These are the notes I used for the Sunday 1pm class given at Bhaktividanta Manor
Appearance of Lord Caitanya
History
600BC Lord Buddha (Krishna himself) appeared I’m order to stop cow killing by denying the vadas and instead taught the principle of karma and non-violence
788AD Sankaracarya appeared (non other than Lord Siva himself) he reintroduced the Vedas in a twisted way through word jugglery to attract the Buddhists establishing that everything is one
1017AD Ramanuja taught the philosophy known as visistadvaita, the difference between the supreme brahman and the eternally fragmental soul
1230AD Madhvacarya who taught a type of Vedanta philosophy called suddha-dvaita
Sankaracarya gave the thesis of oneness
Madhavacarya gave the thesis of duality
Then came Lord Caitanya
Lord Caitanya gave the synthesis of simultaneous oneness and difference.
www.dandavats.com
It was 1486 in the month of Phalguma (Fed-Mar) and Navadvipa-Mayapur vibrated with tramultouous sound of chanting “Hari Hari” which penetrated the entire material universe and heralded the appearance of Supreme Personality of Godhead.
It was lunar eclipse and everyone, even the impious and ethiest who had never chanted the name of Krishna, found themselves going to Ganga and chanting “Hari Hari” as if compelled by some imperceptible force.
By his own sweet will, the supreme lord, who incarnated as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to inaugurate Harinama Sankirtan Movement, appeared in the midst of loud chanting of his own names:
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
Nilambra Cakravati, Sachimata’s farther, saw 32 devine symbols on the body of his grandson.He read astrological calculations for the time of birth but became more overwhelmed the more he tried to explain the unlimited glories he saw in the chart. An elevated saintly person was presented dressed as a brahmana
He predicted “His child is the Supreme Lord, Narayana himself. He will establish the essence of all religion. He will imitate a wonderful preaching movement and deliver the whole world. Even stubborn atheist will worship his feet.”
Sachimati named her son Nimai because he was born under the neem tree
The ladies named him Gaurahari because of his beautiful golden complexion.
And his farther named him Gauranga
When Nimai was six months old, Sachimati noticed devine signs on his lotus feet, seeing the Nilanbara Cakravati immediately called all brahmana’s and held a festival for Nimai’s nama-karana (name giving) ceremony.
Recalling extraordinary predictions in his grandson’s chart, he said, “In the future this child will protect and maintain the whole world. For this reason he is to be called Visvambhara.
SB11.5.21
In Satya Yuga the Lord is white
And four-armed, his matted locks and wears a garment of tree bark. He carries a black deerskin, a sacred thread, prayer beads and a rod and wqterpot of a bramachari
SB 11.5.24
In Treta Yuga the Lord appears with a red complexion
He has fournarms, golden hair, and wears a triple belt representing initiation into each of the three vades. Embodying the knowledge of worship by sacrificial performance, which is contained in the Rg, Sama and Yajur Vedas, his symbols are the ladle, spoon and other implement’s of sacrifice
SB 11.5.27
In Dvapara Yuga the supreme personality of godhead appears with a dark blue complexion
Wearing yellow garment’s. The lord’s transcendental body is marked in this incarnation with Srivatsa and other distinctive ornaments, and he manifests his personal weapons.
SB 10.8.13
We actually see that in Kali yuga, bhagavan has appeared in pita-varna, or a yellow colour, as Gaurasundara.
SB 11.5.32
Sangopangastra prasadam further indicates that Lord Caitanya is lord Krsna. His body is always decorated with ornaments of sandalwood and with sandalwood paste. By his superexcellent beauty he subdues all the people of the age. In other descents the lord sometimes used weapons to defeat the demonic, but in this age the Lord subdues them with his all-attractive figure as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that his beauty is his astra, or weapon, to subdue the demons. Because he is all-attractive, it is to be understood that all the demigods lived with him as his companion’s. His acts were uncommon and his association wonderful. When he propagated the sankirtana movement, he attracted many great scholars and acaryas, especially in Bengal and Orissa. Lord Caitanya is always accompanied by his best associates like lord Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa
CC.Adi 3 The external reasons for the Appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Krsnadasa Kaviraja has herein presented much authentic evidence from Srimad Bhagavatam and other scriptures to substantiate the identity of Lord Caitanya with Sri Krsna himself. He has described bodily symptoms in Lord Caitanya that are visible only in the person of the supreme Lord, and he has proved that Lord Caitanya appeared with His personal associates – Sri Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa and other devotees – to preach the special significance of chanting Hare Krishna. The appearance of Lord Caitanya is both significant and confidential. He can be appreciated only by pure devotees and only through the process of devotional service. The lord tried to conceal His identity as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by representing himself as a devotee, but his pure devotees could recognise Him by his special features. The Vedas and Puranas foretell the appearance of Lord Caitanya, but still He is sometimes called, significant, the concealed descent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
CC. Adi 1.6 — Mayapur, March 30, 1975
So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu means Krishna feeling separation, or Radharani feeling…Radha-bhava-dhyuti-suvalitam
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Therefore it is said, Sri Krishna Caitanya Radha Krsna nahe anya. If you simply worship Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then you will be able to worship both Radha and Krishna
So Caitanya-Caritamrtita author, Krishnadasa Kaviraya Gosvami, is describing the cause of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance. The cause is that Krishna wanted to know, “what is their in Radharani?” He is Madana-mohana. Krishna another name is…he is all attractive. Krsna is attractive to everyone, even he is attractive to cupid, Madhana. Madana is attractive in the material world, and he is madana-mohana. And Radharani is Madhana-mohana-mohini, meaning she attracts even the madana-mohana. Therefore Krsna is trying to understand, “what is their in Radharani that she attracts? I attract the whole universe, and She attracts Me.”
Connection between Holi Pernima and Gaura Purnima
Holi Pernima, the word ‘Holi’ is burning and is most often associated with the legend of Prahlad Maharaja and the demon king Hiranyakashyap
Hiranyakashyap wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him but his son Prahlad maharaja became a devotee of Lord Narayana even whilst still in the womb of his mother?
Hiranyakashyap commanded his sister Holinka to enter the fire with Prahlad on her lap; Holinka had a boom that she could enter a fire without being burnt herself but little did she realise that this boom only worked if she entered it alone. Due to this she was burnt whilst Prahlad exited the fire showing the grace of Sri Krishna towards his devotee. The festival thus Celebrates good over evil and the triumph of the devotee against adversity.
In mainly the North India regions this is celebrated with the burning of Holinka in the fire before the festival we now know as the festival of colours starts.
www.holifestival.com
Kadacid atha govindo
ramas cadbhuta-vikramah
vijahratur vane ratryam
madhya-gau vraya-yositam
Once Lord Govindha and Lord Rama, the performers of wonderful feats, were playing in the forest at night with the young girl’s of Vraja
This verse introduces a new pastime. According to the acaryas, the occasion mentioned here is the Holinka-purnima, a day also known as Gaura-purnima
SB 10.34.20
Srinivasa Acharia initiated many disciplines (Ramacandra Kaviraja and others), wrote songs full of bhakti (Sad Gosvami Astakam), and introduced a special kirtana style. When leading kirtans kirtans he would sometimes lose his voice from chanting so long.
srinivasa was in his siddha svarupa as muni-mamjari watching Srimati Radharhani, Sri Krishna, and the gopis in Holi lila (joyfully throwing coloured powders and dyes on each other). The gopis to Muni-manjari to supply colours to Radhika and side with themin their war against syama. The earth shook from their furious battle, Srinivasa’s body abruptly broken. His body was completely covered from head to toe with fragrant and exotic raindow coloured powders Imported from the spiritual world. His samadhi is in the Dhira Samira samadhis area
Gaudiya Samadhis in Vrindavana 7
Norttam Das Thakura unveiled five sets of Radha Krishna Deities, whose names were Ballabhi Kanta, Shri Krishna, Vraja Moham, Radha Kanta and Radha Raman and also two gorgeous deities of Shri Chaitanya and his consorts — all to be installed with the blessing of the assembled Vaishnavas
Vaisnava Saints 2 The festival begins
The author of Bhakti-ratnakara incredulously asks, “who can describe the incomparable happiness of the devotees when in the midst of the kirtan the munificent Shri Chaitanya and His associats descended for the pleasure of his devotees? Like a flash of lightening in the middle of a mass of beautiful cloud’s, Shri Chaitanya Himself appeared within the multitude of follower’s
Vaisnava Saints 2 The Lord Descends
Just as Narottam Das Thakura kirtan came to an end, Jahnava-devi began a new festival. She approached the newly installed Deities and offered a special form of red powder, the kind that Radha and Krishna throw at each other during their Holi Festival. After the deities enjoyed the dye, Janava Ma instructed the devotees to take the many duckets of coloured dye and commemorate the Holi festival by throwing it at each other. Before the words had emanated from her lips,however , the devotees –thousands of them– were throwing the dye with great enthusiasm, enjoying remembrance of Radha and Krishna’s fun-loving pastime’s. This took the devotees well into the night, and then they joyfully celebrated Mahaprabhu’s appearance festival with special composed songs about His divine birth and early pastimes.
Vaisnava Saints 2 The unending festival
Final note Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to put out the fire of material existence and by this simple chanting of Hare Krishna brings us back into contact with our eternal self as spirit soul thus making it possible to return home this lifetime
We cannot say that the four regulative principles in themselves constitute bhakti or devotional service. These are preliminary activities of renunciation and austerity. When we rise above and become attracted to Krsna and absorbed in devotional service, naturally the regulative principles will be followed!
What is a better way to learn about the senses than to use the senses to learn? As the saying goes, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”… So, we engaged our tongues in tasting a variety of items, ranging in flavors. The faces in the pictures speak for themselves! While blindfolded, we made our attempts at recognizing an assortment of aromas, guessed our way with feeling multiple textures, and listened intently to a selection of sounds. Lastly, we studied how Maharaja Ambarisa used all his senses in the service of the Lord, as sung in the “Little Vaisnava Songs”, for that is our process and method for purification!
Have you ever heard of a Public Library located in a Mall? 
The excitement wasn’t saturated until we took a detour and climbed up and down the nearby escalators. Just for fun!
Continental Shelf, Continental Slope and Ocean Floor: Students built their own Ocean Wall, where they labeled and described geographical locations in the ocean. Seamounts, Trenches, Underwater Volcanoes, Coral Reefs, etc. They were given assigned jobs and independantly worked, with little teacher’s assistance, to create their Ocean Wall.
Eating Fish: Because of all the toxins in the ocean, fish have also become poisonous. Students were able to explain why eating fish, harmful for one spiritually, is also harmful from a biological health standpoint!
