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Post by kirtaniya on Sept 24, 2016 23:14:02 GMT -6
{this is a reply to the previous post/ i think, there is no need for overquoting} Nitai ji, I read pali suttas translated into Russian. Not sure, is it complete bunch, but it is a lot. I have my favorites. This is so much to appeal to the core of our psyche. Not sure if Henry Clarke will offer any above those fine translations but certainly I will take a look at his. Fyodor Shcherbatskoy - a Russian researcher - is too in my bookshelf, but I proceed slowly to him. The mechanism of going from moment- to-moment is always the same, and death has only apparent speciality. Death happens every moment. They don't have the problem in buddhism, so why should we? Of course things should be managed, in the translation field you're working with a realistic plan depending on god for its fulfillment. We are unnecessarily worried about the self which is not to be worried about. Ignorance, craving and clinging form the klesa; anxiety and the dependent existence form the karma; and the rest is the dukkha - in the rotating circle of 12 nidanas. This is not that this circle rotates in the moving time, it is a rotation in the focus of attention. Did Shcherbatskoy understand this rotation as without time as prerequisite? - I don't know, will see. For some it may sound like solipsism, but it's a middle way. Nirvana is different from annutara-samyak-sambodhi. We may have cessation of experience, but ultimately cessation of the klesa brings a peace of mind. Accidental peace may be turned into mature peace, which is fully clear vision. We may call it suddha-sattva too.
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Post by kirtaniya on Sept 25, 2016 22:30:19 GMT -6
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Post by Nitaidas on Jan 2, 2019 14:12:14 GMT -6
Greetings All,
I wish you all, whomever you may be who periodically check in on this all-too-quiet and neglected symposium, a load of happiness in the new year. Though it it too early to tell for sure, I hope to finish at least two books this year. The first will be the long awaited biography on Siddha Manohar Das Babaji, My Gurudev, by Navadvip Das. I am finishing some translations of his available works for the appendix. It is somewhat rare for a modern Caitanya Vaisnava to have written original lila texts, based no doubt on the classics of the tradition, but nevertheless original, with original insights and story-lines. They are like rare jewels that need to be collected, scanned, translated and thus preserved. Secondly, I hope to finish the first volume of my edition/translation of the Rupa Gosvamin's Ujjvala-nilamani or Blazing Sapphire. I anticipate eight volumes of this work in total. I intend to include the three major commentaries on the work in the original language and other related texts that are either synopses or Bengali/Hindi translations of the work. It is a big undertaking and I hope I can complete it before I either become senile or dead. My time on earth is loping towards it limit and I have unfortunately not been the most judicious spender of that time. Anyway, kindly send along your blessings, good thoughts, and encouragement. I need all the help, both natural and supernatural, I can get.
Best of wishes to you all in this new year,
Nitai das
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Post by Ed on Jan 7, 2019 16:57:20 GMT -6
Hi, Nitai
For whatever it’s worth, I wish you may live many more years in good health, both physically and mentally. I'm not sure if I could be helpful but if you can think of a way just let me know. I think I had missed reading this whole thread somehow, but it’s one of the most interesting ones that I’ve seen so far, no wonder it expands through 16 pages, many interesting discussions here by the regular members that used to come and participate, I’ve learned much from them, I wish they were around to thank them, but perhaps some will get to read this. It may seem neglected, but I see a steady number of guests visiting every time I log in, who knows what will happen in the future.
One of the topics that came up was the potential value of diaries on sadhana, it was pointed out that we have stories about well known sadhakas and siddhas but very few narrations from the first person perspective, letting others know what was going on in their minds. That may also be one of the valuable aspects of 'My Gurudev' by Navadvip Das, although it's supposed to be mainly a narration about Siddha Baba, it is also a first hand account of what it was like being a sadhaka back then in Vraja.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to your first volume of the Ujjvala the most, that'll be a great joy to read.
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Post by Nitaidas on Feb 16, 2019 13:15:10 GMT -6
Greetings Ed,
Thank you for your kind word and good wishes. So far I am doing well. Apart from a modest but noticeable weakening of mind, I am hanging in there. Yoga (Surya-namaskara or Surya-kriya) and Kriya (Sudarsana-kriya) seem to help. Yoga puts my bodily aches and pains at bay and kriya fills me with life-strengthening prana which I think prolongs my mental or conscious and physical life. I highly recommend them. Anyway, I am generally feeling fine.
I hope you are well, too. I worry about what your country is going through and hope you and your family are safe. I hope the struggle will be resolved in the way that is most beneficial for the citizens of Venezuela.
I am continuing to work on the first volume of the complete translation of the Ujjvala-nilamani. The first volume entitled "Krsna and his Friends" will cover the first two chapters of the Un and the three commentaries on those. It has a long introduction and an appendix in which the question of svakiya/parakiya as argued by Sri Jiva and Visvanatha is presented. I have been working on the edition of the commentary by Visnudas Gosvamin called Svatmapramodini (Pleasing to My Self). It is a great commentary with numerous citations of verses from the other works of Rupa and Kavikarnapura that match the rasa Rupa's exemplifies in his example verses. Visnudasa Gosvamin was apparently a disciple of Krsnadasa Kaviraja. That places him between SriJiva and Visvanatha. He was extremely well read. At one point he even cites a verse from the Amaru Sataka, an important earlier work on srngara-rasa to which no one else, as far as I know, in our tradition refers. He was clearly a mature rasika. Because of all the verses he and the other commentators cite in their commentaries, one could almost argue that this first volume contains everything a developing CV needs to know about Krsna in the madhura-rasa. Everything that is important for this rasa from the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu is there in the commentaries. I suspect the same will be true of the second volume comprising the next two chapters and entitled "Krsna's Lovers and Sri Radhika."
It is exciting to be involved with this material each and every day. This work is putting my skills with Sanskrit to their most challenging test. I have been working with Sanskrit off and on for nearly 50 years and still I find my abilities are barely adequate. I am, therefore, devoting some time to a review of Sanskrit grammar through the wonderful grammatical/smarana text initiated by Sanatana Gosvamin and revised and completed by Sri Jiva, the Harinamamrta-vyakarana. I started a translation of the abridged version (possibly Sanatana's original version) years ago, but now I think I will return to that and use it for review while at the same time expanding the work that I completed earlier. Check my Youtube channel. I might post videos reciting and translating/explaining the text as I proceed. It will perhaps be useful to others who want to learn more of the wonderful Sanskrit language.
Enough for now. I hope you are well and safe.
Nitai das
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Post by Ed on Feb 19, 2019 11:55:50 GMT -6
Hi, Nitai
I’m glad to know you’re doing fine, I also think those are great ways to keep a balanced health, I did Yoga for a while some years ago but eventually stopped, my instructor at the time gave me an edition of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, so every once in a while I take it up and try to practice. I’m curious about the Sudarsana-Kriya, I'd like to check out their local branch to learn a little more about it.
Yes, things took an unexpected but positive turn over here, there’s a lot of uncertainty, but we are hoping for the best resolution as well.
I haven’t done enough research into that question to be honest, does Visnudas Goswami take any particular stand on it? I’ve read a little about how Sri Visvanatha Crakravarti justified Sri Jiva Goswamin’s position, it seems he is mostly considered to have been successful in this effort. I’m looking forward to read this introduction and the appendix. I had not heard of Visnudas Goswamin, can you comment on the verse he cites from the Amaru Sataka?
Those videos would be a great idea, I’ll keep an eye on the YT channel.
Today is Prabhupada Tinkudi Goswamin's appearance day, I was reading "Sadhu Sadhu" this morning and remembered we were wondering about Sitanatha Das Babaji's origins, I didn't remember that Baba Binode mentions that "a bhakta came from Prabhupada's home region" and decided not to go back, he became engaged in Sri Tinkudi Baba's service and Gopidas gave him bhek, he was named Sitanatha Das. After Gopidasa departed, Sitanatha Das took up his service. That's all he says about it. I was also reading the Sucaka kirtans included in that book, hearing and singing them most be something else.
Thank you for your concern and good wishes, and for keeping these updates on the UN.
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Post by Haricaraṇa on Feb 19, 2019 18:50:28 GMT -6
What name is your YouTube channel under? I tried both of your names and found nothing recognizable.
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Post by Nitaidas on Feb 25, 2019 15:12:24 GMT -6
What name is your YouTube channel under? I tried both of your names and found nothing recognizable. Hi Haricarana dasji, It is good to hear from you. Hope you are doing well. When will the first installment of your translation of the Bhavana-sara-sangraha be out? I am looking forward to it. Anyway, my Youtube channel is under Neal Delmonico. Perhaps I will make another one using my diksa name (Nitai Das). I will announce here when I have posted something there. I am still preparing the accompanying documents. Please keep us (me and the others who peek in on this site occasionally) posted on your progress. Best, Nitai das
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Post by Haricaraṇa on Feb 26, 2019 18:48:29 GMT -6
Jaya Radhe. I'm working on the final edit of chapter three, so when that's done I'll deal with the challenge of publishing. I found your YouTube channel and subscribed.
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Post by Nitaidas on Mar 2, 2019 12:40:18 GMT -6
Jaya Radhe. I'm working on the final edit of chapter three, so when that's done I'll deal with the challenge of publishing. I found your YouTube channel and subscribed. Greetings Haricarana dasji, Radhe Radhe! Sorry for the delay in posting videos on Sanskrit grammar as presented in the Harinamamrta Vyakarana. I am still figuring out the mechanics of it all. It has been years since I posted anything on that Youtube channel as you can see. Also, I am thinking that a live broadcast might be better. Recordings of those would also be posted later for review or in case the broadcast times are inconvenient. I am still working on the materials for the class/discussion. I do things differently now and am reformatting the translation of the Samksepa-harinamamrta-vyakarana. I will make that available either here or on Youtube along with the broadcast. One commentator on the text says that the short version of the grammar was composed by Rupa Gosvamin and another says it was Sanatana Gosvamin's work. In either case Jiva Gosvamin edited it and completed it and created the full version on the basis of it. What is a little surprising to me is that neither Visvanatha or Visnudasa Gosvamin or even Baladeva refer to it when they make grammatical references. They both still cite the Paniniya sutras. It would be great to see it in use among the great commentators. Perhaps it wasn't used because Panini was the standard and even if you studied the Hnv you needed to know your Panini. The Hnv itself still refers to the technical names of the Paniniya system, but not the sutras themselves. As for your book, I am still willing to publish it for you under the Blazing Sapphire Press name. I can assign an ISBN to it. You typeset it to your liking and design a cover. Send me the print ready pdfs and I will upload them and make them available through Amazon around the world. If you need help with the cover I can put my graphical designer on it. You pick the pictures and covers and he will do it as you wish. I would charge you my costs which are pretty minimal (set up fees with Ingram, catalog fees, graphical design fees if you use my man). Send me an email separately if you are interested and we can work out the details. Also remind me of your mailing address in that email and I will send you a copy of the first volume of the Ujjvala-nilamani-sara-sangraha that came out a few months ago. Best Nitai das
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Post by Vidya Sundar on May 16, 2019 22:23:06 GMT -6
We haven't had a controversy in a long time. That is why things are slow around here. Nothing like bhaktas calling each other names to get the members aroused and excited. Anyone have anything they want to yell about? Buddysattva? You've been pretty quiet lately. How are R and K? Any new communications or realizations to report? I've forgiven my guru-bhai Marcus Tinghinicus and hopefully he has forgiven me for our spat last year. I don't even recall what it was about. We need some excitement around here. Jagadish is still here working on his house. It should be quite nice once it is complete. I said that I would talk about that house more. His plan is to turn it into a retreat center where bhaktas can come to do intense practice for a couple of weeks, a couple of months, or a couple of years. It all depends. It is in a nice quiet part of Kirksville and is surrounded by trees. it has a huge back yard which J is filling up with bushes and eventually fruit trees. The idea is that he will teach those who come how to do sadacara (observe ritual purity) and bhajan. There will be daily kirtans as well. I have agreed to have classes in the Bhagavata and other bhakti scriptures for the residents of the retreat center. Is there any one here who is interested in such a program? There are rules and restrictions, of course. Maybe Jagadish can post something on those. There is also all kinds of seva that can be done depending on one's talents and interests. Planting, grounds work, construction of little meditation huts or platforms in the back yard, etc, etc. Those with the will and ability can help me at the press. This is the general idea.
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Post by Nityānanda dāsa on May 20, 2019 5:12:34 GMT -6
Vidya Sundar-ji,
Radhe Radhe! So how many sadhus actually live in the Kirksville area? There are you, Jagadish, Nitai and his wife. Anyone else? I'd like to come out for a visit to do some seva and take advantage of your sanga. Maybe have some discussions of expanding the sanga. Shouldn't be too long of a drive! Or maybe I could get a flight.
PS - I know that sometimes controversies tend to get the blood flowing. It's like verbal cardio or something! However, isn't the focus on controversies just keeping the IGM crap going? That's usually what the controversies center around, isn't it. What's the point of that. Where is the rasa in that - eating dog poo rasa?
Here's a question - within the circles of traditional Caitanya Vaishnavism, how to respectfully discern one's sanga? For example, there's one person I can think of who likes to post selfies and do self-promotion. Perhaps I'm wrong, but that doesn't really seem like something an advanced devotee would do. It's like a lot of young people these days, the science of selfie-realization??? On the other hand, if their students promote them, that seems a bit more appropriate, but even then there can be some endeavor for name, fame, profit, adoration, distinction, etc.
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Post by Nitaidas on Jun 2, 2019 13:45:51 GMT -6
Greetings All,
I am glad to see some activity here. Thanks for participating, Nilamadhava and Vidyasundara. And thanks Ed for responding to their posts as well. I am sorry that I was not in attendance. I have been away working on another project in distant Colorado. I am back now and can play a bigger role. My time is limited because of the number of open projects I am juggling at present. Anyway, I will try to check in more often. One note: some of you have asked me questions either on the forum or in a private communication. Some of those are answered in previous forum comments or in the books I have previously published. For instance, Vidyasundara asked me for a reference to Sri Jiva's statement that a gurudeva who is a Vaisnava Aparadhi is to be rejected. That reference is in Manindranatha Guha's book which I translated as Nectar of the Holy Name (pp. 56-7: Sri Jiva Bhakti-sandarbha, para 237: vaiSNavavidvezi cet parityaja eva (If he is a hater of Vaisnavas, ie. an aparadhi, he is to be rejected.) Please see the whole discussion there. This is the strongest reason for rejecting IGM. Everyone of the members of those organizations is a Vaisnava-vidvesi. Best to steer clear of them.
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Post by Ldd on Jun 19, 2019 13:34:39 GMT -6
Bhakti sandharbha. Anu 238. 11 reasons to reject guru. It should never be done lightly, only under certain conditions. I'll give a few and leave you to find the rest
-Is arrogant or proud -Gives improper guidance -Speaks against the conclusions of Srimad Bhagawatam and Gaudiya scriptures -Has deviated from path laid out in bhakti sastras/ or preaches appasidhanta -Is envious or antagonistic toward other vaishnava
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Post by Nitaidas on Jun 19, 2019 15:18:52 GMT -6
Bhakti sandharbha. Anu 238. 11 reasons to reject guru. It should never be done lightly, only under certain conditions. I'll give a few and leave you to find the rest -Is arrogant or proud -Gives improper guidance -Speaks against the conclusions of Srimad Bhagawatam and Gaudiya scriptures -Has deviated from path laid out in bhakti sastras/ or preaches appasidhanta -Is envious or antagonistic toward other vaishnava Thanks, Lalita Dasi, for the clarification. It is good to see you here again. Welcome back. Looking forward to your future comments.
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