Radha and Durga

Radhastami is this Wednesday so I've been reading about and meditating on Srimati Radharani. 


In Srila Jiva Gosvami's commentary on Sri Brahma-samhita, verse 3,there is an interesting section talking about Durga and Radha:




"Sometimes Goddess Durga is also described as the supreme controller. This is also correct because there is no difference between the potencies and Lord Krishna, the master of the potencies. This is confirmed by the following words of the Gautamiya Tantra:



'Krishna is Durga. Durga is Krishna. One who sees that They are different will not become liberated from the cycle of repeated birth and death.'


Durga is the personal potency of Lord Krishna, and therefore She is Lord Krishna Himself. For this reason Durga should not be considered manifested from a portion of the Lord's illusory potency, Maya. This fact is confirmed by the following statement of the Nirukti:

'Even if one continually worships Her, Durga is still difficult to understand.'



Durga is also described in Narada-pancaratra, in the following conversation of Sruti and Vidya:


' Durga is the supreme goddess. She is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She is the transcendental potency of the Lord. She is manifested from the form of Lord Maha-Vishnu.

' Simply by understanding Her one immediately attains the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not otherwise.

' She is identical with Gokul's queen Sri Radha, who possesses a great treasure of love for Krishna. By Her grace, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all living entities, is easily understood.

' She is the potency of personified devotional service. She worships Her beloved Supreme Lord. Because She is understood only with great difficulty, the saintly devotees call Her Durga, (difficult to understand.) She is the personal potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and She is always filled with the nectar of love for Him.

' From Her is manifested the mah-maya potency, the controller of all conditioned souls, who covers them with illusion. By this maha-maya potency the residents of the entire world are bewildered into thinking themselves identical with their external material bodies."


In the Sammohana Tantra, Durga Herself declares:

'I am Durga. I possess all virtues. I am not different from Sri Radha, the eternal, supreme goddess of fortune.'"

Three Kinds Of Bhakti

A wonderful purport from Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi Lila, Chapter 4, texts 21-22 that I was studying:

In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta three kinds of devotional service are described — namely, bhakti (ordinary devotional service), śuddha-bhakti (pure devotional service) and viddha-bhakti (mixed devotional service).

When devotional service is executed with some material purpose, involving fruitive activities, mental speculations or mystic yoga, it is called mixed or adulterated devotional service. Besides bhakti-yoga, the Bhagavad-gītā also describeskarma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and dhyāna-yoga. Yoga means linking with the Supreme Lord, which is possible only through devotion. Fruitive activities ending in devotional service, philosophical speculation ending in devotional service, and the practice of mysticism ending in devotional service are known respectively as karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga and dhyāna-yoga. But such devotional service is adulterated by the three kinds of material activities.

For those grossly engaged in identifying the body as the self, pious activity, orkarma-yoga, is recommended. For those who identify the mind with the self, philosophical speculation, or jñāna-yoga, is recommended. But devotees standing on the spiritual platform have no need of such material conceptions of adulterated devotion. Adulterated devotional service does not directly aim for love of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore service performed strictly in conformity with the revealed scriptures is better than such viddha-bhakti because it is free from all kinds of material contamination. It is executed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, solely to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Those who are spontaneously devoted to the Lord and have no aims for material gain are called attracted devotees. They are spontaneously attracted to the service of the Lord, and they follow in the footsteps of self-realized souls. Their pure devotion (śuddha-bhakti), manifested from pure love of Godhead, surpasses the regulative principles of the authoritative scriptures. Sometimes loving ecstasy transcends regulative principles; such ecstasy, however, is completely on the spiritual platform and cannot be imitated. The regulative principles help ordinary devotees rise to the stage of perfect love of Godhead. Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is the perfection of pure devotion, and pure devotional service is identical with spontaneous devotional service.

Flawless execution of regulative principles is exhibited in the Vaikuṇṭha planets. By strictly executing these principles one can be elevated to the Vaikuṇṭha planets. But spontaneous pure loving service is found in Kṛṣṇaloka alone.

Mode Of Worship

An excerpt from Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur's Sri Caitanya-siksamrta:

"People in various countries on various continents have a wide variety of natures. Although their principal nature is only one, their secondary characteristics are many- you will not find any two people in the world who have identical secondary qualities. Since even twins born of the same womb have some difference in form and quality, can one expect that people born in different countries can ever have exactly the same qualities?


Different countries have different water, air, mountains, forests, and different eatables and clothing. Because of this, the people of these places have naturally developed different physiques, complexions, customs, clothing and food. Similarly, people's mentalities differ. 


Thus, various people's ideas of God though basically similar, will differ in secondary details...


Considered objectively, there is no harm in secondary differences. If there is agreement concerning the essential nature of God and His worship, there should be no obstacle in attaining the same result. Thus Mahaprabhu has taught that we should instruct everyone to worship the pure form of the Lord, but at the same time we should not criticize others' mode of worship."

Soul Poems by Rumi

TWO POEMS BY RUMI




One Song


What is praised is one, so the praise is one too,
many jugs being poured 
into a huge basin. 
All religions, all this singing, one song.


The differences are just illusion and vanity. Sunlight looks slightly different on this wall
than it does on that wall and a lot different on this other one, but
it is still one light. We have borrowed these clothes, these time-and-space personalities,
from a light, and when we praise, we pour them back in.


-------------------------------------------------------




Four Interrupted Prayers




Four Indians enter a mosque and begin the prostrations.
Deep, sincere praying.


But a priest walks by, and one of the Indians, without thinking says, "Oh, are you going to give the call to prayer now? Is it time?"


The second Indian, under his breath, "You spoke. Now your prayers are invalid."


The third, "Uncle, don't scold him! You did the same thing. Correct yourself." 


The fourth, "Praise to God, I have not made the mistake of these three." 


So all four prayers are interrupted, with the three faultfinders being more at fault than the original speaker. 
Blessed is one who his weakness, and blessed is one who, when he sees a flaw in someone else , takes responsibility for it.
Because, half of any person is wrong and weak and off the path.
Half!
The other half is dancing and swimming and flying in the invisible joy. 
You have ten open sores on your head. Put what salve you have on yourself. And point out to everyone the disease you are.


That's part of getting well! When you lance yourself that way, you become more merciful and wiser. Even if you don't have a particular fault at the moment, you may soon be the one who makes some act notorious. 


Don't feel self-satisfied. Lucifer lived eons as a noble angel. Think what his name means now.
Don't try to be famous until your face is completely washed of any fear. If your beard hasn't grown out, don't joke about someone's smooth chin.


Consider how Satan swallowed soul poison, and be grateful that you taste only the sweetness of being warned.

Srila Vamsidas Babaji Maharaja

Yesterday was the tirobhava of Srila Vamsidas Babaji Maharaja, a great saint the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition. Tirobhava, is translated as disappearance, because saints do not die like ordinary mortals. They wrap up their lila, or pastimes on the mundane plane. "He reasons ill who say vaisnavas die, while still living in sound. Vaisnavas die to live and living try to spread the holy name around."


Vamsidas Babaji was born in 1859 in a small village located in what is now known as Bangladesh. He grew up in family of fishermen. Nothing more was expected of him in life than to become a fisherman. Life at that time was very rough due to intense poverty.
He was initiated by the family guru who was from the line of Narottama das Thakura. He began to disassociate himself from this material world. He started spending more time at his guru's ashram. He then took initiation from Narottam das Babaji.


Vamsidas Babaji, like most paramahamsa babajis in Gaudiya Vaisnavism, did not follow certain rules and regulations meant for sadhakas. Rather his love of God flowed naturally that materialistic people cannot understand. 
Vamsidas stood six feet tall, never cut his beard or hair, which was disheveled and matted, he never took a bath, and was prone to go on fasts for many days. His eyes looked wild and he only wore kaupins, or loincloths.
Even though he appeared dirty, he was always healthy and very strong. 
He always spoke of Krishna and devotional service, but due to his intense devotion he could rarely be understood. He spoke in an unintelligible manner with little apparent connection between one sentence and the next. Sometimes he would start shouting the names of Krishna over and over again in ecstatic love.
Vamsidas always thought of Radha's and Krishna's pastimes or Mahaprabhu's and Nityananda's pastimes. He always sang songs about Them and always served Them with great love.
He mostly stayed in Navadvip where he lived in a small bhajan-kutir. There he had deities of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, Radha-Krishna and Bal Gopal. He would often carry Bal Gopal around in his right hand. He would spend hours talking to the deities. Srila Prabhupada gave a lecture in Los Angeles stating: "If you think this deity is a brass-made idol, then it will remain a brass-made idol to you forever. But if you elevate yourself to higher platform of Krishna consciousness, then Krishna, this Krishna, will talk with you. There is a Vamsidas Babaji Maharaja, he was talking with his Deity."


There are many beautiful pastimes of Babaji Maharaja. I'm very sorry that I cannot properly describe all of them now. 
One time during his stay in Jagannath Puri, during Ratha-yatra, Lord Jagannnath's cart stopped where Babaji Maharaja was staying. Whatever they tried to do they could not move the cart. After Babaji Maharaja had some intimate conversations with the Lord the chariot started moving again.


Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura revered Vamsidas as a great saint and were very eager to serve him and receive his association. They first met him in 1903. In later years Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sometimes crossed the river from Mayapur to visit Babaji Maharaja in Kuliya. Seeing him coming Vamsidas would claim, "Oh, a manjari has come, so won't Radha also come? She will come! She will come!"  Bhaktisiddhanta always had three brahmacaris stay with Babaji Maharaja just to get his food remnants. They would then send the remnants to Mayapur and Vrindavan. The Goswamis in charge of Radha-Raman would eagerly take the foodstuffs. 


It is very difficult to try and understand the great souls from an intellectual and mundane point of view. Attempting to glorify them is great purification. I sincerely seek Babaji Maharaja's blessings.

Mercy

Where is the mercy I was promised?


Hear I cry and laugh
Laugh at my stupidity
How could it be , that I let my mind flee?
Still I'll tread steadily 
Will you wait for me?
You are miles ahead
I'm struggling to get out of bed
Remember what Gurudev said?


The snow is deep
inhalations burn but now it's my turn
My turn to hold Vasuki and churn
Churn out my desires and impurity
Are you still trying to get through to me?


Shiva don't throw the trident down
In this ocean of milk I'll drown 
Unless you save me...........


Is this the mercy I was promised?


I fall and cry out loud
No, I've been way too proud
Count myself out of the crowd
Read out loud and now I wear the shroud


Forgot the route back to the sky
that blissful sky where you'll go when you die
I let out a heavy sigh and you ask why


Why? Am I alive
or am I dead body decorated with jewels?
I'm only alive to those gross fools


Here I stand proud only to be brought down on my knees
Begging please, please, please


      Show me some mercy..........

My Thought From Yesterday

Yesterday, I had an epiphany that hit me like a wrecking ball. We cannot understand non-sectarianism if we are on the bodily concept of life. Do you agree? Allow me to make my point.

We are eternal spirit souls. That is the very beginning of real knowledge according to all religious and philosophical schools. This body is temporary and full of suffering. It dies, the spirit goes on. This is the first thing to be realized, not just known, but actualized. And this is also something I could go on for pages about, but will not here.

When we are in illusion, we believe we are the body. When we believe we are the body, we think, "I am American, Chinese, Mexican, or what have you." Then, "I am Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, male, female, and so on and so on."

We connect with other people that have similar "body types." The mentality of a person is then very much shaped by the constrictions placed upon the idea of your body.

Non-sectarianism is first understanding that the body has very little value and the soul is the most important thing. In the Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 18, texts 19-21 it is stated, "According to the three different modes of material nature, there are three kinds of knowledge, action and performer of action. Now hear of them from Me. That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all living entities, though they are divided into innumerable forms, you should understand to be in the mode of goodness. That knowledge by which one sees that in every different body there is a different type of living entity you should understand to be in the mode of passion."

We are divided in our thinking. By freeing ourselves from the bodily consciousness, we will understand the truth: everyone is an eternal servant of God. Everyone no matter what color your skin, no matter what political view you hold, and no matter what religious practice you are a part of. 

How do we place the truth in our heart? The holy name of the Lord is that which will illuminate our heart clearing away all darkness. He will clean everything, so that we can understand properly. Then we can have real peace.