A New Poem

The sun rises... the clouds try to hold him back
Colors splash over the room
Drowning in light, I can breathe a little easier
Minutes pass by until an hour has gone
Where have I been? What have I been doing?
There are no tears, there are no smiles
A blank face who tries to hide from you...

As the sunlight hits  my face
I want to burst into a hundred meteors
And slam into your planet heart
I want to profess my love in a million poems
Yet my hand is too weak to hold a pen
My heart to weak to hold an emotion
I slip back into my sunlit ocean...

Breathe baby, breathe...
Decorate the afternoon with laughter
Sing until the tears wash away the sadness
Play and dance, for the embodiment of purity
is smiling and waiting for you...

The sun has set and I no longer want to stay awake
I stare at the stars and remember my youth
A million hands reaching out to take you away
A million books to be read
A desire to find happiness rather than be content

In the night I wish to have you by my side
At night I pray to dream about sunlight

Theophany

Theophany.... 
I pray to all of the great souls who have seen the most beautiful face of the Supreme Person.
All glories to Adam and Eve who were able to see Him strolling in the Garden...
All glories to Moses who was able to see Him three times. Each time in a form that was beyond imagination...
All glories to Arjuna who was able to see the Lord as his servant...
All glories to Muhammad who during the Isra and Mi'raj was able to go where Gabriel the angel could not and be face to face with Allah...
All glories to the wonderful son of the greatest demon Hiranyakashipu, who because of his constant remembrance of the Lord was able to have the Lord's darshan as Narasinghadeva.
All glories to Srila Madhavendra Puri who saw the most beautiful cowherd boy Krishna, but was not able to recognize Him as the Lord...
All glories to the great pprophets of Israel who were able to see the Lord in the tabernacle...
All glories to Peter, James and John who were able to see the Transfiguration of Lord Jesus Christ...


All glories to Srinivas Acarya who in his meditation saw the most beautiful form of Lord Caitanya. Srinivas garlanded the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The fragrance of that garland threw Srinivas into great ecstasy. When he broke his meditation, Srinivas was wearing the garland. 


Let us constantly pray to these great souls who by their purity saw the Divine face to face. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."- Matthew 5.8.
It's sad that I'd rather watch a television screen with images that stimulate my temporary senses than struggle to see the Lord. 


Saint Augustine wrote: "In the house of God there is a never ending festival: For there is not an occasion celebrated once, and then to pass away. The angelic choir makes an eternal holiday: the presence of God's face, joy that never fails."

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in his purport to Sri Brahma-samhita 5.38 writes:

"The Śyāmasundara form of Kṛṣṇa is His inconceivable simultaneous personal and impersonal self-contradictory form. True devotees see that form in their purified hearts under the influence of devotional trance. The form Śyāma is not the blue color visible in the mundane world but is the transcendental variegated color affording eternal bliss, and is not visible to the mortal eye. On a consideration of the trance of Vyāsadeva as in the śloka, bhakti-yogena manasi etc., it will be clear that the form of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the full Personality of Godhead and can only be visible in the heart of a true devotee, which is the only true seat in the state of trance under the influence of devotion. When Kṛṣṇa manifested Himself in Vraja, both the devotees and nondevotees saw Him with this very eye; but only the devotees cherished Him, eternally present in Vraja, as the priceless jewel of their heart. Nowadays also the devotees see Him in Vraja in their hearts, saturated with devotion although they do not see Him with their eyes. The eye of devotion is nothing but the eye of the pure unalloyed spiritual self of the jīva. The form of Kṛṣṇa is visible to that eye in proportion to its purification by the practice of devotion. When the devotion of the neophyte reaches the stage of bhāva-bhakti the pure eye of that devotee is tinged with the salve of love by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, which enables him to see Kṛṣṇa face to face. The phrase "in their hearts" means Kṛṣṇa is visible in proportion as their hearts are purified by the practice of devotion. The sum and substance of this śloka is that the form of Kṛṣṇa, who is Śyāmasundara, Naṭavara (Best Dancer), Muralīdhara (Holder of the Flute) and Tribhańga (Triple-bending), is not a mental concoction but is transcendental, and is visible with the eye of the soul of the devotee under trance."

To go even further and deeper into the topic of theophany, seeing God, let us meditate on Srila Prabhupada's words from a lecture given in Bombay May 12, 1974: "Just work in such a way that God may see you. This is the Krishna consciousness movement. Everyone is busy to see God. Of course, it is not so easy to see God. But a devotee is not busy to see God, but he wants God to see him." 
Even demons saw Krishna, yet they could not understand that He was the Supreme Lord, because they were envious. We should be more concerned about giving pleasure to the Lord rather than getting pleasure from seeing the Lord. 


Then we can also meditate on how some can become proud that see God, or they take the Lord's darshan for granted. So what was the mood of the Six Gosvami's of Vraja?
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Six Gosvamis, who chanted very loudly everywhere in Vrindavana, shouting, 'O Queen of Vrindavana, Radharani! O Lalita! O son of Nanda Maharaja! Where are you all now? Are you on the hill of Govardhana, or are you under the trees on the bank of the Yamuna? Where are you?' These were their moods in executing Krishna consciousness."


What more can a fool like me say on this subject? I pray I may tread the path of the great souls before me and by their unfathomable mercy discern what is the proper mentality in performing suddha-bhakti, pure devotional service.

Characteristics of Surrender

In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, there is a famous verse that lists the six characteristics of surrender:
Anukulyasya sankalpah
  pratikulyasya varjanam
raksisyatiti visvaso
  goptrtve varanam tatha
atma-niksepa-karpanye
  sad-vidha saranagatih


"The six divisions of surrender are the acceptance of those things favorable to devotional service, the rejection of unfavorable things, the conviction that Krishna will give protection, the acceptance of the Lord as one's guardian or master, full self-surrender and humility."

What is surrender? By definition surrender means, to give up or to yield to the possession or power of another. Human life is meant to surrender to the will of the Lord.The Lord appears in many different forms according to the love and devotion of His devotees. He also appears according to time, place, and circumstance to reestablish the religious principles. So these divisions of surrender are universal; they are not meant for just one institution.


The first part of surrender that is listed in the verse from above is anukulyasya sankalpah: accepting that which is favorable for devotional service. From the scriptures we know that devotional service means hearing, chanting, remembering, praying, worshiping, serving the lotus feet, being a servant, being a friend, and surrendering everything to the Lord. These are the activities in which one pleases the Lord. One may perfect one of these activities or perform many for the pleasure of the Lord. 


So we must accept that in our life which is favorable for the execution of these activities. By becoming attached to the nine types of service we will slowly give up that which is unfavorable. Now we read in the scriptures how great demons like Kamsa and Sisupala were constantly talking and remembering the Lord. But we should know that even though it appears they were performing some of the same activities that devotees perform, they were not performing them in a favorable way. They were not giving pleasure to the Lord in a direct way. They were giving Him pleasure in an indirect way but to go into that would take a whole blog, so we will touch upon that another time.


There is a nice verse from Srila Rupa Gosvami that tells us what is favorable for devotional service: "There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles (such as śravaṇaḿ kīrtanaḿ viṣṇoḥsmaraṇam [SB 7.5.23] — hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa), (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service." Sri Upadesmrita 3.


The last principle is very important. By reading and meditating upon the lives of the great souls that have come before us we can learn how to properly implement the other principles in a healthy into our lives. 


We are here surrender to God, and to help others surrender to God. Accepting that which is favorable for devotional service will help us fulfill this mission.

The Real Saint Patrick

St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints.

Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 461.

Along with St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, the secular world shares our love of these saints. This is also a day when everyone's Irish.

There are many legends and stories of St. Patrick, but this is his story.

Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, probably Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britian in charge of the colonies.

As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him.

During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He wrote

"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same." "I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britian, where he reunited with his family.

He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

He began his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years.

Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane. One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after he was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick.

Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick by now had many disciples, among them Beningnus, Auxilius, Iserninus, and Fiaac, (all later canonized as well).

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.

He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.

Why a shamrock?

Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and has been associated with him and the Irish since that time.

In His Footsteps:

Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose love and total devotion to and trust in God should be a shining example to each of us. He feared nothing, not even death, so complete was his trust in God, and of the importance of his mission. 

Info on St. Patrick was taken from Catholic Online.

Glorifying Srimati Radhika

"Radharani is a beautiful crescent moon of nectar born from the ocean of Vrsabhanu's family. The line of red vermilion decorating the lovely part of Radha's hai looks like a sweet river of nectar. I pray that my mind remains eternally fixed on Radhika, who becomes stunned with love for Krsna whenever She hears about His transcendental form and qualities. Kishori binds Her beautiful braids with delicate, fragrant jasmine flowers. Radha's large lotus eyes, restless with amorous desires, condemn the agile movements of khanjana birds.

"Radha's walking is more graceful than the gait of a regal mad elephant. Kishor's sweet golden limbs are more charming than the petals of a golden campaka flower. The golden creepers of Radharani's tender arms are decorated with jeweled armlets and bracelets. The astonishingly wonderful loveliness of Radha's divine form constantly enchants all the beautifulyoung girls of Vraja.

"Radharani's gently smiling face conquers the elegance of the full moon. Condensed fresh sweetness has appeared as Radha's lovely broad hips, which are bound by strings of bells. A wonderfullycolorful blouse conceals the beautiful golden waterpots of Radhika's large breasts. Radha's glossy red lips fillSyama's mind with a great longing to taste the delicious nectar therein. Radharani's shapely chin is splendidly anointed with a charming dot of musk. A large radiant pearl inlaid with gold and jewels hangs from Radha's pretty nose.

"Radhika's blissful divine form is the essence of the sweet ocean of beauty surging with waves of love for Syama. The deer of Krsna's eyes has fallen into the well of nectar known as Radha's enchanting navel. A red sari encircles Radha's divine body, which is made even made more dazzling by Her brilliant earrings, necklaces and anklets. Kishori trembles with amorous passion whenever She sees Gokulacnadra's footprints on the forest path. Those whose hearts are greedy to taste the nectar of vraja-rasa must glorify the incomparably beautiful transcendental body of Radhika as per the descriptions of the expert s in Vrndavana mellows."

                                         -Govinda das Kaviraja
                                           Sangita-Madhava

                                           

Psalm 141

 O Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me.

Hear my voice when I call to You.
May my prayer be set before You like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.


Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.


Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.


Let a righteous man strike me-it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me-it is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it.


Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;
their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.They will say, "As one plows and breaks up the earth,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave."


But my eyes are fixed on You, O Sovereign Lord;
in You I take refuge-do not give me over to death.
Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
from the traps set by evildoers.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.

Four Qualities

" Sri caitanya Mahaprabhu destroyed the pride of Kandarpa when He stayed in the house of Ramananda. He exhibited His neutrality in the house of Damodara. He taught patience during His stay at the house of Haridas, and He taught humility through Rupa and Sanatana. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught all people the four Qualities of a devotee- continence, neutrality, patience, and humility."
                            - From Bhakti-Ratnakara

Mountain Air

Clouds in arms length
Sheds my heart of all fear
In the distance is God's breath
Inhale love... Inhale wisdom


Sunbeams warming
Snow seeks it's shelter in the shade
Chanting in the cool air

The mountain silence makes it easier to concentrate