Yamuna Devi ki Jai!

First of all I offer my unlimited obeisances to the lotus feet of my Guru Maharaja, Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja, and ask for a particle of mercy that I may post something of value.

Boatman taking passengers across Yamuna Devi's waters

Today I went with a group of devotees to bathe in Vrindavan Dham's sacred Yamuna Devi! Rupa Goswami writes in Sri Yamunastakam that she is so purifying that even desiring to bathe in her waters, what to speak of feeling the breeze on her shores and actually taking bath releases us from the most heinous sins and the bondage of repeated birth and death. Taking bath in holy rivers such as Yamuna lies not in eliminating the dirt from our our gross, material body (actually Guru Maharaja says it is an offense to use sacred waters for material cleaning, like washing laundry, cleaning our skin with soap, etc. or even to view them as material substance) but rather their power lies in cleansing the grime that covers our spiritual nature. Many of us are familiar with traditions that acknowledge the purifying properties of holy waters, like baptism. One song that comes to mind is Alison Krauss' song from the movie, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou", with lyrics, "All brothers/fathers/sisters/mothers/sinners let's go down, down to the river to pray."

Every day Vrajavasis and pilgrims bathe in her sacred waters

     Yamuna Devi is very dear to the Vrajavasis. Local residents transport people across her waters, young children sell paraphernalia that can be offered to her as it is custom, especially before bathing in her waters, to offer her ghee lamps, flowers, incense, songs, prayers, etc. 

Local boy selling flowers with ghee wick

Mathajis offering flowers, ghee lamp and prayers

Yamuna Devi's transcendental waters

     Guru Maharaja has described many of Yamuna Devi's glories, like she is younger sister of Ganga Devi (Ganges) but more glorious because she is liquid transcendence, flowing directly from the body of Sri Krishna. She is a blackish color, like Krishna, because she is always absorbed in thoughts of Him. But he emphasizes the real benefit is achieved by visiting the holy rivers in sadhu-sanga in order to bathe in hearing the nectar of their glories!
     I heard from senior devotees that Param Gurudeva said that not all of his disciples came to him during his manifest appearance, but when they are ready, they can come to the banks of Yamuna devi, and he will be there to greet them and that his love is ever-flowing like the waters of Yamuna devi.

Jahmuna Devi and I on boat

   

A Life Dedicated to the Highest Ideal

I offer my unlimited obeisances to the lotus feet of my Guru Maharaja, om visnupada Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja. Begging for a particle of mercy that I can post something of value.

In honor of my Guru Maharaja's Vyasa-puja...

It seems that many of us do not know what our highest ideal is, while some of us are aware of a high ideal but ignore it or keep it just in the periphery; we figure that it is something that is negotiable or we can focus on later in life. Still rare, few others have searched for and realized their highest ideal; spent their lives stepping ever closer, no matter how steep the climb and no matter how many obstacles stood in the way. I see my Guru Maharaja and others in the Guru-parampara as this last type of person.
     I would say, and maybe some will agree, that someone lives his highest ideal when he is not deterred by the distance he has to travel to find it nor by the number of times he has to leave, only to return again, nor no matter how many times he falls ill during the journey, seeking out, "Who is God?" Over the course of a couple years Param Gurudeva, Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja, went back and forth between his job at the police station and the Matha, coming home to his family for shorter and shorter periods of time until Sri Krsna called him to leave his family life altogether and stay at the Math for good.
     But that is just the start... then to finally give up life as you know it to go the ones who know God and who protect and disseminate Absolute Truth. To find them what to speak of hang on tightly to their lotus feet, even amidst many storms in the form of chastisements and other austerities must take so much sincerity and determination.  In the book, Sri Guru and His Grace, His Divine Grace Swami B.R. Sridhar says, "An attitude of humility, sincerity and dedication are needed to approach Absolute Truth." For example, in the early days of the Sri Caitanya Matha, due to lack of funds Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gowami (at that time Sri Vinoda-bihari) and other Matha residents were sustaining themselves some days on just 200 grams of rice, split four ways. After it was offered to Thakuraji with prepared leaves from a drumstick tree,  the four brahmacaris would divide it and honor prasadam (source: Acarya Kesari Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami, 2013). Also, Guru Maharaja mentioned that he spent six summers in Vrindavan [the temperatures can reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius)], saying if you really love Vrindavan, you can manage.
     If Sri Guru is merciful and leads the disciple to the watering hole, to life's highest ideal, then what? Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Madhusudana Maharaja says that there is no way to repay the ones who gave you everything. Merely saying "thank you" and going your own way is not sufficient. Instead he says that you stay and try to serve them. So my Param Gurudeva, my Guru Maharaja and many of his godsiblings did just that, stayed and served (click here to see some of Param Gurudeva's disciples who are serving). So then it seems they all have so much responsibility to preserve this thing given to them- to protect it from envious people or those who would try to destroy it, dilute it or mix in their own speculation. Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja writes, "Sri Bhagavan is not for the weak-hearted. In the Mundaka Upanisad (1.6.4) it has been said, 'nayamatma balahinena labhya - The Absolute Reality, that Supreme Soul, is not accessible to those who have no spiritual strength.' But cowards manipulate religion with false interpretations, proclaiming, 'all are correct, all are correct,' and thus reveal the feebleness of their conception of bhajana" (Rays of the Harmonist No. 21, 2010).
    So coming under the shelter of those who live their highest ideal, I am praying for a particle of their strength.
    

Guru Maharaja's Appearance Day Manana

First of all I offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my Guru Maharaja, om visnupada Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja. Begging for a particle of mercy to share something of value.

Guru Maharaja leading Vrindavan parikrama, August 2013

Tomorrow is the Appearance Day of my Guru Maharaja, om visnupada Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja! Since he has a tendency to honor Vaisnavas and the Lord and the Lord's associates prior to, the day of, and sometimes after their Appearance Days (e.g., this year we got to hear Gaura katha one week before and one week after Gaura Purnima), I want to try to follow suit by blogging something on the lead up to his Appearance Day. Guru Maharaja has told us that the Appearance and Disappearance days of Vaisnavas are very merciful, and we should speak something and hear attentively these days.
     But today I feel the best way I can honor Guru Maharaja is to post links to his biography and hari-katha audio files (note: once the page displays, scroll down) and submit an entreaty that has already been perfectly composed to his lotus feet. I believe Sripad Dhyanachadra Goswami composed it since it is noted as coming from Arcana-paddhati:

he sri guro jnanada dina-bandho svananda-datah karunaika-sindho

vrndavanasina hitavatara prasida radha-pranaya-pracara

Oh Gurudeva, you bestow transcendental knowledge and you are the friend of the fallen. You bestow the spiritual bliss that exists within your own heart and you are an ocean of mercy. You are a resident of Vrndavana and the incarnation of auspiciousness. You preach about Sri Radha's love for Sri Krsna. Please be merciful to me.

    I also want to mention that tomorrow is also the spiritual birthday of Malati Dasi, who is one of the Didi's (the other being Madhu Mati) who came to preach in Philadelphia last summer. I am so grateful for her (both of them) because otherwise I would not be in Vrindavan, and I would not have met my Guru Maharaja.

Malati Didi (in white) at the samadhi of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

      One of our senior Vaisnavas told me that similarly, the person responsible for leading Param Gurudeva, Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Nayarana Goswami Maharaja, to the lotus feet of his Gurudeva, Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja was Sri Srimad Bhakti Kamala Madhusudana Maharaja, whose pushpa-samadhi can be found at Radha-Damodara behind the pushpa-samadhi of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada. Click here (and scroll to the section titled, "Sadhu Sanga") to read more about how Param Gurudeva came to this sanga and to his Gurudeva.
     Param Gurudeva wrote in his article, "The True Conception of Guru-Tattva" that there are five kinds of guru. A Vaisnava who speaks fundamental truths about spiritual life and introduces the sadhaka to a sad-guru is called patha-pradarsaka-guru. So Malati dasi and Madhu Mati are my patha-pradarsaka-gurus. Then of course Guru Maharaja is my diksa (one who initiates faithful sadhakas in krsna-mantra and bestows sambhanda-jnana) and siksa guru (one who by imparting specific instructions on sadhana and bhajana, helps the sadhaka to enter into the realm of bhajana). The other two gurus are caitya-guru, Bhagavan Himself in the heart and sravana-guru, who by the medium of his hari-katha, attracts the sadhaka toward Bhagavan and helps him in sadhana-bhajana.

Jaya Guru Maharaja!

     

    

Peaceful People

Prabhu who sells the garlands at Radha-Damodar Temple

I took a picture of this man who sits near the entrance to Radha-Damodar Temple and sells flowers and garlands. It is customary to offer something to the deities (garlands, rupees, incense, ghee lights, etc.), so he makes flowers and garlands available. Hopefully by looking at this photo, you get a sense for how peaceful the people here are and how receptive they are to people, and tolerant of people like me - sometimes I barter, sometimes I do not have small bills and sometimes I forget my rupees altogether. He never seems to mind. I went to pay him last night for garlands I got the day before and he smiled and handed me a little garland and flowers that I could use for my home altar.
     In the West, especially in cities, life is moving at such a fast pace, we oftentimes become task-oriented, (versus relationship-oriented). We are focused on getting a task accomplished so that we can move onto the next task and then the next and ultimately try to fit so much into one day. And when we do not finish one day's "To Do" list, things spill over into the next day, and we become even more overwhelmed. This might happen with at the workplace where we seem to accumulate more and more responsibilities or in our individual or family lives- or all of the above. We are trying to accomplish this task and that task, which seems to be so important. But somehow in this mode (of passion), we lose sight of being relationship-oriented, noticing or acknowledging the people we are encountering along the way.
     I remember one day going to the Whole Foods on a busy weekend and approaching the free sample counter. There was hustle and bustle all around, but I paused to ask the lady refilling the samples how her day was going. I remember her stunned yet somewhat grave facial expression, and she said, "You know all day, you are the first person to talk to me, even acknowledge me?"
     Another example, which is much less mundane, is that I ran into one very dedicated devotee, Bhagavat Ananda who hits the streets every day to preach the message of Krishna Consciousness and one fellow he was with; they were having a friendly conversation. When I approached, he man described to me his first encounter with Bhagavat Ananda. He said, "I was walking from my workplace (in downtown Philadelphia) to take office mail to the post office. I had my head down and was walking really fast, not noticing anything around me. Then this guy (referring to Bhagavat Ananda) approached me at a red light where I was pacing, waiting to cross the street. He was saying something to me, but I was not paying attention, and I said, 'Listen, I do not have time. I have to get to the post office before it closes.' Then to his surprise, Bhagavat Ananda pulled out a tape player and said, 'I won't take more than two minutes of your time. I just want you to hear something.'" Bhagavat Ananda played the Hare Krishna Mantra for one to two minutes, and this man listened to the music and mantra and said his whole mood changed- he felt his urgency wash away and felt so much lighter. Then he stopped to talk with Bhagavat Ananda and hear the message of Krishna Consciousness. On the day I encountered them, they were discussing ways to try to distribute prasadam at one of the parks in South Philly.
     It seems we cannot put a price tag on inner peace. It is so invaluable, and if we really stop to think about it, who has more wealth, Westerners or Vrajavasis? And like these little encounters illustrate, real peace comes from a Krishna-centered life -  like this man in Philly, if we stop and concentrate on Hare Krishna, even for a minute, our whole mood and day can change :)

We are All Serving Someone

Lalita Priya sanding

Today Lalita Priya and I served at the Guesthouse by sanding the the doors, and tomorrow we will cover them in a fresh coat of paint. This place has been our home for a while now, so getting the chance to give something back in the form of service is sweet. Plus these doors open up to guest rooms, which will serve many aspiring devotees for years to come- literally provide them with shelter.
     But those who come to Vrindavan are really seeking spiritual shelter, not shelter for the body. I will take a stab at the meaning of shelter (but please don't take this to the bank)-  to be under guidance of Vaisnavas in a setting where we can learn and grow by watching firsthand these living examples perform their bhajana. Jaiva-Dharma says, "The root bhaj is used specifically in the sense of seva, or service, but in a general sense bhajana refers to spiritual practices; especially hearing, chanting, and meditating upon the holy name, form, qualities, and pastimes of Sri Krishna." One thing that becomes apparent is that the Vaisnavas are always absorbed in seva, always serving Sri Krishna and His parts and parcels (us!) with body, mind, and words. So they are performing bhajana in a big way, while I am just doing bhajana in a teeny-tiny way, if even. Maybe just a shadow of bhajana. But maybe one day I, like the door, can get sanded down to a smooth surface and then receive a fresh coat of paint.
     A couple instructions I remember getting while being here are that:(1) opposite genders should be cautious about serving each other because performing service to someone creates a bridge between those two hearts- a materially-based bridge- it may be intentional or unintentional, but it will develop regardless and (2)  there is a difference between material service and spiritual service. We should be cautious about viewing seva for Vaisnavas and Sri Krishna as the same as mundane service [worldly service is upside down because a servant is like a slave but spiritual seva brings joy and fulfillment to the one in service]  (3) it seems (speaking from my experience) only through mercy of the Vaisnavas can we receive seva and also only through their mercy can we perform it successfully.
     In his book, Science of Self-Realization, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains:
"Actually our position is that we are always rendering service to someone, either to our family, country, or society. If we have no one to serve, sometimes we keep a pet cat or dog and render service to it. All these factors prove that we are constitutionally meant to render service, yet in spite of serving to the best of our ability, we are not satisfied. Nor is the person to whom we are rendering that service satisfied. On the material platform, everyone is frustrated. The reason for this is that the service being rendered is not properly directed. For example, if we want to render service to a tree, we must water the root. If we pour water on the leaves, branches, and twigs, there is little benefit. If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is served, all other parts and parcels will be automatically satisfied. Consequently all welfare activities as well as service to society, family, and nation are realized by serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Hold the Grains, Please

First of all I offer my unlimited obeisances to the lotus feet of my Guru Maharaja. Begging for his blessings, I hope to post something of value. 


My Param Gurudeva, Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja, in the book, Vaisnava Etiquette, instructs, "Among all vows undertaken by Vaisnavas, Ekadasi (11th day after the new moon and 11th day after the full moon during which we fast from grains and beans) is is most important day for everyone, irrespective of caste, creed, varna, society, male, female, child, old must observe this vow.
     Many people from around India came to Vrindavan today to perform parikrama, as it is auspicious to circumambulate the Dham on this holy day. It is not unusual to see parents carrying their small children on parikrama, too, since so many Indians understand the value for their young ones (see pic below). Today this mother walked 10 km (6.2 miles) holding her baby-- and if you do not think that is enough of an austerity, she is also doing this barefoot! This fortunate child has the opportunity to build her sukrti (spiritual credit) from a very early age... Guru Maharaja has said that our first guru in life is our mother. If she has strong values and character, we stand a good chance of following suit. And vice versa holds true as well.

Mother taking her baby on Ekadasi day parikrama

     Also, my Guru Maharaja tells us that we are not even human if we do not chant at least 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mantra each day, and furthermore he says we are not Vaisnava if we do not follow Ekadasi. So these two things are so important. Just how important is Ekadasi? Krishna Himself tells us:

ekadas vratam yestuh krtam bhakti samanvite

taih ca yajna krta sarve vratani saphalani ca

                                      (Padma-purana, 22.63)

 

     "If anybody follows this vrata with devotion [doing it for the pleasure of Sri Krishna], then he will get the result of performing all sacrifices and all other penances. Therefore there is no comparing Ekadasi with anything else."

Click here for the Vaisnava calendar, which lists days of Ekadasi. First select your Time Zone and then click "Get Calendar":

What's Not to Love: Part 2

 First of all I offer my unlimited obeisances to the lotus feet of my Guru Maharaja. With his blessings I hope to post something of value.

Yesterday I wrote about how in general people here are very trusting, simple, and generous to other people. Today a couple scenes inspired me to mention how residents of Vrindavan extend that ideal to the animal species as well. As I started morning parikrama, I snapped a shot of someone feeding the monkeys, which is a common sight in Vraja Mandala. It is called monkey seva (service). See the monkey in the foreground walking away with bread in his mouth? Two monkeys are on their hind legs with arms extended to receive their alms.

Monkey seva

     Also, cows wander the streets here. Like this cow (see pic below), many cows stand at the doors to temples, private residences or shops waiting to receive prasadam. Giving to the cows is called go-seva, (cow service).

Cow standing outside residence waiting to receive alms

     These are just a few displays of of how Vrajavasis realize that all living beings are important; inside every heart of every living being is the eternal soul, the jivatma, part and parcel of Sri Krishna (Bhagavad-gita 15.7).
     Cow is especially honored in India because she is considered one of our seven mothers; she is providing milk to us. The other six mothers are (1) our biological mother, (2) nurse, who helps raise us, (3) Mother Earth, (4) the wife of the king, (5) the wife of our teacher or guru and (6) the wife of a brahmana (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.11.28).
     The animals here are very lucky because they are getting the chance to eat prasadam (food offered to the deities) and constantly hear the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra; it is sung in temples, in homes, and often a parade of devotees walk the streets singing it. But the animals cannot chant the mantra, so they are not as fortunate as those of us in the human form of life who have the opportunity to chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, which is the method for making spiritual advancement in this day in age (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 7.76).

 

What's Not to Love?

I offer my unlimited pranamas to my Guru Maharaja, Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja.

 Sometimes it's the simple things in life, the little gestures that go a long way. Since I arrived, the Vrajavasis have been surprising me time and time again with their simplicity, inherent trust in others and generosity. What seems like overly generous/sweet/simple to us (Westerners) is simply the norm for Vrajavasis.
     For instance, today I went to the little shop that sells dairy products to purchase fresh milk and yogurt. A side note in case anyone is wondering- yes, the milk is freshly delivered directly from the cows to the shop, which is rare to find in the United States (except one place I know, Gita Nagari ISKCON farm in Central Pennsylvania, has raw milk available). So I tried to pay, but the bill I had was too large; they did not have change. The boy working there said, "No problem, bring it later." A lot of vendors are like that.... without even a second thought or giving that questioning, doubtful look - like when someone raises one eyebrow trying to discern whether or not we are trustworthy - he just assumed that of course I would return later to pay. How simple, right? 

Shopkeeper at the dairy shop smiling big

     Another standard in Vrindavan is that many temples provide prasadam (food that has been offered to the deities-- yes, the deities eat regular meals throughout the day!) to people who visit; sometimes there are set times, other times they distribute prasadam at random to people who come for darshan (seeing the deities). So it is not possible for someone in Vrindavan to go hungry.

People lined up outside a temple for prasadam

    Even though there are countless examples I could mention, one last one I will share is that whenever there is an Appearance or Disappearance Day of a great Vaisnava, temples will hold festivals open to everyone- there will be decorations, a feast, kirtan, and hari-katha to honor that Vaisnava. Everything is for the Vaisnava's enjoyment, but the people who partake receive the remnants. Oftentimes as well, a person or family will sponsor a feast in honor of the day their loved one was born or passed on. This is done as an act of charity on behalf of their beloved. At that time, they typically give rupees in charity to all the guests. So the culture here is to give gifts on birthdays instead of receive them. In my attempt to do such a thing on my birthday in 2013, I did get gifts for others... but I also bought gifts for myself :/... I guess we all have to start somewhere.

Some rupees I received in charity from attending Appearance/Disappearance Day events

Finally, I will end by providing a little taste of how the parents of Sri Krishna gave in charity on His Appearance Day (source: Hari-Katha Tour Report Hidden Treasure 00):

"In pursuance of the Vedic tradition where Nanda Baba and Yasoda Maiya distribute charity on this day, devotees spontaneously joined in the festivities and distributed colossal amounts of maha-prasada to their 15,000 guests. For many weeks, the sannyasis and brahmacaris had been begging door to door in the blazing heat of the sun in order to collect the ingredients for Nanda Baba’s festival, and so many rooms had been filled with the collected provisions. All the ingredients were now transformed into sabji, puspanna, kichories, puries, laddhu, bundi, chutney, fruit salad and other preparations that are very dear to Krsna. When all the preparations had been offered, the devotees opened the gates to let in the first four hundred pilgrims, and so it went on for five hours. Also, 5,000 parcels of maha-prasada preparations were prepared to be distributed to all the families, friends and well-wishers of the Matha who were unable to attend the festival. In this way the Grand Festival of Nanda Maharaja was celebrated with uncommon enthusiasm."

In Honor of Great Uncles

First of all I would like to offer my unlimited pranamas to my Guru Maharaja, Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja. Please bless me to post something of value.

This morning I visited various temples. While at Radha-Damodara temple, a brahmacari was cleaning the pushpa-samadhi of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gowami Maharaja, so the door was open (see pic below). It is custom to give obeisances at the samadhis and pushpa-samadhis, so I did. Many times my obeisances are mechanical and rote, there is not much thoughtfulness that goes into them, but this time I took the time to consider a little bit about who this Acarya is.

Pushpa-samadhi of Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami

Appearance: 21/12/1921 and  Disappearance: 14/11/2004

         First of all I realized that in the spiritual line, he is the equivalent of my great uncle, being the god brother of my Param Gurudeva (grandfather), nitya-lila-pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja. I started to consider that my great uncle in my birth family, Uncle Joe, is one of my best friends. Great uncles seem to hold a unique position. The are loving and supportive off us, not seeing the faults in us but only the good- so in that way they are are similar to grandparents. But they are a little more removed than grandparents, which makes room for them to be our buddy, too. Also since they are older and have loads us life experience, they are like guru.  Does this hold true for most families, I wonder?

Close up of Radha-Gopinathji and Lord Caitanya

     What I remember most (from hearing and reading) about Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami's life is the selfless love his parents had for him and the Gaudiya Math. His mother was a disciple of jagad-guru Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, and his father was a disciple of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja. From infancy, they could see that their son was very patient, peaceful, intelligent and religious (from the book Acarya Kesari Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja: His Life and Teachings). So when he was just nine years old, his mother fully entrusted her son to the care of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja- she donated him.
    I don't know all the intricacies of giving a child to a math (temple), however, I believe it is not something that can be undone nor can it be negotiated, like "Oh I want to see my son a couple times a year." It is not like that. It is forever, all tangible bonds are dissolved, and essentially, she offered her child to the greater good- to serve Vaisnavas, serve Sri Krsna, and essentially to serve the world. Can you imagine how must faith it takes to offer your child like that?! My Guru Maharaja has said, "A mother and father who keep us from bhajana (prescribed process for spiritual growth, e.g., chanting Holy Name) are not real parents, that is real maya (illusion), whereas a mother and father who help us in bhajana, that is not maya."
      ...After Radha-Damodara I visited Sri Gopinath Ji Gaudiya Math, established by Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami. Here are beautiful deities, a serene courtyard, and nice morning bhajanas (see pics below).

Sri Radha-Gopinathji on right and Lord Caitanya on left

Brahmacari singing bhajanas (songs) for the deities

Courtyard with many Tulasi plants

Devotees may want to read the three prayers to Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja (source: Sri Gaudiya Giti-Guccha):

namah om visnu padaya kesava presthaya bhutale
sri-srimad bhaktivedanta-vamana iti namine

I offer pranama to om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja, who in this world, is most dear to Sri Kesava-deva (or Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja)

guru-dhamni ca sevasu vasnave sarvada mati
granthe bhagavate saksat goswami vedante rati

His heart is perpetually devoted to the service of sri guru, the dhama, and the Vaisnavas and he has unalloyed attachment for Gaudiya Vedanta, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the literatures of the Goswamis.

gaura-bhava-mayo dehah ujjvala-rasa-bhavakah
bhaktivedanta vamano raga-bhakti-pravartaka

Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja's divine form is comprised of gaura-bhava, he is immersed in ujjvala-rasa, and he establishes raga-bhakti.

Jaya Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja!

More than Meets the Eye

First of all I offer my unlimited pranamas to my Guru Maharaja, Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja in hopes that I can post something of value.

Today Lalita Priya dasi from California and I went on Vrindavan parikrama together. We had a theme during parikrama - to walk around as many trees as possible. For those new to the concept of parikrama, let me explain. Parikrama marga (path) is essentially a loop around Vrindavan Dham. The idea is to circumambulate the entire Dham. It is not only auspicious to circle the Dham itself, but also the residents, temples, people, animal and plants, which are all included.    
     Lalita Priya and I made it a point to walk around nearly every tree we encountered to reap the benefits of including it in our loop. By paying attention to the trees, we discovered many new sights. It is kind of like when someone we know gets a new car - maybe a type we never heard of before - all of a sudden we see that make and model everywhere we look. So even though we have done many parikramas in the past, so many trees became apparent that never stood out (to us) before.
     What became quickly evident was that when the residents of
the Dham build roadways, fences, houses or other structures, the trees do not get chopped down. Instead they get incoporated into the structure or else they simply build around the tree (see pics).What a beautiful lesson! Why is this so prevalent here? Probably because to be a true Vrajavasi means to realize that all beings have souls. Especially here in the Dham, souls are very advanced. In other words they have a very advanced or pure consciousness (Krishna consciousness). This holds true for even the grass, trees, plants, animals, what to speak of the people. So people are careful not to walk on grass, what to speak of chop down a tree.
     Here are two quotes I would like to share:

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada writes in his commentary on the Srimad Bhagavatam (6.16.43), "...such civilized men do not discriminate between trees, animals, human beings and other living entities. panditah sama-darsinah: [Bg.  

5.18] because they are completely educated in Krishna consciousness, they see all living beings equally. Äryans do not kill even a small plant unnecessarily, not to speak of cutting trees for sense gratification. At the present moment, throughout the world, killing is prominent. Men are killing trees, they are killing animals, and they are killing other human beings also, all for sense gratification. This is not an Äryan civilization. As stated here, sthira-cara-sattva-kadambesv aprthag-dhiyah. The word    aprthag-dhiyah indicates that Äryans do not distinguish between lower and higher grades of life. All life should be protected. All living beings have a right to live, even the trees and plants."

This quote is from Bhakti-rasayana, Chapter 5: "In appearance the trees and creepers of Vrindavan seem to be ordinary, but upon seeing Krishna they became overwhelmed in bhava. With great joy they offered pranama to the feet of Krishna by offering their fruits and flowers, and they shed tears of love in the form of streams of honey. Even the plants and trees of this world have feelings; like us they are conscious. They are not able to express their feelings in words, but they can express them. Especially the trees and creepers of Vrindavan are all visuddha-sattva, meaning that they are superior to those of us situated in mixed goodness. So what won’t they understand? They can understand and experience everything. Therefore by offering their fruits and flowers in ecstatic rapture, they offered pranama to Krishna."