Name: Om Gangayai Namah (Makara-Sankranti) by Tamal Krsna Das
Duration: 1 h 1 min 49 s
Description: 15 January 2023 - Celebrating the descent of Ganga devi, and the human duty to serve the link between Heaven & Earth by our sacrifices

Intro katha to a weekly series of talks for Caturmasya 2021.  

Here all Gurus are honored.  I cannot just glorify my own spiritual master today because the spirit of Sri Vyasadev (whose appearance is honored today as "Guru Purnima")is about inclusivity; reaching everyone where they are, recognizing the differences and also our universal need for guidance that is relevant to us personally.   On my own Guru's appearance day i glorify his lotus feet especially, but on Guru-Purnima it is to glorify the Samasti Guru-tattva... the all-inclusive principle of divine Grace reaching down to all of us.
 
Mystically, Sri Guru-Purnima is a window into the Spiritual World... meaning either, 1) This day invites us into the deeper process that will bring us Home, or 2) Sri Paurnamasi (a.k.a. Purnima) is the original and all-inclusive Guru that connects all beings with the Absolute Center by bringing us into the alternate dimension of lila, or divine relationships.  

There is an angle of vision that Sri Paurnamasi's heart expands as Giriraj Govardhan who is also divine refuge and example for all Vrajavasis.  Hari-dasa-varya can cure our purusa-bhava, or sickness of false masculine ego that is byproduct of avidya.  In other words, he can protect our bhajan-smaran and help us attain self-realization in prakrta-bhava, or suddha-bhakti.

Caturmasya 1.A - Sri Guru-Purnima

Compassion (1)

15 January 2023 - Celebrating the descent of Ganga devi, and the human duty to serve the link between Heaven & Earth by our sacrifices

Om Gangayai Namah (Makara-Sankranti)

An excellent summary of major themes for the Path.  Especially at the end touching upon the theme of arcana-smarana, or manasi-puja; the science of Discipline + Affection + Imagination to culture rich sambandha-ruci and make real progress in bhakti-yoga.  

Radha-Govinda Mandir, Alachua.  February 2023

(pictured is the wonderful Osmanthus mentioned in the class)

Raga-Pravrtti-Vaidhi-Bhakti (The Essential Formula)

Some discussion of Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila, Chapter 14.  More pastimes during Ratha-yatra

The Lord's Dancing & Feasting

A talk to help prepare the heart for Radhastami

Caturmasya (2023) 10.A - Practice of the Presence of God/dess

Caturmasya is 2 months of Rainy Season and then 2 months of Autumn Season.  Literal and metaphysical.  Now, having crossed the Equinox, we are entering into Autumn - the time of clear, full lakes.  A process of Nature and Spirit in advancing; a consummation is ripening.  We shift following the lead of larger powers and come now into a time of simple-hearted prayer.  A brief discussion at the end about 5-step method for this; a verse of Vraja-vilas-stava praising the joyful Yamuna

Caturmasya (2023) 12.A - The Clear & Joyful Waters of Prayer

Senior Vaisnava Discussions - P2 (Mayapur 8/2/24)

Verse 1,2&3

THE CUP  (Glastonbury, UK)

In 1965, when Srila Prabhupada suffered sea sickness and multiple heart attacks on his voyage to America, his reading of Caitanya-caritamrta brought him great solace. He said it was the “nectarine of life” and his “source of vitality.” We want everyone to understand the greatest gifts given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Prabhupada also recollects how Caitanya-caritamrta was his spiritual master’s favourite book. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur had predicted that a time would come when people would learn the Bengali language simply to relish this classic composition of Krisnadasa Kaviraja Goswami.

At present, however, Caitanya-caritamrta remains a relatively unexplored literature. Since the studies of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam are vast in and of themselves, many neglect the opportunity to bathe in the delightful narrations of Sri Caitanya’s life.

In 5 sessions, we hope to:
 - present an easy-to-follow overview of Sri Caitanya’s life
 - provide a ‘road map’ and framework for anyone who desires to explore the Caitanya-caritamrta in greater detail

CC Compact #1 | Oct 2017

My Gurudev, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Gosvami Maharaj, said the greatest expression of love and affection in the world is the giving and receiving of hari-katha (narrations of the glory of God).  But he would also tell us that  recording it or listening to recordings will cheat us of the real thing.  We cant make a personal relationship with that living, transcendental sound vibration through a mechanical device.  To imbibe the sacred wisdom and devotional sentiments which a sadhu pours out from the inner dimension of his pure heart by speaking katha, it is necessary to sit at his lotus feet.  

Moreover, we will have to sit there having offered our ears and mind and heart and life to that saintly person.  There must be a bridge of affection between us.  Then we can 'overlap' with him and his inner things will transfer to us when we listen like that, with so much faith and trust.  That is the essence of association.  "O Gurudeva, i am actually mad, insane, bewildered and powerless to sort myself out.  I lay my scrambled mind and self before you.  May your words, your pure conceptions and moods mold me and make me like you.  And O Hari-katha Prabhu, i know You are Sri Hari Himself, descending in the form of sound just to deliver me.  Please, i am opening the sanctum of my heart with these open ears and begging You to please come sit on the altar here; conquer me and control me in every way, Prabhu.  I am Yours."  

This is the secret science of proper and progressive hearing.  Bow down, give honor, and try to somehow serve  the Hari-katha Himself, the speaker of the katha, the listeners of katha, the place of katha, and the organizers who made it possible for katha and us to be together.  Without 'meeting' that sadhu and katha by deep honor and affection and submission we will only catch the material sound and the shadow of the meaning.  

How can you make a reciprocal exchange of love and honor with a computerized sound file?  The recorded sadhu cannot bathe you with his compassionate glance, and the recorded sound wave isn't comprised of the same trans-auditory nectar which flows from his lips.  Spiritual realization and mood come by personal association.  From recordings we can only get some knowledge.  

Since i am not a saint, hearing from me directly or recorded is about the same.   No question of spiritual realization or moods, this is nuts and bolts stuff - knowledge.  And knowledge has its positive utility too - so long as it is backed by eagerness to know, love and please God.  If not, then even so-called spiritual knowledge will just make us proud and derail us from the path to real happiness.  I present this information here online in hope that even one honest aspirant for true love will be somehow a little bit supported.  Out of the hundreds of millions of people atrophying in cyber-passivity, maybe some wandering pilgrim who still has a shred of will to advance themself by the necessary honest interior labor will come here and be served by these recordings.  

With so much verbiage, finally i am kind of just always saying the same things:   Repair integrity.  Allow for dark grace. Pray for real.  Make affectionate association with transcendental persons your top priority. One Love.  Sri Radhe.

For my many mistakes and faults and pride, please forgive me.  If anything i say helps, that is to the credit of my holy masters only.  To make a donation, chant
 'Hare Krishna'. 

~Sri Gadadhar-Amavasya~
28 April 2014

Om Gangayai Namah (Makara-Sankranti)

Tamal Krsna Das

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