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Post by Ldd on Jan 19, 2020 20:30:52 GMT -6
72. We devotees are not endowed with any poetical talent.
We have no skill in philosophical dialects.
Have not mastered Vedanta philosophy.
Nor have we the prowess to refute the doctrines of opposing scholars.
We are merely humble servants of the mischievous cowherd boy, Gopala (Sri Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya)
73.We care not for those who ridicule us devotees and speak ill of us, but rather we tell them to talk as they please.
We are very intoxicated in savoring the palatable wine of Lord Hari's love, that we delight ourselves by dancing, rolling about on the ground, and fainting in our moments of ecstasy (Sri Saurvabhauma Bhattacharya)
74.I am not a brahmanaa, nor am I a ksatriya, nor a vaishya nor sudra.
I am not a brahmachari, grhastha, vanaprastha, or sanyasin.
I am ONLY the servant of the servant of the servant of the Lotus feet of the Lord, who is the husband of the gopis, who is but an ever waxing ocean of the nectar of diving bliss. (Sri Chaitanya)
75.The blissful experience of the realization of brahman,
Which is but the effulgence of the inner self, devoid of impurity and unstinted by worldly glory
Illumines the hearts of saintly yogis dwelling in the verdant bpwers of blessed mountains.
(we devotees care not for the accomplishments and experiences of such yogis)
All that we desire is that some cowherd boy
Who delights himself in Vrindavan
Who embodies the amorous sentiments of the gopis
Who is resplendent as a blue sapphire
To forever sport in our hearts.(Sri Ishwara Puri)
76. Those who delight in poetry extol the aesthetic experience of rasa
Those who are devoted to Vedanta glorify the nectarine bliss of brahman realization.
As for us devotees, we take shelter in someone who sports a flute in his hands and is adorned with a garland of gunja berries. (Sri Yadavendra Puri)
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Post by Nityānanda dāsa on Jan 19, 2020 21:16:26 GMT -6
74.I am not a brahmanaa, nor am I a ksatriya, nor a vaishya nor sudra. I am not a brahmachari, grhastha, vanaprastha, or sanyasin. I am ONLY the servant of the servant of the servant of the Lotus feet of the Lord, who is the husband of the gopis, who is but an ever waxing ocean of the nectar of diving bliss. (Sri Chaitanya) Radhe Radhe Lalita Dasi! Thank you for posting this an also the videos links to Pandit Tarun Krishna Das. I'm listening as I type this. So this verse #74, is this the famous one that is often used or said to be used for bhuta suddhi (" naham vipro na ea nara-patir..."? Do raganuga sadhakas perform this ritual as part of their sadhana? Also, regarding 'padavalis', I'm guessing that padavali just means 'songbook' as I believe I've seen many different padavalis? Just like there are many paddhatis? |
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Post by Ldd on Jan 20, 2020 12:32:57 GMT -6
Nila -ji : One never forgets he is not the body. You know it day, night, sleep awake. Even if you try to cast away this consciousness, it doesn't leave. I don't do bhuta siddha ritual. This Padyavali is by Rupa. Anthology of verses from various saints. The verse 74 is part of the conversation Chaitanya had with Ramananda.
A paddhati means any text that enables the ritual part of a scripture with the mantras, order of performance, instructions etc etc. It may also be sutra ( like the Yajnasutra of the Yajurveda)
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Post by Ldd on Jan 20, 2020 16:49:57 GMT -6
Having attained the perfection of yogic meditation some great ones attain the nirguna brahman. May they behold the chambers of their hearts the pristine spirit the atman.
[To us devotees this yogic attainment is of little consequence]
We care only for our Lord the embodiment of sweetness whose lotus like visage is always graced with an enchanting smile.
And adorned with golden robes is resplendent like the magnificent dark hue of a rain cloud.
That Lotus lord is our atman our very soul (Sri Kaviratna)
I do not aspire for the title of emperor
Nor cherish the position of Indra king of gods
Nor desire to acquire occult yogic powers
Neither does my mind seek the emancipation of the soul as in moksha
My heart does none else but hasten to my Lord who is the embodiment of brahman the supreme spirit
And always graces the confines of the forests on the banks of the Kalindi,
Is resplendent as a stately and still rain cloud charged with lightening
And is bound by the loving embraces of the cowherd girls (Sri Kaviratna)
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jiva
Full Member
Posts: 142
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Post by jiva on Jan 30, 2020 2:43:18 GMT -6
Nila -ji : One never forgets he is not the body. You know it day, night, sleep awake. Even if you try to cast away this consciousness, it doesn't leave.
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Post by Ldd on Jan 30, 2020 3:29:43 GMT -6
I think the pundit-jis went out to gather wool. I will read tomorrow.
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Post by Nityānanda dāsa on Jan 30, 2020 21:15:25 GMT -6
Nila -ji : One never forgets he is not the body. You know it day, night, sleep awake. Even if you try to cast away this consciousness, it doesn't leave.
I've read this article and appreciated it. One question I have for the group is this... What are we to do with 'good reads' (or listens) from questionable sources? Certainly many modern day teachers of krsna bhakti (regardless of group affiliation) have good angles on things or present krsna bhakti in very attractive, sensible, and modernly innovative ways. But are these savvy presentations contaminated because of the presenter's affiliation(s)? Clearly to have the sanga of established acharyas is the best -- and I suppose who is considered an acharya is another mess -- but at the same time we do need to best understand how these teachings are applicable to modern times. Even the devil can quote scripture, right? What to do??? Jai Sri Radhe! |
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Post by Ldd on Jan 31, 2020 8:22:50 GMT -6
Ravana was a brahmana scholar of Vedas.
It doesn't become tainted unless it's changed. But who knows the situation today is the question.
But if it's not changed, format doesn't matter. One can take good knowledge from anywhere.
It became a good tool for making money. Association of those people one should not enjoy or take their influence. There are people who read Katha to draw in disciples fame and money, and it's so ingrained in them they don't know.
I'm not saying one shouldn't help others, and they are bad, they just got used to the bad habit. it's easy to become motivated.
At that point = Disaster. One shouldn't even become a disciple to gain knowledge, nor guru who wants to reap something from disciple. Thats material investment.
The goal should be to serve Krishna. Knowledge is a guidance for that.
All Gaudiyas have the same comclusion. One could easily know if it's changed. But so far I have not seen it.
If so, it's a very bad sign.
Acharya must be a living example of sastra. It's said if one is not realized he shouldn't preach. I feel it means he shouldnt give his word as the ultimate truth. And take disciples based on it. Which springs up from a cheating tendency.
Discussing is fine.
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Post by Nitaidas on Feb 1, 2020 13:05:20 GMT -6
I've read this article and appreciated it. One question I have for the group is this... What are we to do with 'good reads' (or listens) from questionable sources? Certainly many modern day teachers of krsna bhakti (regardless of group affiliation) have good angles on things or present krsna bhakti in very attractive, sensible, and modernly innovative ways. But are these savvy presentations contaminated because of the presenter's affiliation(s)? Clearly to have the sanga of established acharyas is the best -- and I suppose who is considered an acharya is another mess -- but at the same time we do need to best understand how these teachings are applicable to modern times. Even the devil can quote scripture, right? What to do??? Jai Sri Radhe! Greetings Nilamadhava Dasji. You often post good and difficult questions on this site which rarely get attempted answers. Perhaps this is so because they are difficult questions with no easy or pat answers. This is one of those questions. As an ex-IGMer I have struggled for years to get the IGM apasiddhanta out of my head. Whenever I think I have, up pops another unquestioned assumption from the boiling caldron of subconscious IGM mistaken views. Since this has been my struggle, I have avoided reading anything by any one connected to IGM. It is so easy to pick up another virus, you see. Nevertheless, there might be some good insights into some aspect of CV history or philosophy in those writings, especially if the author has become a scholar and done some good, thoughtful research in some area. In such cases the only thing we can appeal to is our own ability to think critically, possibly guided by our gurudev of the heart. In other words we have to develop the ability to distinguish truth from bullshit. This is unfortunately a matter of experience which means sometimes we are going to misjudge. A good rule of thumb to adopt is this: one should not believe everything one reads. We should not accept things simply on the basis of some claim to authority. All authorities must be questioned. In my view this is part of the Upanisadic method of approaching the truth which begins with drsti (seeing), and moves on to sruti (hearing), then manana (thinking about what one has heard and asking questions), and finally nididhyasana (meditation on the results of that thinking and questioning). One can find many examples of this process in the different Upanisads, especially the older, more authentic ones. Each of these steps requires a lengthy discussion, but for now let's just look at drsti, seeing or observation. One can gather a lot by simply observing a potential source of knowledge, that is, a person to whom you are about to listen: watching what they do, how they treat others, how they spend their time, what their interests are, what excites them and what does not, etc. At this stage it is often possible to distinguish phonies from those who really have something to teach. Of course, a lot has been learned about liars and lying in recent years. The best liars are those who believe their own lies. Nevertheless, if one can detect a liar at this stage one can save oneself a great deal of trouble. The devil will have red eyes and smoke pouring out his ears, the scent of brimstone in the air. In other words, there are often subtle tells that can give one early warning. |
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Post by Nityānanda dāsa on Feb 1, 2020 18:29:05 GMT -6
Greetings Nilamadhava Dasji. You often post good and difficult questions on this site which rarely get attempted answers. Perhaps this is so because they are difficult questions with no easy or pat answers. This is one of those questions. As an ex-IGMer I have struggled for years to get the IGM apasiddhanta out of my head. Whenever I think I have, up pops another unquestioned assumption from the boiling caldron of subconscious IGM mistaken views. Since this has been my struggle, I have avoided reading anything by any one connected to IGM. It is so easy to pick up another virus, you see. Nevertheless, there might be some good insights into some aspect of CV history or philosophy in those writings, especially if the author has become a scholar and done some good, thoughtful research in some area. In such cases the only thing we can appeal to is our own ability to think critically, possibly guided by our gurudev of the heart. In other words we have to develop the ability to distinguish truth from bullshit. This is unfortunately a matter of experience which means sometimes we are going to misjudge. A good rule of thumb to adopt is this: one should not believe everything one reads. We should not accept things simply on the basis of some claim to authority. All authorities must be questioned. In my view this is part of the Upanisadic method of approaching the truth which begins with drsti (seeing), and moves on to sruti (hearing), then manana (thinking about what one has heard and asking questions), and finally nididhyasana (meditation on the results of that thinking and questioning). One can find many examples of this process in the different Upanisads, especially the older, more authentic ones. Each of these steps requires a lengthy discussion, but for now let's just look at drsti, seeing or observation. One can gather a lot by simply observing a potential source of knowledge, that is, a person to whom you are about to listen: watching what they do, how they treat others, how they spend their time, what their interests are, what excites them and what does not, etc. At this stage it is often possible to distinguish phonies from those who really have something to teach. Of course, a lot has been learned about liars and lying in recent years. The best liars are those who believe their own lies. Nevertheless, if one can detect a liar at this stage one can save oneself a great deal of trouble. The devil will have red eyes and smoke pouring out his ears, the scent of brimstone in the air. In other words, there are often subtle tells that can give one early warning. Radhe Radhe Dada! I always appreciate your replies and insights. Thank you again. I guess I just feel sad that there is no authentic Nitai Gaur or Radha Krishna mandir anywhere near my home. No sadhus to spend time with in person. I do have to count my blessings as I have had many nice opportunities over the recent years to be in the sanga of great sadhus in the US and in India. I will keep plugging along. It's all I can do. Thankfully I do have a number of larger books by Sri Anantadas Babaji that I forgot about. I just looked them up on my PC and realized that I should spend time reading these -- Radha Rasa Sudhanidhi, Vilapa Kusumanjali, and Utkallika Vallari. Some good sanga there. Oh! And it seems that some higher power is at work in my life. I have to come home for a week to get a physical and fingerprinting done for a new job. I was just planning to fly via Delhi without spending time in India. But then I was forced by circumstances to change my flight, giving me a free day and a half in India. Off to Vraj I go! I plan to buy all the Bengali books at Anantadas Baba's bookshop, which include some contributions completed by his gurudev, Sri Kunjabiharidas Babaji. And of course if there's time, I hope to find a few others. Maybe I will get very lucky and get to meet some sadhus such as Srivatsa Goswami, Hridayananda das Babaji and others. Please give me your blessings everyone that someday I may receive diksa and become a little bit closer to my goal of becoming dasi, dasi, anudasi of Srimati Radhika! |
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Post by Ed on Feb 1, 2020 21:37:27 GMT -6
74.I am not a brahmanaa, nor am I a ksatriya, nor a vaishya nor sudra. I am not a brahmachari, grhastha, vanaprastha, or sanyasin. I am ONLY the servant of the servant of the servant of the Lotus feet of the Lord, who is the husband of the gopis, who is but an ever waxing ocean of the nectar of diving bliss. (Sri Chaitanya) Radhe Radhe Lalita Dasi! Thank you for posting this an also the videos links to Pandit Tarun Krishna Das. I'm listening as I type this. So this verse #74, is this the famous one that is often used or said to be used for bhuta suddhi (" naham vipro na ea nara-patir..."? Do raganuga sadhakas perform this ritual as part of their sadhana? I know that at least the members of Prangopal Goswami’s family do. Anyway, as Nitai said once, this verse is so significant that it probably could’ve been part of Mahaprabhu’s eight verses of instruction, although perhaps that idea is already there implied in the fifth verse. |
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Post by Ldd on Feb 2, 2020 5:20:09 GMT -6
I guess I'm so used to saying it to myself all the time. I skip that. But I saw in a booklet recently as part of puja. I don't follow everything super strict. I think Krishna smiles at small mistakes and extracts the love.
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Post by Ldd on Feb 2, 2020 5:33:28 GMT -6
If you have nothing else to do you can take the books and check off every step of puja as you do it. I don't and don't feel lessened by it. My puja is usually a big mess. Or sometime just something in the mind.
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