Jayadeva Goswami Disappearance
→ Ramai Swami

Jayadeva’s father was Bhojadeva, and his mother’s name was Bamadevi. They lived in the Birbhum district of what is now West Bengal in a village called Kenubilva Gram. He was born at the beginning of the twelfth century AD.

Jayadeva Goswami’s wife was named Shri Padmavati. When he was the court pandit of Lakshman Sena, he lived on the banks of the Ganges. Approximately three hundred years before the appearance of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Jayadeva Goswami lived in Bengal.

He was the author of Shri Gita Govinda, which is mentioned by Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami in the Chaitanya Charitamrita as follows (CC ML 2/11): “Day and night, in the company of Svarupa Damodara and Ramananda Raya, Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to hear with great ecstasy the songs of Vidyapati and Chandidas, as well as a drama composed by Ramananda Raya.

He also used to relish hearing the Krishna-Karnamrita and the Gita-Govinda. In his introduction, Jayadeva says that the Gita Govinda is a scripture describing the intimate pastimes of Shri Radha and Govinda. It may be worshiped and served by those who are extremely qualified in devotional piety.

For those who are constantly remembering the rasik pastimes of Shri Hari within their mind, Shri Jayadeva has composed this divine poetic song glorifying the Lord’s internal pastimes. He requests the topmost spiritually advanced souls to hear it with gravity and attention. 

There is a difference of opinion about where Jayadeva Goswami left this body. Though some say he returned to Kendubilva, others claim it was Puri, and still others say that he went to Vrindavan.

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakura has stated his opinion that Jayadeva Goswami left this world from Jagannatha Puri. Though some people say that Jayadeva Goswami returned to Kendubilva to spend his last days, there is no indication anywhere that he brought his Radha-Madhava deities with him.       

It is said that these deities were taken by the king of Jaipur to a place named Ghati sometime after Jayadeva Goswami’s passing away and they are still being served in the Jaipur area. Jayadeva Goswami’s disappearance day is on the sixth day of the waning moon of the month of Paush.

Hello KDP Review Team!
→ A Convenient Truth

 Hello Kindle Direct Publishing Review Team! I don't know how much more I can prove to you I am who I say I am! My name is Jayadeva (Jason G.). I've been writing you emails trying to get my book "In the Heart: Reflections and Memories of my Gurudeva" printed through the Three Leaf Farmden Synergy Initiative, Inc KDP account (that's run by Yasoda M.). I just deleted the two posts on this blog that had material which appears in the book. So now you cannot find the content of the book online anywhere else! I shouldn't have to jump through this many hoops! Why would I have bothered stealing content off of this blog and making a book out of it and claiming it was my own?! That would just be stupid. I appreciate you're trying to follow security protocols, but come on. If anything you're just making me not want to publish with KDP since you're making it so unnecessarily difficult. Can you please approve my book now so I can start promoting it? Thanks! 

Branch of the Caitanya Tree
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 22 November 2020, Simhachalam, Germany, Caitanya Caritamrta 9.36)

Prabhupada explains that ISKCON is a branch of the Caitanya Tree, of that wish-fulfilling desire tree. So, in this way, it is described how the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is flowing and expanding, expanding through the vaisnavas to the whole universe. This process of harinama sankirtana is a personal process. It is a process about individual devotees taking up devotional service. And as such, that devotional service, which is performed by each and every devotee, then goes from one devotee to another devotee who then takes up devotional service. And again, devotional service will spread. So, this is the way that devotional service is spreading
from person to person. No one can take up devotional service without being touched by a vaisnava.

A vaisnava is vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca, patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namaha. The vaisnava is a wish-fulfilling desire tree who can fulfil the desires of everyone and who is full of compassion for the conditioned souls. Such compassion is not an ordinary thing. How to actually develop compassion is not so easy, not so easy at all. But compassion is really the driving force of those wish-fulfilling vaisnavas.

On the Navadvipa mandala parikrama, on the Modadrumdvipa island is the place known as Mongachi and this place is the residence of Vasudeva Dutta. Vasudeva Dutta Thakur is the extraordinary personality who somehow or other, wanted to deliver all the living beings in the entire universe. He told Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “You please transfer all the karma of all the living beings in the universe on me so that they will be able to go back to Godhead now”. Then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “ My dear Vasudeva, that is not required. You do not need to take the karma of all the residents of the universe upon your head. Simply by your desire, they will all be delivered because by your desire, you have purchased Me!” So, Vasudeva Dutta had that deep desire to deliver all the conditioned souls. Such a desire of compassion cannot just awaken on its own. Compassion requires that we have something better. How can we really feel compassionate towards others? Genuinely, we can act out that we are compassionate, I am here sharing this great gift, but yes, that is simply a drama. Real compassion means that one is having a better experience, a better quality of life.

The article " Branch of the Caitanya Tree " was published on KKSBlog.

Recent Iskcon-related news
→ Dandavats

By Various Authors

Alachua’s Bhaktivedanta Academy Successfully Keeps Students Safe Throughout Pandemic School Year. 5 Tips For A Happy Krishna Conscious Marriage. “Deep Leap” Youtube Series Dives Into Practical Application of Philosophy. Devotees From All Over Brazil Take Online Vaishnava Care Seminar. Your Ever Well-Wisher: Stories of Srila Prabhupada’s Care for All. The Secrets of Spiritual Time Management. The Truth about Loneliness. Musings of an Amateur Gardener Continue reading "Recent Iskcon-related news
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Sri Ramachandra Kaviraj-Disappearance Day!
→ Mayapur.com

Shri Ramachandra Kaviraja was the disciple of Shrinivasa Acharya Prabhu and the very intimate friend of Narottama dasa Thakura. His father was Chiranjiva Sena and Mother Shri Sunanda. Chiranjiva was originally an inhabitant of Kumara nagar but after marrying the daughter of Shri Damodara Kavi he moved to Shri Khanda. “Chiranjiva Sena was a pure […]

The post Sri Ramachandra Kaviraj-Disappearance Day! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

The goal of 2 Million Bhagavad Gitas surpassed and smashed by a grand total of 2,172,456 Gitas distributed all over the world!
→ Dandavats

By The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

As we conclude memorable Live to Give 2020 campaign, we are very pleased to report, that the One World Team has successfully surpassed and smashed the goal of 2 Million Bhagavad Gitas distributing a grand total of 2,172,456 Gitas all over the world. The Book distribution results from 2020 are an incredible testimony to the cooperation of devotees and their determination in bringing the timeless wisdom of the Gita to the masses all over the world, during these most unprecedented times. We thank you for your tireless services and look forward to an equally if not more dynamic 2021. Continue reading "The goal of 2 Million Bhagavad Gitas surpassed and smashed by a grand total of 2,172,456 Gitas distributed all over the world!
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Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja Disappearance
→ Ramai Swami

Ramachandra Kaviraja, the son of Shri Chiranjiva Sena (eternal associate of Lord Chaitanya), appeared in Shri Khanda. Although married, Ramachandra and his wife, Ratanala, had no material attachments.

They stayed fully engaged in the loving service of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. They had no children. With steadfast devotion he served his spiritual master, Shrinivasa Acharya. In Vrindavana, Shri Jiva Goswami gave him the title, kaviraja, “king of poets.”

Ramachandra Kaviraja was one of the eight kavirajas, famous poet disciples of Shrinivasa Acharya. Ramachandra wrote Smarana Darpana, Smarana Chamatkara, Siddhanta Chandrika. He preached widely and initiated many disciples.

Narottama Dasa Thakura and Ramachandra lived together as best friends. Narottama Dasa wrote, doya kore shri acharya prabhu shrinivasa; ramachandra sanga mage Narottama Dasa, “0 Shrinivasa Acharya Prabhu, please give me your mercy. Narottama Dasa always prays for the association of Ramachandra Kaviraja.”

 In the form of Karna manjari, he serves Shrimati Radharani in Vraja lila. His samadhi is in Dhira Samira Kunja next to Shrinivasa Acharya. 

Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s Appearance Day
Giriraj Swami

For Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s appearance day I thought to read a verse and purport about him from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, Chapter Ten, “The Branches of the Caitanya Tree”:

TEXT 105

sri gopala bhatta eka sakha sarvottama
rupa-sanatana-sange yanra prema-alapana

TRANSLATION

Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the forty-seventh branch, was one of the great and exalted branches of the tree. He always engaged in discourses about love of Godhead in the company of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was the son of Venkata Bhatta, a resident of Sri Rangam. Gopala Bhatta formerly belonged to the disciplic succession of the Ramanuja-sampradaya but later became part of the Gaudiya-sampradaya. In the year 1433 Sakabda (A.D. 1511), when Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was touring South India, He stayed for four months during the period of Caturmasya at the house of Venkata Bhatta, who then got the opportunity to serve the Lord to his heart’s content. Gopala Bhatta also got the opportunity to serve the Lord at this time. Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was later initiated by his uncle, the great sannyasi Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Both the father and the mother of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami were extremely fortunate, for they dedicated their entire lives to the service of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They allowed Gopala Bhatta Gosvami to go to Vrndavana, and they gave up their lives thinking of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When Lord Caitanya was later informed that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had gone to Vrndavana and met Sri Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami, He was very pleased, and He advised Sri Rupa and Sanatana to accept Gopala Bhatta Gosvami as their younger brother and take care of him. Sri Sanatana Gosvami, out of his great affection for Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, compiled the Vaisnava smrti named Hari-bhakti-vilasa and published it under his name. Under the instruction of Srila Rupa and Sanatana, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami installed one of the seven principal deities of Vrndavana, the Radha-ramana deity. The sevaits (priests) of the Radha-ramana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya.

COMMENT

Actually, one of the families entrusted with the Deity service at the Radha-ramana Mandir has a history of relations with the line of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Visvambhara Gosvami’s father or grandfather had relations with Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the family maintained relations with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and then Visvambhara Gosvami had very friendly relations with Srila Prabhupada. And he spoke very nicely about Srila Prabhupada. Now Visvambhara Gosvami’s son Padmanabha Gosvami is also very favorable to ISKCON. In fact, ISKCON devotees often honor prasada at his home at the Radha-ramana Mandir. I also took prasada there with His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami, and Padmanabha Gosvami showed us a letter that Srila Prabhupada had written to his father, Visvambhara Gosvami, about how all Vaishnavas should cooperate. So, not only does the Radha-ramana temple belong to the Gaudiya-sampradaya, but at least some of the sevaits have had close relations with the line of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

PURPORT (concluded)

When Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami took permission from all the Vaisnavas before writing Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami also gave him his blessings, but he requested him not to mention his name in the book. Therefore Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami has mentioned Gopala Bhatta Gosvami only very cautiously in one or two passages of the Caitanya-caritamrta. Srila Jiva Gosvami has written in the beginning of his Tattva-sandarbha, “A devotee from southern India who was born of a brahmana family and was a very intimate friend of Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami has written a book that he has not compiled chronologically. Therefore I, a tiny living entity known as jiva, am trying to assort the events of the book chronologically, consulting the direction of great personalities like Madhvacarya, Sridhara Svami, Ramanujacarya, and other senior Vaisnavas in the disciplic succession.” In the beginning of the Bhagavat-sandarbha there are similar statements by Srila Jiva Gosvami. Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami compiled a book called Sat-kriya-sara-dipika, edited the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, wrote a foreword to the Sat-sandarbha and a commentary on the Krsna-karnamrta, and installed the Radharamana Deity in Vrndavana. In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (184) it is mentioned that his previous name in the pastimes of Lord Krsna was Ananga-manjari. Sometimes he is also said to have been an incarnation of Guna-manjari. Srinivasa Acarya and Gopinatha Pujari were two of his disciples.

COMMENT

Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami ki jaya!

One story about Gopala Bhatta Gosvami is that on the eve of Nrsimha-caturdasi all the other Gosvamis and Vaishnavas in Vrindavan were preparing to worship their Deities and hold festivals. Gopala Bhatta Gosvami had only a salagrama-sila; he didn’t have a Deity with arms and legs and a body that he could dress and decorate. So, he was feeling deprived of the opportunity to serve like the other devotees who had Deities they could serve in these ways. And out of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s strong desire, a salagrama-sila became manifest in the form of Radha-ramana. Radha-ramana is considered the most beautiful Deity of Krishna. He is the one original Deity of the Gosvamis that has remained in Vrindavan, while the others had to be taken elsewhere for fear of the Muslim invaders. And near the temple of Radha-ramana in Vrindavan is the samadhi of Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.

Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s uncle and guru was Prabodhananda Sarasvati. His samadhi is also located in Vrindavan, just off the parikrama path near Kaliya-ghata, which is quite near our Krishna-Balaram Mandir. So, often when we go on parikrama down the path near the Yamuna, we visit Prabodhananda Sarasvati’s samadhi and bhajana-kutira. And then we proceed to Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s samadhi. Srila Sanatana Gosvami was the most senior of the Gosvamis and was also a close associate and instructor of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. In fact, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami worked with Sanatana Gosvami to produce the great treatise Hari-bhakti-vilasa.

I feel that Gopala Bhatta Gosvami has been especially merciful to me on two occasions. On one, I visited his bhajana-kutira at Sanketa, a place between Nandagrama and Varsana where Radha and Krishna used to meet and sometimes perform rasa-lila. Gopala Bhatta would sit and chant underground in a deep cavern, accessible only through a long, narrow passage. At the end of the passage was a somewhat roomier place where Gopala Bhatta used to chant, now marked as his bhajana-sthala. I remember going there with Tamal Krishna Goswami and others on a very hot day and struggling to crawl through the passage to the bhajana-sthala. It was very difficult, but when I finally reached there, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami was very merciful. He allowed me to chant with a glimpse of taste. And after all the devotees emerged from the cavern, I stole back in. I crawled back to Gopala Bhatta’s lotus feet, and I sat there chanting. I will never forget his mercy to me there, and I pray that he will enable me to chant with relish and love.

On the other occasion, the last time I visited Vrindavan, in Kartik of 1999, shortly before my surgery, I visited Gopala Bhatta’s samadhi near the Radha-ramana Mandir. We arrived just after raja-bhoga-arati, and the pujari was closing the doors to the samadhi-mandira. But he was kind enough to open the doors for us, to allow us darshan of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami. He gave us some flowers and caranamrta, and invited us to stay for prasada. Thus our small party, along with some local sadhus, honored Gopala Bhatta Prabhu’s maha-maha-prasadam with great relish, and we even stayed to take a little rest before, filled with bliss, we continued on our way. So, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami is very kind.

 Years later, when some of my disciples from Bombay went to Vrindavan on pilgrimage, they visited the samadhi. They told the pujaris about me, how my health no longer allowed me to visit Vraja, and asked for some prasada for me. And one of the pujaris kindly gave them a piece of cloth from the samadhi. It is very special. Now, twice a year, once on his appearance day and once on his disappearance day, we bring it out and touch it. So now we shall pass it around and touch it to our heads and to our hearts—and pray to Gopala Bhatta Gosvami for his sublime mercy.

Thank you.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk on Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami’s appearance day, July 31, 2002, Carpinteria, California]

My greatest WORRY: Shoeing our catur-pada devotees (Album of photos)
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Svetadvip Das: "Dandavat Pranam. The only reason that Jaya Vijay Prabhu and a few other padayatris learned the skill because it was soooooo difficult to get a 'naalwalla' in some states of India. A few inexperienced ones came and hurt our devotee-bullocks. And they would limp. It was very painful to see our catur-pada devotees suffering. Without them our Padayatra around India would have been impossible. We loved them too much. We all used to serve them as much as we could. We all used to protect them from being attacked by the local bulls (sanrrr). Locals considered them Nandi. But our Padayatra warriors were always ready to chase them away with sticks."Read More...

(This post has been viewed 343 times so far)

WSN December 2020 – World Sankirtan Newsletter. Over five million books worldwide in 2020!
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By Vijaya Das

It's amazing what devotees can do, even in difficult circumstances. Many had to stop distributing books person to person, because of Covid-19, but our competent Commander-in-Chief, Vaisesika Prabhu, enlivened the whole Society to distribute two million Bhagavad-gitas and 26,000 sets in a few months Of course, it wouldn't be fair to say it was just because of his direction, because thousands of devotees participated in the marathon as well as throughout the year. But he was a big part of why we collectively did over five million books worldwide in 2020 making another big year for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. Continue reading "WSN December 2020 – World Sankirtan Newsletter. Over five million books worldwide in 2020!
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The Big Bang and the Sages – A New Book on the Puranas and Science
- TOVP.org

By: Siddha Hari das for ISKCON News on Jan. 23, 2021
Posted with permission

Bibek Debroy, Chairman of India’s Prime Minister’s Economic Council has launched Sidharth Chhabra (Siddha Hari Das) and Madhavendra Puri Das’ upcoming book on the Bhagavata Purana.

Srila Prabhupada frequently asserted that the Puranic accounts are historical facts, although labeled mythology by modern man. In their book, the authors use rigorous scientific evidence to support Srila Prabhupada’s words.

Summary of the Book:

The Big Bang and The Sages covers a research into the Puranic chronological cycles. Europeans became aware of billion and million year-long periods in the Puranas in the 17th century. They laughed at them due to their biblical orientation and ridiculed billion-year dates for the origin of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe. As a result of this bias, the Puranic chronology never received a comprehensive look. Carl Sagan famously, on his show in the ’80s, appreciated the estimates of Indian sages. However, even he wasn’t aware of the accuracy of the ancient Indian thinkers. In the last few years, modern science has reached such maturity that it shows a stunning agreement with the Puranic histories.

According to the Puranas, Brahma created the Sun at the end of his night 4.563 billion years ago. Modern astrophysics state 4.567 billion years. The Puranas state biggest mass extinction, a.k.a pralaya, was 251.3 million years ago. Paleontologists state 251.9 million years ago. The Puranic sages talk about the origin of the Universe 13.819 billion years ago, which differs from cosmologists’ date for Big Bang/Big Bounce by 0.1%. These three dates are the tip of the iceberg, which we have discovered in our comprehensive study of the Puranic narrative. I am a computer scientist, and my friend a Puranic aficionado for 40 years. We have come together to weave this bridge between ancient Puranas and modern science. We show that Puranas have so much to offer to modern science, specifically in ecology preservation and self-realization.

The Big Bang and Sages book is available through the TOVP Book Marketplace.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021
→ The Walking Monk

The Balcony, Toronto

Fight the Real Storm

I wait by the storm till my driver will arrive.

So intense is the snow, I hope he’s still alive.

Wicked is the weather, the vision is obscure.

Fearless he appears, that is him for sure.

 

I’m grateful he penetrated the white wind, the storm.

And hopeful nature’s wrath comes down to some norm.

Behind the wheel is Nanda with nothing to impede.

Our mission — an essential — to address a dental need.

 

I was pensive for a moment; the world is just like that —

Perilous and precarious, we must admit the fact.

We hit low points, high points, valleys and hills —

Good times, bad times, hot ones and chills.

 

What’s to learn from all this natural disturbance?

It’s best to bite the bullet and make the day a dance.

Is the real battle the elements or something very subtle?

Krishna speaks of culprits, lust and the mind, as His rebuttal.

-Bhaktimarga Swami, The Walking Monk ©

 

May the Source be with you!

1 km

I invite you to view our new film, Rolling the Dice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3legHdMgI

 


 

Monday, January 25, 2021
→ The Walking Monk

Ramsden Park, Toronto

In the Jaws

The king of elephants, Gajendra, found himself in a difficult spot. After spending some leisurely time in the water with his female friends, the fun stopped when one of his legs was locked by the jaws of a menacing crocodile. Recalling his habit of prayer from his former life as a human, he suddenly took to such supplication, calling on help from Vishnu. Vishnu responded to the devotional plea of the elephant and set him free from the perilous mouth of the reptile.

 

The above story, outlined in Canto 8 of The Bhagavatam, I detailed to a group of devotees in Montreal and God was kind to give a second opportunity in the evening to tentative listeners in Georgetown, Guyana. This time we reflected on the story as well as the kindness of two super humans, Chaitanya and Nitananada of Bengal. Like Vishnu, they offered help to those in trouble. Their approach and their scope were very broad. During the middle ages of Europe, which was embroiled in so many socio-political issues, India had its own issues being in the jaws of Kali Yuga, the age of darkness.

 

The Guyanese community was celebrating its 12th anniversary since the installation of the deities of Krishna by the names (get this) Parama Karuna Nitai Gaurasunder. They are a pair of murtis shaped in the image of the two Lords.

 

What is their contribution? They saved many lives. People who were apparently destined to a dark existence were turned around to positive approaches. A prime example is the characters (or criminals) Jagai and Madai, who were so degraded, the two Lords, Chaitanya and Nityananda, were very merciful and gave the rascals a chance.

 

May the Source be with you!

3 km


 

Chaplain: My Calling for a unique profession.
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By Govindanandini dasi

In this training there is no memorization of theory or examination. Rather it is called an “action-reflection” model, which means, first I visit patients and then I reflect on those experiences with a group of peers and supervisor to discuss and learn why I did what I did and what I missed. Before hastily offering any spiritual or religious resources to the patient, we chaplains are trained to be present with, listen to and accompany the patient in their grief or distress, relate and build trust. Continue reading "Chaplain: My Calling for a unique profession.
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How can humility go along with self-respect?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Podcast:

Transcription
Question: How can humility go along with self-respect?

Answer: Let’s look at it this way. Is there a difference between humility and humiliation? Yes, there is, definitely.

We say we should cultivate humility, but none of us want to be humiliated. Let’s put it another way, we all want to cultivate humility. So, should we start insulting and humiliating each other in our community? Then we will all become humble. You are proud and I will insult you, I will humiliate you and you humiliate me and in this way by exchanging humiliation we will all get humility. No!

Does humiliation make one humble? Not necessarily. Humiliation can make one feel offended, it can make one feel enraged. Sometimes it may make one humble, but not necessarily. So, clearly, there is a difference between humiliation and humility, and certainly although we talk about, say, we should be humble, but we also say respect each other. That’s the injunction in our devotee community and that’s normal human conduct also. So, we could put it that humiliation is false ego frustrated. Humility is false ego rejected.

Humiliation is false ego frustrated. I want to be respected, but instead of being respected, I was disrespected, I was mocked, I was derided, I can’t bear this. So, humiliation is false ego frustrated. I want to be respected, but I was not.

But humility is false ego rejected. That means I don’t crave for respect from others. I don’t depend on respect from others. That doesn’t mean that I don’t care at all. I mean it’s not so easily possible. We are human beings and we will notice how people are dealing with us. We can’t artificially become stone-like and that’s not exactly humility. But humility and humiliation are… Humiliation is I want something and I don’t get that respect, that’s humiliation. But humility is I don’t want it that much.

So, we could look at humility from the perspective of what we expect, what we demand from the world, what we need from the world. So that’s one aspect of humility.

Another aspect is, if I’m not demanding, how am I looking at myself? So now we have great saintly people saying that, Bhaktivinoda Thakura says “Amara Jeevana Sada Pape Rata,” that my life is full of sin and there is no good that is seen in me. Now, he has songs like that, but then he is writing books, he is sharing Bhakti wisdom confidently, countering misconceptions. So, when he is saying there are no good qualities in me, I am sinful, he is looking at it from a very elevated perspective. So, he is thinking of how pure Krishna’s devotees are, how pure Krishna is. As compared to them, what am I? Krishna loves me so much, what am I doing to reciprocate with him? I am doing nothing.

So, when we are at a different level of consciousness, we are not really perceiving how much Krishna loves us. Often, we may actually be feeling the opposite. Why doesn’t Krishna care for me? There are so many things wrong in my life, why is Krishna not helping me? Does Krishna even care for me? So, when we are not at that level, we can’t artificially imitate that.

Our frame of reference presently is mostly our human society and how people are interacting with each other and people are interacting with us in human society. But for great souls like Bhaktivinoda Thakura or Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, their frame of reference is not human society. Their frame of reference is Krishna and community of exalted devotees of Krishna. As compared to that, they feel, what about me, I am nobody. But in human society, they are functioning assertively, they are functioning very purposefully and even strongly when necessary for Krishna’s service. So, how do we look at ourselves? One aspect of humility is that it’s not that we look down at ourselves, we think I am worthless, I am useless. Well, we see that I am a part of Krishna and in that sense there is intrinsic worth for me. I have a whole seminar on “can we love ourselves”. Self-love can seem very self-indulgent, but actually it’s not.

If we understand we are parts of Krishna, how can we love Krishna without loving his parts? The part over which we have most control, the part for which we are most responsible is we ourselves. Now we don’t love Krishna in the sense of becoming self-indulgent and I am great. No, but love in the sense of that we respect, we care for ourselves, we respect ourselves, we want the best for ourselves. So, that is definitely there. Humility doesn’t mean we look down at ourselves, rather we are not looking at ourselves constantly and not looking at how people are looking at us. We are thinking of Krishna and we are thinking of how we can serve Krishna.

We are thinking of what is my service, what is my responsibility, how can I do it the best. In that sense, self-respect and humility go together because we don’t need other people’s respect because we have that intrinsic self-respect.

End of transcription.

ISKCON Scarborough – "Krsna Consciousness, the Supreme Dharma" – Part 2 by HG Dravida das- Sunday 31st Jan 2021- 11 am
→ ISKCON Scarborough


Hare Krishna!
Please accept our humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!


Date: 31st Jan 2021
Day: Sunday
Time: 11 am to 12 noon
Topic: "Krsna Consciousness, the Supreme Dharma" - Part 2
Speaker: H.G. Dravida das


Link to join the class from your desktop or laptop:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9150790510?pwd=Wk5GYXVRMkJmdk84MzZJRXBKYUgwUT09



H.G. Dravida das
A disciple of Srila Prabhupada, Dravida dasa joined ISKCON in 1973 and has served as an editor and proof-reader for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust for over 45 years. From 1983 to 1989 he was part of the team that completed Srila Prabhupada’s magnum opus: a commentated English translation of India's jewel of Vedic wisdom, the 18,000-verse Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana). He also helped produce the revised editions of Srila Prabhupada’s Isopanisad, Krsna Book, Caitanya-Caritamrta, and Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and he is part of the team that produces Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja book every year. In addition to his editing work, he teaches Bhakti Yoga classes at ISKCON’s San Diego temple and other centres in North America.


Throughout all this immersion in transcendental literature, Dravida Dasa developed a love of the Sanskrit language, and especially the elaborate verses of the Bhagavatam and other works of bhakti literature.

His devotion and expertise in chanting form a marvellous combination. He has a been Brahmacari throughout his devotional career.


ISKCON Scarborough
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Canada, M1V4C7
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