Archive for October, 2000

Govardhana I found out early

Dhanurdhara Swami October 25th, 2000

Govardhana

I found out early this morning that Fakir Mohan was asked to give class. I adjusted my schedule so I could attend his class but, still, I arrived a few minutes late. A seat was saved for me next to Indradyumna in front of the speaker. He soon handed me the following note:

“His plan was to go on parikrama at 3AM, but I asked him to give class and he immediately agreed. Madhavananda mildly objected and he chastised him! Maybe if we beg him he’ll stay for 2 or 3 days. He’s so humble I think most people can’t recognize him. Srila Prabhupada said that we can understand a person?s position by how they speak. What do you think?”

I was very inspired by his class. He would read a few sentences at a time from Srila Prabhupada’s purport and then explain the point in a very animated, but practical way. He would then quote a verse to demonstrate his point. When he did, he would spontaneously break into a song with zeal, Orrissan style, accompanied by mrdanga. He has a very powerful and melodic voice, louder than a microphone could amplify, but I was most touched by his devotion. He gave heart and soul to each word. “Radha Krishna Bol Bol Bolo Re Sobhai!” he sang with fervor several times. Every verse, even Bhagavad-gita, was sung in this way during the class.

Some remembrances from class (I didn’t take notes): Nama (the holy name) will do everything; nama will give everything. Give nama to guru, not money. The guru wants your faith in Krishna, which can be best given by offering the holy name in sacrifice?yajnaih sankirtan prayair.

When one does nama-seva he will not stop practical devotional service. Rather, it will be done spontaneously and nicely?not forced, like Jagai and Madhai who got prema-bhakti from Lord Caitanya and then, with their own hands, constructed a ghat for the pilgrims and cleaned it everyday.

He sometimes serves an old Vaishnava saint in his nineties from Orissa named Haridas Sena. One of Haridas’s associates joked to him, “Why don’t you take Fakir Mohan as a disciple?” Haridas replied, “But will he jump in the ganga”?indicating that a real disciple must have faith and be surrendered. He humbly mentioned that he is unable to do seva now because of old age, meaning that because he is so old, no one will allow him to serve them.

Govardhana suditasrita-janarti-rasye ramya-cid-ghana sukha-svarupine nama

Dhanurdhara Swami October 24th, 2000

Govardhana

suditasrita-janarti-rasye ramya-cid-ghana sukha-svarupine nama
gokula-mahotsavaya te krsna purna-vapuse namo namah

?O Hari-nama! O Krsna! You destroy the miseries of those who take Your shelter. For your devotees You are very charming and delightful. Your form is the personification of knowledge and bliss, and therefore you are a festival for the residents of Gokula. I bow down again and again before You,whose form is fully spiritual like Vaikuntha.??Rupa Goswami’s Namastaka (7)

Indrayumna Swami excitedly came to my room to tell me that one very nice sadhu named Fakir Mohan and a few of his associates are requesting to stay for the night in our ashram so that they may leave early in the morning for Govardhana parikrama. It was the same sadhu I had heard about three days ago! I immediately went to greet him.

Fakir Mohan was standing on the round marble veranda protruding over the inside courtyard, which is directly outside the small temple room on the roof. Our ashram devotees naturally surrounded him, as many of them were also Orissan and already had some acquaintance with him.

Fakir Mohan made a strong first impression on me?not by the force of a strong personality, but by his very unassuming and humble nature. He was about Srila Prabhupada’s size, near 70 years of age, toothless, unshaven (for kartik), and wearing a simple hand washed white dhoti and kurta. He was, however, very jovial, bubbling with a devotional fervor and laughter that reminded me of the sincere enthusiasm of Srila Prabhupada’s godbrother Krishna dasa Babaji.

I was introduced to him by his assistant Madhavananda dasa: “This is Dhanurdhara Swami, the Maharaja who sent a message that he was coming to Vrindaban to see you.” Fakir Mohan spontaneously responded with enthusiasm and respect. “Maharaja! Maharaja!” he said with gusto. To my embarrassment he paid dandavat-pranams (full obeisances), then stood up, a little bent at the waist and with folded palms?a classical pose of respect indicating that this body and these hands are for your service. We exchanged pleasant words until he and his party were called for prasadam. I thought, “Today I met a very nice Vaishnava sadhu.?

Govardhana - Ekadasi Yesterday I

Dhanurdhara Swami October 22nd, 2000

Govardhana - Ekadasi

Yesterday I was feeling discouraged and hopeless because my concentration was not deep, although I was trying. I felt that I would never become a devotee. Today chanting, however, came easy. Sometimes Krishna encourages one in this way. It is undeserved kindness.

Devamrita Swami came to visit me. Devamrita Swami is from New York and joined in Henry Street after graduating from Yale. He has a rare vitality and vision for preaching. He is making many devotees in New Zealand and I was impressed with the dynamics of his vision. I have heard of his preaching as he sometimes comes to meet Bhurijan Prabhu in Perth and Bhurijan told me about it.

Maharaja opens up independent urban preaching centers where he devises and implements a multitude of programs to interest several different types of people. He has yoga classes, a cutting edge lecture series, and book distribution. He creates a dynamic culture in his centers so that once people visit, they become attracted. Part of that culture is developing camaraderie among the people centered on studying and distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books. His method of book distribution, however, is thoughtful. He stresses developing relationships with the people so that they read the books, maintain some sort of contact, and hopefully visit the center. He told me that a big book distributor in his program is, therefore, someone who just meets a few people a day and not only sells them a book but has such an impression on them that they eventually visit the center. By organizing book distribution in his way everyone connected with the center can easily participate in the mission. It makes sense.

I wrote a quick list today of how bhakti comes into the heart. It is a first draft and subject to discussion and revision.

  • The process is sadhana-bhakti, the conscious utilization of the senses in Krishna’s service for the purpose of awakening devotion in the heart.
  • The essence of sadhana-bhakti is to remember Krishna and never forget Him.
  • The acarya finds the best ways and means for the people to do so among the nine basic practices of devotional service.
  • The best way to remember Krishna is to chant His holy names, although proper execution of any of the nine activities of devotional service can invoke full remembrance of Krishna.
  • Lord Caitanya specifically recommended nama-sankirtan as the best means of becoming Krishna conscious.
  • Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati and Srila Prabhupada emphasized dedicating oneself to distributing the holy name as the best way for us to remain absorbed in chanting and hearing about Krishna.
  • If one does not have the taste to remain fixed in chanting and hearing about Krishna, service to the great souls will give one an affinity for hearing about Krishna.
  • Although chanting is the best way to remember Krishna, unless one has the mercy of the Lord and a service attitude one cannot chant with concentration and devotion. Therefore to do nama-sankirtan properly it is essential to fullysurrender to a bona fide spiritual master.
  • If done properly, there is no dichotomy between chanting and hearing about Krishna and serving the mission of the spiritual master, which includes sadhana-bhakti.

Govardhana Preliminary stages of chanting:Fix

Dhanurdhara Swami October 21st, 2000

Govardhana

Preliminary stages of chanting:

  • Fix a time and place for the holy name.
  • Focus the mind on the holy name.
  • Search the heart and pinpoint our present level of spiritual desire.
  • Nourish that desire by determination and prayer.

Even if we have no bhakti, we can pray for bhakti, and that’s bhakti. Some spiritual desire, according to our level of realization, must accompany our chanting. If it doesn’t, our chanting can become simply mechanical. The first level of chanting is accompanied by at least the desire and prayer to control our mind and free it from the distraction of material desire.

I am eating much less and realize that as I am older and less active I need very little to keep the body and soul together. Two small practices can give one an immediate boost in spiritual life: Eating properly and rising early.

An English devotee visiting Govardhana today from Vrindaban told me about a sadhu from Orissa, Fakir Mohan, who is staying in the house next to my place in Vrindaban. Fakir Mohan was a friend of Srila Gaura Govinda Swami. He will stay in Vrindaban for three weeks and speak on the Bhagavatam everyday. I was also told that for the last three years he has been lecturing on just the fourth verse of the Catur-Sloki Bhagavatam to some ISKCON devotees in Orrisa who live near him, but stressing nama-kirtan. I was surprised when I heard that he even gave Srimad Bhagavatam class at Krishna Balarama Mandir for two days. I am eager to meet him and sent a message to his assistant that I would like to visit him and hear him speak and that I will therefore visit Vrindaban in a few days. I hanker for sadhu-sanga.

Govardhana I received a message

Dhanurdhara Swami October 20th, 2000

Govardhana

I received a message today from an old friend that upset me. In fact, my mind seemed to dwell on this for much of the day. I recalled something from Narottama dasa Thakur’s famous verse?that when one’s mind is full of anxieties, one cannot see Vrindaban. To maintain Vrindaban consciousness I finally just walked to Govinda-kunda to bathe.

I thought about what upset me:

  • Good relationships?whether it is friend, servant, parent, or lover?mean mutual commitment and service. When one gives oneself to another it is disappointing when the other party does not reciprocate properly, or at all.
  • I am disturbed when Krishna moves things against my plans.
  • Chanting brings purification. Purification means giving up attachments. Krishna is reciprocating my chanting by an arrangement to purify me of my attachments.

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