Japa Meditations now available!

Japa Meditations

Japa Meditations: Contemplations on Entering the Holy Name, a collection of selected personal realizations on japa meditation by Srila Dhanurdhara Swami, is now available! In this beautifully designed, softcover, Maharaja shares his own personal realizations on chanting of the holy names, as well as the realizations of other sadhakas dedicated to japa through interviews and essays.

Find out more about Japa Meditations: Contemplations on Entering the Holy Name.

Book Review: O My Friend! O My Friend!

Dhanurdhara Swami April 28th, 2009

When I first saw Babhru Dasa's O My Friend! O My Friend!, I was impressed with his overall scholarship and accommodating mood. Considering the sensitive nature of this matter, I appreciated the effort he made to respectfully acknowledge those points of view different from his own.

Yet after a more careful reading, I found myself having a more mixed reaction to his presentation. Although he did make a sincere attempt to be inclusive, I found arguments that I felt should have been tempered. For example, how could Babhru Prabhu – or anyone – argue that interest in the core sentiment of Gaudiya Vaisnavism – following in the footsteps of the gopis in madhurya-rasa – comes from outside Srila Prabhupada's line, and then strongly imply, in contrast, that only those who aspire for sakhya-bhava have gleaned their mood directly from Srila Prabhupada? I know of substantial, dedicated Vaisnavas who sincerely aspire to follow the internal mood of Sri Rupa solely as a result of their service to Srila Prabhupada. How can any of us speak for everyone?

Still, upon reading Babhru Prabhu's paper thoroughly, I realized that he has a strong case. At the very least, the ideological basis of his paper seems indisputable: he has successfully refuted the contention that the only internal mood Srila Prabhupada could have been in is madhurya-rasa.

However, I found myself not quite convinced of the conclusion he draws. I would like to discuss some of my concerns here and question the standards one should use to judge arguments on such topics. Especially, I would like to ask what the benefits of these discussions are and where they should be held.

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Seven Ways In Which Hearing Sacred Texts Purifies the Mind

Dhanurdhara Swami January 30th, 2009

Seven Ways In Which Hearing Sacred Texts Purifies the Mind

Hearing (sravanam) is the conduit of knowledge. It is thus the first principle in the practice of spiritual life. Without gaining faith in a spiritual goal by first hearing about it from an authoritative source, why would anyone be inspired to take up an arduous path of spiritual practice? And even if one did, without sravanam how would one understand the intricacies of that practice?

Inspiration and instruction are just two of the ways in which sravanam purifies the mind. The following is an analysis of seven ways (including inspiration and instruction) in which hearing sacred bhakti texts purifies the mind of an aspiring bhakta:

  1. As yoga: “Yoga” means to restrain the mind. When one attentively hears bhakti-sastra the mind becomes concentrated with single pointed attention and neglects all other mental impulses. Sravanam is thus (bhakti) yoga.
  2. As very effective yoga: The efficacy of a particular yoga process is gauged in its ability to facilitate absorption in the object of one's meditation. When hearing, sastra, which is replete with appealing stories and philosophy about the all-attractive Divine, one's mind spontaneously flows to the object of meditation. Hearing sacred texts is thus a far more riveting meditation than controlling the mind by one's will power alone.
  3. As an object of meditation with potency: Absorption in an object serves as a conduit to imbibe the qualities of that object, just as an iron rod absorbed in fire becomes fire-like. Sastra is sabda-brahman, divinity in its sound form. Meditation on sastra thus makes one divine-like.
  4. As a source of knowledge: We have unlimited mental imprints (samskaras), many of them bad, which degrade our consciousness. Sacred texts elucidate dharma, the science of responding to the world to elevate the general tenor of the mind.
  5. As effective teaching: Sastra exposes illusion and promotes detachment. In bhakti-sastra this challenge is often placed carefully within charming stories and illustrated by memorable examples, helping the reader to more effectively imbibe spiritual wisdom.
  6. As a source of role models: The most powerful way to invoke positive self-transformation is the emulation of appropriate role models. Even adolescents who imitate the bravado of their favorite athletes, or follow the sensuous appeal of their favorite popular musician or movie star, gradually become like them. Similarly by sincerely hearing about the exemplars of devotion from bhakti-sastra, one naturally emulates their life and absorbs their devotion.
  7. As a process where one's spiritual attainment is not limited to the fruits of one's endeavor: The Divine is naturally responsive to devotion. Thus by attentively hearing with devotion about the Divine (which is the subject of bhakti-sastra), the obstacles to one's focus and meditation are naturally removed by Divine grace. This phenomenon—how the process of sravanam bears fruit beyond the limits of one's effort by grace—is described in the bhakti-sastras themselves:

     
    “Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.17)

 

Karttika Journal | Japa Thought V

Dhanurdhara Swami November 7th, 2008

November 7, 2008
Sri Govardhana

Japa Thought V

I felt bad this morning; digestion was not complete, sleep was interrupted— I felt fatigued. On such days, in terms of chanting, I almost feel like, “What's the use?” To my surprise I had my best chanting this month by far, despite being challenged from a yogic perspective. I contemplate why:

Chanting is not mechanical. It descends by mercy. Perhaps because of intense engagement in Karttika, I have no time for offenses to the holy name, especially vaisnava-aparadha. The channel of mercy is thus open and flows without obstruction from above.

Karttika Journal | Japa Thought IV

Dhanurdhara Swami November 5th, 2008

November 5, 2008
Sri Govardhana

Japa Thought IV

Concentration is a faculty of the mind. To be a successful chanter it must be activated. In Bhajan Rahasya, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur recommends how: give special focus to just one couplet of the name. A friend similarly advised, “concentrate on one mantra at a time with single-mindedness.” It’s the same concept—if we activate our concentration in a limited focus, it will remain focused in a greater context.

In other words, if one focuses on the first couplet of the holy, it is likely that the faculty of concentration will remain active for the rest of the mantra, and by the time one’s concentration wanes, he is again activating it for the first couplet of the next mantra.

Karttika Journal | Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day Festival

Dhanurdhara Swami November 2nd, 2008

November 2, 2008
Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance Day Festival
Sri Govardhana

I'm scheduled to speak next. Suddenly the gateman shows up at the temple door. A delivery awaits me downstairs. I've been pushing the printers to have my book, Japa Mediations: Contemplations on the Holy Name, ready by Karttika, but as usual, despite all promises, it was delayed. I ponder: “What a coincidence! My book appears exactly as I am about to speak on Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day. What does it mean?” Whatever it means, it is certainly auspicious. I place my book at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada as an offering for his pleasure. I pray that he may be pleased by my humble attempt to encourage the pure chanting of the holy name.

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