During our Puri Yatra, we visited Sveta Ganga and the House of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. Both places are intimately connected with Gangamata Goswamini, who was a female initiating guru within our disciplic line. Haridas Pandit was her spiritual master. One of the chief persons within Vrndavan to order Krishna das Kaviraja Goswami to write Caitanya Caritamrta was the same Haridas Pandit. In Caitanya Caritamrta there are several verses describing the character of Haridas Pandit (Caitanya caritamrta Adi Lila Ch 8). One of his character traits was his absolute aversion to fault-finding.

Summary: While we certainly must attend to illness, fire, accidents, circumstances which are causing impediments to our service, etc -- we must not become obsessed with the situation. There is a time and place for simply accepting these things as providential.

Reading Material

TRANSLATION "My dear King, do not be agitated and anxious because your sacrifices have not been properly executed due to providential impediments. Kindly take my words with great respect. We should always remember that if something happens by providential arrangement, we should not be very sorry. The more we try to rectify such reversals, the more we enter into the darkest region of materialistic thought."

Summary: Both of the attached documents came to me unsought; two different devotees had noted these references in the course of their reading and found them to be particularly inspiring, so they shared them with me. In turn, I wanted to share them with others as well. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur (SBSST) shows cent-percent consistency in his vision as to how a vaisnava is to conduct himself, when encoutering the shortcomings and weaknesses -- perceived and/or real -- within another vaisnava. The contrasting position is when the Personality of Kali's influence is unchecked.

Summary: Only with very intimate devotees will the Deity interact in such a manner as took place between Pundarika Vidyanidhi and Lord Jagannath. A very similar exchange recently took place between Jananivasa Prabhu in Mayapur and the Lord Jagannath Deities. It is a most intimate loving exchange! {For the contemporary context: see below.}

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.10.16

prasada-sikhararudhah

kuru-naryo didrksaya

vavrsuh kusumaih krsnam

prema-vrida-smiteksanah

Krishna is only pleased with love
Reading Assignment
After receiving initiation at Gaya from Srila Iswara Puri, Sri Gaurasundar, the son of Mother Sachi, returned to Nadiya with a happy heart. One day, Vishwambhar gave transcendental knowledge to some pure brahmin boys of Nabadwip who were his students. Lord Gaura Hari said: pana eka satya vastu - krsnera carana sei vidya - yathe hari-bhaktira laksana
You should study only the one truth - Krishna's feet. One who knows that truth has the ornament of devotion for the Lord. (Text 11)
The sastras describe that anything other than this is ignorance. Do not study anything other than devotion to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna! (Text 12)

On Janmastami day, in anticipation of the appearance of Lord Krishna, it is nice to meditate upon the prayers offered by the demigods just prior to Krishna's appearance while still in the womb of Devaki. I gave the Janmastami talk on this verse below, inspired both by the poetry of the Bhagavatam (read the sanskrit of this verse!), as well as its message. Self-honesty and truthfulness are essential to advance in Krishna consciousness. I gave a whole seminar on this topic at Christmas time 2008 to the Soul Connection youth group in Chicago. That seminar should be available online, and the Janmastami lecture should be online soon.

Reading Assignment

Srimad Bhagavatam 10.2.26

Summary: The text below was sent to me as an appreciation of the superlative nature of Srimad Bhagavatam, directly expressed within the king of sattvic Puranas, namely the Padma Purana. Moreover, I often speak of the beautiful poetry of the Bhagavatam, and how the message of the Bhagavatam responates resounding messages like a grand symphony. Both are touched upon here, so I thought to share this with you, just as it was shared with me.

Reading Assignment

In this text from Ray of Visnu chapter 13, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati discusses the difference between Idolatry and worship of Sri Murti with an American Professor.

Reading Assignment

"I am overjoyed to hear that your enthusiasm for chanting is increasing. As our contaminations are removed by chanting, the Lord's form, qualities, and pastimes will be revealed to us in the holy name. There is no point in making a separate effort to artificially remember the Lord's form, qualities, and pastimes. The Lord and His name are one and the same. This will be understood clearly when the coverings in your heart are removed. By chanting without offenses you will personally realize that all perfections come from the holy name. Through chanting, the distinction that exists between the self, and the gross and subtle bodies, is gradually effaced and one realizes one's own spiritual form.