Маха Шиваратри / Maha Shivaratri

, , , ,

В благоприятный день Маха Шиваратри устроили радостный праздник в честь Господа Шивы на нашем фестивале “Ришикеш Киртан”. Триста гостей посетили нашу программу, включающую беседу о прославлении Господа Шивы, абхишеку (церемонию омовения) большого Шива-лингама, киртан и воспевание священных мантр. Это было поистине священное событие!

В стихе 195 “Хари-бхакти виласы” Санатана Госвами говорит:

«Господь Шива – величайший из Вайшнавов, поэтому каждый Вайшнава должен соблюдать обет Шива Ратри».

по ссылке видео : (20+) Facebook


On the auspicious day of Maha Shivaratri we held a joyful celebration in honor of Lord Shiva at our Rishikesh Kirtan Fest. Three hundred guests attended our program featuring a talk glorifying Lord Shiva, an abhisheka (bathing ceremony) of a large Shiva lingam, kirtan and the chanting of sacred mantras. It was truly a sacred event!

In Hari-bhakti vilasa verse 195, Sanatana Goswami says:

“Lord Shiva is the topmost Vaishnava, therefore, every Vaishnava should observe the vow of Shiva Ratri.”


/0 Comments/by

Деревянные падуки Господа Чайтаньи! / Lord Caitanya’s Wooden Shoes!

, , ,

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=indradyumna&set=a.10227747448374652&__cft__[0]=AZWnePbz0sadxDMAbXwxdrEMFy8jv00irB9evMuERSPFksty2mjerxylfKTn0xcvgrcffEOcqZJ95hv13-TxhKiDqjRYUOAUnOE_uRAD4zNGsg&__tn__=-R


На днях посетили Патбари, что в деревне Баранаджар в 15 километрах от Калькутты. 500 лет тому назад в Патбари находился ашрам Бхагавата Ачарьи, великого преданного Господа Чайтаньи, упомянутого и в”Чайтанья Чаритамрите”, и в “Чайтанья Бхагавате”. Живущие здесь садху содержат знаменитый музей, где хранится множество предметов, связанных с Господом Чайтаньей и играми Его преданных. Наиболее примечательны деревянные падуки (сандалии) Господа Чайтаньи. Они очень старые. То, что от них осталось, заключили в деревянные колодки большего размера. Если внимательно посмотреть, на фотографиях обуви видны желтые части в центре. Это и есть то, что осталось от обуви Махапрабху спустя 500 лет.

Среди других экспонатов музея – кусочек одежд Мадхавендры Пури, кусочек чадара Нарахари Саракара, гороскоп Господа Чайтаньи, написанный от руки Ниламбхарой Чакраварти, одна бусина джапы Джаядевы Госвами, фрагмент мешочка для четок Харидаса Тхакура, фрагменты одеял Господа Чайтаньи и Господа Нитьянанды и кувшин для воды Господа Чайтаньи.

К сожалению, многое по небрежению в плохом состоянии, чуть не разваливается. Я предложил помощь по сохрану, и местные лидеры обдумывают мою просьбу. Фотографировать в самом музее запрещено, но деревянные падуки Господа Чайтаньи и территорию вокруг ашрама фотографировать разрешили. Харе Кришна!

May be an image of 1 person, flute and text

The other day we visited Pathbari, in the village of Baranajar, 15 kilometers from Kolkata. Pathbari was the place where Bhagavata Acarya, a great devotee of Lord Caitanya mentioned in both Caitanya Caritamrita and Caitanya Bhagavat, had his ashram 500 years ago. The sadhus who live there now maintain a famous museum with many articles associated with Lord Caitanya and His devotees’ pastimes. Most significantly there are the wooden ‘padukas’ ( shoes ) of Lord Caitanya. Because they are so old and have deteriorated, the remains are encased in a larger wooden shoe. If you look closely at the shoes in the photos you’ll notice the yellow portion in the center. That is what is left of Mahaprabhu’s shoes after 500 years. Amongst many of the other items in the museum are a small piece of Madhavendra Puri’s cloth, a small portion of a chaddar of Narahari Sarkar, the horoscope of Lord Caitanya hand-written by Nilambhara Chakravarti, a single japa bead of Jayadeva Goswami, a piece of Haridas Thakur’s bead bag, a piece each of the blankets of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda and a waterpot of Lord Caitanya. Unfortunately, many of the items are in very bad shape due to neglect, even to the point of disintegrating. I offered to help preserve them and the authorities there are considering my request. Photos are not allowed inside the museum itself, but we were allowed to photo Lord Caitanya’s wooden shoes and the area around the ashram. Hare Krsna!

/by

Ко дню ухода Шрилы Прабхупады 2024 / Disappearance Day Offering

,

May be an image of 2 people and text

Dear Srila Prabhupada: Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you!

Today, we observe the day you departed from this world, leaving us experiencing deep pangs of separation—an ache that only intensifies with each passing year. Although your teachings, your presence within your books, and the shelter of the holy name continue to nurture us, the pain of separation from you burns ever more strongly in our hearts.

You yourself expressed this same sentiment in your 1961 Vyasa Puja offering to your spiritual master, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Referring to his departure back home back to Godhead, you wrote most poignantly:

“On that day, in pain of separation, O Lord, I was grief-stricken, unable to tolerate being apart from my spiritual master.”

Though 47 years have gone by since you left us, Srila Prabhupada, we carry those same sentiments in our own hearts to this very day.

In a loving mood, you once said, “I do not know who is Krsna. I only know my Guru Maharaja.”

And so it is with us. Thus, separation from you takes on a special mood.

In separation from Krishna, the devotee says:

saṅgama-viraha-vikalpe
varam iha viraho na saṅgamas tasya
ekaḥ sa eva saṅge
tri-bhuvanam api tan-mayaṁ virahe

“Separation from Krishna is better than meeting Him. When I meet Him there is only one Krishna, but when I am separated from Him the three worlds become filled with Krishnas.”
(Padyāvalī, 240)

And so it is for me in my relationship with you, Srila Prabhupada. Since you departed, my world is filled only with memories of you. Yet, I still hanker to meet you again in person and to hear your loving words—as on the occasion in London when you slapped me on my back in firm appreciation, or even the chastisement you gave me when I fell asleep during your lecture in Hyderabad! No matter how deeply I desire to relive these moments, I know it is not possible to do so. This heartfelt longing reminds me of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s plaintive appeal:

sa caitanyaḥ kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam

“Will Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ever become the object of my vision again?” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 4.51)

In that mood I humbly pray:

sa prabhupadah kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam

“Will my beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, ever become the object of my vision again?”

Each year, especially on this occasion, remembrances of you flood my mind: the unyielding determination in your eyes, the compassion in your voice as you called us to Krishna’s service, and the countless hours you spent guiding us towards pure love of Krishna. You embody that platform of pure love and absolute surrender to Krishna, and in your presence, we felt as if we were sheltered within an impenetrable fortress. Now, in this world without you, we are left to navigate the darkness of Kali-yuga, holding fast to your words as our guiding torch. That very torch you kindly handed me in the infancy of my spiritual life when you replied to a letter I wrote to you saying I missed you after your visit to our temple in Detroit in 1971. You replied, “I very much appreciate your feelings of separation from me. I also feel separation from my Guru Maharaja, but I always feel he is watching over and protecting me.” Srila Prabhupada, those words have given me solace since the day you departed this planet.

Once, in Paris, you invited me into your room, allowing me to watch in awe as you dictated the Srimad Bhagavatam with remarkable clarity and resolve. Now, in your absence, those words linger only as a whisper, leaving me longing for those few precious moments in your association once again. How vividly I remember sitting at your lotus feet in numerous cities around the world—Detroit, London, Paris, Geneva, and Rome—captivated by the timeless wisdom that flowed from your lips like nectar.

In my service to you, Srila Prabhupada, I continue to reach out to the lost souls of this world. Daily, I remember your plea to me: to preach boldly and have faith in the holy names. You spoke those words to me directly and in your absence, they have become my heartbeat, my mission statement, and my solace. To fulfill that plea requires immense spiritual strength, and I draw that strength from the promise you made to me one day in London—that we shall meet again in the spiritual world, and I will have the chance to serve you eternally in that realm of love and bliss.

Though I presently carry on my service in separation from you, I know that each step taken in your service brings me nearer to you. I feel your presence beside me, even in silence; I see your gentle smile reflected in the mirror of my heart. Every prayer I offer, every round I chant, every service I perform is dedicated to you, in the hope of honoring your name and the priceless teachings you imparted. The void left by your departure has only deepened my resolve to walk the path you so brilliantly illuminated.

Your divine presence left an indelible mark upon this world and upon our hearts—a mark that no force of time or tide will ever erase. Even now, your love and mercy reach across this vast distance of separation, giving me the strength to persevere. Your vision of a world transformed by Krishna consciousness fills my mind, and with each effort I make in your service, I strive to fulfill even a fraction of that dream. Yet, the weight of your mission rests heavily on my shoulders, constantly reminding me of the unwavering dedication with which you labored, despite every obstacle, to establish this movement for the salvation of all.

As I travel this world, speaking on the glories of Krishna and His service, it is your voice that speaks through me. I feel your love in every kirtan I lead, in every festival I arrange, and in every life that is touched by Krishna consciousness. Though my words may fall short and my efforts may be imperfect, I know that in each heart that turns toward Krishna, your legacy lives on. Your kindness and determination have become my guiding star, illuminating the path ahead. And in the moments when the path feels lonely in your absence, I remember that your transcendental presence remains with every single one of us who labors for your mission—just as you promised.

Srila Prabhupada, as I reflect on the years of my life, I am humbled by all you have so freely bestowed upon me. You have blessed me with a family in the form of countless disciples, friends, godbrothers, and godsisters — each one a precious gift on this path. Through them, I witness Krishna’s mercy and see how your mission continues to expand, bringing new hope to hearts once lost. From these devotees, I draw strength and inspiration, and I pray to serve them with the same love and patience that you so generously showed me.

My dear spiritual master, I pray once again for the good fortune of having your vapu as the object of my constant vision. Whether you bless me again, or chastise me again, I will consider both as equal expressions of your mercy. When your Guru Maharaja, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, was preaching, his disciples would say that “prabhupādera dāl” (his remnants of dāl) and “prabhupādera gāl” (his sharp words of chastisement) have the same effect. They both lead to Krishna-prema.

Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Sanskrit, one of the terms used to denote a disciple is ante-vāsī. The term means that the student is at the door of his guru, waiting outside his home (ante), standing (vāsī) and holding paraphernalia for the service of his guru. I pray that you make me an ante-vāsī standing outside your door now and forevermore.

So, on this sacred day, I once again lay my heart, my soul, and my life at your lotus feet. I bow before you, offering my tears of separation as a homage to your infinite kindness. May I continue to carry your mission forward with courage, may I honor your teachings with purity, and may I one day be worthy to stand before you again—finally reunited—in the service of the Supreme Lord.

Srila Prabhupada, may I always reside in your heart, both in meeting and separation.

yatrāpi vasati śrīla
prabhupādo jagad-guruḥ
mamāpi vasatiḥ saiva
bhavatv ity arthitā mama

“My cherished desire is that wherever Prabhupāda is currently residing — may that place become my place of residence.”

Your eternal servant,
Indradyumna Swami


https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10227012782088454&set=a.3707173840886

/0 Comments/by

Обновленное подношение 2010 года

,

https://scontent-ams2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/420173130_10225220117952971_7027151554677030457_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=Qz1LWZu25OoQ7kNvgGrwvNc&_nc_ht=scontent-ams2-1.xx&oh=00_AYD9wh2iqn1VvTWSpbv43yFKmxWcRZkWrrEwsIE8FTWjCA&oe=665B7358

Мой дорогой духовный брат Шридхар Махараджа,

Пожалуйста, прими мои самые смиренные поклоны. Слава Шриле Прабхупаде!

Сегодня мы празднуем благоприятный день твоего явления. Бесчисленное количество твоих духовных братьев, учеников, друзей и доброжелателей по всему миру собрались и наслаждаются светлыми воспоминаниями о твоих прославленных деяниях, связанных с распространением миссии санкиртаны Господа Чайтаньи. Делясь этими воспоминаниями, они могут говорить часами, поскольку, по милости Шрилы Прабхупады, ты добился потрясающего успеха в этом служении. Я знаю это, поскольку мне посчастливилось быть с тобой на протяжении какого-то времени и наблюдать, как ты проповедуешь в Индии, Америке и Канаде.

Я счастлив, что сегодня в твою честь звучат прославления, которых ты заслуживаешь. Но также мне грустно, поскольку мне кажется, что твой уход был преждевременным. “Преждевременно” – слово, которое использовал Шрила Прабхупада, услышав о кончине одного из своих учеников в первые дни Движения.

Порой я удивляюсь, зачем Господь забирает подобных тебе преданных так рано, перекладывая ответственность за распространение сознания Кришны на твоих младших духовных братьев. Это можно объяснить только Его любовью к таким как ты слугам, проявляющим все лучшие качества и сильное желание распространить святое имя по всему миру. Один из наших духовных братьев, Бимал Прасад дас, хорошо сказал по этому поводу:

“Мы все любим тех великих душ, кто достиг совершенства в наслаждении вкусом
святого имени, и доверяем им. К несчастью, такой успех часто означает, что
Верховный Господь Сам жаждет их общения, а мы чувствуем потерю, когда Он
забирает их к Себе Домой”.

Я очень скучаю по тебе. Я скучаю по тем временам, когда мы путешествовали вместе в ранние дни движения. В твоем обществе всегда было весело и интересно. И какой бы сложной ни была ситуация, ты всегда отпускал
какую-нибудь шутку, вызывая наш смех. А в следующий момент ты мог так беспощадно сказать об иллюзорности материальной жизни, что я поеживался.

Махараджа, никто не сможет заменить тебя. Как и многие другие ученики Шрилы Прабхупады, ты был уникален в своем сознании Кришны. Я помню, в самые последние дни, когда ты лежал на смертном одре в Маяпуре, один преданный повернулся ко мне и спросил: “Что же происходит? Что же будет с нашим движением без Шридхары Свами?” Я не знал, что ответить. Со временем я получил ответ, увидев, что мир становится немного темнее каждый раз, когда уходит такой же светлый преданный, как ты.

Когда ты ушел, я почувствовал, что потерял одного из лучших друзей на поле битвы. Шрила Прабхупада часто сравнивал проповедь с битвой, в которой преданным приходится сражаться и с иллюзорной энергией, и с теми, кто противостоит движению санкиртаны, например, с мирскими учеными, атеистами и деспотичными правительствами. У ИСККОН длинная и славная история в этой битве за распространение послания Махапрабху в западном мире. Шрила Прабхупада как-то сказал: “Однажды историки опишут, как движение сознания Кришны спасло мир в его самые темные часы”. Без сомнения, когда они это сделают, твое имя будет там, в списке тех, кто был на передовой в этой битве, вооруженный святыми именами и верой в духовного учителя.

Твоя вера сделала тебя бесстрашным. Я ни разу не видел, чтобы ты отступил перед кем-то из своих оппонентов. Никто не мог одержать над тобой верх в споре, поскольку ты искусно сочетал знание шастр и глубокую  убежденность. Бесчисленное количество раз я видел, как одна твоя убежденность действовала на других. Преданные твоего уровня навсегда останутся в памяти. И в будущем, когда люди смогут оценить истинную ценность того, что смогло предложить это движение, возможно, вас будут ценить даже больше.

Ты был одним из первых, кто бросился на передовую, но также стал и одним из первых, кто ушел. Здесь, на поле битвы, становится одиноко, Махараджа. Я не хочу сказать, что больше никого не осталось. Есть много новых санньяси, принявших ответственность. Но это не совсем то. Многое можно сказать о преданных, которые тридцать-сорок лет вкладывали жизнь и душу в практику и проповедь сознания Кришны. Ты был как раз такой личностью. Но сейчас ты ушел, и другие тоже уходят. Вскоре мир лишится общества тех мужчин и женщин,
на чью долю выпала удача покрыть свои головы пылью с лотосных стоп нашего Гуру Махараджа.

Безусловно, подрастает новое поколение преданных, по-своему уникальных и способных эффективно проповедовать в наступающие времена. Благодаря их славным усилиям движение будет продолжать существовать на протяжении сотен и тысяч лет. Но, несмотря на это, что-то уйдет и никогда не будет прежним:
поколение, которому выпала удача помогать Шриле Прабхупаде в самые первые дни движения. Однажды Шрила Прабхупада сказал: “В самом начале Кришна послал мне нескольких хороших людей”. Несомненно, ты был одним из них.

А пока мы продолжаем наше служение в разлуке, стараясь изо всех сил. Это – то же движение, тот же метод, то же учение, но ряды преданных учеников Прабхупады редеют. Утешение придет, когда мы присоединимся к тебе и другим в следующей великой главе проповеди сознания Кришны где-то в материальном мире, куда Шрила Прабхупада отправился, чтобы продолжить свою миссию. Или, возможно, Его Божественная Милость призовет нас всех назад в духовный мир, чтобы служить там Радхе и Кришне вместе с ним в чарующей обители вечного
блаженства.

“Счастливой охоты, пока мы не встретимся снова”, – были твои последние слова, адресованные мне. Я храню эти слова в своем сердце и жажду снова быть с тобой.

“Прекрасный Господь никогда не являлся перед моими глазами, и я никогда не пробовал нектара служения Его лотосным стопам… Так что я просто молюсь, чтобы обрести радость общения с теми великими душами, украшающими сейчас этот мир, чьи сердца сосредоточены на лотосных стопах Шри Чайтаньи”.

[ Шрила Прабходананда Сарасвати, Шри Чайтанья-чандрамрита, текст 50 ]

Твой слуга в разлуке,
Индрадьюмна Свами

(обновленное письмо 2010 года)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

My dear godbrother Sridhar Maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Today is the auspicious celebration of your departure from this world twenty years ago. Numerous godbrothers, disciples, friends and well-wishers have gathered around the world and are enjoying sweet memories of your glorious activities in spreading the samkirtan mission of Lord Caitanya. In recounting these memories they will speak for hours, for by the grace of Srila Prabhupada your service record was outstanding. I know this because I was fortunate to spend some time with you and witness your preaching activities in India, America and Canada.

I am happy that today you will receive the glorification you deserve. But I’m sad as well, for I feel your departure was premature. “Untimely” was the word Srila Prabhupada used when hearing of the demise of one of his disciples in the early days of the movement.

I sometimes wonder why the Lord takes away devotees like you so early, leaving the responsibility for spreading Krsna Consciousness to younger godbrothers. It can only be because of His love for servants such as yourself who exhibit all good qualities and an intense desire to spread the holy names around the world. One of our godbrothers, Bimal Prasad das, explained this nicely:

“We all love and trust those great souls who achieve perfection in relishing the holy names. Unfortunately, such success often means that the Supreme Lord Himself becomes eager for their association and thus we feel the loss when He takes them Home to be with Him.”

I miss you a lot. I miss the times we spent traveling together in the early days of the movement. It was fun and enlivening to be in your association. No matter how difficult the situation, you always said something humorous to make us laugh. And the next moment you could speak so candidly about the illusory nature of material life that it would make us cringe.

Maharaja, no one can replace you. Like so many of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples you were unique in your own Krsna conscious way. I remember towards the end when you were lying on your deathbed in Mayapura, one devotee turned to me and said, “How is this happening? What will the movement be like without Sridhar Swami?” I had no answer. I have learned the answer in time as I watch the world become a little dimmer each time an enlightened devotee such as you departs.

After you left I felt I had lost one of my closest friends on the battlefield. Srila Prabhupada often compared preaching to a battle in which devotees have to fight both the illusory nature and those who oppose the samkirtan movement such as mundane scientists, atheists and oppressive governments. ISKCON has a long and glorious history in this battle to spread the message of Mahaprabhu in the Western world. Srila Prabhupada once said, “One day historians will note how this Krsna conscious movement saved the world in its darkest hours.” No doubt when they do your name will be there, counted amongst those who were the first to go forward in the battle armed with the holy names and faith in their spiritual master.

Your faith made you fearless. I never once saw you back down from any opponent. No one could defeat you in argument, for you combined sastric knowledge with intense conviction. I saw numerous times how your conviction alone convinced others. Devotees of your caliber will be remembered, perhaps even more so in the future when people begin to appreciate the value of what this movement has to offer.

You were one of the first to go forward, but you were also one of the first to leave. It’s getting a little lonely out here on the battlefield, Maharaja. It’s not that there aren’t others present. There are plenty; even new sannyasis who are rising to the challenge. But it’s not exactly the same. There is something to be said for those devotees who have spent forty or fifty years practicing and preaching Krsna consciousness as their life and soul. You were just such a personality. But now you have left and others are leaving as well. Soon the world will be bereft of the association of those men and women who were fortunate enough to have taken the dust from our Guru Maharaja’s lotus feet upon their heads.

Certainly, another generation of devotees will arise, unique in their own way and able to effectively preach in times to come. Due to their glorious efforts the movement will go on as it has for centuries, for millennia. But despite this, something will be lost that will never be seen again: that generation who came by chance or good fortune to help Srila Prabhupada in the very early days of the movement. Srila Prabhupada once said: “In the beginning Krsna sent me a few good men.” No doubt, you were one of them.

And so, for now we serve in separation carrying on as best we can. It’s the same movement, the same process, the same teachings, but the ranks of Srila Prabhupada’s dedicated disciples are wearing thin. The solace will come when we join you and others like you in the next great chapter of preaching Krsna consciousness somewhere else in this material world where Srila Prabhupada has gone to continue his mission. Or perhaps His Divine Grace will invite us all back to the spiritual world to serve Radha and Krsna alongside him in Vrindavan, that enchanting land of eternal bliss.

“Happy trails until we meet again” were your last words to me. I keep those words close to my heart and long to be with you again.

“Because the wonderful Lord never came before my eyes, and because I never tasted the nectar of service to His lotus feet, I simply pray to attain the jubilant festival of the association of those great souls now decorating this world whose hearts are fixed at Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet.”

[Srila Prabhodananda Sarasvati, Sri Caitanya-candramrita, text 50]

Your servant in separation,
Indradyumna Swami.

[ Revised offering 2010 ]

/0 Comments/by

Diary of a Traveling Monk, Vyasa Puja Offering 2022 * * * Подношение на день явления Шрилы Прабхупады – 2022

, ,

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10221933681394111&set=a.3707173840886

https://scontent-ams2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/300229427_10221933681314109_7506177593766053631_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=2oFk_EyYO3sAX_U8GW7&_nc_ht=scontent-ams2-1.xx&oh=00_AfBPJAAc6kI3GRxiD4PHeI1oT0ZJR3G7QggyL1F9B3G0UQ&oe=64C1AD3F

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you!

In mid-August in the midst of our summer tour in Poland, I was surprised to see that many trees were already turning to their autumn colors. Generally, they don’t change color until mid-September.

“They will start losing their leaves soon,” I thought.

Watching the bright colors blur together through my window as we sped towards our next festival site, two thoughts came to my mind. First, I thought about how I am in the autumn of my life and soon you will call me to another service, somewhere here in the material world or perhaps even in the spiritual world. The second thought I had was that I am fortunate to have lived as long as I have!

You said on a morning walk on February 21, 1975 in Caracas, Venezuela:

“Instead of contemplating what will happen to this world, you have got a short duration of life, say fifty, sixty years. You chant Hare Krsna and go back to home, back to Godhead.”

Fortunately, I’ve lived 13 years past the sixty-year deadline, but unfortunately, I have yet to shed a tear while chanting the holy names. I am not discouraged, though, because you said in a lecture in Los Angeles on May 4, 1973:

“This is called firm faith, that ‘Now, because I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, so I must be able to face Kṛṣṇa, face to face, see Kṛṣṇa face to face. That I must have.’ So don’t be disappointed. Go on with your Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities. Time will come when you’ll see Kṛṣṇa, just like Kuntī is seeing, face to face. There is no doubt about it.”

So, I don’t doubt that I will see Krsna one day, and I’m certain that that will happen only by your grace. Thus, whatever time I have left in this body I will fully dedicate to your mission of delivering the fallen conditioned souls. I realized long ago that it is only by serving your mission in this world that I can qualify myself to participate in your pastimes in the spiritual world. This means preaching the message of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with full vigor just as you did!

yatha yatha gaura-padaravinde
vindeta bhaktim krta punya-rasih
tatha tathot-sarpati hrdya-kasmad
radha-padambhoja-sudhambu rasih

“As much as one can devote his full attention to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya, to that extent he will be able to taste the nectarine service of the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani in Vrindavan. The more one engages in the service of Sri Caitanya, the more one finds oneself in Vrindavan, tasting the nectar of the service of Sri Radha.”

(Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Caitanya Candramrta, Verse 88)

There are many excuses I could use to stop preaching: I’m too old, I’m too tired, I’ve done my part. But nothing I’ve done can equal even one iota of what you’ve done for me. My dear spiritual master, my debt to you can never be repaid.

Recently, I watched again the heart-wrenching video of your last hours in this world. On your deathbed, you were using your final breaths to speak your Bhaktivedanta purports into a dictaphone held close to your mouth by a disciple. May I embrace those words to my heart and share them with the unfortunate people of this world!

I pray that nothing will ever distract me from your mission and from my desire to join you in your nitya-lila pastimes in Goloka Vrindavan. The present world is overrun with unlimited distractions. On the same morning walk on February 21, 1975 in Caracas, Venezuela, you warned us against becoming infatuated by these distractions:

“Don’t consider what will happen to this world. Nature will take care of it. You don’t puzzle your brain with these thoughts. You utilize whatever time you have got in your possession and go back to home, back to Godhead. You cannot check it. Best thing is that you mold your life and go back to home, back to Godhead. Because people will go on with their material civilization, natural consequences will be there. You better take advantage of whatever time you have got and become fully Krsna conscious and go back to home.”

That I will do, my beloved spiritual master, and knowing your compassionate heart, I will try to bring as many conditioned souls with me as I can. Like you, I will try my best to preach until my last breath, whether it comes today or tomorrow. If I am to be remembered, let it be only for my attempts to render service to your lotus feet. The Samurai warriors had a code: “Don’t ask me how he died. Ask me how he lived!”

I am early in my awakening as a servant of the Lord, so I can’t claim to know Krsna. But I am confident that I will reach the goal because I know you. It is you who will one day bring me face to face with the Lord.

One time the great Ramanuja Acarya asked Ranganath, the presiding deity of Sri Rangam, “My Lord, what will happen if for some reason Your devotee cannot remember You at the moment of death?”

Ranganath replied, “If My devotee cannot remember Me at the moment of death, I will remember My devotee!”

In my case, Srila Prabhupada, this could only happen by your causeless mercy. It is only because I am always remembering you that Krsna might remember me.

My dear spiritual master, you are my life and soul, the most cherished element of my existence. You are everything to me, my “saksad hari,” the Lord’s representative in this world. I surrender myself totally unto your lotus feet.

As the sun sets on my life, I am not afraid of what lies ahead, for it can only be service to your lotus feet. I have experienced in this life that I am happy serving you in any condition, at any time, in any place—in the jungles of the Amazon, the freezing steppes of Siberia, the deserts of Mongolia, the favelas of Rio di Janeiro, the ruins of Sarajevo and the concrete jungles of New York, London and Paris. I have always been happy sharing your message with others.

This is especially true when I am on the Baltic Sea coast with our festival, where, for the last 30 years, thousands of guests have been in attendance every summer evening. When the audience gives us a resounding standing ovation, tears come to my eyes and I look up to the sky and wonder, “Srila Prabhupada, are you watching?”

I hope that you are and I feel that you must be. Please know that by holding these festivals in my remaining years, I want to reciprocate with your tireless efforts in establishing this movement in the pioneer days of ISKCON. My life is coming to a natural conclusion and I often dream of where I will serve you next. Every day I am trying to improve myself so that I will be a real asset to your mission. Forgive me for using a mundane phrase I learned in the military, but I want to “hit the beach running.”

One time a godbrother of mine said to you, “Srila Prabhupada, I want to be just like you!”

The assembled devotees were shocked. One devotee chastised that person saying, “It’s offensive to say that. You can never be equal to the spiritual master!”

But you took it differently. You said, “That is the proper sentiment because the spiritual master is acarya – he is setting the example what kind of devotee the disciple should be.”

I still have time left: a few days, a few months or perhaps even many years. I will use this time to try to become like you, to serve with the same determination as you did.

You once wrote to me that I should “always follow in the footsteps of advanced devotees.” That instruction has guided me throughout my life. I have always honored my godbrothers and godsisters, understanding them to be more advanced than me. Most importantly, Srila Prabhupada, I have honored you as the most advanced devotee I will ever know, either in this life or the next. I look forward to meeting you again one day in the spiritual world. You told one of my godbrothers that when we return to the spiritual world our spiritual master will be waiting for us. He will take our hand and lead us into the forest of Vrindavan where he will introduce us to Krsna, our beloved Lord. I shall keep that vision in my heart as I wander the world attempting to bring fallen souls to your lotus feet, for you are Prabhupada, the master at whose feet all masters sit.

All glories to you on this occasion of your divine appearance in this world!

Your servant,
Indradyumna Swami


/0 Comments/by

“…Regarding your request for your deliverance from the clutches of Maya”

, , ,
Возможно, это изображение 1 человек

“Regarding your request for your deliverance from the clutches of Maya, please rest assured of being delivered, because we have captured the strong chain of disciplic succession. This chain is coming down from the highest platform, Krishna. Just like a rope comes down the well so that anyone who may catch the rope from any position is sure to be delivered, so our aim should be to not give up the rope. We must capture the rope very tightly. Then our deliverance is assured.

So far as I am concerned, in relationship with my disciples who are so kindly cooperating with me in the matter of my rendering service to my Spiritual Master, for them I am always ready to come back from Goloka Vrindavan if they are not delivered along with me. So don’t be worried about the clutches of Maya. Be fixed up in your determination and go on serving the Supreme Lord, Krishna, with determination as you are already doing.”

[ Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 15, 1969 ]

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10221385836658335&set=a.3707173840886

/0 Comments/by

Navadvipa Satakam

, , , ,

 

Шрила Прабодхананда Сарасвати раскрывает тайну Навадвипа-дхамы в своей «Навадвипа шатаке» (стих 78):

«Если поклоняешься девяти лесам (девяти островам Навадвипы), лес Враджа твой.
Если не поклоняшься тем девяти лесам, лес Враджа остается в стороне…

«Если поклоняешься сыну брахмана (то есть Гауранге), то знаток любви Враджа (Кришна) твой.
Если не поклоняешься тому сыну брахмана, Кришна никогда твоим не будет».

арадхитам нава-ванам враджа-кананам те
нарадхитам нава-ванам враджа эва дуре
арадхито двиджа-суто враджа-нагарас те
нарадхито двиджа-суто на тавеха кришнах

 

Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati reveals the secret of Navadvipa-dhama in his Navadvipa Satakam (verse 78):

“If the nine forests ( the 9 islands of Navadwip ) are worshiped by you, then the forest of Vraja is yours. If the nine forests (the 9 islands of Navadwip) are not worshipped by you, then the same Vraja forest stays away ….

“If the son of the brahmana (i.e. Gauranga) is worshipped by you then the expert lover of Vraja (Krishna) is yours. If the son of the brahmana (i.e. Gauranga) is not worshipped by you then Krishna is never yours.”

aradhitam nava-vanam vraja-kananam te
naradhitam nava-vanam vraja eva dure
aradhito dvija-suto vraja-nagaras te
naradhito dvija-suto na taveha krsnah

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220966507095358&set=a.3707173840886

/0 Comments/by

One Day Of Causeless Mercy / Один день беспричинной милости

На прошлой неделе, в день ухода Шрилы Рагунатхи Бхатты Госвами, нас пригласили на его бхаджан-стхали здесь, во Вриндаване. Пять братьев-Госвами, которые там служат, милостиво позволили мне провести аротику :
– деревянным сандалиям Рагунатхи Бхатты Госвами,
– Шримад Бхагаватам, который он получил лично от Господа Чайтаньи,
– а также гирлянде из туласи, которую дал ему Махапрабху.
Эти трансцендентные предметы выставляют на обозрение только раз в год, в день, когда нас пригласили. Всем пришедшим преданным ИСККОН разрешили прикоснуться к сандалиям. Беспрецедентная беспричинная милость ко всем нам. Мы отмечали долгим экстатическим киртаном: и наши преданные, и Госвами пели и танцевали вместе несколько часов. Вот духовное общение на высочайшем уровне. Огромная благодарность семье Бхатты Госвами!

Last week on the Disappearance Day of Srila Ragunatha Bhatta Goswami, we were invited to his bhajan-sthali for the celebrations here in Vrindavan. The five Goswami brothers who serve there graciously allowed me to do arotika to the wooden shoes of Ragunatha Bhatta Goswami, the Srimad Bhagavatam he personally received from Lord Caitanya, as well as the tulasi garland Mahaprabhu gave him. These transcendental items are brought out on display only once a year, on the day we were welcomed. All the ISKCON devotees who came were allowed to touch the wooden shoes. It was unprecedented and causeless mercy upon us all. We celebrated with a long ecstatic kirtan in which our devotees and the Goswami’s chanted and danced for hours together. It was spiritual networking on the highest level. We are very grateful to the Bhatta Goswami family!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=indradyumna&set=a.10220522070384718

/0 Comments/by

Colosseum / в Колизее

, , ,

Дорогой Шрила Прабхупада, в этот день Вишварупа Махотсавы в сентябре 1959 года вы приняли уклад жизни санньясы в маленькой комнате Божеств на первом этаже Кешава Матха в Матхуре. Со временем вы покинете Индию в качестве ее главного духовного посланника и наполните мир сознанием Кришны.

Пятнадцать лет спустя, когда я стоял около вас перед римским Колизеем, слава исторического памятника исчезла после ваших слов, которые в целом охарактеризовали этот материальный мир. Вы тогда сказали, сурово глянув на нас:

«Преданные… они не хотят богатств материального мира. Они, что называется, пессимистичны. Они не придают никакого значения богатствам материального мира».

 

В вашем обществе, Шрила Прабхупада, мы все впитали этот дух отречения и научились избирать то, что действительно обладает величием:  это сознание Кришны и все, что к нему относится.

Что до меня, вы превыше всего в моей жизни – в прошлом, настоящем и будущем. В этот благоприятный день я продолжаю служить вашей миссии в этом мире как один из ваших санньяси-представителей. Все хорошо, но я скучаю по вам так, что это трудно выразить словами.

 

 

 

 

Dear Srila Prabhupada, on this day of Visvarupa Mahotsava in September 1959, you accepted the sannyasa order of life in the small deity room on the second floor of the Keshava Math in Mathura. In due course of time, you would leave India as its foremost spiritual ambassador and flood the world with Krsna consciousness.

As I stood before you in front of the famous Colosseum in Rome fifteen years later, the glory of that historic monument faded with your words that summarised the material world altogether. With a stern face you told us that day:

“Devotees, they do not want any opulence of this material world. They are, what is called, pessimistic. They do not give any value to the opulence of this material world.”

In your association, Srila Prabhupada, we have all imbibed that spirit of renunciation and learned to embrace what is truly great: Krsna consciousness and all it encompasses. As for me, you stand as the greatest of all things in my life – past, present and future. On this auspicious day, I continue to serve your mission in this world as one of your sannyasa representatives. All goes well – but I miss you more than words can ever express.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220363229693800&set=a.3707173840886

/0 Comments/by

Diary of a Traveling Monk, Vyasa Puja Offering 2021 * * * Подношение на день явления Шрилы Прабхупады – 2021

, ,


Diary of a Traveling Monk

Volume 15, Chapter ____

August 29, 2021



My Dearmost Spiritual Master,

Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.

Today I am praying to the Supreme Lord to find the proper words to glorify you on this special occasion of your 125th appearance day anniversary.

abalam prabhur ipsitonnatim
krta-yatnam sva-yasah-stave ghrni
svayam uddharati stanarthinam
pada-lagnam jananiva balakam

“Wishing to drink from his mother’s breast an infant child clutches his mother’s foot and she kindly picks him up. In the same way when a sincere devotee, although not expert with words, yearns to praise others, the Supreme Lord uplifts and empowers him.”

( Hari-bhakti-vilasa 8.351 )

Srila Prabhupada, the other day a person inquiring about Krsna consciousness asked me if I was happy. When I replied, “Yes, of course I am,” he countered, “But how can you be happy when there’s so much suffering in this world? Everywhere one looks people are unhappy.”

I replied, “Sir, my happiness lies in encouraging people to chant the holy names of Krsna, a time-honored remedy to alleviate all suffering in this world. I’m sure if you tried it you’d be happy too!”

“I can’t do that,” he said bluntly.

“It’s easy,” I said. “Just say, ‘Hare Krsna!’”

“Sorry,” was his only response.

“Well,” I said, “then you’ll just have to be satisfied with being one of the unhappy persons you mentioned.”

There was a pause and then suddenly he blurted out, “Alright! Hare Krsna! Hare Krsna! Hare Krsna!”

I waited for a moment and then asked him, “So, how was it?”

He replied, “Well, yeah. It was nice. I felt something different. I’ll give it a go.”

Srila Prabhupada, that conversation reminded me of how you were once walking on a beach in Bombay with some of your disciples and a little girl walking by folded her hands and said to you, “Hare Krsna!” Smiling, you turned to your disciples and commented, “Just see how successful our movement is!”

One disciple asked, “What do you mean by ‘successful’, Srila Prabhupada?”

You replied, “If you taste just one drop of the ocean, you can understand how salty the whole ocean is. Similarly, by this one girl greeting us with ‘Hare Krsna’ we can appreciate how the chanting of the Lord’s holy names has spread around the world.”

Such small triumphs in the spreading of the holy names certainly add to the success of your mission, Srila Prabhupada, but to be perfectly honest, locked down and locked out of my previous services to you as a result of the worldwide pandemic, I miss more than ever the big victories we helped you achieve in days gone by.

I miss seeing thousands of young people loudly chanting the holy names of Krsna at the Polish Woodstock Festival every year.

I miss distributing tens of thousands of plates of prasadam annually to Zulu children in the poor townships of South Africa.

I miss the standing ovations that our theater productions received as we toured the United States.

I miss our festivals along the Baltic Sea coast, where for 30 years running, each summer night, people would leap from their seats during the final kirtan and chant and dance with us in great ecstasy.

I miss our harinam parties in Altay, Dzag, Urgamal, and Hodrogo on the far-western steppes of Mongolia, where each time, literally the whole town would follow us back for a program in a hall.

The list is endless, Srila Prabhupada, but recently I realized I can’t go on forever daydreaming about the past. You said many times that if we are sincere, then there can be no real impediments to spreading the glories of the holy names. I was reminded of this recently while listening to a lecture you gave in London on July 18th, 1973, wherein you said:

“Material impediments cannot check progress in the science of God. We are experiencing that Krsna consciousness does not get checked anywhere. We have got branches all over the world. Any country, there is no language difficulty. Wherever we chant Hare Krsna they join. Even in Africa, they are also chanting Hare Krsna. So, there is no checking this movement.”

Your words had a profound effect on me, which is often the case when I listen to your lectures. I feel you are speaking directly to me.

“The learned say that nectar resides in the ocean, the moon, the lips of a young lady, the abode of serpents and in heaven. But the ocean is salty, the moon wanes, the husbands who drink nectar from the lips of their wives die, snakes provide poison, and one falls down from heaven when the fruits of his virtuous deeds are exhausted. But indeed, nectar is found in the voice of realized saints whose sweet words and instructions lead one to immortality.”

[ The Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāram ]

Inspired by your words, Srila Prabhupada, the daily chanting of my mantras took on a different tone. I pleaded to be engaged once again in some significant service to your mission.

Narada Muni says to Gopa Kumara in Brhad-bhagavatamrta:

“My dear boy, whatever you desire while chanting your mantra, by its power you will fully achieve. Indeed, you will attain more than your desire.”

[ Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta 2.1.189 ]

Time passed in this way, and having received no discernable sign from the Lord that He would fulfill my prayer for service to your mission, I suddenly realized how foolish I was to think that I, an aspiring devotee at best, could personally request something from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So then I did the right thing: I begged you, my beloved Spiritual Master, to pray to the Lord on my behalf!

In a letter to Mahananda das on April 26th, 1970, you wrote:

“Regarding your questions, are the Spiritual Master and the grand Spiritual Master consciously aware of the prayers of a sincere devotee who prays in love to Them? The answer is that no conscious prayers go in vain. They are transmitted positively. Any prayer you offer to your Spiritual Master and Superior Spiritual Master is conveyed to Krsna. No sincere prayers go in vain.”

So it was no surprise to me, Srila Prabhupada, when one week later, without any additional effort whatsoever on my part, my prayers [ to you! ] were answered.

“The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.”

[ William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1 ]

As I was walking by the prestigious Vrindavan Research Institute, near to our Krsna Balarama Mandir here in Vrindavan with my disciple Visnu-tattva das, he turned to me and said, “Srila Gurudeva, the managers of the institute told me they would like to meet with you. Can I make an appointment?”

I looked at him in disbelief. Since 1973, when I first travelled to Vrindavan, the prestigious institute with all of its thousands of sacred scriptures had mostly been off-limits to anyone except research scholars. I often dreamed of walking into the institute and having darshan of the sastras contained within its walls, which I knew included the original handwritten manuscripts of Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, Narottama das Thakura, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and many other great Vaisnava saints, as well.

“It’s under new management now,” Visnu-tattva continued. “They are eager to improve the important work they are doing. I’ve actually been helping them for some time now with cataloguing their vast library.”

Visnu-tattva comes from a well-respected Goswami family in Vrindavan and is pursuing a master’s degree in Sanskrit.

“They know about you, Srila Gurudeva, and are asking for your cooperation with scanning, digitizing, preserving, translating and publishing the 32,000 scriptures in the institute.”

Surprised, I said, “But how in the world do they know me?”

“Through your social media,” he replied. “And they’re aware that you’ve been lecturing about Vrindavan for almost two years based on authentic scriptures.”

I shook my head in disbelief.

“Ok,” I said. “Make an appointment.”

Several days later we met with the head of the institute and his managers for several hours, discussing the dynamics of how we could cooperate.

Afterwards, one of the managers took me on a tour of the institute.

As we walked through numerous rooms encasing the sacred texts, she said, “The previous managers were mainly interested in protecting the valuable manuscripts. But our new management realizes these scriptures were written to be read by the entire world.”

As we sat down to discuss more, she placed an old palm-leaf manuscript in my hands.

“Take this one for example,” she said. “It’s the original Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu by Srila Rupa Goswami. It is over 500 years old. You can see how much it is in need of preservation.”

“Good Lord!” I said softly. “I’m holding one of the most important sastras of our tradition in my hands.”

I could hardly fathom my good fortune. Looking closely at the beautiful handwriting of Srila Rupa Goswami, I remembered a verse from Caitanya-caritamrita:

sri-rupera aksara—yena mukutara panti
prita hana karena prabhu aksarera stuti

“Thus being pleased, Lord Caitanya praised the writing by saying, ‘The handwriting of Rupa Gosvami is just like rows of pearls.’”

[ Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya 1.97 ]

Carefully taking the manuscript from my hands, she placed another in front of me.

“Do you know the saint Narottama das Thakura?” she asked.

“Yes, I do,” I replied. “He’s one of my great heroes.”

“That is his book, Prarthana,” she said with a smile. “The original.”

As I very carefully turned each parchment page to inspect the condition of the book, she said, “These treasures need to be treated and preserved for future generations. Would you like to help?”

My eyes became moist and a lump appeared in my throat. I tried my best to convey my consent, but I couldn’t. I finally just blurted out, “Yes! Thank you!”

As she carefully placed the parchment in its box, she noticed a tiny sliver of the manuscript in the corner that had apparently broken off. Handing it to me, she said, “Please accept this as a blessing from your hero. Place it in a kavaca and wear it around your neck.”

At that point, I couldn’t help myself and I burst into tears of gratitude.

Srila Prabhupada, thank you for answering my prayers and entrusting me with a service that I know is very dear to your heart. You yourself carried a number of our previous acaryas’ books everywhere you travelled. Every day you would refer to them as you wrote your Bhaktivedanta purports. I know this for a fact, for I once carried a heavy suitcase of yours filled with those precious scriptures from the London airport to your room in our temple at 7 Bury Place. Huffing and puffing, I placed it at your lotus feet and when I bowed down, you slapped me on the back in firm appreciation and gave me an eternal blessing, saying:

“So much endeavour in this material world, but when I take you home, back to Godhead, everything will be easy and sublime.”

I look forward to that day when you’ll take me home, Srila Prabhupada, but in the meantime I’ll work closely with a team of devotees I am assembling from around the world to help the Vrindavan Research Institute raise funds, as well as catalogue, scan, digitize, preserve, translate and publish all the works—known and unknown—of our previous acaryas. All the while, I will keep your following words close to my heart:

“It is my serious desire to devote the fag end of my life to translating Srimad Bhagavatam and so many other Vaisnava literatures, so by assisting me in this regards you will be performing the highest service to Krsna.”

[ Srila Prabhupada, letter to Hayagriva das, April 27th, 1972 ]

Your eternal servant,
Indradyumna Swami

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10220261099420607&set=a.3707173840886

 

 

 

/0 Comments/by