Listen

Read once and consider very carefully what follows. Then, without lengthy consideration, write down the answer to the question that follows.

Imagine that you are a captain of a ship which is sailing due north in the mid-Atlantic at a speedof 12 knots. After steaming at this speed and in this direction for thirty minutes, the captain gives the order to the engine room to alter course through 180 degrees and then maintain the same speed on the new course for one hour. After another hour the captain orders the engine room to change course through 180 degrees back on the ship's original course of due north, 'to avoid a storm'.

Now write either the answer to the question 'What is the age of the ship's captain?" or 'I don't know'.

gauranitaidas.com

Grab the Rope!

By chance a person slipped and fell into a deep well and could not get out in spite of all his efforts; therefore he began shouting for help.

Being merciful, a very kind - hearted passer-by brought a piece of long rope which was lowered down in the well so that the man could get out by grabbing the rope. The passer-by asked the man to catch hold of the rope and try to climb up so that he could pull him up.

In response the person started shouting, “O my friend, please help me so that I can put my fingers around the rope.”

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Explanation of the story by Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

Such a kind-hearted person is like the spiritual master or the Supreme Godhead Himself. He has already lowered a rope of rescue into the deep darkness into our ignorance. It is only by our earnest effort in catching hold of that mercy that we can be delivered and liberated from material agonies.

Unless we extend out best efforts earnestly, and qualify ourselves for the Lord’s mercy, it is next to impossible that we can be rescued from our fallen condition.

gauranitaidas.com

Room to grow (part two)

Sri Mayapur International School (SMIS) ends 2008-2009 academic school year.

A couple of years ago I wrote an article about a new school building at our Sri Mayapur International Campus (SMIS). At that time the new building was only one floor but within a few months from now the second floor will be complete. Last week was our final week in the academic year. When we begin another school year in August the entire second floor will be dedicated to the preschool. The photos below were all taken on roof of the original three story building (shown above)

TO the right and beyond structure below you can see the Ganga (below). It is a great place to chant japa during lunch breaks.The next two pictures below show the new structure. In between the main building and the new one is a hut with swings and other exciting things under it.

The hut to the left is the mrdanga hut (below)

On the last day of school there was a ceremony where all of the students were awarded certificates for their hard work throughout the year.

Krishna Presthaya Mataji was the mc for the awards ceremony.(above). Balagopal won an award for the most improvement throughout the year.

Each of the elementary classes performed a short skit or song.

School is over!!

Also this devotee (below) named Bhakta Vatsala is looking for someone to help him with next year's tuition. He is an excellent student and has a saintly character. His mother and father are full time and dedicated pujaries of Sri Sri Radha Madhava. Tuition is approximately $600 a year. If you are interested in helping pleasec contact me at gaura.nitai.rns@gmail.com .

Don't do nothing.

When I first started reading books about Krishna Consciousness and Bhakti yoga the holistic philosophy and lifestyle seemed to fill the gap between the theoretical and the practical. The Bhagavad Gita instructs one on how to spiritualize one's seemingly secular or mundane activities.

Prior to reading the Bhagavad Gita I had read some "spiritual" books that promoted perpetual abandonment of any "worldly" activity. The idea was that acting or working in this world always brings karmic results. Karmic results bind one to "material" consciousness and long as one is receiving the effects of karma one cannot "transcend" the limited mundane sphere. The solution was to sit in quiet meditation until there are no more karmic results and then you can attain transcendence. This idea of transcendance, despite the lack of a coherent definition, seemed intriguing. It was mystical. This word mystical is related to the word mystery or mysterious. The word mystic was appropriate because this "transcendence" could not be described and was understood only to those who have apparantly achieved that state. I suppose at that stage it is not mystical anymore.

At one point,sometime during my high school years, my father read one of these quasi spiritual books and I think he was horrified by this process of doing nothing in order to achieve perfection. Unfortunately, this is a common perception of spirituality. Accordingly, intelligent people and people with integrity dismiss any talk of spirituality as impractical and wishy washy.

This impractical idea of stopping all activities in order to be free of karmic reactions is discouraged in the Bhagavad Gita. In fact, it is stated that if one prematurely abandons his worldly duties in the name of transcendence he will receive more binding karma. Since it is impossible to give up desire the mind will force us to act. Instead the Gita advises us to maintain our worldly duties in Krishna Consciousness.

The Gita teaches what is called in sanskrit karma kausalam or the "art of work." The Gita practitioner knows how to be responsible, dutiful and realistic while at the same time live a genuine spiritual life. Instead of extinguishing desire the Gita teaches how to purify desire. These words "spiritual" and "transcendence" are not mystical (mysterious) at all. In fact the Gita gives a clear description of these terms.

Spirit is a substance completely opposite of matter. Matter is dead, insentient, without feelings, and its forms and manifestations are temporary. Spirit is fully blissful, cognizant, and a spiritual form is eternal. The ABC's or foundation of spiritual life is to understand that we are spiritual beings and our material body is temporary. The human species is like a loophole in the cycle of birth and death. Only in the human form does one have the intelligence and discipline to cultivate an understanding of one's spiritual identity. Just as we take care of our car (sometimes even identify with it) and use it for several purposes we must maintain our body to use in the Lord's service. To work in such a way that you can simultaneously maintain the body and gradually realize your identity as spirit is the true definition of spirituality. When one has a mature realization of spirit he also attains an understanding of the supreme spirit or God. Transcendence is that state where one is not affected by the negative qualities of matter. In transcendence one can revive his eternal loving relationship with God and other living entities. This substantial realization is possible even before the soul leaves the body.

It is not an exaggeration when realized personalities declare that all of our individual and collective problems can be solved by living a the pure life offered in the Gita.

Here are some books that describe Bhagavad Gita's practical applications:

Economics: Lesson in spiritual economics

Psychology: Vedanta Psychology

Ecology: Divine Nature

Epistemology (in other words, how do you know that you know): Substance and Shadow

Here is actual text of Bhagavad Gita As It Is

The description of the nature and qualities of the soul can be found in chapter 2 verses 11-30.

Also if you click the hyperlink on the text number you see the Srila Prabhupada's explanation of that particular verse.

gauranitaidas.com

Journey Home

 Many of us have heard anecdotes here and there about Radhanatha Swami's journey as a  teenager from Europe through the middle east ending up in India and finally Vrindavan. Most of us assumed that Radhanatha Swami in his humility would never write a comprehensive narration of these travels. Fortunately, he considers himself an obedient servant to  the Vaisnavas, so when one of his esteemed Godbrothers HH Bhaktitirtha Swami asked him to write these memoirs he acquiesed. The title of the book is My Journey Home . 

    It is written primarily for those interested in spiritual life but have not yet commited to any specific discipline. The narration includes his meeting with many of the famous Indian gurus of the time. These include Neem Karoli Baba (from Be Here Now), Swami Sachidananda, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (Trnascendental Meditation), the Dalai Llama and many other powerful yet unknown yogis. Throughout the narration he is inspired by many of these teachers yet does not commit as a disciple until he is absolutely sure that he can fully dedicate himself to that teacher. He finally settles on A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and has never deviated from the path of bhakti yoga as enunciated by Swami Prabhupada. Indeed, almost 40 years later, Radhanatha Swami is now a living example of one who has developed a genuine love for god and humanity, by following the most powerful spiritual and religous path of Bhakti yoga.

   In this age when many of the worlds problems and wars seem to be initiated by those who claim to be godly this story is a welcome change. We are able to witness the journey of one who is genuinely sincere in his quest for truth and knowledge of god. I hope that my friends and family will take the time  to read this enlightening biography.

  One can order the book here: My Journey Home

Absolute Truth

 There is nothing like performing sankirtan (especially during Gaura Aratika during the festivals) in front of Panca Tattva...period!

What does an elephant look like?

  A group of blind men heard of a strange animal called an “elephant” from some elderly people. Naturally they had a very strong urge to have first-hand experience of such an animal through their sense of touch. With walking sticks in hand, the blind persons arrived at the elephant stable in the royal palace, and requested the elephant keepers to permit them to touch the elephant’s different limbs. Some of them rode on the elephant’s back with the assistance of the elephant keeper, some of them were touching the trunk of the elephant, some were touching the tail, and some were feeling the legs of the elephant.

  

  The blind person who touched the trunk of the elephant, decided that the elephant must be an animal with the form of a large serpent. The one who touched the legs assumed that it was just like a pillar. Another who touched it’s ears thought that it must be something like winnowing platter, and the one who touched it’s belly came to his own conclusion that the elephant must be an animal like a big drum. Thus, the understanding of the elephant was not perfect to any of the blind persons.

Explanation of story by Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati THakur

Those who arrive at their own conclusion about the constitutional form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by applying materialistic knowledge, mundane education or objective observation also suffer from such imperfect and concocted conception of the truth.

   It is because of this kind of endeavour for realisation of the Supreme Godhead through one’s direct observation and speculation that various atheistic philosophies like illusionism, skepticism etc. have become established. But when one is enlightened,  which means, initiated into transcendental knowledge from a real devotee of the Supreme Lord, and is fortunate enough to enjoy a vision of the Lord, then, and then only, the perfect constitutional form and position of the Lord can be properly realized. Those who are not devotees of the Lord and are under illusion from material knowledge, deliver only such ideas about the Supreme Lord that are simply imperfect, concocted and speculated “-isms” only. Any conception of formlessness of the Lord, or of his transcendental form, is to be considered imperfect and unfounded, unless and until it is supported by a true vision and realization of his real position of a true devotee. 

gauranitaidas.com

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Happy Holidays

Every year Sri Mayapur International School (SMIS) gets a month off of school so that the students can attend the Mayapur Gaura-Purnima festival. In a sense, it is like the Christmas holidays that we have become accustomed to in the West. The last week of school before the break there is a always a sense of excitement among the students and teachers in the air.  In Mayapur, however, instead of seeing an old bearded man with a red suit exhibiting a whimsically jolly mood, we see Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu dressed with a brilliant yellow dhoti exhibiting a mood of deep, genuine ecstasy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu does not have a list of who is naughty and nice. Instead, He is willing to give the gift of ecstatic love of God to whoever opens their hearts to receive it. He knows that, for those who have sincerely accepted the name of Krishna into their hearts that the naughty and nice list can be thrown into the garbage bin. Since there is more than enough of this transcendental product to go around there will not be any quarreling over the commodity. Additionally, the nature of this transcendental commodity is that the more you receive the more you are inspired and want to give it to others. In turn, the more you give it to others the more condensed your own stock becomes.

  A unique feature of this annual Mayapur Gaura Purnima Festival is the diversity of ethnicities and backgrounds of the participants. The ISKCON community here in Mayapur is already diverse in that people from every continent (except Antarctica) stay here throughout the entire year, My seven year old son Balagopal has close friends from Nepal, Ghana, South Africa, France, Russia, Australia, Japan, India and even a few Americans! During the festival, however, the amount of devotees here increases exponentially. One can take a walk around the ISKCON complex and overhear many different languages. The spiritual practice of sanatana dharma gives one realization of our identity beyond designations that would normally separate us. Most of the people that come for this festival are fluent in the philosophy and practice of transcendence. The substantial realization that arises by regularly practicing Krishna Consiousness is unique in that even in the neophyte stages one understands the dynamic nature of the soul (atma). It is on this platform and only on this platform true equality is based. Equality on any other platforms such as nationality, ethnicity or gender is superficial at best.

  

  We are grateful that we have been given the good fortune of being involved in such a revolutionary movement. It is a movement with the soul purpose of distributing genuine compassion and care to all living entities.  

Let's go the kirtan is beginning...

sri-krsna-caitanya-daya karaha vicara

vicara karite citte pabe camatkara

 If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful.

Gauranitaidas.com