Holy Name and More Holy Name

There is nothing in the three worlds that can be compared to the bliss experienced in chanting and listening to the holy names.

http://vihe.org/18/Aindra1/2000-2001/13.12.00.mp3

Though i am so unfortunate that despite of this fact i am trying to enjoy this samsara.

Preface: Nectar of Instruction

While reading Nectar of Instruction second time. The sruti mantra by Srila Narottam Das Thankur, is informing us what it takes to understand the conjugal loving pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Krsna. Don't try to be whimsical try to serve under the shelter of exalted devotees.

rūpa-raghunātha-pade ha-ibe ākuti
kabe hāma bujhaba se yugala-pīriti

"When I am eager to understand the literature given by the Gosvāmīs, then I shall be able to understand the transcendental loving affairs of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa."

Leaving all attachments behind

I was listening to this song by George Harrison. Srila Prabhupada appreciated him a lot for helping to spread Krsna Cons. George Harrison was a devotee. I find this song. well my realization that how one should not stick to those memories and attachment which bind them to material world. Only carrying the burden on the heart and getting sink deeper into material ocean, because All things must pass... All things must pass away.

Sunrise doesnt last all morning
A cloudburst doesnt last all day
Seems my love is up and has left you with no warning
Its not always going to be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away

Sunset doesnt last all evening
A mind can blow those clouds away
After all this, my love is up and must be leaving
Its not always going to be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away
All things must pass
None of lifes strings can last
So, I must be on my way
And face another day

Now the darkness only stays the night-time
In the morning it will fade away
Daylight is good at arriving at the right time
Its not always going to be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away
All things must pass
All things must pass away

So what kind of devotee are you ?

[Srila Prabhupada] explained that there are different grades of devotees.The lowest grade will find a little fault and make a big thing out of it.The next grade will see the good and bad in a person but give more emphasisto the bad. And the next grade will see the good and the bad and give equalimportance to both. But the advanced devotee, although he or she sees both the good and bad in a person, gives more emphasis to the good. And the most advanced will find a little good and make a big thing out of it.
From HH Giriraja Maharaja's Vyasa-puja offering, 2007

Vyasa Puja Offering

Date 27.08.08

Today is the most blessed day. Today is ekadhasi and the auspicious appearance day of my beloved Srila Gurudev who have kindly appeared in this material world only for the purpose of welfare of jivas. I have written my first vyasa puja offering to Srila Gurudev only by His causeless mercy I would have able to write this.

nama-sretham manum api saci putram atra svarupam

rupam tasya grajam uru purim mahurim gosthavatim

radha-kundam giri-varam aho radhika-madhavasam

prapto yasya prahita-krpaya sri-gurum tam natosmi

"I bow down to the beautiful lotus feet of my spiritual master, by whose causeless mercy I have obtained the supreme holy name, the divine mantra, the service of the son of saci-mata, the association of Srila Savarupa damodara, Rupa Goswami, and his older brother Sanatana Goswami, the supreme abode of mathura, the blissful abode of Vrindavan, the divine Radha Kunda and Govardhan Hill, and the desire within my heart for loving service of Sri Radhika and Madhav in Vrindavan."

Respected and Dear Most Srila Gurudev

Please accept my humble obeisance at your divine lotus feet which are only shelter to get eternal service of Sri Sri Radha Madhav and to get out of cycle of birth and death.

Dear Srila Gurudev this time i have got opportunity to glorify you so I request you to bestow your kind mercy upon me so i can write something towards your glorification. Indeed i can only glorify your transcendental qualities as per my capacity however your glories are unlimited.

Mukum karo ti vacalam pangum langaitye girim

yat kripa tam ham vande sri guru dena tarinam

Dear Srila Gurudev you are always busy in fulfilling the desire of Srila Prabhupada to expand Krsna Consciousness around the globe. Even when you were sick you didn't take care of your body and immediately went on to continue the preaching mission. Just like Srila Prabupada who was sick and when disciples urged Srila Prabhupada to take break from preaching activites, Srila Prabhupada replied, " Please don't take away my privilege to struggle for Krsna". Srila Gurudev i have always observed despite of your back pain you would come to every Rath Yatra for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Himself and you always gave time to your disciples despite of so much tiredness, fatigue and busy schedule.

Dear Srila Gurudev i have noticed that you always overlook the shortcoming of devotees and encourage them to practice in Krsna Consciousness.

Gurudev as your desire is to see expansion of preaching activities and distribution of Transcendental literature and seeing all your disciple taking part in such activities while maintaining co-operation with others and a respectful attitude, keeping Srila Prabhupada's divine instruction in centre of all their activities, Dear Gurudev i am begging for your mercy so that the aversions in my heart towards service to you, Srila Prabhupada, devotees and Krsna be removed.

Srila Gurudev at my own i am incapable of removing the deep rooted anarthas in my heart which have become obstacle towards surrendering to your lotus feet and your instructions. You are kind enough and giving mercy to everyone but i am so unfortunate that i am unable to receive it. Though you are the only source from whom i can repeatedly beg for mercy and offer my prayers. Dear Srila Gurudev please bless me with the genuine feeling of responsibility towards the Sankirtan Movement of Sri Caitanaya Mahaprabhu so that i can become of some use and contribute in it.

Please forgive me Srila Gurudev for my mistakes and i pray at your lotus feet that i always remain faithful to ISKCON and principles set forth by Srila Prabhupada for advancing in Krsna Consiciousness.

I am very much thankful and indebted to Srila Bhakti Sidhanata Saraswati Goswami prabhupada by whose kind mercy i am able to write this vayas puja offering .

your insignificant servant

nitai prema das

Object of Attraction(s)

SB 1.8.42, Prayers of Queen Kunti

O Lord of Madhu, as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.

As i am planning to getting into grihasta ashrama. It seems like my attraction and towards Krsna might get diverted So while reading SB i came accross this verse where Srimati Kunti Devi is praying to Lord. So am using her prayers that May Lord Shymasundar who is all attractive will always be my object of attention and attraction.

On Determination

Everytime i think that i must become serious in my bhajan do something for the pleasure of my Guru Maharaj and Krsna. It happens for a day or soo and then graph line goes down. Why i am not getting serious in my bhajan? Sometimes i ask this question to myself. Then off and on i come across some determined devotee who goes against all odd and continue there bhajan as service to Guru and Krsna. So i pray at the feet of such vaishnav devotees to please shower there mercy upon me.

This is from the blog of HG Partha Sarthi Prabhu (www.battlefieldbhajans.com)

Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi:

After much debate, I decided this year to again follow Pandava Nirjal Ekadasi. Nirjal is already difficult and an austerity but to follow in Iraq, is added intensity. I make some goals for this, I wanted to chant 64 rounds, offer 5 verses to my Deities and also increase my reading. But this is all with also pulling 12-14 hours of combat missions. So this was going to be a hard day. So up at 12 am, and chanted, and worshipped my Deities, offered Them some new verses, and then off to work at 7am. While on missions was difficult, driving the wrong way down the Iraqi streets at 60 mph, the IED’s and kicking in the occasional door and lets no forget the heat, which was over 125F in the vehicle. I was wondering if following this so strictly was worth it, but when doubts entered my mind I would take Sri Ugra Narsimha that sits in a pouch on my body armor and feel better about the situation. By his grace we ended missions early on 11 hours out, great more time to chant and read. This morning when I broke fast I was thinking, this Lord of ours is so kind, He sees we are trying, He sees we are making some endeavor and He is pleased and removes all our anxieties.

Sankritan:

BG Hard 20

BG soft 10

TLC 15

ISO 10

POY 65

Total books in Iraq: 1650

Sadhana: up at 1am, before chanting I read from the Cc. Seva to Their Lordships at 3:30 and Mangal Arati at 4:30 am. It is very nice and more and more people are getting interested, and asking questions about the morning program. Every evening I am watching and participating in the LA morning program. It is very nice and takes away the feelings of loneliness. I need to still dive deeper and not just memorize verses but also understand and allow them to sink into my stone heart.

Japa: 25 everyday still, want to increase slowly, but I think I should first chant 25 solid rounds. This is a big goal for me. I want to really change my japa habits, so that I can really taste the Holy Name; 64 on Nirjal Ekadasi.

Reading: The nectar of book distribution, These stories are inspiring to me, they give me so much strength to keep going.

Cc Madhya-Lila Vol 3,Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya Offers Prasadam

Seva: Somehow The Lord is still engaging me in His service. This worship is taking over my life. I find myself sometimes sneaking into my room in the middle of the day to sing a bhajan to Them

We now have 48 days left in Iraq roughly. Still we desire to increase the preaching effort. I beg of everyone to pray for us and shower your blessings upon us. We are in desperate need of them, because well to be honest, we are not capable of doing anything ourselves. Our travel schedule is almost complete for when i return, so if anyone is interested please let me know

One Sincere Soul

11 November, 1967 My Dear Brahmananda,
I have read your statements regarding opening centers. I am not in agreement with Mr. Altman that we are expanding very thinly. In my opinion, a single sincere soul can maintain a center. You know I started the center at 26 2nd Ave. alone. I took the risk of 200.00 dollars per month for the rent. At that time there were no assistants. Mukunda was at that time a friend but there was no responsibility for him for maintaining the center. Gradually Kirtanananda and Hayagriva joined but they did not take any responsibility. Still I was maintaining the establishment simply depending on Krishna and then Krishna sent me everything—men and money. Similarly, if a sincere soul goes out and opens a center in any part of the world Krishna will help him in all respects. Without being empowered by Krishna, nobody can preach Krishna Consciousness. It is not academic qualification or financial strength which helps in these matters, but it is sincerity of purpose which helps us always. In this way you will follow my example as I did in the beginning at 26 2nd Ave. That is preaching, cooking, writing, talking, chanting everything one man’s show. I never thought about the audience. I was prepared to chant if there were no man to hear me. The principle of chanting is to glorify the Lord and not to attract a crowd. If Krishna hears nicely then he will ask some sincere devotee to gather in such place. Therefore, be advised that thousands of centers may be started if we find out a sincere soul for each and every center. We do not require more men to start. If there is one sincere soul that is sufficient to start a new center.
Your ever well-wisher A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Don't know what to say !

Srila Prabhupada Letter to Bhakta Das, April 9, 1972

I can only suggest, and wherever possible that can be applied, I don't force anyone. After all you all are working to hard to please Krsna only out of love for me, so there can be no question of force if love is there. We should not try to force anyone or reduce our Society to an impersonal business exchange. This will kill everything. Our only purpose in every endeavor is simply make an advancement in spiritual life or please Krsna.

Out of 7 purpose of ISKCON

3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the
prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each
soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).

5. To erect for the members and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes,
dedicated to the personality of Krishna.

6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and
more natural way of life.

I don't have a anything in my mind to set it as label. From some days it has been going in my mind. I been to Dham it was so amazing and wonderful experience to be in Dham to see so many devotees everyone chanting Hare Krsna, blissfully however on the otherside things were so arranged to rip off devotees, the past experience when it's done by people dressed in devotee attire. I was discussing this with my friend Ram Prabhu that how i feel sad to see how things going around. Devotees work so hard through out the year, save whatever they have to be the part of Krsna's festival but then out of sheer greed or ignorance of others they were exploited and left frustrated.

In our discussion Ram Prabhu told that "Anyone who steals money or resource from ISKCON for his or her own personal sense gratification, out of greed or ignorance, is actually sucking Srila Prabhupada Blood."

Things will no longer be same after all Srila Prabhupada Disciples will leave the planet to join Srila Prabhupada in spiritual world.

I pray to Srila Gurudev, Srila Prabhupada, Sri Nitai Gaurhari to please shower Your mercy upon me so i can become that devotee the way You like me to be. To give love and care to everyone without carving for personal sense satisfaction.

What the Purpose behind writing these blogs?

One should not write books or essays on transcendental subject matter for material name, fame or profit. Transcendental literature must be written under the direction of a superior authority because it is not meant for material purposes. If one tries to write under superior authority, he becomes purified. All Krsna conscious activities should be undertaken for personal purification (āpanā śodhite), not for material gain. [Cc Adi 11.7]

I pray to Sri Sri Nitai Gaursundar to keep me always protected from anarthas because of devotional service.