama and Govardhana Śila worship, a trend towards iconism. Contemporary Śila worshippers often draw or affix eyes, mouth, and tilok on the stone, and dress it with a turban, crown, etc. If Raghunātha and Śrī Caitanya treated their Śila similarly, Kṛṣṇa dāsa failed to record it here. I don’t think it is likely they did, since the stone purported to be the one given to Raghunātha by Śrī Caitanya to this day remains unadorned except for the embrace of the Guñja necklace.
I do not mean to infer that inconism is bad or contrary to rāga-mārga. My observation is simply that stone-worship is inherently aniconic, yet over the centuries seems to have become more iconic. This trend is paralleled amongst the icons as well: Those fashioned centuries ago are approximations compared to the elaborate realism found in those fashioned today. It seems to be a trend that spans many sects. I do not believe it to be a negative trend. It has its advantages, as does the older style. The older style of deity strikes me as being akin to reading a book, while the newer style is like watching a movie. It’s more exciting and easier to watch a movie, but a book often leaves significantly more room for the mind to explore the story.
Another observation is that today’s worship of Govardhana Śila tends to be significantly more opulent than Rāghunatha’s. This, however, seems quite natural, since Raghunātha was an exceptionally austere renunciate. I don’t think it reasonable to say that everyone who worships Govardhana Śila should be as absolutely renounced as he. Govardhana Śila worshipers will come from many walks of life, and it is a principle of sādhana to offer Krishna the things that are nearest and dearest to oneself, [x] so I don’t think it necessary to preserve the utter simplicity we observed in Raghunātha’s worship. Nonetheless, I think it good for every worshipper of Govardhan Śila to be aware that the main focus intended by Śrī Caitanya was internal participation in the worship, not external details.
Worship Outside the Mādhurya-Bhāva
It seems quite clear that Śrī Caitanya and Raghunātha worshipped the Govardhana Śila with mādhurya-rati, symbolized by the central importance of the Guñja-māla and eight Tulasī mañjarī. Modern Gauḍīya approaches, however, also include other emotional relationships like sakhya- and vatsalya-rati. It would not seem right to denigrate these alternative approaches, since Śrīmad Bhāgavatam (the ultimate authority for Gauḍīyas) clearly states that Bhagavān manifests in exactly the form and mood appropriate to the heartfelt feelings of his worshipper.[xi]
Some modern Gauḍīyas who approach Govardhana Śila in the friendly sakhya mood worship multiple stones as both Krishna and Balarāma. Again, this is not exactly consonant with Śrī Caitanya’s system, but need not be branded heterodox, since Śrī Bhāgavata clearly indicates that Krishna is the source of all expansions of Bhāgavan.[xii] One could argue that since Śrī Caitanya declared the Śila to be Krishna, it can be worshipped as any of his avatāras or Bhagavān-expansions.
In Chapter Five of his book Subjective Evolution of Consciousness, the contemporary Gauḍīya ācārya Śrīdhāra Mahārāja goes so far as to suggest that Govardhana Hill is, along with other natural features of Vṛndāvana, a component of the passive śānta-rasa. In my opinion this statement is more about śānta-rasa than it is about Govardhana. It glorifies śānta-rasa because any rasa with Krishna is worshipable, and śānta-rasa is the basis and foundation of all others. It is clear that the author embraced Śrī Caitanya’s original idea that Govardhana is Krishna himself, for he writes in the same section, “Apparently it is a hill, but Govardhana is worshiped as Krishna Himself.” This acknowledgement that Govardhana is Krishna is a tacit indication that the surrounding statements about it being a component of śānta-rati cannot be taken at face-value, for, in Bhaktirasāmṛta Sindhu Śrī Rūpa clearly specifies that Krishna himself is not involved in śānta-rati.[xiii]
Govardhana as Rādhā Krishna
Some contemporary Gauḍīyas worship two (or more) Govardhana Śila simultaneously as Krishna and Rādhā (and other Gopīs). Again, it does not seem heterodox but is not identical to the original conception. In Śrī Caitanya’s original system, the Śila is Krishna and the Guñja and Tulasi-mañjarī are Rādhārāṇī and the Gopīs. In this modern approach, multiple Śilas are Krishna, Rādhārāṇī and the Gopīs, rendering redundant the Guñja and Tulasī-mañjarī.
Govardhana as a Devotee
Some Gauḍīyas worship Govardhana Śila as Krishna in the mood of a devotee. Gauḍīya principles certainly uphold the concept that Bhagavān sometimes behaves as a devotee of himself. Rāma’s brother Lakṣmaṇa and Krishna’s brother Balarāma are examples, as is Śrī Caitanya himself, whom the Gauḍīyas revere as Krishna in the mood of Rādhā.[xiv]
Garga Saṁhitā explains one way Govardhana acts as the servant of Krishna: by becoming his “umbrella,” shielding the entire township of Vraja from the most ferocious downpours Indra could set loose.[xv]
A famous expression of how Govardhana excellently serves Krishna is found in Śrī Bhāgavata, wherein a Gopī (Rāghunātha says it was Rādhārāṇī herself [xvi]) exclaims: “Oh girls, this mountain is the best servant of Hari. Delighted by the touch of [Bala]rāma and Krishna’s feet, along with all their cowherd friends and cows, he serves them delicious water, vegetables, and grasses, and gives them lovely dells to play in.”[xvii]
Śrī Caitanya cried out this verse while rushing towards a hill in Orissa that he mistook for Govardhana.[xviii] Yet he directly told Raghunātha that Govardhana is Krishna and should be worshipped as such. The fact that Govardhana serves Krishna does not alter the fact that it is Krishna.
In Śrī Bhāgavata, Krishna says: śailo ’smi – “I am this mountain.”[xix]
Govardhana is Krishna because it simply is what it literally is: a hill in Vraja. This makes it an integral part of vraja-dhāma. The dhāma is an integral part of Krishna’s vastu-svarūpa;[xx]therefore any integral part of the dhāma is an integral part of Krishna himself.
Govardhana is a servant of Krishna because it simply is what it literally is: a hill in Vraja, a landscape that provides an ideal arena for Krishna’s līlā. Any integral part of the dhāma is identical to Krishna, and simultaneously serves Krishna most excellently. So it is not inconceivable that an entity could be Bhagavān and also serve Bhagavān (thus having the “mood” of a Bhakta). Just as I can buy myself an ice cream cone, Krishna can serve his own līlā.[xxi]
Therefore it is certainly not wrong to see Govardhana as Krishna with a devotee’s mood. Followers of some contemporary gauḍīya ācāryas, however, stress the conception with such enthusiasm as to warrant some points made as counterbalance. Some of them say that worshipping Govardhana Śila as a devotee is better than worshipping it as Krishna. Others go still further, describing it as a misconception to worship the Śila as Krishna.[xxii] They also claim that Raghunātha worshipped Govardhana Śila in this mood, since his poems glorify Govardhana as a devotee of Krishna, and since he seems to have realized the Śila to be Govardhana itself, not Krishna, when he said, ‘By giving me the śila, the Gosāñi granted me a place at Govardhana.’
The following are my observations in this regard.
It Says in Black and White…
In the 300thpāda Krishna dāsa gives a direct statement describing how Raghunātha worshipped the Śila: ei-mata raghunātha karena pūjana, pūjā-kāle dekhe śilāya ‘vrajendra-nandana’: “Raghunath worshipped as advised. While worshipping, he saw that the stone was Vrajendra Nandana.”
“Worshipped as advised,” indicates that Raghunātha followed Śrī Caitanya’s advice, which includes the advice to see the Śila as Krishna (“ei śilā kṛṣṇera vigraha”). “While worshipping, he saw that the stone was Vrajendra Nandana.” This spells everything out clearly and leaves little or no room for entertaining the idea that he did not see the Govardhana Śila as Krishna.
Logical Flaws
(A) Govardhana Hill is the best devotee of Hari.
(B) Raghunātha saw the Śila as Govardhana Hill.
(C) Therefore Raghunātha worshipped the Śila as the best devotee of Hari.
This logic has the flaw of being non-sequitor because it lacks word only in Statement “A” and “B”. Raghunātha did not only see the Śila as Govardhana Hill (as per pāda 307), he also saw it as Krishna (as per pāda 300). Govardhana is not only the best devotee (as per Bhāgavatam 10.21.18), it is also Krishna himself (as per Bhāgavata 10.24.25).
I believe the best way to frame the correct logic is like this:
(A) Govardhana is Krishna, and serves Krishna.
(B) Raghunātha saw the Śila as Krishna, and as Govardhana itself.
(C) Therefore Raghunātha worshiped the Śila as Krishna and also saw it as a servant of Krishna.
Propriety in the Elements of Worship
If the Śila is a devotee, or is in the mood of a devotee, is it not inappropriate to make Rādhārāṇī embrace it (as the Guñja), and to bring her young Gopī friends to serve it (as the Tulasī-mañjarī)? [xxiii]
It’s Better to Worship the Devotee?
Śrī Rūpa defines bhakti as anukūlyena-kṛṣṇānuśilanam:[xxiv] “The expression of affection towards Krishna.” Jīva and Viśvanātha do comment that this can include expansions and devotees of Krishna, but the central figure of bhakti is Krishna himself. Śrī Rūpa’s definition of bhakti-rasa clarifies that Krishna is always the object of bhakti (viṣaya-alambana-vibhava), and Krishna’s devotee is always reservoir of bhakti (āśraya-alambana-vibhava).[xxv]Thus, devotees of Krishna should come into kṛṣṇānuśilaṇam as the āśraya, not as the viṣaya of bhakti.
Govardhana Śila (Krishna) attended by the Guñja and Tulasī (Krishna’s devotees: Rādhā and Gopīs) perfectly facilitates this paradigm of worshipping the object of bhakti (Krishna) in context of the reservoir of bhakti (Rādhā and the Gopīs). If Govardhana Śila is not Krishna, but another bhakta, it is unclear how the Govardhana-Guñja-Tulasī scenario facilitates Śrī Rūpa’s paradigm. It would seem that every element in the worship would then represent the bhakta; none would represent Krishna. This seems to lose cohesion with the Gauḍīya core and possibly gain some sympathy for the Śakta paradigm (worshiping śakti independent from śaktimān) and/or the Kartābhajā approach (worshipping the devotee/guru independent from Krishna).
Gauḍīyas certainly revere devotees, but within the context of their service to Śrī Krishna, not as independently worshipable beings. The Padma Purāṇa considers it devotionally-antithetical (aparādhā) to worship any being, even Śiva, independently from Viṣṇu.[xxvi] Gauḍīyas never worship the deity of Śrī Rādhā, for example, independently of the deity of Śrī Krishna. We could argue, “Krishna is implicit within the devotee’s heart,” and, “We worship the devotee because Krishna loves him and he loves Krishna.” These are valid statements, but the fact that there are no Gauḍīya altars dedicated solely to Rādhā or other devotees casts doubt on the utility of using these truths to worship a devotee without also explicitly worshipping Krishna at the same time. On certain occasions, Gauḍīyas worship a devotee as Śrī Guru, a representative of Vyasa, on account of his implicit role in connecting them to Krishna. But they never conduct this worship with items meant only for worshipping Krishna, such as Tulasī. They worship Guru by offering him Krishna-prasāda, or items of general utility in traditional worship.
Śrī Rūpa quotes a famous verse from Ādi Purāṇa, “My dear Partha, one who claims to be My devotee is not so. Only a person who claims to be the devotee of My devotee is actually My devotee.”[xxvii] In the very next verse, however, he explains the context of such statements, “The wise know that almost all ways of worshipping Bhagavān include worshipping his devotee.” Gauḍīyas consider it important to worship devotees with Bhagavān, not in preference him.
Some say they are worshipping to attain prema, so it is better to worship the devotee, who has prema. It is true that Krishna empowers his devotee to deliver prema,[xxviii] but this does not render him incapable of bestowing it directly. Śrī Rūpa definitely states that Krishna can directly bestow prema.[xxix] Gauḍīyas identify Krishna as pūrṇa-śaktimān[xxx], rendering it unreasonable to claim that he lacks the most important of all śakti, the ānanda-śakti, prema. It is however, more effective and practical to seek prema from the blessings of a devotee, no Gauḍīya could deny this.
This, however, does not change the nature of sādhana. Śrī Rūpa clearly says that kṛṣṇa-prema arises by sādhana, which consists of various ways to focus the heart on Krishna.[xxxi] This does not contradict the view that prema comes from the devotee, because the devotee teaches us how to apply ourselves to the sādhana. The sādhana itself, however, is focused on Krishna, not the devotee. In rāgānugā-sādhana, Śrī Rūpa advises us to focus on Krishna with a particular devotee.[xxxii] The original conception of Govardhana Śila, inaugurated by Śrī Caitanya, represents this perfectly: The sādhaka fixes their heart and mind upon prema-viṣayī Krishna as the central figure, the Śila, along with prema-bestowing devotees, Śrī Rādhā and her Gopī friends, as the Guñja and Tulasī-mañjarī.
Govardhana as Govardhana
It seems Raghunātha had several attitudes towards Govardhana. While worshipping, Raghunātha saw Govardhana Śila as Krishna himself, Kṛṣṇa dāsa could not have been more clear about this. At other times, however, Raghunātha glorifies and beseeches blessings from Govardhana Hill as a great devotee. And it certainly is fascinating that Raghunātha thought, “By giving me the Śila, the Gosāñi granted me a place at Govardhana.” It seems to me that Raghunātha worshipped the Śila as Krishna, and this includes seeing it practically, literally, as a stone from Govardhana Hill, an integral part of the dhāma manifest by Krishna’s vastu-svarūpa. Thus, when Śrī Caitanya gave him the stone, Raghunātha felt that the Gosāñi had literally given him a piece of Govardhana. By keeping the stone near him at all times, he felt that he gained the chance to live always at the foot of Mount Govardhana.
Conclusion
In the original form of Govardhana Śila worship given by Śrī Caitanya to Raghunātha, the Śila is Krishna, embraced by Rādhārāṇī in the form of a strand of Guñja, decorated by Rādhārāṇī’s eight principle friends and their assistants in the form of eight fresh Tulasī mañjarī. This Govardhana Śila worship has thrived over the centuries. We have surveyed several ways that it has expanded from the original blueprint. In the author’s subjective opinion, the original conception given by Śrī Caitanya to Raghunātha is the most exquisite. At the very least, we can objectively state that it is the most purely Gauḍīya approach to the Gauḍīya hallmark: Govardhana Śila.
[ii] “Direct manifestation of Krishna” – see Bhāgavata 10.24.25, śailo ’smi. “Springtime rāsa-līlā” – see Sri Govardhanasraya-dasaka (Raghunātha dās Goswāmī), text 7.
[iv] A central practice of rāgānugā-sādhana is to perform external spiritual practices with internal cognition of their relevance to the desired perfection. (See BRS 1.2.294-296, especialy seva-sādhaka-rūpeṇa siddha-rūpeṇa cātra hi)
[v] I do not have an exact reference for this, but heard the late Aindra dāsa (a renowned worshipper of Śālagrāma and Govardhana Śila) say, “The śāstra says the minimum standard for Śālagrāma worship is to touch Them with water and Tulasī.” He may have been citing Padma Purāṇa. I have also noted that “anointing” with liquids is a cross-cultural aspect of stone worship.
[vi] For example: BRS 1.3.1: rucibhiś-citta-māsṛṇya-kṛd-asau bhāva ucyate — “Bhāva is that which melts the heart, allowing its affections to flow.”
[vii] The well-known story of origin of Śālagrāma Śila, from Padma Purāṇa, centers on clandestine romance (out-of-wedlock) between Viṣṇu-Krishna and Tulasī Devī, resulting in his becoming a stone and her becoming a bush.
[ix] For example, Śrī Caitanya’s intimate associates consisted of Brahmins and non-Brahmins quite equally. He flatly declared, kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya “He who understands Krishna thoroughly is a guru. It doesn’t matter if he is a [Brahmin] Vipra and Sannyāsī, or if he is a Śūdra.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 8.128) He also said, “‘I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs.” (Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 13.80)
[xi] For example, 3.20.25, which describes that Brahmā ran to Hari – who takes away all problems and bestows all blessings, and who affectionately shows himself to his devotees in a form perfectly suited to their devotion(anugrahāya bhaktānām anurūpātma-darśanam).
[xii] Bhagavatam 1.3.28 (ete cāḿśa-kalāḥ puḿsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam)
[xv] Garga Saṁhitā 2.2.15. By thus defeating Indra (rain) the enemy (eroder) of mountains, Govardhana did what no other mountain could, and thus earned the title, “Girirāja” (king of hills)
[xxi] There is no flaw of selfishness in this, because Krishna manifests his līlā for the sake of sharing his inherent ānanda with multitudes of conscious entities (See Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.6: so ‘kāmayata bahu syāḿ prajāyeya – “for the sake of pleasure I will become many.”)
[xxii] See, for example, a lecture given by B.V. Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Badger, California on May 7, 2001, entitled The Glories of Giriraja Govardhana; and Sri Giri Govardhana Prayers, page 4, by Gaura-govinda Swāmī.
[xxiii] Accordingly, some who practice this approach do not offer the Śila worship Tulasī-mañjarī and Guñja-māla.
This article originally appeared as Vraja Kishor, Govardhana Śila – A Gauḍīya Hallmark: Original and Modern Approaches, Journal of Vaishnava Studies, Volume 23, issue Number 2, Spring 2015, pages 47-62. Used with permission.
Harinama in Florence, Italy, June 23 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Lord does not say that one should give up his prescribed duties or engagements. One can continue them and at the same time think of Krishna by chanting Hare Krishna. Bhagavad-Gita 8.7 Purport.
See them here: https://goo.gl/umRnRc
Tulsi Gabbard’s Yoga Day Speech at UN Headquarters (5 min video)
Tulsi was a Special Guest at the celebration of International Yoga Day at the UN Headquarters in New York on Jun 21, where she spoke, along with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, India’s Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, and India’s UN Ambassador Asoke Mukerji. Her UN remarks were broadcast live in Times Square! She and other leaders also went to address a crowd in Times Square where over 30,000 people practiced yoga throughout the day.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/18CylI
There is story of one sannyasi who was very dear to Srila Prabhupada and very dedicated. He preached so nicely but unfortunately, he found his ashram quite difficult. Of course, he was a young man at the time and when one is a young man then the sannyasaashram is definitely much more difficult. For him it was too much so one day, he sent his danda back to Srila Prabhupada in the mail, thereby declaring his giving up of sannyasa ashram. Srila Prabhupada became very emotional about it because he liked this sannyasi very much.
At that time, Prabhupada was writing the purports in relation to the story of the elephant, Gajendra, who was very powerful and was enjoying with his wives in a celestial lake. However, he suddenly got attacked by a crocodile and under circumstances it was kind of difficult – an elephant in the water is a bit heavy and he had difficulties to move about but the crocodile was very agile and fast, in his element. It is also said that during their fight, the crocodile had a snack here and there – he would swallow some fish or something, whereas the elephant was fasting which made him weak. So although Gajendra, by his strength on land, could have probably dealt with the crocodile, when he was not in his element, he was weak.
Then Srila Prabhupada explains in his purports how everyone must be situated properly – situated somewhere in varnasrama, somewhere in a condition of life where one is feeling strength and from that position, one can diligently take on the fight with maya.
I want to highlight that also that we need to situate ourselves naturally and nicely in a situation where we are actually feeling some happiness, some strength, where we are getting enough rest, enough emotional support and getting all those things that we need as human beings.
See, it is so easy to say that we are not this body but so difficult to live it. ‘We are not this body,’ is such a fundamental point in our philosophy and everybody knows it but to live it is very hard because again and again, the body will come with so many demands. That is our biggest challenge, to actually live according to the understanding that we are not this body and to fully realize that. However, that takes a lot of practice.
We should try to build up our strength from a position where we can take as much comfort, nourishment and support as possible that is available because our devotional service translates into strength – whatever blessings we receive from the vaisnavas who are pleased with our service and from Krsna who is pleased with our service; those blessings will translate into spiritual strength. This is where one gets spiritual strength. We should know that spiritual strength has nothing to do with the strength of mind.
