Archive for October, 2000

Govardhana First day of Kartik.

Dhanurdhara Swami October 13th, 2000

Govardhana

First day of Kartik. I am quite busy with my kartik-vrata, so there is not so much time to make entries in the journal. Walked to Radha-kunda in the late morning. Govardhana is very conducive to spiritual life?much more than even Vrindaban. Govardhana is also becoming covered by materialism, but it is still more like the Vrindaban I saw when I first came here, twenty-six years ago?more rural and much less commercial. Perhaps Vrindaban will gradually be covered by materialism and we will have to take shelter of Sridham Mayapur. I’m expecting that even in my lifetime.

Sad news from Mother Srimati, our Ekachakra-dhama guide and teacher, whom I met with yesterday in Vrindaban. She was lamenting that the road in Ekachakra has been paved with asphalt and that electricity has finally been brought to the village. Those who have visited previously should keep the cherished memories of a pristine Ekachakra-dhama in their heart because it will never be the same.

I am busy all day chanting, hearing, and writing. The soul is satisfied by devotional activities. Why don’t I keep this schedule all year?

Lokisaranga Maharaja paid a surprise visit at ten o’clock. He saw Waves of Devotion in the box of books that I brought with me to Govardhana while my rikshaw was parked in Radha-kunda. I stopped there on the way to Govardhana. He surmised where I was and decided to visit me that day.

Loki, as he is known affectionately by his friends, is an Italian Godbrother from the Bronx, but with his dark complexion, Smith Brothers beard, hooked nose, thin frame, and renounced and gentle disposition it is impossible to distinguish him from any Indian-born sadhu. For several years he has lived in a small house on the outskirts of Radha-kunda donated by a friend, but he still remains very reverential to the dhama. In fact, he won’t even bathe in Radha-kunda!

One could expect a staunch sannyasi follower of Srila Prabhupada to preach at least some of the time, not reside permanently in Radha-kunda. Loki, however, is very faithful and respectful to Srila Prabhupada, his devotees, and his mission. The simple fact is that his attributes and disposition are just not very suited to that of a traveling preacher. They are, however, very much suited for ksetra-sannyasa?sannyasa in the dhama. Loki is very simple, humble, and very naturally renounced. In fact, he even lived for some years as a devotee in the Himalayas. Being a sadhu in Vrindaban is therefore a suitable offering for him in service to Srila Prabhupada. I certainly appreciate his association .His short visit was very pleasant.

Vrindaban/Govardhana Hectic day. Moved to

Dhanurdhara Swami October 12th, 2000

Vrindaban/Govardhana

Hectic day. Moved to Govardhana for the month of Kartik. Bhurijana Prabhu also came, but only for the day, as he leaves for Australia in a few days. We bathed in Radha-kunda on the way.

Settled into my room. I have a full darshan of Giri-Govardhana from my room. Breath-taking view!

Bhurijana Prabhu talked about the necessity for compassion to advance in Krishna consciousness. He described how one can invoke compassion in one’s heart by recalling and meditating on the religious, or nectarean experiences one has had in Krishna consciousness.

Compassionate means that one is unable bear the distress of others. Unless we deeply value Krishna consciousness, how can we feel compassion for those who have forgotten God? How can we realize that the greatest pain is to be bereft of Krishna consciousness?

I went to briefly talk

Dhanurdhara Swami October 11th, 2000

I went to briefly talk to Indrayumna Swami, who is spending several months in Vrindaban. It turned into a four-hour visit with preaching to new people, visits from older devotees, and a feast. In late March, I will arrange a two-week tour for him in the Northeast along with his assistant, Prahlada, and I will travel with them.

I asked Indradyumnna Swami why he was spending so much time now in Vrindaban. He said, ?By preaching one gains a taste for bhajan, chanting and hearing about Krishna, so one should cultivate that.? He also said that bhajan naturally invokes in one a desire to preach.

Govardhana I asked an Indian

Dhanurdhara Swami October 10th, 2000

Govardhana

I asked an Indian sadhu why only Westerners come to his lectures. He said that people in India, by psychology, are rarely able to afford luxury and that spiritual life now has become a luxury. That’s why Indians living in India no longer make so many contributions anymore to science, sports, philosophy, etc.

Bhurijana arrived today. I met with him briefly in the evening and hope to get more of his association. Srila Prabhupada has trained many intelligent men and, as they get older, they will give tremendous strength to the Krishna consciousness movement. He talked about the possibility of returning to Vrindaban in two years to live humbly and just speak the Bhagavatam. I felt like joining him. Bhurijana’s simplicity, detachment, and wisdom makes an impression, although he is unassuming. Srila Prabhupada said, “Don’t try to become a great devotee, just become a good devotee.”

I asked him why he is no longer taking disciples. He said that although he lectures systematically on Bhagavatam three times a week in the evening at the Perth temple, where many people are coming and becoming devotees, they don’t realize that he is guru because he lives at home and takes care of his family. They think he is more like a congregation member and that a guru is someone in saffron who just flies into the temple a few days a year. I told him that he is lucky that he is preaching in Australia because he would never get away with that in New York.

He was interested in my meetings with Varsana Maharaja. We both agreed that he is a special sadhu and has the heart of a devotee.

Jaya Gurupada, Bhurijana’s son, came up to his room to visit him while I was there. Bhurijana wants to spend some more time with him here. He explained that a father has a mystical sakti with his son, and if he deals with him carefully, there is a very subtle transference of experience and wisdom. His son is twenty and will soon leave home to go out on his own so he wants to make sure that he spends quality time with him in Vrindaban.

Jaya Gurupada was in the gurukula for ten years, since he was five years old. He is a good person?secure in himself, but unique. Born at Gita-nagari, raised in Vrindaban, but now living in Australia and fully identifying himself as an Australian. Since Bhurijana is from America, I always playfully argue with Jaya Gurupada that the USA is so much better than Australia, and that he should therefore embrace his father’s place of birth as his culture. He jokingly retorted today, “You mates have baseball, and although the championship is just among America teams you have the nerve to call it a World Series!” Good point.

Vrindaban - Ekadasi I went

Dhanurdhara Swami October 9th, 2000

Vrindaban - Ekadasi

I went to visit Bhaktivedanta Ashram in Govardhana. On my way, I stopped briefly for a sacred bath. As always, it was a very purifying experience.

The potency of the dhama is not just subjective, it is inherent in the place. To realize that potency, however, consciousness is the primary factor. Narottama dasa Thakur therefore says ?when my mind is peaceful and I am free from the desire for sense gratification, then I will actually see Vrindaban!? I have come to Vrindaban this time relatively free of other distractions and I hope that will help me reap the benefit of residing in a holy place.

The mind is a repository of desires. When we try to focus on Krishna, often those desires act like static interference. Respectfully bathing in Radha-kunda seems to have the power to clear the mind of the whirlpool of those impulsive thoughts. It allows one to focus one’s consciousness on Krishna in a way that was probably not possible before. After taking many devotees on pilgrimage there, I’ve witnessed that many have had this experience when they approach Radha-kunda in the most humble and respectful manner. It is mystical.

I waded in Radha-kunda for just a few minutes, thankful to Srila Prabhupada for the gift of Vrindaban. I prayed that my stay would be spiritually fruitful.

At Bhaktivedanta Ashram in Govardhana, I gave copies of Waves of Devotion to Kesava Bharati and Jayadvaita Swami. Jayadvaita Swami immediately immersed himself silently in the book for some time, checking all the details. I was a little nervous, but the longer he looked, the more he appreciated the book?from the font that was used for the print to the logic of the layout. He finally said, ?To understand Nectar of Devotion people will have to get your book!?

A younger devotee and resident of Vrindaban came to visit me. He was feeling the purification of his prolonged stay in the dhama. I know the feeling. He revealed his mind.

This devotee had become somewhat known for his renunciation, but has now realized that his renunciation had a lot to do with a neglected and bitter childhood that soured him to relationships. His renunciation was therefore somewhat of a psychological reaction, a passion, and not fully an internal and natural detachment. He realized that marriage was necessary and that Krishna consciousness would have to be practiced from a more honest platform.

As I listened he poured out his heart.

I very much admired this devotee. His ability to open his heart at the risk of vulnerability before a senior devotee was certainly a sign of dependence on Krishna. I didn’t agree that his renunciation was purely superficial, but I did agree that his present level of renunciation exceeded his realization and wasn’t indicative of a fully integrated person. What amazed me was the astuteness of his self-analysis. This astute analysis also indicated to me that, by his sincerity, he had broken through the defense mechanism and rationalization that prevent most individuals from seeing themselves and becoming whole persons. It was also noteworthy that this was achieved solely by his sincere practice of Krishna consciousness, which is consistent with how the process of Krishna consciousness ideally works as described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17).

In all of my dealings with many devotees, only one other time did I see a devotee with the intelligence and sincerity to so quickly and independently identify and confront their deepest conditioning, their passions, without a prolonged process of spiritual or psychological counseling.

There are a lot of interesting books in Vrindaban. I read this statement about the protection of women in a relatively obscure book by an Indian intellectual. It may not be politically correct, but it made sense, especially along the lines of the culture and tradition of India:

?By nature women are soft-hearted, kind, tolerant, and affectionate. The human brain has basically two aspects: the logical and analytical aspect, and the emotive, affectionate side. The general tendency is that men are more logical and women more affectionate. God has designed women like this so they will be able to care for their children.

?The father only gives the seed, but the mother has to carry, nurture, and raise the child. If women were ruled strictly by logic, they would not be able to perform that tremendous task properly. They would think, ?What is the use of carrying this burden? What will I gain from this for myself?? and probably decide not to have children. Thus women are naturally ruled more by affection so they can tolerate the burden of child rearing. The word ?mother? signifies loving sentiment. It is a very difficult task for a man to raise children because they generally do not possess this deeply affectionate nature.?

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