Kartik Journal

Dhanurdhara Swami November 7th, 2007

November 3, 2007
Sri Govardhan

I pray for a drop of mercy. It’s a humbling meditation. I only deserve the least, a drop. It’s an act of glorification. Krishna is so wonderful, that even a drop is more than enough.

November 4, 2007
Sri Govardhan

I pray for the heart to become filled with gratitude. Appreciation for Krishna and His energies is the beginning of faith. Faith is the seed of prema. Gratitude is thus prema in its budding stage. I chant and meditate on the spiritual gifts I have. I remember those that gave them. I search the heart and pray to be grateful.

November 5, 2007
Sri Govardhan

I think of finishing my rounds. I condemn the thought. How can one love something that one wants to be over?

Kartik Journal | Japa Thoughts

Dhanurdhara Swami November 4th, 2007

October 31 - November 2, 2007
Sri Govardhana

I tried to write a realization about chanting everyday during Kartik. From the beginning I doubted it would be possible. I was right. A few people have come, so the last few mornings I happily took them on parikram. No time for writing.

It’s wonderful - walking and chanting around Govardhana, waiting to see where the doors of the spiritual world open. Today a few opened in the obscure ashrams near Govinda Kund; one, a very sweet twenty-four hour kirtan; the other, a small Jagannatha temple where a pure friendly sadhu pujari welcomed us affectionately. I love sitting with sadhus at these quiet ends of the world, places practically untouched since the days of the Goswamis. I also try to be a sadhu by extending myself to others, but I also at times need to be alone to go deeper in japa.

November 3,2007
Sri Govardhana

Japa Thoughts:

Just as one has different levels of awareness of the world—from fully awake, to half conscious to deep sleep—in chanting there are different levels of absorption. For example, we can be awake to the world (not concentrated), half awake to the world (half concentrated) and fully unaware of the world (fully concentrated). That’s a general analogy, but the point is that chanting means going deeper within and becoming less and less cognizant of the external world. It all depends on concentration. Our concentration relies on many things, most important our sense of purpose (faith) and our determination. I sense that most realizations in japa are about how to enter into deeper levels of absorption. Today, being alone it was easier to go deeper. Some humble realizations came:

We can’t go deeper unless we become frustrated with our present level of attentiveness and feel desperate to go deeper.

The door to the next level is locked. The combination to that lock is our full concentration on each syllable of the holy name. Just one mantra in full concentration opens the door to deeper absorption. It is easier said than done. Even the full concentration on one couplet of the holy name, Hare Krishna, can create the mental disposition to become focused within and gradually remove us from the world of external consciousness.

Japa Thoughts: Yogic Chanting III

Dhanurdhara Swami October 30th, 2007

October 30, 2007
Sri Govardhana

Japa Thoughts

Yogic Chanting III:

A Buddhist subscriber to the journal, an old high school friend, sent a short message in response to my journal entry where I recommend “to focus on the holy name, stop the mind, and reveal the soul”:

“Very nice. Even a Buddhist would agree! (Is that good?)”

Yes. As I mentioned in a previous journal, yoga is not so much a particular philosophy as it is a mental technique that can be applied to all spiritual practices, although yoga is generally connected to the Sanhkya philosophy.* For example, in Bhagavad-gita Sri Krishna says, “When the mind is controlled, the Supersoul is at reach,” so yoga here is used for god-realization. It is not surprising that, especially in Buddhism, the same mental techniques that I talked about are the focus of practice, although the goals of Buddhism and Sankhya are technically different.*

When meditating this morning I realized that although a Vaisnava can also use mental concentration and restraint (yoga) to help realize the soul, his mediation is more than that. A Vaisnava must also consciously search the heart for emotion. Without such devotion chanting becomes mechanical, although of course, one?s chanting must start with yoga (constant practice and detachment).One can’t, however, remain satisfied to just be yogic chanters without some heartfelt sentiment for the object of his concentration.

* There are popularly six major philosophies in India: Vedanta, Mimamsa, Vaisesika, Nyaya, Yoga and Sankhya. They are also popularly grouped in couplets of philosophy and practice. Sankhya as philosophy is linked with yoga as practice as are Vaisesika with Nyaya and Vedanta with Mimamsa.

**Buddhism, unlike Sankhya, teaches that consciousness (the soul) is not a separate entity from the object of consciousness. In other words, although Buddhism also applies yoga techniques its goal is not the realization of the soul.

Japa Thoughts - October 29, 2007

Dhanurdhara Swami October 29th, 2007

October 29, 2007
Sri Govardhan

Japa Thoughts:

I do half a Govardhana parikram once a week. This week it’s the Radha Kunda side. What a pleasant walk among the sadhus and pilgrims. When I finally enter Radha Kunda, the moment I cross the invisible border, I swear I feel the difference. A realization came, “Perception is dependent on consciousness.” I went there when I first came and now I’m coming again, but I’m seeing a different world due to the purification of chanting in the dhama. It also gave me the realization how the highest knowledge is experiential, a taste of reality, so to speak, not just an analysis of it. That brings me to the topic of chanting. When dedicated to nama kirtan, there is nothing that changes the consciousness so profoundly.

A final thought: We are miserable because we don’t see Krishna and thus live in a world of duality and fear. I am inspired to take shelter of holy name so that I can see and understand reality. I’m convinced more than ever that the most intelligent person, the one with the highest knowledge, is the truly humble soul who simply chants Hare Krishna.

Japa Thoughts - October 28, 2007

Dhanurdhara Swami October 28th, 2007

October 28th, 2007
Sri Govardhana

Japa Thoughts

An unexpected visit from a saintly friend inspires me. He seeks blessings, advice. He has been concentrating on teaching, counseling and spiritual leadership, especially for the last few years. He is unquestionably a loyal, dedicated follower of Srila Prabhupada, but perhaps not so frontline and known.

“My studying,” he says, “has just been with the intention of teaching others, which is nice, but it has not been enough with the intention of nourishing what this poor soul needs.” He then explains that he will take five years off just for bhajan, spiritual practices. He even describes the kutir he has built and how he will chant and read all day with little or no social contact.

“I am not qualified to advise you,” I respond, “but I have confidence in your sincerity and your qualification. After a year of purification you will certainly find inner direction whether to continue or not. May Srila Prabhupada bless your efforts.”

He thanks me, but humbly insists with strong conviction that he is sure that this is what he needs, that it will take five years. I am quiet. I sense his certainty is coming from within, at least to proceed on this path with determination. I know the person’s depth, history of spiritual practice and unquestioned faith in guru. He has without fail always accomplished whatever he sets his mind to. Although he sees me as senior (we are not god-siblings, but about the same age), I see him as are far more determined and advanced.

My short encounter with my friend confirmed a thought I had this morning about spiritual practice. Although it is a gradual process, there is almost a definitive line, a moment, when one crosses into the realm of full surrender. When arriving, there is substantial shift in orientation. Krishna becomes totally the center of ones life, rather than one’s ego and petty desires. Real bhajan begins, the name penetrates the heart, and Krishna accepts one as good as Himself. Until that point, the purpose of practice and prayer is to get there.

My friend has crossed that line. He has entered the realm of spiritual possibilities that those of us on the other side can hardly imagine. I pray to enter the realm of selfless surrender.

« Prev - Next »