a Sunday sermon, in the days between Balaram Prabhu's appearance and Sri Krsna's appearance... Concludes with discussion of a few verses of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Dvitiya Kunjavihari-astakam - how lovely is this Person who takes birth in this world of mortality just to call us Home to Himself, by means of His beautiful narrations [anugrahaya bhakatanam...]

Preparing for Janmastami (14 August 2022)

Morning class on Janmastami, in Alachua Florida USA, 19 August 2022.

Sri Krsna's personal splendor richly pervades the entire Creation.  To realize this gives peace and autonomy beyond the dualism of material experience.

Discussing the 'back story' behind the birth/appearance of Sri Krsna from Yashoda and Devaki Mothers.

Also a brief discussion of His Sandhini/Samvit/Hladini potenices and some comments on Sri Rupa's prayer "Krsna-Lilamrtakhya Nama Dasakam", from Stavamala.

SRI KRSNA-JANMASTAMI 2022

Compassion (1)

Discussion among bhakta brothers on the 10th verse of Sri Gopi-gita (SB 10.31.10)

A Faint, Fragrant Breeze of Sri Gopi-Gita  (SB 10.31.10)

Opening prayers and talk given at the New Jharikhand forest sanctuary in Monticello, Florida - morning of 12 November 2022.  An attempt to set the mood and intention at the start of a 10-hour chanting sacrament.  After the sankirtan was completed there was more storytelling and discussion by the fireside in the evening.

"Jharikhanda Jungle Jam" - Introducing the Sankīrtan-yajña

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)

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

The Lord's Dancing & Feasting

Caturmasya (2023) 6.B - Exalted Divine Mysteries

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

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

Discussing three verses which our Srila Gurudeva especially encouraged us to 'study' so that we might actually enter into the bhajan he was inviting us to.  

After the wonderfully generous vision he gave as 'prayojan acarya' and now that we have marked our holy Goal, we must come back to the step we are on and move across the threshold from illusion into Reality.  What to speak of doing deep bhajan, if this whole lifetime is spent in just working out how to surrender and enter wholly into the absolute path it will be a life well spent.  Then everything we have heard will start to come alive and there will be always more and new growth in our devotion.

The verses he recommended for this process are:

Siksastakam 3
Bhagavad-gita 2.56
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.8

Threshold Verses - How to Cross Over Into Life

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

SRI KRSNA-JANMASTAMI 2022

Tamal Krsna Das

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