25 September 2022, Alachua FL USA.  Radha-Govinda Mandir. 
 Part 2 of our discussion on Compassion as originally a dynamic between the Divine Couple.  Gaura-lila; Gadadhara's service to Prabhu; Prabhu's mercy on Prataparudra Maharaj, etc.

Compassion (2)

(mangalacaran at 6:20, katha begins about 13:00)
I got invited at the last minute to a beach house retreat weekend in St Augustine, Florida with some vaisanava brothers.  These gentlemen have been keeping an online Srimad Bhagavatam group going for a long time and I was a new addition, a foreigner.  It was very kind of them to open up their clan space and welcome me in, and the kirtans were wonderful.  So heartfelt and powerful.  On the last day they invited me to speak some katha.  My pranamas to all

Sharing with Brothers at the Seaside

A brief offering for the Vyasa-puja of our most holy and revered spiritual grandfather, our Gurudeva's Gurudeva, paramaradhyatama 108 Sri Srila Bhakti Prajñana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja.  8 February 2023, at Radha-Govinda Gaudiya Matha, Alachua FL USA.

Our Warrior-Poet Grandfather

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)

Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura & Sri Gadadhara Pandit - w/ Jay Jagannath prabhu

For the first day of Purusottam vrat, Somavati-amavasya, and the disappearance of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Gosvami Maharaj

Caturmasya (2023) 2.A - Gift of our Divine Ancestors

A discussion on Vaisnavism as "Spiritual-World Affirming and Worldliness Denying''.  The need for local leaders to go very deep in their internal quest for realization and empowerment to serve in these spiritually extremely difficult times.  24 July 2023

Caturmasya (2023) 3.B - Building Spiritual Will by Facing the Calamity

Two voice messages, responding to questions my friends asked me about personal practice.

The first is about chanting in our own way, in our own mood and language, following personal inspiration and not just the blueprint prescribed for everyone in gerenal.

The second is about how to improve our maha-mantra japa.

Together, the two angles create a field of possibility within which daily personal practice of bhakti-yoga can find some fresh opportunity to grow in quality and substance.

Advice for Friends On Personal Practice

As a thought experiment, lets say that just like there are five general categories of devotional character in the spiritual dimension (santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya) that siddha-svarupas manifest, similarly a devotional character in one of 5 moods will be prominent in a person's sadhaka-svarupa here in this present world.  

Knowing your devotional personality type removes the ambiguity around identity that sustains impersonalism.  So the more you define yourself honestly the more you A) heal from impersonalism, and B) individuate your true identity.  

When praying we would be wise to shape our prayer as personally as possible, making our aspiration truly relevant and coherent with our real self and real needs.

For a class on Kartika-purnima, Rasa-lila and more on sankalpa:  https://soundcloud.com/tamalkrsna/caturmasya-13a-kartika-vrata-rasa-purnima-sb-10291?in=tamalkrsna/sets/caturmasya/s-duwQdQgtW6F&si=49e8e696d69f4ff49182f24aaff5dcc6&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Caturmasya (2023) 15.A - Personalizing our Kartik Prayer

Rasa-purnima, first night of Kartik.  A small gathering at Rangini-bhavan ashram, after offering our first lamps to Thakurji.  In Rasa, the vraja-gopis dance in rings around Sri Radha-Krsna at the Center... and with our fumbling foolish human words we dance around the outside of that Rasa... Cannot explain too directly; we discuss the general context of these sacredmost mysteries.

Rasa Lila I - Life as Erotic

prayer to sri Vrnda devi, the personified form of Tulsi.

Sri Vrnda Devi Astakam
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravar  Ṭhākura

gāṅgeya-cāmpeya-tadid-vinindi- 
roci -pravāha-snapitātma-vrnde!
bandhūka-bandhu-dyuti-divya-vāso 
vrnde! numas te caranāravindam (1)

You inundate all of your associates in a flood of your splendor, which belittles gold, campaka flowers, and lightning. Your divine dress resembles the orange-red luster of the bandhūka flower. O Vṛndā, we offer praṇāma to your lotus feet.

bimbādharoditvara-manda-hāsya- 
nāsāgra-muktā-dyuti-dīpitāsye
vicitra-ratnābhara a-śriyādhye!
vrnde! numas te caranāravindam (2)

O Vṛndā! Your countenance is especially radiant, illuminated by the gentle smile rising on your bimba-red lips and the pearl on your nose. Your beauty is enhanced by various jeweled ornaments. O Vṛndā, we offer praṇāma to your lotus feet.

samasta-vaikutha-śiromanau śrī- 
krsnasya vrndāvana-dhanya-dhāmni
dattādhikāre vrsabhānu-putryā
vrnde! numas te caranāravindam (3)

The daughter of Vṛṣabhānu Mahārāja, Śrīmatī Rādhikā, has given you dominion over Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s most glorious Śrī Vṛndāvana-dhāma, which is the crown-jewel of all Vaikuṇṭha planets. O Vṛndā, we offer praṇāma to your lotus feet.

tvad-ājñayā pallava-puspa-bhrṅga- 
mrgādibhir mādhava-keli-kuñjā 
madhv-ādibhir bhānti vibhūsyamānā 
vrnde! numas te cara āravindam (4)

By your order, the buds, blossoms, flowers, bees, deer, and all other kinds of animals and birds, as well as the six seasons headed by
spring, brilliantly decorate the kuñjas where Śrī Mādhava enjoys His playful pastimes. O Vṛndā, we offer praṇāma to your lotus feet.

tvadīya-dūtyena nikuñja-yunor 
atyutkayo  keli-vilāsa-siddhi 
tvat-saubhagaṁ kena nirucyatāṁ tad 
vrnde! numas te cara āravindam (5)

Your adeptness at acting as a messenger makes it possible for the Youthful Couple of the kuñjas to accomplish Their playful, amorous pastimes, for which They are so eager. Who can properly describe your good fortune? O Vṛndā, we offer praṇāma to your lotus feet.

rāsābhilā o vasatiś ca vrndā- 
vane tvad-īśāṅghri-saroja-sevā 
labhyā ca puṁsāṁ krpayā tavaiva
vrnde! numas te cara āravindam (6)

The desire to behold the rāsa-līlā, attain residence in Śrī Vṛndāvana, and perform service to the lotus feet of your Lord and Lady is attained by a person through your mercy alone. O Vṛndā, we offer praṇāma to your lotus feet.

tvaṁ kīrtyase sātvata-tantra-vidbhir l
īlābhidhānā kila krsna-śakti 
tavaiva mūrtis tulasī nr-loke
vrnde! numas te caranāravindam (7)

Those conversant in devotional scriptures (the bhakti-tantras) glorify you as Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastime potency (līlā-śakti). In this world, you assume the form of the tulasī tree. O Vṛndā, we offer praṇāma to your lotus feet.

bhaktyā vihīnā aparādha-laksai  
ksiptāś ca kāmādi-taraṅga-madhye
krpāmayi! tvāṁ śara aṁ prapannā 
vrnde! numas te cara āravindam (8)

Devoid of bhakti and guilty of unlimited offenses, we are flung into the waves of lust [anger, greed and so on]. O merciful one, we take shelter of you! O Vṛndā, we offer praṇāma to your lotus feet.

vrndāstakaṁ yaś  trnuyāt pathed vā 
vrndāvanādhīśa-padābja-bhrṅga 
sa prāpya vrndāvana-nitya-vāsaṁ 
tat-prema-sevāṁ labhate krtārtha  (9)

Those who, like bumblebees at the lotus feet of the Divine Couple, hear or recite this Vṛndādevyaāṣṭaka will obtain eternal residence in Vṛndāvana and become fulfilled, having attained loving service to Them.

Hymn to the Goddess of the Sacred Forest

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

Our Warrior-Poet Grandfather

Tamal Krsna Das

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