Remembering Tamal Krishna Goswami

Spiritual Master

A devotee who dedicates his or her life in this service of Sri Guru and Gauranga, that life is auspicious and however inconceivable the passing of the devotee may be, we should understand that it is all auspicious. In Sri Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna the auspicious times and ways that a great yogi should leave this world and the times that are in circumstances that are inauspicious to leave this world. But Srila Prabhupad explains very clearly in the purport, for a devotee who is surrendered to Krishna, all of this auspicious and inauspicious is irrelevant. Because devotee is under the protection of Krishna and whatever Krishna does for his devotee is all auspicious as incomprehensible it may be to our material intelligence. We can really only understand the life and passing of great souls on the basis of our faith, in the words of the Holy Scriptures and great acharyas.

Remembering HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj

Srila Prabhupada personally trained him, more than anyone else in our society, Srila Prabhupada through his letters, through his personal association, personally trained him in every possible detail of etiquette, of preaching, of management, of accounts and he expected Goswami Maharaj to teach what he had given him, to devotees wherever he went. When Srila Prabhupada saw how strict Los Angles temple was in the regulative principles, how enthused and happy the devotees were, how completely enliven the preaching spirit was, how the distribution of Back To Godhead was the biggest in all of the world. He was so very very satisfied. Prabhupad went to London and he asked Goswami Maharaj to not only be the in charge of Los Angeles but to start temples all over the west coast. And practically every week he was starting a new centre. Centre after centre, when he saw things were having difficulty in San Francisco, he went there and established and sent new devotees. Srila Prabhupada was so very pleased, so grateful.

HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj - A Fearless Leader

So, it was an impossible situation to get the books and it appeared the strike was to going to go on for long long time. The most violent, demoniac people were there to uphold this political campaign. So, Srila Prabhupada turned to Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj and said, “I want you to get those books immediately”. So, he went there and he saw the situation, how could anyone, there was like thousands of kilos of books, how do you just get it out of there? So, what to do?  So, what happened is, he started going to various political parties, different ministers in Calcutta and every one of them said “Impossible! We cannot go near that strike. Nothing, nobody could reach those docks.” So, what would you have done? He could have written to Prabhupad and say “Prabhupad! impossible, it cannot be done.” But he understood Prabhupad wanted those books. This man was the very embodiment of determination, unflinching determination to serve his spiritual master.

HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj - An Embodiment of Unflinching Determination

During that Pandal program on several occasions, Tamal Krishna Goswami who is then a house holder, he preached to me in various very creative ways, so creative, I couldn’t understand. But he was very very compassionate, very kind, very loving. Of course, I did not join the movement then, I went back to the Himalayas and later by Krishna’s grace, I was living in Vrindavan and about six months later while living in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada came. So, I stayed with the devotees during Prabhupad’s visit. And Prabhupad every morning he would give Srimad Bhagavatam class and then after breakfast prasad, he would take devotees in morning to various holy places and lead us in Parikrama. We went to Barasana, Nandgaon, the seven temples of the Goswamis, Radha Damodar temple, we went to Mathura, Gokul Mahavan, various places and Prabhupad would tell us wonderful stories and the significance of the places, have us to do kirtans. Then, we would have lunch Prasad. In the afternoon Srila Prabhupada would sit in his room and just give darshan for several hours to guests, his god brothers, goswamis, brajvasis and friends that he had.

My First Meeting with HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj

In Mayapur, Sripad Brahmanand prabhu, one of the senior most members of our society, with tears in his eyes, he told me the reason why Srila Prabhupad asked Tamal Krsna Goswami Maharaj to go to Mayapur, as Prabhupad knew that no one else in the whole world could do it, except him. Prabhupad gave him the money, he taught him how to tie, with piece of cloth like dhoti, to make like a money belt to around him, because he knew there will be all kinds of dacoits and robbers in this area. And he went persistently for days, although there was every type of opposition, he had to oppose our own lawyers, the people wanting to sell the land, and he convinced everybody that it must be done. And then when it came the time for the transaction, they were sitting in this little office, very little office and because it was large sum of money, the persons who were buying the land, who were farmers, they had several people with spears to guard anyone from taking the money from them and they had the lawyer from the other side, every single rupee note, they had to copy by hand, the entire serial number. It took hours and hours and hours. Finally, the deed for that property was in Goswami Maharaja’s hands and he immediately went back to Calcutta, where Srila Prabhupad was waiting.

HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj - The Most Trusted Servant of Srila Prabhupada

It is important in order for that association to be following in the footprints of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates, each and every one of us has to take the responsibility to be that type of association. We both receive it and we also share it. It's not difficult. Help each other to remember Krishna, help each other to chant the names of Krishna and that's what these temples are for. We see on so many festivals, people are coming together to cook for Krishna. They're inspired by each other to be in their homes to cook for Krishna, to decorate the temple for Krishna, to come and hear the glories of Krishna. Association is so crucial to our sadhana. In the heart of our sadhana is hearing and chanting, hearing the glories of Lord, developing a taste for hearing the glory of the Lord. And that taste comes through our humility and our eagerness to serve vaishnavas, our eagerness to help people who spiritually are in need in this world. When we make our life focused in these ways, whatever our occupation or field and Krishna will be pleased. But then it's important that we give the time and the effort to hear the glories of the Lord, to speak the glories of the Lord and to chant, the names of the Lord in japa and kirtan.

Importance of Remembering the Gift That Srila Prabhupada Has Given Us

In service to Krishna, we are serving Krishna to please him. If we are acting enthusiastic and eager so that people will think we are an advanced devotee, then that's a materialistic perception. But if my Guru Maharaj or Srila Prabhupada wants me to be eager to chant the Holy Name, if he wants me to be eager to hear Srimad Bhagavatam, if he wants me to be eager to read his books, if he wants me to be eager to come for the aratis to worship the deities, if he wants me to be eager to distribute his books or to preach to others or serve the Vaishnavas or whatever we're doing that eagerness for the pleasure of Krishna, whether we feel eager or not is a detail.

How to Please Our Spiritual Master?

The Purpose Of Harinaam Initiation

Sometimes we becomes complacent, everything is going very nice, our family life is going nice, our children are becoming nice devotees, all of our economic problems are not problems at all and everyone likes us and we are being very respected, when we come to the temple and our sadhana is very strong.  Even when all this is there, Maya is ready to trap you, by making you feel, that everything is all right, that’s giving you a sense of complacency in your own service and in your own position in society.  But, to advance in Kåñëa Consciousness, there must be greed and eagerness and anxiety for more and a receptive heart to receive the directions and the blessings by which we can receive that, that must always be there.  That’s why it is important to regularly hear Çrémad Bhagvatam.  You see, just like in surgery, sometimes you are stabbed, sometimes you are cut, but we don’t want anesthesia, we want to feel the pain, as the knife of the Sadhu’s words go into our heart, because it keeps us awake, it keeps us alive, it keeps us feeling a sense of discontentness, in our present situation so we can strive and hanker and long for more.  So at this very time, Närada appeared, it’s wonderful!  Närada did not appear until Vedavyäsa was in distress.  But, we find this is the case wherever there is a proper transmission of transcendental knowledge.  Kåñëa didn’t speak to Arjuna until he was in distress, until he was longing for guidance until he felt himself incapable, then Kåñëa, He waited for that moment, similarly Sukadeva Goswami, he didn’t speak to Maharaj Parikshit until, he was cursed to die in seven days, he was eager, he was anxious as Arjuna was, as Vyasdeva is, so at this time Kåñëa sends Çré Närada Muni

The Proper Consciousness To Approach A Spiritual Master

sometimes we find that devotees who are not properly cultured in what Vishnavism  truly is in these higher realms of consciousness, sometimes they become proud and sometimes they think they really do not require to hear anything from anyone because they already know. ‘I’ve already read the books, I know so many slokas, I’m such a good preacher, I’m giving so much good guidance to others, I’m content, I’m very good.’ But can you compile the four Vedas, the eighteen Puranas in perfect metric poetry, the Mahabharata, the Vedanta sutra, the itihasas, the Çrémad Bhagvatam and some of these literatures, not only did he compose them, but he wasn’t sitting there with a computer deleting things and going over what he has already done with editors and proof readers like even the best authors today, he wasn’t scratching out. He was just speaking and as he was speaking, without stopping Ganapati was writing and they made a pact that if you stop writing, I will stop speaking; if you stop speaking, I will stop writing.  So, I believe the whole Mahabharata was written in this way, no stopping, perfect Sanskrit grammar, poetry, everything is there included within that is the Bhagavad-gétä, representing the highest truths. Are you so competent to compile all the Vedic literatures? Yet Vyäsadeva was still feeling himself in need, depending on some higher power to full fill his purpose. He was still longing for direction for guidance. And actually even in the spiritual world, when you are in an absolutely perfect spiritual form, siddha deha, your Swarupa, Bhakta Swarupa, even at that time; you are never thinking that “I’m very good, I have done enough.” In Vrindavan we find everyone is thinking, what more can I do for Kåñëa? And everyone is under a higher authority, everyone is anxious to do more service, anxious to learn more and receptive to hear ‘How can I do more service for the pleasure of Radha and Kåñëa?’ Çrémati Radharani is the original supreme most spiritual master and from her Lalita Vishaka, the sakhis, Citra sakhi, Induleka sakhi, Campalata, Ranga devi, Sudevi, these sakhis, they all have their manjari associates: Rupa manjari, Vilas manjari, like that. And all of the most perfected begins in the forms of Braja gopis they are always anxious to do more service, always feeling themselves that they haven’t done enough and therefore they are always eager hear from their authorities, from their gurus and receive direction of how they can best serve and please Radha and Kåñëa? So, this is the eternal nature of the perfectly liberated soul. In the path of Bhakti, we are never content; we are always depending and aspiring for the blessings and the mercy of our seniors to guide us, to direct us and to bless us.  So how much greater is to understand us here, in this world in our conditioned state?

The Necessity of Hearing From Spiritual Master at Every Stage of our Spiritual Life

It is explained that Brahmä is the father of all Vidhis and he is the embodiment of all transcendental knowledge and Vedavyas, worshipping, respecting and offering veneration to his guru on an equal level to that of Brahmäji and because Vedavyas was approaching in this spirit, and this is very important to understand, he wasn’t approaching Närada because Närada was Närada, he was approaching Närada with such respect and submissiveness because Närada was the representative of Brahmä and Kåñëa and this is the difference between a personality cult and a proper religion based on truth. However wonderful a person may speak, however handsome a person may move his body, however empowered one may be with siddhis or charismatic, if we actually want to learn the truth, we do not respect and venerate that person because of what he is.  We respect and venerate that person because of what that person represents and we have seen too often, how often times disciples or followers, they lose that perception and they think that this is my guru and whatever he says doesn’t matter, doesn’t matter any guru, it doesn’t matter any sadhu or any Shashtra, to me, he is God, God is speaking through him. In this way, we are in the wrong consciousness; we do not understand how to approach a spiritual master. Vedavyasa is teaching us, because he is representing Brahmä, therefore I will hear from him and I will offer him all respect and veneration, I will surrender to his lotus feet. Similarly, in this movement, we should respect and adore someone because they are representing Prabhupada and Bhatkisiddhanta, Gaurakishora, Bhaktivinoda, Jagganatha Das babaji, Narottama Das Thakur, Çrénivasa Acharaya, Kåñëadas Kaviraja Goswami, Raghunatha Das Goswami, Rupa and Sanatana, Swarop Damodar Goswami, Nityanada Prabhu, Çré Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ishwara Puri, Madhavendra Puri, Lakshmipati, Madhaväcärya, Vyasa, Närada and Kåñëa; and Kåñëa is the disciple of Radharani. Caitanya Caritamrita states this, Kåñëa says, ‘that Radharani, her Bhakti, her love is so much, so deep, so great, that, that love is my guru. I am controlled by it, I am the servant of it, I dance according to her love.’  So, Radha and Kåñëa, their loving affairs is the supreme guru and we must know that this mercy, this grace, this knowledge must come down through proper disciplic succession.  And we must honour and venerate those persons, not necessarily just one person, but those persons who are properly representing that truth.

How To Approach A Spiritual Master And His True Representative?

Radhanath Swami is a Vaishnava sanyassi (a monk in a Krishna-bhakti lineage) and teacher of the devotional path of Bhakti-yoga. He is author of The Journey Home, a memoir of his search for spiritual truth. His teachings draw from the sacred texts of India such as The Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Ramayana, and aim to reveal the practical application of the sacred traditions, while focusing on the shared essence which unites apparently disparate religious or spiritual paths.
Born Richard Slavin, on December 7, 1950, in his teens he came to confront a deep sense of alienation from suburban Chicago life and the civil injustices of mid-century America. At the age of nineteen, while on a summer trip to Europe, his internal struggles culminated in a commitment to search for God wherever it might lead him. Meditating on the Isle of Crete, he felt a supernatural calling and the next morning set off alone to find spiritual India. The Journey Home documents his odyssey as a penniless hitch-hiker though Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and finally India. There he lived as a wandering ascetic, first amongst the forest dwelling Himalayan yogis and later amongst a wide variety of gurus and spiritual practitioners throughout India and Nepal. Ultimately, he was led to the holy town of Vrindavan, where he found his path amongst the Bhakti-yogis.
In Vrindavan he found the teacher he was searching for in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and representative of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, (the Krishna-bhakti tradition stemming from the 16th century mystic avatar Sri Chaitanya). In choosing Bhaktivedanta Swami, as his guru, Radhanath Swami felt compelled to shear his matted locks and reenter Western society with a mission to share the sacred wisdom he had received. This return exemplifies the form of devotional yoga which is at the heart of Radhanath Swami’s teachings, a spiritual practice expressed as tangible action meant to bring about personal fulfillment and benefit the world.
At the the age of 31 he took the monastic vows of a Vaishnava sanyassin and became known as Radhanath Swami.
Today Radhanath Swami travels regularly throughout India, Europe and North America, sharing the teachings of Bhakti-yoga. He resides much of the year at the Radha Gopinath Ashram in Chowpatty, Mumbai. For the past twenty-five years he has guided the community’s development and has directed a number of acclaimed social action projects including Midday Meals, which daily serves more than 260,000 plates of sanctified vegetarian food to the children of the slums of Mumbai. He has also worked to establish missionary hospitals and eye camps, eco-friendly farms, schools and ashrams, an orphanage, and a number of emergency relief programs throughout India.
