tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49914348026658778452012-01-25T07:48:01.471+02:00Grand Space Within<p>My personal archive on display
<p>brought to life by your reading
<p>Just as nature is brought to life
<p>By the eyeOmernoreply@blogger.comBlogger251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-91825316229824771372010-06-20T13:04:00.000+03:002010-06-20T13:04:24.906+03:00Innitiation Tel-Aviv June 2010Innitiation Tel-Aviv June 2010 - H.H. Kavicandra Swami<br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 01/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o2XcBIQ1LWg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o2XcBIQ1LWg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 02/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QA4UeKb6tCE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QA4UeKb6tCE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 03/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zjaquGU9_t4&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zjaquGU9_t4&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 04/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ihyN7sBJYBc&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ihyN7sBJYBc&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 05/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zFonrXGYN5s&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zFonrXGYN5s&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 06/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uClPOWmMLtk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uClPOWmMLtk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 07/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7xj5BUuft_Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7xj5BUuft_Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 08/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iPg1acMHMN8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iPg1acMHMN8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 09/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8CT_URybqlo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8CT_URybqlo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 10/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o7yrDmGMpZ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o7yrDmGMpZ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Innitiation Tel-Aviv 11/11 <br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LDhT9fvpqPo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LDhT9fvpqPo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-9182531622982477137?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-69374418144090245002010-05-10T00:26:00.000+03:002010-05-10T00:26:21.931+03:00Vaishnava calendar - Israel - 3/2010-3/2011 Visnu Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /> 1 Mar 2010 Mo Pratipat K Dhriti Purva-phalguni <br /> Festival of Jagannatha Misra<br /> 2 Mar 2010 Tu Dvitiya K Sula Uttara-phalguni <br /> 3 Mar 2010 We Tritiya K Ganda Hasta <br /> 4 Mar 2010 Th Caturthi K Vriddhi Swati <br /> 5 Mar 2010 Fr Sasti K Vyagata Visakha <br /> 6 Mar 2010 Sa Saptami K Harsana Anuradha <br /> 7 Mar 2010 Su Astami K Vajra Jyestha <br /> Sri Srivasa Pandita -- Appearance<br /> 8 Mar 2010 Mo Astami K Siddhi Jyestha <br /> 9 Mar 2010 Tu Navami K Vyatipata Mula <br />10 Mar 2010 We Dasami K Variyana Purva-asadha <br />11 Mar 2010 Th Suddha Ekadasi K Parigha Uttara-asadha *<br /> Fasting for Papamocani Ekadasi<br />12 Mar 2010 Fr Dvadasi K Siva Sravana <br /> Break fast 05:55 - 09:52 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Sri Govinda Ghosh -- Disappearance<br />13 Mar 2010 Sa Trayodasi K Siddha Dhanista <br />14 Mar 2010 Su Caturdasi K Sadhya Satabhisa <br />15 Mar 2010 Mo Amavasya K Sadhya Purva-bhadra <br />----------------- Mina Sankranti (Sun enters Pisces) -----------------<br />16 Mar 2010 Tu Pratipat G Subha Uttara-bhadra <br />17 Mar 2010 We Dvitiya G Sukla Revati <br />18 Mar 2010 Th Tritiya G Brahma Revati <br />19 Mar 2010 Fr Caturthi G Indra Asvini <br />20 Mar 2010 Sa Pancami G Viskumba Bharani <br /> Sri Ramanujacarya -- Appearance<br />21 Mar 2010 Su Sasti G Priti Krittika <br />22 Mar 2010 Mo Saptami G Ayusmana Rohini <br />23 Mar 2010 Tu Astami G Saubhagya Mrigasira <br />24 Mar 2010 We Navami G Sobana Ardra *<br /> Rama Navami: Appearance of Lord Sri Ramacandra<br /> (Fasting till sunset)<br />25 Mar 2010 Th Dasami G Atiganda Punarvasu <br />26 Mar 2010 Fr Suddha Ekadasi G Sukarma Aslesa *<br /> Fasting for Kamada Ekadasi<br />27 Mar 2010 Sa Dvadasi G Dhriti Magha <br /> Break fast 05:36 - 09:43 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Damanaka-ropana dvadasi<br />28 Mar 2010 Su Trayodasi G Sula Purva-phalguni <br />29 Mar 2010 Mo Caturdasi G Vriddhi Uttara-phalguni <br /> Sri Balarama Rasayatra<br /> Sri Krsna Vasanta Rasa<br /> Sri Vamsivadana Thakura -- Appearance<br /> Sri Syamananda Prabhu -- Appearance<br /><br /> Madhusudana Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />30 Mar 2010 Tu Pratipat K Dhruva Hasta <br />31 Mar 2010 We Dvitiya K Vyagata Citra <br /> 1 Apr 2010 Th Tritiya K Harsana Swati <br /> 2 Apr 2010 Fr Caturthi K Vajra Visakha <br /> 3 Apr 2010 Sa Pancami K Siddhi Anuradha <br /> 4 Apr 2010 Su Sasti K Vyatipata Jyestha <br /> 5 Apr 2010 Mo Saptami K Variyana Mula <br /> Sri Abhirama Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> 6 Apr 2010 Tu Astami K Parigha Purva-asadha <br /> 7 Apr 2010 We Navami K Siva Uttara-asadha <br /> 8 Apr 2010 Th Dasami K Siddha Sravana <br /> Srila Vrndavana Dasa Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> 9 Apr 2010 Fr Dasami K Sadhya Dhanista <br />10 Apr 2010 Sa Suddha Ekadasi K Subha Satabhisa *<br /> Fasting for Varuthini Ekadasi<br />11 Apr 2010 Su Dvadasi K Sukla Satabhisa <br /> Break fast 05:17 - 09:34 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />12 Apr 2010 Mo Trayodasi K Brahma Purva-bhadra <br />13 Apr 2010 Tu Caturdasi K Indra Uttara-bhadra <br />14 Apr 2010 We Amavasya K Vaidhriti Revati <br /> Sri Gadadhara Pandita -- Appearance<br />----------------- Mesa Sankranti (Sun enters Aries) -----------------<br /> Beginning of Salagrama and Tulasi Jala Dana<br /><br />Madhusudana Masa continues after Purusottama Adhika Masa<br /><br /> Purusottama-adhika Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />15 Apr 2010 Th Pratipat G Viskumba Asvini <br />16 Apr 2010 Fr Dvitiya G Priti Bharani <br />17 Apr 2010 Sa Tritiya G Ayusmana Krittika <br />18 Apr 2010 Su Caturthi G Saubhagya Rohini <br />19 Apr 2010 Mo Pancami G Sobana Mrigasira <br />20 Apr 2010 Tu Sasti G Sukarma Ardra <br />21 Apr 2010 We Saptami G Dhriti Punarvasu <br />22 Apr 2010 Th Astami G Sula Pusyami <br />23 Apr 2010 Fr Navami G Ganda Aslesa <br />24 Apr 2010 Sa Suddha Ekadasi G Vriddhi Magha *<br /> Fasting for Padmini Ekadasi<br />25 Apr 2010 Su Dvadasi G Dhruva Purva-phalguni <br /> Break fast 05:29 - 09:26 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />26 Apr 2010 Mo Trayodasi G Vyagata Hasta <br />27 Apr 2010 Tu Caturdasi G Vajra Citra <br />28 Apr 2010 We Purnima G Siddhi Swati <br />29 Apr 2010 Th Pratipat K Vyatipata Visakha <br />30 Apr 2010 Fr Dvitiya K Variyana Anuradha <br /> 1 May 2010 Sa Tritiya K Parigha Jyestha <br /> 2 May 2010 Su Caturthi K Siva Mula <br /> 3 May 2010 Mo Pancami K Siddha Purva-asadha <br /> 4 May 2010 Tu Sasti K Sadhya Uttara-asadha <br /> 5 May 2010 We Saptami K Subha Uttara-asadha <br /> 6 May 2010 Th Astami K Sukla Sravana <br /> 7 May 2010 Fr Navami K Brahma Dhanista <br /> 8 May 2010 Sa Dasami K Indra Satabhisa <br /> 9 May 2010 Su Suddha Ekadasi K Vaidhriti Purva-bhadra *<br /> Fasting for Parama Ekadasi<br />10 May 2010 Mo Dvadasi K Viskumba Uttara-bhadra <br /> Break fast 08:19 - 09:21 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />11 May 2010 Tu Trayodasi K Priti Revati <br />12 May 2010 We Caturdasi K Ayusmana Asvini <br />13 May 2010 Th Amavasya K Saubhagya Bharani <br /><br /> Madhusudana Masa continued, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />14 May 2010 Fr Pratipat G Sobana Krittika <br /> End of Jala Dana<br />15 May 2010 Sa Dvitiya G Atiganda Rohini <br />----------------- Vrsabha Sankranti (Sun enters Taurus) -----------------<br />16 May 2010 Su Tritiya G Sukarma Mrigasira <br /> Aksaya Trtiya. Candana Yatra starts.<br /> (Continues for 21 days)<br />17 May 2010 Mo Caturthi G Dhriti Ardra <br />18 May 2010 Tu Pancami G Sula Punarvasu <br />19 May 2010 We Sasti G Vriddhi Pusyami <br />20 May 2010 Th Saptami G Dhruva Aslesa <br /> Jahnu Saptami<br />21 May 2010 Fr Astami G Vyagata Magha <br />22 May 2010 Sa Navami G Harsana Purva-phalguni <br /> Srimati Sita Devi (consort of Lord Sri Rama) -- Appearance<br /> Sri Madhu Pandita -- Disappearance<br /> Srimati Jahnava Devi -- Appearance<br />23 May 2010 Su Dasami G Vajra Uttara-phalguni <br />24 May 2010 Mo Trisprsa Mahadvadasi G Siddhi Hasta *<br /> Fasting for Mohini Ekadasi<br /> Rukmini Dvadasi<br />25 May 2010 Tu Trayodasi G Vyatipata Citra <br /> Break fast 04:38 - 09:18 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Sri Jayananda Prabhu -- Disappearance<br />26 May 2010 We Caturdasi G Variyana Swati *<br /> Nrsimha Caturdasi: Appearance of Lord Nrsimhadeva<br /> (Fasting till dusk)<br />27 May 2010 Th Purnima G Parigha Visakha <br /> Krsna Phula Dola, Salila Vihara<br /> Sri Paramesvari Dasa Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Sri Radha-Ramana Devaji -- Appearance<br /> Sri Madhavendra Puri -- Appearance<br /> Sri Srinivasa Acarya -- Appearance<br /><br /> Trivikrama Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />28 May 2010 Fr Pratipat K Siddha Anuradha <br />29 May 2010 Sa Dvitiya K Sadhya Jyestha <br />30 May 2010 Su Tritiya K Subha Mula <br />31 May 2010 Mo Caturthi K Sukla Purva-asadha <br /> 1 Jun 2010 Tu Pancami K Brahma Uttara-asadha <br /> Sri Ramananda Raya -- Disappearance<br /> 2 Jun 2010 We Pancami K Indra Sravana <br /> 3 Jun 2010 Th Sasti K Vaidhriti Dhanista <br /> 4 Jun 2010 Fr Saptami K Vaidhriti Satabhisa <br /> 5 Jun 2010 Sa Astami K Viskumba Purva-bhadra <br /> 6 Jun 2010 Su Navami K Priti Uttara-bhadra <br /> 7 Jun 2010 Mo Dasami K Ayusmana Uttara-bhadra <br /> 8 Jun 2010 Tu Suddha Ekadasi K Saubhagya Revati *<br /> Fasting for Apara Ekadasi<br /> 9 Jun 2010 We Dvadasi K Sobana Asvini <br /> Break fast 04:34 - 09:18 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Srila Vrndavana Dasa Thakura -- Appearance<br />10 Jun 2010 Th Trayodasi K Sukarma Bharani <br />11 Jun 2010 Fr Caturdasi K Dhriti Krittika <br />12 Jun 2010 Sa Amavasya K Sula Rohini <br />13 Jun 2010 Su Pratipat G Ganda Mrigasira <br />14 Jun 2010 Mo Dvitiya G Vriddhi Punarvasu <br />15 Jun 2010 Tu Tritiya G Dhruva Pusyami <br />----------------- Mithuna Sankranti (Sun enters Gemini) -----------------<br />16 Jun 2010 We Pancami G Vyagata Aslesa <br />17 Jun 2010 Th Sasti G Harsana Magha <br />18 Jun 2010 Fr Saptami G Siddhi Purva-phalguni <br />19 Jun 2010 Sa Astami G Vyatipata Uttara-phalguni <br />20 Jun 2010 Su Navami G Variyana Hasta <br />21 Jun 2010 Mo Dasami G Parigha Citra <br /> Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana -- Disappearance<br /> Ganga Puja<br /> Srimati Gangamata Gosvamini -- Appearance<br />22 Jun 2010 Tu Suddha Ekadasi G Siva Swati *<br /> Fasting for Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi.<br /> (Total fast, even from water, if you have broken Ekadasi)<br />23 Jun 2010 We Dvadasi G Siddha Visakha <br /> Break fast 04:36 - 09:21 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />24 Jun 2010 Th Trayodasi G Sadhya Anuradha <br /> Panihati Cida Dahi Utsava<br />25 Jun 2010 Fr Caturdasi G Subha Jyestha <br />26 Jun 2010 Sa Purnima G Sukla Mula <br /> Snana Yatra<br /> Sri Mukunda Datta -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Sridhara Pandita -- Disappearance<br /><br /> Vamana Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />27 Jun 2010 Su Pratipat K Brahma Purva-asadha <br /> Sri Syamananda Prabhu -- Disappearance<br />28 Jun 2010 Mo Dvitiya K Indra Uttara-asadha <br />29 Jun 2010 Tu Tritiya K Vaidhriti Sravana <br />30 Jun 2010 We Caturthi K Viskumba Dhanista <br /> 1 Jul 2010 Th Pancami K Priti Satabhisa <br /> Sri Vakresvara Pandita -- Appearance<br /> 2 Jul 2010 Fr Sasti K Ayusmana Satabhisa <br /> 3 Jul 2010 Sa Saptami K Saubhagya Purva-bhadra <br /> 4 Jul 2010 Su Astami K Sobana Uttara-bhadra <br /> 5 Jul 2010 Mo Astami K Atiganda Revati <br /> 6 Jul 2010 Tu Navami K Sukarma Asvini <br /> 7 Jul 2010 We Dasami K Dhriti Bharani <br /> Sri Srivasa Pandita -- Disappearance<br /> 8 Jul 2010 Th Suddha Ekadasi K Sula Krittika *<br /> Fasting for Yogini Ekadasi<br /> 9 Jul 2010 Fr Dvadasi K Ganda Rohini <br /> Break fast 04:42 - 04:57 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />10 Jul 2010 Sa Caturdasi K Vriddhi Mrigasira <br />11 Jul 2010 Su Amavasya K Dhruva Ardra *<br /> Sri Gadadhara Pandita -- Disappearance<br /> Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />12 Jul 2010 Mo Pratipat G Harsana Punarvasu <br /> Gundica Marjana<br />13 Jul 2010 Tu Dvitiya G Vajra Pusyami <br /> Ratha Yatra<br /> (Hera Pancami after 4 days)<br /> (Return Ratha after 8 days)<br /> Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Sivananda Sena -- Disappearance<br />14 Jul 2010 We Tritiya G Siddhi Aslesa <br />15 Jul 2010 Th Caturthi G Vyatipata Purva-phalguni <br />16 Jul 2010 Fr Pancami G Variyana Uttara-phalguni <br /> Sri Vakresvara Pandita -- Disappearance<br />----------------- Karaka Sankranti (Sun enters Cancer) -----------------<br />17 Jul 2010 Sa Saptami G Siva Hasta <br />18 Jul 2010 Su Astami G Siddha Citra <br />19 Jul 2010 Mo Navami G Sadhya Swati <br />20 Jul 2010 Tu Dasami G Subha Visakha <br />21 Jul 2010 We Suddha Ekadasi G Sukla Anuradha *<br /> Fasting for Sayana Ekadasi<br />22 Jul 2010 Th Dvadasi G Brahma Jyestha <br /> Break fast 04:50 - 09:28 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />23 Jul 2010 Fr Trayodasi G Indra Mula <br />24 Jul 2010 Sa Caturdasi G Vaidhriti Purva-asadha <br />25 Jul 2010 Su Purnima G Viskumba Uttara-asadha <br /> Guru (Vyasa) Purnima<br /> Srila Sanatana Gosvami -- Disappearance<br />First month of Caturmasya begins.<br />(Fast from sak, green leafy vegetables, for one month.)<br />(Caturmasya is not observed during Purusottama Adhika Masa.)<br /><br /> Sridhara Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />26 Jul 2010 Mo Pratipat K Priti Uttara-asadha <br />27 Jul 2010 Tu Pratipat K Ayusmana Sravana <br />28 Jul 2010 We Dvitiya K Saubhagya Dhanista <br />29 Jul 2010 Th Tritiya K Sobana Satabhisa <br />30 Jul 2010 Fr Caturthi K Atiganda Purva-bhadra <br />31 Jul 2010 Sa Pancami K Sukarma Uttara-bhadra <br /> Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> 1 Aug 2010 Su Sasti K Dhriti Revati <br /> 2 Aug 2010 Mo Saptami K Sula Asvini <br /> 3 Aug 2010 Tu Astami K Ganda Bharani <br /> Srila Lokanatha Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> 4 Aug 2010 We Navami K Vriddhi Krittika <br /> The incorporation of ISKCON in New York<br /> 5 Aug 2010 Th Dasami K Dhruva Rohini <br /> 6 Aug 2010 Fr Suddha Ekadasi K Vyagata Mrigasira *<br /> Fasting for Kamika Ekadasi<br /> 7 Aug 2010 Sa Dvadasi K Harsana Ardra <br /> Break fast 05:00 - 09:31 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> 8 Aug 2010 Su Trayodasi K Vajra Punarvasu <br /> 9 Aug 2010 Mo Caturdasi K Siddhi Pusyami <br />10 Aug 2010 Tu Amavasya K Variyana Aslesa <br />11 Aug 2010 We Dvitiya G Parigha Magha <br />12 Aug 2010 Th Tritiya G Siva Purva-phalguni <br />13 Aug 2010 Fr Caturthi G Siddha Uttara-phalguni <br /> Sri Raghunandana Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Vamsidasa Babaji -- Disappearance<br />14 Aug 2010 Sa Pancami G Sadhya Hasta <br /> Nag Panchami, Manasa Puja<br />15 Aug 2010 Su Sasti G Subha Swati <br />16 Aug 2010 Mo Saptami G Brahma Visakha <br />17 Aug 2010 Tu Astami G Indra Anuradha <br />----------------- Simha Sankranti (Sun enters Leo) -----------------<br />18 Aug 2010 We Navami G Vaidhriti Jyestha <br />19 Aug 2010 Th Dasami G Viskumba Mula <br />20 Aug 2010 Fr Suddha Ekadasi G Priti Mula *<br /> Fasting for Pavitropana Ekadasi<br /> Radha Govinda Jhulana Yatra begins<br />21 Aug 2010 Sa Dvadasi G Ayusmana Purva-asadha <br /> Break fast 05:09 - 09:32 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Srila Rupa Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Gauridasa Pandita -- Disappearance<br />22 Aug 2010 Su Trayodasi G Saubhagya Uttara-asadha <br />23 Aug 2010 Mo Caturdasi G Sobana Sravana <br />24 Aug 2010 Tu Purnima G Atiganda Dhanista *<br /> Jhulana Yatra ends<br /> Lord Balarama -- Appearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />Second month of Caturmasya begins.<br />(Fast from yogurt for one month.)<br /><br /> Hrsikesa Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />25 Aug 2010 We Pratipat K Sukarma Satabhisa <br /> Srila Prabhupada's departure for the USA<br />26 Aug 2010 Th Dvitiya K Sukarma Purva-bhadra <br />27 Aug 2010 Fr Tritiya K Dhriti Uttara-bhadra <br />28 Aug 2010 Sa Caturthi K Sula Revati <br />29 Aug 2010 Su Pancami K Ganda Asvini <br />30 Aug 2010 Mo Pancami K Vriddhi Asvini <br />31 Aug 2010 Tu Sasti K Dhruva Bharani <br /> 1 Sep 2010 We Saptami K Vyagata Krittika <br /> 2 Sep 2010 Th Astami K Harsana Rohini *<br /> Sri Krsna Janmastami: Appearance of Lord Sri Krsna<br /> (Fasting till midnight)<br /> 3 Sep 2010 Fr Navami K Siddhi Mrigasira *<br /> Nandotsava<br /> Srila Prabhupada -- Appearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br /> 4 Sep 2010 Sa Ekadasi K Vyatipata Ardra <br /> 5 Sep 2010 Su Suddha Ekadasi K Variyana Punarvasu *<br /> Fasting for Annada Ekadasi<br /> 6 Sep 2010 Mo Trayodasi K Parigha Aslesa <br /> Break fast 05:19 - 09:33 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> 7 Sep 2010 Tu Caturdasi K Siva Magha <br /> 8 Sep 2010 We Amavasya K Siddha Purva-phalguni <br /> 9 Sep 2010 Th Pratipat G Subha Uttara-phalguni <br />10 Sep 2010 Fr Tritiya G Sukla Hasta <br />11 Sep 2010 Sa Caturthi G Brahma Citra <br />12 Sep 2010 Su Pancami G Indra Swati <br /> Srimati Sita Thakurani (Sri Advaita's consort) -- Appearance<br />13 Sep 2010 Mo Sasti G Vaidhriti Visakha <br /> Lalita sasti<br />14 Sep 2010 Tu Saptami G Viskumba Anuradha <br />15 Sep 2010 We Astami G Priti Jyestha *<br /> Radhastami: Appearance of Srimati Radharani<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />16 Sep 2010 Th Navami G Ayusmana Mula <br />17 Sep 2010 Fr Dasami G Saubhagya Purva-asadha <br />----------------- Kanya Sankranti (Sun enters Virgo) -----------------<br />18 Sep 2010 Sa Suddha Ekadasi G Sobana Uttara-asadha *<br /> Fasting for Parsva Ekadasi<br />19 Sep 2010 Su Dvadasi G Atiganda Sravana <br /> Break fast 08:14 - 09:32 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Sri Vamana Dvadasi: Appearance of Lord Vamanadeva<br /> (The fast is observed till noon on the Ekadasi.)<br /> (Feasting is done today.)<br /> Srila Jiva Gosvami -- Appearance<br />20 Sep 2010 Mo Trayodasi G Sukarma Dhanista <br />21 Sep 2010 Tu Trayodasi G Dhriti Satabhisa *<br /> Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura -- Appearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />22 Sep 2010 We Caturdasi G Sula Purva-bhadra <br /> Ananta Caturdasi Vrata<br /> Srila Haridasa Thakura -- Disappearance<br />23 Sep 2010 Th Purnima G Ganda Uttara-bhadra <br /> Sri Visvarupa Mahotsava<br /> Acceptance of sannyasa by Srila Prabhupada<br />Third month of Caturmasya begins.<br />(Fast from milk for one month.)<br /><br /> Padmanabha Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />24 Sep 2010 Fr Pratipat K Vriddhi Uttara-bhadra <br />25 Sep 2010 Sa Dvitiya K Dhruva Revati <br />26 Sep 2010 Su Tritiya K Vyagata Asvini <br />27 Sep 2010 Mo Caturthi K Harsana Bharani <br />28 Sep 2010 Tu Pancami K Vajra Krittika <br />29 Sep 2010 We Sasti K Siddhi Rohini <br />30 Sep 2010 Th Saptami K Vyatipata Mrigasira <br /> Srila Prabhupada's arrival in the USA<br /> 1 Oct 2010 Fr Astami K Variyana Ardra <br /> 2 Oct 2010 Sa Navami K Parigha Punarvasu <br /> 3 Oct 2010 Su Dasami K Siddha Pusyami <br /> 4 Oct 2010 Mo Suddha Ekadasi K Sadhya Aslesa *<br /> Fasting for Indira Ekadasi<br /> 5 Oct 2010 Tu Dvadasi K Subha Magha <br /> Break fast 05:37 - 07:27 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> 6 Oct 2010 We Caturdasi K Sukla Purva-phalguni <br /> 7 Oct 2010 Th Amavasya K Brahma Hasta <br /> 8 Oct 2010 Fr Pratipat G Vaidhriti Citra <br /> 9 Oct 2010 Sa Dvitiya G Viskumba Swati <br />10 Oct 2010 Su Tritiya G Priti Visakha <br />11 Oct 2010 Mo Caturthi G Ayusmana Anuradha <br />12 Oct 2010 Tu Pancami G Saubhagya Jyestha <br />13 Oct 2010 We Sasti G Sobana Mula <br />14 Oct 2010 Th Saptami G Atiganda Purva-asadha <br /> Durga Puja<br />15 Oct 2010 Fr Astami G Sukarma Uttara-asadha <br />16 Oct 2010 Sa Navami G Dhriti Sravana <br />17 Oct 2010 Su Dasami G Sula Dhanista <br /> Ramacandra Vijayotsava<br /> Sri Madhvacarya -- Appearance<br />----------------- Tula Sankranti (Sun enters Libra) -----------------<br />18 Oct 2010 Mo Suddha Ekadasi G Ganda Dhanista *<br /> Fasting for Pasankusa Ekadasi<br />19 Oct 2010 Tu Dvadasi G Vriddhi Satabhisa <br /> Break fast 05:47 - 09:33 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami -- Disappearance<br />20 Oct 2010 We Trayodasi G Dhruva Purva-bhadra <br />21 Oct 2010 Th Caturdasi G Vyagata Uttara-bhadra <br />22 Oct 2010 Fr Purnima G Harsana Revati <br /> Sri Krsna Saradiya Rasayatra<br /> Sri Murari Gupta -- Disappearance<br /> Laksmi Puja<br />Fourth month of Caturmasya begins.<br />(Fast from urad dahl for one month.)<br /><br /> Damodara Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />23 Oct 2010 Sa Pratipat K Vajra Asvini <br />24 Oct 2010 Su Dvitiya K Siddhi Bharani <br />25 Oct 2010 Mo Tritiya K Vyatipata Krittika <br />26 Oct 2010 Tu Tritiya K Variyana Rohini <br />27 Oct 2010 We Caturthi K Parigha Mrigasira <br /> Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura -- Disappearance<br />28 Oct 2010 Th Sasti K Siva Ardra <br />29 Oct 2010 Fr Saptami K Siddha Punarvasu <br />30 Oct 2010 Sa Astami K Sadhya Pusyami <br /> Appearance of Radha Kunda, snana dana<br /> Bahulastami<br />31 Oct 2010 Su Navami K Subha Aslesa <br /> Virabhadra -- Appearance<br /> 1 Nov 2010 Mo Dasami K Brahma Magha <br /> 2 Nov 2010 Tu Suddha Ekadasi K Indra Purva-phalguni *<br /> Fasting for Rama Ekadasi<br /> 3 Nov 2010 We Dvadasi K Vaidhriti Uttara-phalguni <br /> Break fast 05:59 - 09:36 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> 4 Nov 2010 Th Trayodasi K Viskumba Hasta <br /> 5 Nov 2010 Fr Caturdasi K Priti Citra <br /> 6 Nov 2010 Sa Amavasya K Ayusmana Swati <br /> Dipa dana, Dipavali, (Kali Puja)<br /> Bali Daityaraja Puja<br /> Sri Rasikananda -- Appearance<br /> 7 Nov 2010 Su Dvitiya G Sobana Anuradha <br /> Govardhana Puja, Go Puja, Go Krda<br /> (Worship of Govardhana Hill)<br /> Sri Vasudeva Ghosh -- Disappearance<br /> 8 Nov 2010 Mo Tritiya G Atiganda Jyestha <br /> 9 Nov 2010 Tu Caturthi G Sukarma Mula *<br /> Srila Prabhupada -- Disappearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />10 Nov 2010 We Pancami G Dhriti Purva-asadha <br />11 Nov 2010 Th Sasti G Sula Purva-asadha <br />12 Nov 2010 Fr Saptami G Ganda Uttara-asadha <br />13 Nov 2010 Sa Astami G Vriddhi Sravana <br /> Gopastami, Gosthastami<br /> Sri Gadadhara Dasa Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Dhananjaya Pandita -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Srinivasa Acarya -- Disappearance<br />14 Nov 2010 Su Astami G Dhruva Dhanista <br />15 Nov 2010 Mo Navami G Vyagata Satabhisa <br /> Jagaddhatri Puja<br />16 Nov 2010 Tu Dasami G Harsana Purva-bhadra <br />----------------- Vrscika Sankranti (Sun enters Scorpio) -----------------<br />17 Nov 2010 We Suddha Ekadasi G Vajra Uttara-bhadra *<br /> Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji -- Disappearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br /> (Feasting is done tomorrow)<br /> Bhisma Pancaka<br /> Fasting for Utthana Ekadasi<br />18 Nov 2010 Th Dvadasi G Siddhi Revati <br /> Break fast 06:12 - 09:41 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />19 Nov 2010 Fr Trayodasi G Vyatipata Asvini <br />20 Nov 2010 Sa Caturdasi G Variyana Bharani <br /> Sri Bhugarbha Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Kasisvara Pandita -- Disappearance<br />21 Nov 2010 Su Purnima G Parigha Krittika <br /> Sri Krsna Rasayatra<br /> Tulasi-Saligrama Vivaha (marriage)<br /> Sri Nimbarkacarya -- Appearance<br />Caturmasya ends.<br /><br /> Kesava Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />22 Nov 2010 Mo Pratipat K Siva Rohini <br /> Katyayani vrata begins<br />23 Nov 2010 Tu Dvitiya K Siddha Mrigasira <br />24 Nov 2010 We Tritiya K Sadhya Ardra <br />25 Nov 2010 Th Caturthi K Subha Punarvasu <br />26 Nov 2010 Fr Pancami K Sukla Pusyami <br />27 Nov 2010 Sa Sasti K Brahma Aslesa <br />28 Nov 2010 Su Saptami K Indra Magha <br />29 Nov 2010 Mo Astami K Vaidhriti Purva-phalguni <br />30 Nov 2010 Tu Navami K Priti Uttara-phalguni <br /> 1 Dec 2010 We Ekadasi K Ayusmana Hasta <br /> Sri Narahari Sarakara Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> 2 Dec 2010 Th Suddha Ekadasi K Saubhagya Citra *<br /> Fasting for Utpanna Ekadasi<br /> Sri Kaliya Krsnadasa -- Disappearance<br /> 3 Dec 2010 Fr Trayodasi K Sobana Swati <br /> Break fast 06:25 - 09:49 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Sri Saranga Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> 4 Dec 2010 Sa Caturdasi K Atiganda Visakha <br /> 5 Dec 2010 Su Amavasya K Sukarma Anuradha <br /> 6 Dec 2010 Mo Pratipat G Dhriti Jyestha <br /> 7 Dec 2010 Tu Dvitiya G Sula Mula <br /> 8 Dec 2010 We Tritiya G Vriddhi Purva-asadha <br /> 9 Dec 2010 Th Caturthi G Dhruva Uttara-asadha <br />10 Dec 2010 Fr Pancami G Vyagata Sravana <br />11 Dec 2010 Sa Sasti G Harsana Dhanista <br /> Odana sasthi<br />12 Dec 2010 Su Saptami G Vajra Satabhisa <br />13 Dec 2010 Mo Astami G Vajra Purva-bhadra <br />14 Dec 2010 Tu Navami G Siddhi Uttara-bhadra <br />15 Dec 2010 We Navami G Vyatipata Uttara-bhadra <br />16 Dec 2010 Th Dasami G Variyana Revati <br />----------------- Dhanus Sankranti (Sun enters Sagittarius) -----------------<br />17 Dec 2010 Fr Suddha Ekadasi G Parigha Asvini *<br /> Fasting for Moksada Ekadasi<br /> Advent of Srimad Bhagavad-gita<br />18 Dec 2010 Sa Dvadasi G Siva Bharani <br /> Break fast 06:36 - 09:57 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />19 Dec 2010 Su Trayodasi G Siddha Krittika <br />20 Dec 2010 Mo Caturdasi G Subha Rohini <br />21 Dec 2010 Tu Purnima G Sukla Mrigasira <br /> Katyayani vrata ends<br /><br /> Narayana Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />22 Dec 2010 We Pratipat K Brahma Ardra <br />23 Dec 2010 Th Dvitiya K Indra Punarvasu <br />24 Dec 2010 Fr Caturthi K Vaidhriti Pusyami *<br /> Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />25 Dec 2010 Sa Pancami K Viskumba Aslesa <br />26 Dec 2010 Su Sasti K Priti Purva-phalguni <br />27 Dec 2010 Mo Saptami K Ayusmana Uttara-phalguni <br />28 Dec 2010 Tu Astami K Sobana Hasta <br />29 Dec 2010 We Navami K Atiganda Citra <br />30 Dec 2010 Th Dasami K Sukarma Swati <br />31 Dec 2010 Fr Suddha Ekadasi K Dhriti Visakha *<br /> Sri Devananda Pandita -- Disappearance<br /> Fasting for Saphala Ekadasi<br /> 1 Jan 2011 Sa Dvadasi K Sula Anuradha <br /> Break fast 06:42 - 10:03 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> 2 Jan 2011 Su Trayodasi K Ganda Jyestha <br /> Sri Mahesa Pandita -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Uddharana Datta Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> 3 Jan 2011 Mo Caturdasi K Vriddhi Mula <br /> 4 Jan 2011 Tu Amavasya K Dhruva Purva-asadha <br /> 5 Jan 2011 We Pratipat G Vyagata Uttara-asadha <br /> Sri Locana Dasa Thakura -- Appearance<br /> 6 Jan 2011 Th Dvitiya G Harsana Sravana <br /> 7 Jan 2011 Fr Tritiya G Vajra Dhanista <br /> Srila Jiva Gosvami -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Jagadisa Pandita -- Disappearance<br /> 8 Jan 2011 Sa Caturthi G Siddhi Satabhisa <br /> 9 Jan 2011 Su Pancami G Vyatipata Satabhisa <br />10 Jan 2011 Mo Sasti G Variyana Purva-bhadra <br />11 Jan 2011 Tu Saptami G Parigha Uttara-bhadra <br />12 Jan 2011 We Astami G Siva Revati <br />13 Jan 2011 Th Navami G Siddha Asvini <br />14 Jan 2011 Fr Dasami G Sadhya Bharani <br />----------------- Makara Sankranti (Sun enters Capricorn) -----------------<br />15 Jan 2011 Sa Ekadasi G Subha Krittika <br />16 Jan 2011 Su Suddha Ekadasi G Sukla Rohini *<br /> Fasting for Putrada Ekadasi<br /> Sri Jagadisa Pandita -- Appearance<br />17 Jan 2011 Mo Trayodasi G Brahma Mrigasira <br /> Break fast 06:42 - 10:08 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />18 Jan 2011 Tu Caturdasi G Indra Ardra <br />19 Jan 2011 We Purnima G Viskumba Punarvasu <br /> Sri Krsna Pusya abhiseka<br /><br /> Madhava Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />20 Jan 2011 Th Pratipat K Priti Pusyami <br />21 Jan 2011 Fr Dvitiya K Ayusmana Aslesa <br />22 Jan 2011 Sa Tritiya K Saubhagya Magha <br />23 Jan 2011 Su Caturthi K Sobana Purva-phalguni <br />24 Jan 2011 Mo Pancami K Atiganda Uttara-phalguni <br /> Sri Ramacandra Kaviraja -- Disappearance<br /> Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami -- Appearance<br /> Sri Jayadeva Gosvami -- Disappearance<br />25 Jan 2011 Tu Saptami K Dhriti Hasta <br /> Sri Locana Dasa Thakura -- Disappearance<br />26 Jan 2011 We Astami K Sula Swati <br />27 Jan 2011 Th Navami K Ganda Visakha <br />28 Jan 2011 Fr Dasami K Vriddhi Anuradha <br />29 Jan 2011 Sa Suddha Ekadasi K Dhruva Jyestha *<br /> Fasting for Sat-tila Ekadasi<br />30 Jan 2011 Su Dvadasi K Vyagata Mula <br /> Break fast 06:40 - 10:08 (Daylight saving not considered).<br />31 Jan 2011 Mo Trayodasi K Harsana Purva-asadha <br /> 1 Feb 2011 Tu Caturdasi K Vajra Purva-asadha <br /> 2 Feb 2011 We Amavasya K Siddhi Uttara-asadha <br /> Ganga Sagara Mela<br /> 3 Feb 2011 Th Pratipat G Vyatipata Sravana <br /> 4 Feb 2011 Fr Dvitiya G Variyana Dhanista <br /> 5 Feb 2011 Sa Dvitiya G Parigha Satabhisa <br /> 6 Feb 2011 Su Tritiya G Siva Purva-bhadra <br /> 7 Feb 2011 Mo Caturthi G Siddha Uttara-bhadra <br /> 8 Feb 2011 Tu Pancami G Sadhya Revati <br /> Vasanta Pancami<br /> Srimati Visnupriya Devi -- Appearance<br /> Sarasvati Puja<br /> Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi -- Appearance<br /> Sri Raghunandana Thakura -- Appearance<br /> Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami -- Appearance<br /> 9 Feb 2011 We Sasti G Subha Asvini <br />10 Feb 2011 Th Saptami G Sukla Bharani *<br /> Sri Advaita Acarya -- Appearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />11 Feb 2011 Fr Astami G Brahma Krittika <br /> Bhismastami<br />12 Feb 2011 Sa Navami G Indra Krittika <br /> Sri Madhvacarya -- Disappearance<br />13 Feb 2011 Su Dasami G Vaidhriti Rohini <br /> Sri Ramanujacarya -- Disappearance<br />----------------- Kumbha Sankranti (Sun enters Aquarius) -----------------<br />14 Feb 2011 Mo Suddha Ekadasi G Viskumba Mrigasira *<br /> Fasting for Bhaimi Ekadasi<br />15 Feb 2011 Tu Dvadasi G Priti Ardra <br /> Break fast 06:24 - 10:05 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Varaha Dvadasi: Appearance of Lord Varahadeva<br /> (The fast is observed till noon on the Ekadasi.)<br /> (Feasting is done today.)<br />16 Feb 2011 We Trayodasi G Ayusmana Punarvasu *<br /> Nityananda Trayodasi: Appearance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />17 Feb 2011 Th Caturdasi G Saubhagya Aslesa <br />18 Feb 2011 Fr Purnima G Atiganda Magha <br /> Sri Krsna Madhura utsava<br /> Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura -- Appearance<br /><br /> Govinda Masa, Gaurabda 524 Vcal 4.01<br /><br /> Tel Aviv, Israel (034E48 32N05, Time zone = +2.00)<br /><br />DATE TITHI PAKSA YOGA NAKSATRA FAST<br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />19 Feb 2011 Sa Pratipat K Sukarma Purva-phalguni <br />20 Feb 2011 Su Tritiya K Dhriti Uttara-phalguni <br />21 Feb 2011 Mo Caturthi K Sula Hasta <br />22 Feb 2011 Tu Pancami K Ganda Citra *<br /> Sri Purusottama Das Thakura -- Disappearance<br /> Srila Gour Govinda Swami -- Disappearance<br /> Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura -- Appearance<br /> (Fasting till noon)<br />23 Feb 2011 We Sasti K Dhruva Swati <br />24 Feb 2011 Th Saptami K Vyagata Visakha <br />25 Feb 2011 Fr Astami K Harsana Anuradha <br />26 Feb 2011 Sa Navami K Vajra Jyestha <br />27 Feb 2011 Su Dasami K Siddhi Mula <br />28 Feb 2011 Mo Suddha Ekadasi K Vyatipata Purva-asadha *<br /> Fasting for Vijaya Ekadasi<br /> 1 Mar 2011 Tu Dvadasi K Variyana Uttara-asadha <br /> Break fast 06:09 - 09:59 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Sri Isvara Puri -- Disappearance<br /> 2 Mar 2011 We Trayodasi K Parigha Sravana <br /> 3 Mar 2011 Th Caturdasi K Siva Dhanista <br /> Siva Ratri<br /> 4 Mar 2011 Fr Amavasya K Siddha Satabhisa <br /> 5 Mar 2011 Sa Pratipat G Sadhya Purva-bhadra <br /> Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji -- Disappearance<br /> Sri Rasikananda -- Disappearance<br /> 6 Mar 2011 Su Dvitiya G Subha Uttara-bhadra <br /> 7 Mar 2011 Mo Tritiya G Sukla Revati <br /> 8 Mar 2011 Tu Tritiya G Brahma Revati <br /> 9 Mar 2011 We Caturthi G Indra Asvini <br /> Sri Purusottama Dasa Thakura -- Appearance<br />10 Mar 2011 Th Pancami G Vaidhriti Bharani <br />11 Mar 2011 Fr Sasti G Viskumba Krittika <br />12 Mar 2011 Sa Saptami G Priti Rohini <br />13 Mar 2011 Su Astami G Ayusmana Mrigasira <br />14 Mar 2011 Mo Navami G Saubhagya Ardra <br />15 Mar 2011 Tu Dasami G Sobana Punarvasu <br />----------------- Mina Sankranti (Sun enters Pisces) -----------------<br />16 Mar 2011 We Suddha Ekadasi G Atiganda Pusyami *<br /> Fasting for Amalaki vrata Ekadasi<br />17 Mar 2011 Th Dvadasi G Sukarma Aslesa <br /> Break fast 05:49 - 07:10 (Daylight saving not considered).<br /> Sri Madhavendra Puri -- Disappearance<br />18 Mar 2011 Fr Caturdasi G Dhriti Magha <br />19 Mar 2011 Sa Purnima G Sula Purva-phalguni *<br /> Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu -- Appearance<br /> *** Gaura Purnima ***<br /> (Fasting till moonrise)<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-6937441814409024500?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-75346397691617111712008-11-08T13:26:00.003+02:002008-11-08T13:35:05.816+02:00The holly name: A river or an ocean?<div align="justify">H.H. Sacinandana Maharaja wrote a very recommended book about Japa Meditation entitled "<a href="http://www.blservices.com/proitem.asp?id=-1152689707">Nectarean Ocean of the Holy Name</a>". The holly name is like truly an ocean of nectar. By chanting it and meditating on it's sound we are striving towards that ocean, prying to harinama to reveal itself to us. There are obstacles in the way of meditation, thoughts that rise and come between us an the holly name. The practice of meditation is to take these obstacles away and reach the pure revelation of harinama.<br />How do we do that? How do we remove these obstacles? By chanting the holly name. The holly name shell eventually clear all obstacles just like a river is clearing away obstacles by it's stream. As it clears them, it flows better. As it flows, it clears them. So we should let the river of the holly name wash away the obstacles by our chanting. And so the river is flowing to the ocean, it's final goal.<br />So is the holly name like an ocean of like a river? In other words: is it the goal or is it simply the way to get to it? The answer is: it is both. The river is water. The ocean is also water. The holly name is the goal, being non different then the Lord himself. It is also the way to get to that goal, since the lord is the one who uplift us from the material entanglement. We chant the holly name in order to meditate better on it. Our goal is for harinama to reveal itself to us. We need to change our state of being for that to happen and we do that by chanting harinama, the holly name of the Lord.<br /></div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266248241019711026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/SRV435kBbjI/AAAAAAAAAHI/HuN0gE2O5d4/s320/PA270258.JPG" border="0" /></div><p align="center"><em>A holly river in West-Bengal - India</em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-7534639769161711171?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-12962423363459194582008-11-02T22:11:00.003+02:002008-11-02T22:28:44.863+02:00Tips for better Japa meditation<div align="justify"><a href="http://www.stephen-knapp.com/LC.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 195px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 271px" alt="" src="http://www.stephen-knapp.com/LC.jpg" border="0" /></a>When we practice <a href="http://www.krishna.com/node/1028">Japa Meditation</a> we mainly practice chanting without offences. The main offence we come across while meditating is inattentive chanting. Many people chant and everybody know about the offences and that chanting should not be a mechanical act but an act of devotional meditation on the holly name. When practicing meditation, I sometimes find it hard to keep my concentration on the sound of the holly name. The mind tends to run wild. How to restrain it? Here are a few tips I collected to help me:<br /><br />* Srila Prabhupada said that when you chant the holly name it should me like a child calling his father to come and take him. We call Krishna to tale us away from our material entanglement.<br />* The Lord and his holly name are one. Therefore, when you chant the holly name you're in direct contact with the lord. If a respected personality was to be here in the room with you, were you not to give him all your attention? Would've you be distracted? In fact, that is the case when you practice the chanting of the holly name. Try to be aware of that.<br />* It is enough to say the holly name even once, with grate concentration, and reach the spiritual platform. Even once! So you should try it. And if you do not succeed, try again. And again and so on try to pronounce the holly name with concentration in your japa.<br />* If thoughts arise between you and the mantra, simply ask them "not now" and make them go away. They can wait. Your doing your meditation now.<br />* According to authority, during japa your thoughts should be on only one thing: a prayer to Harinama to reveal to reveal himself before you. I was told that if images of the deities, the devotees or holly places pops into your head while you're chanting, that is fine, but you should not make a special effort to think of anything but the sound of the holly name while chanting. A swami from West Bengal once told me he finds it good to think about Krishna-Lila while chanting.<br />* If possible, chant with others so you can hear them chanting. If not possible, you can play a recording of a senior devotee chanting and listen to it while you chant. (A recording of Srila Prabhupada chanting is available here: <a href="http://www.krishna.com/en/node/388">http://www.krishna.com/en/node/388</a>)<br />* Try to clear enough time to sit down, relax and chant. Try not to stuff your rounds in free slots of time here and there during the day or chant while you do other things. Chanting 16 rounds should take an hour or an hour and 15 minutes of you're day. Think how much time people dedicate to mundane things such as watching television or shopping of things they don't need. Is it really impossible to dedicate some time a day for chanting?<br />* Try not to see chanting as a chore. See at as an attempt to find bliss. You practice chanting and when you do it correctly you find bliss. Practice so that your chanting will be more and more blissful.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-1296242336345919458?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-66663519129433551722008-10-29T14:48:00.004+02:002008-10-29T15:01:56.392+02:00May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire<a href="http://images.exoticindiaart.com/panels/lifting_of_mount_goverdhan_wg67sm.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 414px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://images.exoticindiaart.com/panels/lifting_of_mount_goverdhan_wg67sm.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>[This was poasted at: <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bodhayan/">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bodhayan/</a>]</p><br /><p><em></em></p><br /><p><em>"O Govardhana, O king of mountains, (the best of Hari's servants), O hill whose nectarine name flows from the moonlike mouth of Sri Radha, O hill that the Vedas declare to be the tilaka marking of Vraja, please grant me a residence near to you." (Garga Samhita)</em><br /></p><br /><p><strong>Giriraj's coming to Vraja:</strong></p><br /><p align="justify"><br />Following the inquiry of Nanda Maharaj to his brother Upananda Prabhu, concerning the appearance of Giriraj Govardhan in Vrndavan, Upananda Prabhu related the story as told by Bhismadev (citing the Garga Samhita) to Maharaj Pandu, who had also asked the same question.<br />In Goloka Vrndavana Lord Sri Krsna informed Srimati Radharani that She should make ready for Their coming to this particular material universe to appear on the Earth planet to enact Their transcendental pastimes. Srimati Radharani replied that unless Vraja Dhama, the Yamuna and Govardhana Hill were present there, She would not come. Krsna assured His Beloved that Vraja Dhama, the Yamuna and Giriraj Govardhana had already made Their appearance on the Earth planet, and were awaiting Srimati's and Krsna's coming.<br />Thousands of years before this conversation, in the land of Salmali Dvipa, Dronacal's (a flying mountain) wife gave birth to a son named Govardhana. At the time of Govardhana's birth all the demigods appeared in the sky and showered flowers upon him. The great mountains, led by the Himalayas and Sumeru came, offering their respects and prayers, praising Govardhana for having descended from Goloka Vrndavana. They accepted Govardhan as their king, described Him as the "crown jewel of Vraja," and performed parikrama of Govardhana.<br />At the beginning of Satya Yuga, the great sage Pulastya Muni came to Salmali dvipa. Seeing the beautiful Govardhana covered with many lovely creepers, flowers, rivers, caves and chirping birds, Pulastya Muni felt that Govardhan was capable of giving liberation. He then went to meet Dronacal, who immediately offered his respects and inquired from the sage what service he could render. Pulastya Muni informed Dronacal that he was on pilgrimage to all of the holy places, his explaining that he resided in Kasi. He explained that although Kasi was so auspicious due to the presence of the Ganga flowing through the city, there were no hills possessed of such beauty present in the city. He asked Dronacal if he would give his son Govardhana to him so that he could bring Govardhana to Kasi, so that he could perform his tapasya sitting on top of the hill.<br />Dronacal did not want to give up Govardhana, and began crying in thoughts of possible separation from his son. Govardhana, not wanting to see Pulastya Muni become angry and curse his father, asked Pulastya Muni how he would be able to carry him all the way to Kasi. Pulastya Muni said he would carry him in his right hand. Govardhana agreed to go with the sage giving one condition; if the sage put him down anywhere during the course of the journey, he would not be able to lift him again. Pulastya Muni agreed, and left, carrying Govardhana in his right hand.<br />On his way to Kasi Pulastya Muni entered into Vraja, Govardhana's desiring to remain there. Govardhana then arranged for Pulastya Muni to feel the urgings of relieving himself, so Pulastya Muni attended to the call of nature, putting Govardhana down. When Pulastya Muni returned, he was unable to again lift Govardhana to any degree, despite the tremendous strength he was using to do so.<br />In great anger Pulastya Muni then cursed Govardhana that He would daily sink into the ground, the measurement of one mustard seed. When Govardhana first came to Vraja in the beginning of Satya Yuga, he was 64 miles long, 40 miles wide, and 16 miles high. It is explained that after 10,000 years of the Kali Yuga, Govardhana (and Yamuna Devi) will have completely disappeared.<br />After narrating the wonderful story of Govardhana's appearance, (another brother of Nanda Maharaj), Sunanda Prabhu informed Nanda Maharaja that as long as Govardhana Hill and the river Yamuna remained manifest, Kali Yuga would not take its full effect. Sunanda Prabhu also explained that anyone who is fortunate enough to hear the description of the appearance of Giriraj Govardhana would be freed from all sins.<br /></p><br /><p><strong>Sri Govardhanastakam (Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur)</strong></p><strong></strong><br /><p>1. <em>krsna prasadena samasta saila samrajyam apnoti ca vairino 'pi<br />sakrasya yah prapa balim sa saksad govardhano me disatam abhistam</em></p><em></em><br /><p>May Govardhana Hill, which by Krsna's mercy became the king of all mountains and received the respectful tribute of its arch enemy Indra, fulfull my desire.</p><br /><p>2.<em> sva prestha hastambuja saukumarya sukhanubhuter ati bhumi vrtteh<br />mahendra vajrahatim apy ajanam govardhano me disatam abhistam</em></p><br /><p><em></em><br />As it was held above the earth it became so filled with happiness by experiencing the softness of its beloved Krsna's lotus hand it did not even know it was being struck by Indra's thunderbolt. May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.</p><br /><p><br />3. <em>yatraiva krsno vrsabhanu putrya danam grhitum kalaham vitene<br />sruteh sprha yatra mahaty atah sri govardhano me disatam abhistam</em></p><br /><p><br />Trying to collect a toll, Krsna quarrelled there with King Vrsabhanu's daughter. The personified Vedas yearn to listed to that quarrel. May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.</p><br /><p><br />4. <em>snatva sarah svasu samira hasti yatraiva nipadi paraga dhulih<br />alolayan khelati caru sa sri govardhano me disatam abhistam</em></p><em></em><br /><p><br />Bathing in a nearby lake, the elephant of a pleasant breeze, covered with pollen of kadamba and other flowers, gracefully plays there. May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.</p><br /><p><br />5. <em>kasturikabhih sayitam kim atrety uham prabhoh svasya muhur vitanvan<br />naisargika sviya sila sugandhair govardhano me disatam abhistam</em></p><br /><p><br />Does the sweet fragrance of Govardhana come from the musk deer who relax there, from the Lord who plays there, or is it Govardhana's own natural scent? May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.</p><br /><p><br />6. <em>vamsa pratidhvany anusara vartma didrksavo yatra harim harinyah<br />yantyo labhante na hi vismitah sa govardhano me disatam abhistam</em></p><em></em><br /><p><br />Searching there for Lord Hari on the path of His flute music, the astonished deer do not find Him. May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.</p><br /><p><br />7. <em>yatraiva gangam anu navi radham arohya madhye tu nimagna naukah<br />krsno hi radhanugalo babhau sa govardhano me disatam abhistam</em></p><em></em><br /><p><br />As the Divine Couple traveled on the Ganges there, the boat began to sink in the middle. Krsna was splendidly handsome as Radha clung to His neck. May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.</p><br /><p><br /><em>8. vina bhavet kim hari dasa varya padasrayam bhaktir atah srayami<br />yam eva saprema nijesayoh sri govardhano me disatam abhistam</em></p><em></em><br /><p><br />Without taking shelter of the feet of the hill that is the best of Lord Hari's servants and full of love for the Divine King and Queen, how is it possible to attain pure devotional service? May Govardhana Hill fulfill my desire.</p><br /><p><br />9. <em>etat pathed yo hari asa varya mahanubhavastakam ardra cetah<br />sri radhika madhavayoh padabja dasyam sa vinded acirena saksat</em></p><em></em><br /><p><br />May the reader of these eight verses glorifying Lord Hari's greatest servant, his heart melting with pure love, quickly attain direct service to the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava.</p><br /><p><br />Hare Krsnays, janhava dd @ buffalo, ny</p><br /><p><br />Govinda Damodara Madhaveti Govinda Damodara Madhaveti</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-6666351912943355172?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-2662090637827690132008-10-28T21:43:00.003+02:002008-10-28T22:12:47.085+02:00Inner light<div align="justify"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Diwali_Diya.jpg/215px-Diwali_Diya.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Diwali_Diya.jpg/215px-Diwali_Diya.jpg" border="0" /></a> It's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali">Diwali</a> (Kali-Puja, if you're in West-Bengal), the festival of lights. In India, it's probably the biggest holyday in the calendar, not to mention that in some years it tends to be celebrated within the proximity of the Muslim <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eid_ul-Fitr">Eid-Ul-Fitr</a>, the Christian Christmas and the Jewish festival of lights, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukka">Hanukkah</a>. In India they celebrate it with lights, fireworks and music. Right here I'm sitting in my apartment, all filled with candles, wondering if I'm the only one in Israel celebrating this holyday.<br />Diwali comes to celebrate many things, mainly the return of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rama">Rama</a> to Ayodhaya. The lighting of candles are to show Rama the way. The festival of lights tends to appear in many cultures. As mentioned, the Jewish Hanukkah is celebrated by lighting candles for eight days, commemorating the miracle of the miracle of the container of oil. Of course, mysticism in both Hinduism and Judaism tends to give the lighting rituals a deeper meaning. And in both cases it's the same: victory of good over evil, light over darkness.<br />The lights we light in Diwali (or, for some, all through the Kartika month while chanting the Damodarastaka prayer) symbolize our inner light and it's victory over the darkness of ignorance and illusion. The self is eternal and spiritual. Matter is temporary. When the eternal identifies itself with the temporary, that is an illusion. Victory of light over the darkness of ignorance would be to revive our original spiritual identity, realizing I am not this body and accepting God into our hart. According to the <a href="http://www.gita-society.com/">Gita</a>, God is already their in our hart. But we have to realize it and revive our relationship with him.<br />So in this symbolic ritual of lighting the Diwali lamp, we should show the way to Rama or Damudara (Krishna) into our harts and make our harts Ayodhaya or Vrindavan. </div><div align="justify"><br /> </div><div align="justify"></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 441px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://kalakar.co.in/Greet/greetings%5CDiwali.jpg" border="0" /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-266209063782769013?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-44836087035735772732008-10-06T14:29:00.002+02:002008-10-06T14:35:44.075+02:00Durga Puja- A deep Insight!(taken from <a href="http://www.mayapur.com/main/?q=node/927">mayapur.com</a>) <div><br /><p>By Shyamagopika dd on Mon, 2008-10-06 13:30. </p><p><br />While Durga puja is celebrated in pomp and splendor all over Bengal and other parts of the world, read through HG Jananivasa Prabhu’s wonderful class on the real meaning of Durga puja. Class was on the Bhagavad Gita verse 17.14, where Lord explains about the austerity of the body. In the purport, Prabhupada writes one should not do anything which is not sanctioned by the scriptural injunctions. Following is the transcription of the class on Durga puja. <a href="http://www.samasya.com/religion/astadasa/durga-devi.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.samasya.com/religion/astadasa/durga-devi.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />As long as we are in this material world, it is understood that we are in prison and the head of this prison is Durga devi.As prisoners are given a particular type of uniform, similarly this body, the material body, be it an animal body, plant body or human body, but we have a material body means we have a uniform. This body is like uniform of the prisoners. As long as we have this body, we are under the realm of Durga devi , that means, we are all prisoners. As most of the prison uniforms have stripe marks, similarly, if we mark stripes i.e. tilak marks in this body, which is our uniform, and then we will be prisoners of Krishna and no more of Durga.<br />We should understand that Durga devi is working under the direction of Krsna. As, we see in Brahma Samhita,<br />sristi stithi pralaya sadhana saktirekachayeva yasya bhuvanani bibharti durgaicchanurupam api yasya ca cestate sagovindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami<br />TRANSLATIONThe external potency Maya who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durga, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durga conducts herself.<br />So, she is not independent or the controller but simply she acts under the direction of the Supreme Lord just as shadow follows the substance.She has two sons-Ganesh and Kartikeya- represents mundane success and beauty and that’s why people who wish to be materially successful worship Ganesha. She is seen as standing along with lakshmi and saraswati who represents mundane knowledge and opulence. She carries 20 weapons in her arms, which represents various pious activities enjoined in Vedas. She holds a snake in her hand. This represents the beauty of destructive time. She tramples over the demon Mahisasura. This represents how she tramples over the vices in this world.When Jiva forgets eternal relationship with Krsna, he is put into Durga’s realm and the veil of Karma acts as the instrument for punishing rebellious jivas. Durga’s business is to punish all these rebellious jivas. This is not actually punishment. It is meant for reformation. When somebody is sent into prison, it is not really meant for punishment but for reformation. So, Durgadevi is also having a trident-the Trishul. Trishul represents the threefold material miseries-adhytamika, adibautika and adidaivika.miseries. Every moment in life and everyone without any exception suffers due to one, two or all the three of these miseries. So these miseries are not but trishul of Durga. She is constantly pricking up the jivas with her trishul. But the idea is to wake up the jiva and not punishing.<br />‘Why am I suffering so much in this material world? Why am I forced to be in womb, packed up for nine months, in the upside down position in darkness with worms biting me every moment?’There was a report in Australia two years ago, when a baby was born and he actually spoke-“No, not again!not again!”. The doctors were surprised and rushing towards the baby to know what is happening! (laughter)Anyway, Krsna reminds us the misery of this world- old age is coming, disease ,death and it’s always suffering! So, the living entity comes to the point, ‘Why am I suffering’! How can I find solution to this problem? Then he turns to Vedas, brahmanas and Guru to whom he can inquire.Sanatana Goswami, our sambandha guru, when he approached Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he inquired, ‘why am I suffering’? When someone asks this question, human life starts at this point. Then, Vedas and spiritual master can give us knowledge. You are not this body. You are the Soul. Soul is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge.Jiva asks,‘Why am I suffering in this material world? This is not my place and where is that situation where I can live my eternity, bliss and knowledge?’Then spiritual master says, it is not this material world, dear son,it is the spiritual world-back home back to Godhead where you originally belong to. There is no disease,old age and death.Guru Maharaj,'how can I get that?'Guru says,'Yes, you have to perform devotional service.'How can I perform devotional service?'Just Chant Hare Krishna and be happy'(Jai!)<br />Guru says chant Hare Krsna,be happy and go back to Godhead. So, this is the situation.<br />So, Durga devi, when that person becomes devotee of Krsna, she becomes so happy. Let me help him go back to Godhead.Then that personality who is keeping you here becomes instrument to help you transcend this material world. How? We have all the 33 crores of demigods and they are all present everywhere in the body controlling and she is their mother. When she is happy, seeing the jivas advancement in Krishna Consciousnees, she orders all the devatas to clear from the route. This is what she wants. She doesn’t want to keep anyone imprisoned in this world forever.<br />Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur once commented,'Durga Puja is not dancing for hindi songs, taking intoxication and having fun',as we see nowadays in puja pandals.Real Durga puja is to become a Krishna Bhakta. Then Durga will be really happy. But if we worship her in anyway we like, whimsically, Srila Prabhupada says they are fools. This body is her property. So,ultimately she is going to take over your body. So, they are worshipping her means they are worshipping their own death. So, they are fools.<br />We do not want to do Durga puja as fools but do Durga puja by becoming a Krsna bhakta!<br />Hare Krishna!</p><br /><br /><p>Srila Prabhupada ki jai!</p><br /><br /><p>Sri Bhagavad Gita ki jai!</p><br /><br /><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-4483608703573577273?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-2933438440848674512008-06-26T23:30:00.001+03:002008-06-27T04:23:01.525+03:00Krishna in gold<div align="justify"><a href="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u113/krishnadas/krishna%20pics/mahaprabhu.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 222px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 321px" height="347" alt="" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u113/krishnadas/krishna%20pics/mahaprabhu.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal;font-size:100%;" >The lord appears within the material world throughout history in order to deliver all from material existence, as Krishna himself mentions in the Gita: "In every age I myself appear to deliver the pious, destroy the wicked and reestablish the dharma" (Bhagavad-Gita 4.8). In each and every age the lord appears himself for the benefit of all. In many forms he may appear and in many colors. </span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal;font-size:100%;" ><br />5000 years ago he appeared in Vrindavan and Krishna was his name. Krishna means "all attractive", but it also means "black". That was the color he appeared in. That time was the end of the age of Dvapra and the beginning of the age of Kali. Now we are in the age of Kali, which began about 5000 years ago and should end in a few tens of thousands of years. This age is described in the Bhagavat-Purana as the aged of quarrel, where virtues quality in men is gradually decreasing, and making spiritual advancement very difficult. The <a href="http://www.celextel.org/108upanishads/kalisantarana.html">Kali-Santarna Upanishad</a> mentions that this age may be crossed over to enlightenment by uttering the name of the lord. It mentions: "The name of God, the name of God, the name of God alone, in the age of kali there is nothing else, nothing else, nothing else that will redeem you". So it is written in the Upanishad. And also, a mantra is mentioned of sixteen names (the Hare-Krishna Maha-Mantra) upon which meditation shell destroy all impurity. The scriptures also mention how Krishna appears in this age. And that image of Krishna in this age is Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.<br />As mentioned, the lord appears in different ages in different colors. In the Bhagavad Purana is is mentioned that in the four ages he apperes in red, white, gold and black and that Krishna is the black one. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the color of gold. The Bhagvatam, in its 11th canda, specifically mentions the Kali-age incarnation as "Krishna varnam svisakrishnam" - Krishna who is "a-krishna" - not black. It is also say that he shell spread the process of sankirtan-yagya. That is Shri Chaitanya. The reason for the appearance of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is twofold. The obvious reason is to teach the world sankirtan, uttering God's name for redemption. Indeed the lord moved from village to village and with his devotees spread the lord's name by singing it for all to hear. That is the process of sankirtan. As mentioned, by meditation on the names of the lord one achieves spiritual stability and destroys the many lusts which are enhanced in this age. So that is the obvious reason for the lord's appearance. But there is another.<br />The other reason for the lord's appearance as Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is to himself taste the mode of his own devotee. And so, the lord appeared as a devotee and showed symptoms of one. The devotees of Lord Krishna try to develop the mood of devotion (bhakti) from <a href="http://omer07.blogspot.com/2008/03/selfish-love.html">the gopi girls of vrindavan</a>. The main of all gopies is Shrimati Radharani who is always by Krisha's side. Krishna appears in black (of dark blue) and she appears in gold. So in her color and mode Mahaprabhu appeared.<br />Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chanted the names of God showing symptoms of ecstasy such as crying and falling down on the ground. When Krishna was about to appear in this age he told the gopies how he is about to chant the holly names and roll around on the ground. Radharani told him: "I won't allow you're body to roll around on the ground! I shell cover you!" And so Radharani, whose color is gold, covers Krishna in his appearance as Shri Chaitnya Mahaprabhu. The topmost spiritual platform is the complete selfless devotion of Radha and the gopies to Krishna. And this mood is reveled in Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is the combined incarnation of Krishna and Radharani.<br /><br />Read more about this:<br /><strong><a href="http://www.bvml.org/SBRSM/tgvodl.html">The Golden Volcano of Divine Love</a></strong> -by Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja</span></span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal;font-size:100%;" ></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><br /></div></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-293343844084867451?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-52396897523144811212008-06-04T16:04:00.003+03:002008-06-04T16:26:44.116+03:00A warning<div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">"If one, even once, blaspheme the name of my devotee, then my name shell destroy him rather then fulfill his desires." (Chaitanya Bhagavatam Madya-Lila 19.209)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br />*</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><em>yadi vaisnava-aparadha uthe hati mata</em></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><em>upade va chinde, tara sukhi’ yaya pata</em><br />"If the devotee commits an offense at the feet of a vaisnava while cultivating the creeper of devotional service in the material world, his offense is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper are dried up." (Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Madhya 19.156)</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">*</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">"One offence is to blaspheme the devotees who have dedicated their lives to preaching the glories of the holy name. This is a very important offence. If we criticize devotees who have actually dedicated their lives to spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world we cannot make any spiritual advancement." (Srila Prabhupada)</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">*</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">We should be always ready to offer respect to all, not only devotees, but everyone, everyone, because every living entity is originally a devotee of Krishna. Circumstantially, being covered by the coat of maya, he's playing like demon, but his original nature is a devotee of Krishna. Jivera svarupa haya nitya krsnera dasa. Everyone is eternally a servant of Krishna but, being influenced by maya, when he gets this body, given by maya -- Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah -- when he's conducted by the three gunas of maya, he thinks himself otherwise. He thinks himself independent of Krishna but, actually, nobody is independent of Krishna. (lecture, NOD October 23, 1972)</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">*</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">We advise everyone to address one another as Prabhu. Prabhu means master, so how the master should be disobeyed? Others, they are also pure devotees. All of my disciples are pure devotees. Anyone sincerely serving the spiritual master is a pure devotee. Do not try to make a faction; amongst ourselves one should respect others as Prabhu, master, one another. As soon as we distinguish, "Here is a pure devotee, here is a non-pure devotee", that means I am a nonsense. (letter to Tusta Krishna, December 14, 1972)</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">*</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Yes, to call one another prabhu is all right, but not to become prabhu. To accept others as prabhu, and remain as servant is the idea. But, because somebody is calling you prabhu, one should not become a prabhu, and treat others as servants. In other words, everyone should feel himself as servant, and not think himself prabhu because he is being called prabhu. This will make the relationship congenial. (Letter to Himavati Devi Dasi, June 14, 1968)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">(Find more on the subject <a href="http://www.chakra.org/living/inspirMar23_03.html">here</a>)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">*</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Devotee 2: Devotees sometimes think, “This devotee is not really a vaisnava, he is only a neophyte, therefore if I think something bad of him it is all right.”</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Gour Govinda Swami: Don’t hear such a thing. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Devotee 1: It is very difficult to not hear such talk.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Gour Govinda Swami: Do you think it is easy to get Krishna? It is very difficult and it is very easy. You think, “I will do all nonsense and I will get Krishna.” What is this? Day-dreaming! It is not so easy!</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Devotee 2: So anyone could be a vaisnava.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Gour Govinda Swami: The jiva is vaisnava! jivera ‘svarupa’ haya krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’, the svarupa of the jiva is vaisnava. But we have no such vision. We cannot see, because we are such rascals, degraded fellows. We are blind. We have no proper vision. So how can we see the svarupa? We only see the outward, nasty things, the outer body. We have no vision to see. But every jiva is a servant of Krishna — jivera ‘svarupa’ haya krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’. That is what Mahaprabhu has said. But we cannot see it. A real sadhu, paramahamsa, pays respect to one and all. amani manada — Don’t demand respect for yourself, rather, pay respect to one and all. A sadhu doesn’t even disrespect an ant. He sees him as a jiva. You should know that before you offer respect to a sadhu, the sadhu has already paid respect to you in his mind. For practical dealings we have this consciousness of superior and inferior. But a sadhu offers respect to one and all. Seeing the jiva soul within, he doesn’t disrespect even an ant. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">(From "<a href="http://www.gopaljiu.org/Publications/MagazinesIndividual/6_SadhuNinda.htm#The%20Mad%20Elephant">The Mad Elephant Offense</a>" by Gopal-Ji pub)</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">*</span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="left"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.backtohome.com/images/Spring%202008/swallows-fire.jpg" border="0" /></div><p align="center"><em><span style="font-family:arial;">Krishna Swallows the Forest Fire</span></em></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-5239689752314481121?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-19139924972756338882008-03-17T16:40:00.006+02:002008-03-17T17:24:45.939+02:00Glories of the Bhagavatam<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hare-krishna.org/content_images/41/7/sukadeva-goswami-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 165px;" src="http://www.hare-krishna.org/content_images/41/7/sukadeva-goswami-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">[The following is part of a lecture given by H.H. Kavicandra Swami on March 9th 2008 at Mayapur Dham] <a href="http://www.mayapur.com/main/?q=node/801">http://www.mayapur.com/main/?q=node/801</a></span><br /><br />Devananda Pandit, who was over in what is now <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabadwip">Navadvipa</a>, he was a teacher of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavata_Purana">Srimad Bhagavatam</a>, so-called professor. Srivasa Pandit heard him speak. He heard Bhagavatam verses, and became overwhelmed with ecstasy. He started rolling on the ground, so the followers of this Devananda, they didn’t understand the Bhagavatam properly, so they threw Srivasa out as a disturbance and a serious whatever it was.<br /><br />Later, Nimai, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaitanya_Mahaprabhu">Lord Caitanya</a>, was passing by. He just started shouting at Devananda Pandit, “You’re a rascal! You’re a fool! You don’t understand a word of Srimad-Bhagavatam! You’re just a disturbance to society!” Very loudly shouting outside his school.<br /><br />Later, this Devananda saw a kirtan with Vakresvara Pandit. Vakresvar Pandit was a great devotee, and especially a great dancer. If you have read Caitanya-caritamrta, you know that he could dance for seventy-two hours. He was lamenting that no one could have kirtan for seventy-two hours. He was praying that some Gandharvas would come and he could dance. So when this Devananda, in spite of his dull-headedness, he saw Vakresvara Pandit dancing in ecstasy and chanting, he became attracted. Vakresvara would be sweating like anything. He would fall on the ground, get all muddy. Devananda started to help him. He would pick him up, wipe his face. He would stay behind him when he was dancing so if he fell over backwards, he would catch him. He would get on the ground, get dirty. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nityananda">Lord Nityananda</a> used to do that for Lord Caitanya.<br /><br />So he started hearing from Vakresvara Pandit and becoming attracted. Next time he saw Nimai, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he asked him, “What is the real meaning of Bhagavatam?”<br /><br />Lord Caitanya told him, “It is all <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhakti">bhakti</a>, only bhakti, and nothing else.” He took it and he became a great devotee.<br /><br />Any house where the Bhagavatam is kept, there cannot be any inauspiciousness. Any house is protected by Srimad-Bhagavatam, but we want the entire set of Srimad-Bhagavatam in every house and then we want to get the people to somehow read the Srimad-Bhagavatam, not just keep it, although even keeping it is also good. People understand that about spiritual books.<br /><br />Sometimes we tell people that they don’t have to read it because many people say, “I do not read. I do not want to read.” Tell them it has its own vibration. It will benefit you even if you do not read it, which is true because they will think about it. Eventually, someone will read it.<br /><br />Even in Israel, I met a rabbi from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaballah">Kabala</a> and he gave me their book. They have one set of books called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zohar">Zohar</a>, I think it is, big box of books written in Aramaic language that very few people can read, but he said that you do not have to read it. Its vibration will benefit your house. I was thinking we should remember that. But we want to follow up when people get books, we want to read them ourselves, so that we can explain these kind of things.<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-1913992497275633888?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-5371122139799854052008-03-10T13:34:00.003+02:002008-03-10T13:48:38.828+02:00Selfish Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://members.aol.com/stonemancabins/images/krishna-radha.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://members.aol.com/stonemancabins/images/krishna-radha.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The Rasa-Lila of Krishna and the Gopi girls of Vrindavan is said to be the greatest lila of the lord. In fact, in some sources it is referred to as "sarva-manoram" - "the most beautiful". This amorous pastime of the girls meeting krishna at night and performing a dance together is the aspiration of the devotee.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the vedic description, Bhagavan (God) is the center and Jiva (ourselves) is the servant. It might not seem to be this way some of the times since the Jiva's being covered up by false ego, false pride, which is materialism. Materialism is the seance of self centeredness while spiritualism is God centered relations. Yet the Jiva may choose whether to have devotion or pride. But God does not associate directly with matter. That is why if Jiva chooses to be in matter, God will vanish. As the Gita says in chapter 7, God is letting them go after whatever they want and even set the field for them to do so. If they want fame and fortune, so they shell have. But their relationship with him they shell not have, and therefor may not know true bliss. Until they will remember to look inside and seek their original relationship with him.<br />And that is the story of Rasa-Lila, as told in the 10th part of Srimad-Bhagvatam: When the girls were dancing with Krishna and this brought them supreme joy. During this dance, Krishna split into many images for dancing with the girls in Rasa-Mandala - the circle of love. This dance is eternally taking place in the spiritual world and also, even today, is said to be taken place every night in Vrindavan - India at a place called Seva-Kunja.<br />But then the girls started to feel proud. Out of the joy of the lila, they became absorbed in self pleasure, as sadly many spiritual aspirants do. We see them use yoga and meditation for being absorbed in the self centered joys of inner peace, and by that becoming self centered. This false interpretation is leading them downward. Yet even if we are told of this danger, it is easy to forget. An so did the Gopies who danced with Krishna, feeling pride.<br />But Bhagavan does not associate directly with matter, and therefor it was on that part that Krishna had suddenly vanished, leaving the girls tormented. They suffered so hard, missing Krishna. Together they acted his tales from memory and showed the same mode of separation the devotees show when crying in ecstasy. Then, they witnessed the footprints of lord Krishna, along with the footprints of another girl. "How special must she be" they said to each other "for he left us, yet did not leave her". They observed their footprints. At a certain point, her footprints stopped and he's continued. "He must have carried her in his arms!" they thought "and here is where he put her down, probably to pick some flowers".<br />Indeed lord Krishna was with one of the girls. And according to authorities, Radharani was her name. He stayed with her for she was the only one which did not let herself fall to the clutches of false pride. Yet then false pride began to rise as she suddenly noticed how special she was. And special indeed is Sri Radhika. She is the expansion of God's love, Haladini Shakti. From her splits all the Jivas. Special she is indeed and without her no one can reach him. And so, she felt proud, asking him to carry her in his arms as a servant. Krishna replied: "As you wish!" and then vanished from her sight, leaving her alone.<br />So is the temptation of pride within religion. Religion is not necessarily spiritual. Spirituality set it's center not around the self. Yet God supply his devotee all he needs, including material things, setting the field for his enjoyment. But if a devotee keeps praying for things for his own benefit, is that a God centered relationship or a self centered one? And in this way, he receives all he prayed for, for God provide the world as a father provide his children. And even if the Jivas wish is to forget God, so the field will be set for this act and so shell he receive. And be tormented until he realizes what is his original position.<br />And so the girls were lamenting the lost of Krishna, observing his lovely footprints. They thought of the joy they have lost and washed Krishna's footprint with their tears. And then a thought had came to their minds, and by that Krishna had re-appered to them. And this was the thought: "our beloved Krishna is walking barefoot on the ground! What if something will cut his foot?" A single unselfish thought, revolving upon the pleasure of the lord. And Krishna may not be harmed by none, for he is the supreme. He is the endless all providing lord of all there is. yet that is not how the devotee sees him. The devotee sees Krishna not as God but as a lover, a friend as equal, sometimes as a small child. But never as an endless impersonal thing. Only as a person. A person who accept our service. And as the Gopies only wish was to serve the lords feet, concerning his benefit, at that point the lord re-appered to them.<br />Some say such devotion is only a step before reaching the lord in his endless, impersonal features and that the devotee must in time abandon the devotion in order to reach the higher goal. But would that be true devotion? If you hold your lovers hand only for him to help you climb up a hill, in an intention to cast him away once you'll reach the top, is that loving devotion? If we agree that love and devotion is the way for spiritual elevation, then we must accept that the supreme goal it a state of eternal devotional relationship. Otherwise it isn't devotion at any part of the way. And if that is the supreme goal, there is in fact nothing higher.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://modaljoe.com/old/hindupics/rasalila.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://modaljoe.com/old/hindupics/rasalila.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-537112213979985405?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-4549463339916997532008-03-05T15:10:00.005+02:002008-03-05T15:22:24.081+02:00Shiva as a girl<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://shreeguru.rkphotoworks.com/blog/media/blogs/others/images/shiva1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://shreeguru.rkphotoworks.com/blog/media/blogs/others/images/shiva1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The sacred holiday of Shivaratri is celebrated to commemorate the saving of the world by Lord Shiva. Once, as the devas and demons were churning the nectar, a horrible side effect had accord: a sea of poison was produced, threatening to flood the universe. Lord Shiva then swallowed the poison, holding it in by wrapping a snake around his neck. And thus all was saved by Lord Shiva who consumed this grate trouble of the world, yet remained unharmed himself.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Who is Lord Shiva? Is he God or deva? Is his worship spiritual or or meant for material benefits? There might not be a simple answer to these questions, since it seems the answer to all of them is yes. He is God yet not. Or one might say: in the middle. Out of the two categories of persons we know of Vishnu-tatva, the personality of godhead, and Jiva-tatva, the servant. God only is Vishnu-tatva, along with his different forms and incarnations (avatara). And we, the living entities, as well as the Devas (the controllers of the universal forces) are all Jivas.<br />The material creation is manifested as Prakriti, the material energy, is being impregnated by God. Yet God is not associating with it personally. Therefore, Vishnu, God, manifest himself as Lord Shiva, the male principal that impregnates the female principal, known as Prakriti or Parvati. So what is Shiva? Is he Jiva-tatva or Vishnu-tatva? The answer: non of the above. Shiva is a third category of self, known as Shiva-tatva. Is he God or not? Well, is yogurt milk or not? Yogurt and milk are two different things, yet yogurt is milk. The same is the relation between Shiva and Vishnu.<br />Shiva is known as the greatest yogi (Maha-Yogi). He is being worshiped for material gain. Yet he has the power to deliver the living entities. from material bondage, for he is the greatest devotee of the lord within this universe. Lord Shiva also taken a part of Lord Krishna's greatest pastime, the Rasa-Lila, and by that, revealed his role:<br />In Vrindavan, Krishna and the Gopies, the village girls, were performing the amorous dance, the Rasa-Lila, a pastime of true love and devotion of the Gopies and Lord Krishna, to which the devotees of krishna aspire. Lord Shiva was very eager to join this pastime and so he entered the nearby lake of Kusum-Sarovar and went out in the form of a young Gopi girl. By that he was not only able to enter the pastimes of Krishna, he was also appointed the guardian standing at the entrance of these pastimes in this form of his as Gopesvara-Mahadeva.<br />In the spiritual world, the Rasa-Lila is performed in the inner cycle of Goloka and in the outer rims is Kailesh, the abode of Lord Shiva, guarding the entrance to the spiritual world. In order to reach the spiritual level, one must get rid of the urge for being self centered, as the Gopies in Rasa-Lila. One must take the mode of the Gopies who, by gazing and the footprints of Lord Krishna, thought not of their own pleasure, but worried about the bear feet of Krishna being harmed by blades of grass. Shiva, who in time of destruction destroy the whole universe with his dance of anger, has the power to destroy our vices and elevate us to the level of pure devotion. And by meditating on his image as Gopesvara-Mahadeve, as a Gopi girl, one should ask permission to enter the pastimes of Lord Krishna.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R86c-jniFkI/AAAAAAAAAE8/pT5Om4C34Dk/s1600-h/1364883559_e344788395.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R86c-jniFkI/AAAAAAAAAE8/pT5Om4C34Dk/s400/1364883559_e344788395.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174245620422153794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Kusum-Sarovar - Goverdhan - India<br /></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-454946333991699753?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-15284618048109916992008-01-14T21:34:00.000+02:002008-01-14T21:37:38.100+02:00A Golden Stone PotAnother comix of mine at <a href="http://iskcondesiretree.com/">ISKCON Desire Tree </a>website, the story of <a href="http://iskcondesiretree.com/Comics/GoldenStomePot/tabid/809/Default.aspx">A Golden Stone Pot </a>by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-1528461804810991699?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-67158948905486152932007-12-23T18:12:00.000+02:002007-12-23T19:58:48.797+02:00The demon who drive people mad<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kalarte.com/india/or-pc/or-pc02l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://kalarte.com/india/or-pc/or-pc02l.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The evil king Kamsa made a plot for killing baby Krishna who was safely hidden in the village of Vrindavan. And so he hired the service of an evil she demon called Putana, who was an expert in killing babies. The she demon Putana took the form of a beautiful woman and went to baby Krishna's room. The Gopies, the cowheard girls of the village, had simply let her in. To them she seemed so beautiful and motherly. Who would of thought it's an evil demon? So the she demon Putana simply entered the room where Krishna was in. And that baby was no other then the one residing in our hart. God himself who is the goal of every spiritual aspirant. And that is something you might want to protect with everything you have. And no spiritual aspirant is as devoted as the Gopies. And yet they made such a mortal mistake and let the killer of the spiritual into the room, a deed who's doer shell fall into the depth of hell, as described in <a href="http://vedabase.net/iso/3/en">Isa-Upanishad (verse 3)</a>. How can that be?<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Actually, we see that mistake being made by so many spiritual aspirants who simply gives themselves to a bogus guru. Simply because he appear nice, saying sweet words, smiles allot and repeatedly say the words "love" and "truth" they think the bogus guru is real. "How can someone appearing so nice be bogus? He is so full of love! he is my friend!" And so they fall into hell.<br />The power of the Putana demon lies not in the Poisson in her breasts, but in her lovely smile,her power to bewilder the mind of the Gopies to think she is a friend and not the killer of the soul. And that is why the <a href="http://vedabase.net/sb/10/6/27-29/en">Bhagvatam (10.6.27-29)</a> Putana is mentioned as "one who drive people mad" and "One who bewilder the memory". What is Putana's Poisson? It is falls knowledge. What is the lovely form she had taken? It is the smile of the bogus guru. And as Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Takura told, this Putana may be found in so many temples and churches, giving away her Poisson, sometimes as "love", sometime as "yoga", sometimes as "truth".<br />And in this way, looking so beautiful and holding a lotus in her hand, the she demon Putana entered the child's room and took him in her hands. She then fed him with her poison milk. Yet along with the poison he sucked her life out, and by so her real monstrous form was exposed to the eyes of all the people of Vrindavan. By that lord who dwells in our hart, the demon was killed.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.geocities.com/sarabhanga/Putana.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.geocities.com/sarabhanga/Putana.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Krishna Kills Putana</span><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-6715894890548615293?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-12651850802519690862007-12-21T17:12:00.000+02:002007-12-21T17:16:27.225+02:00A Family for the GitaA new comics of mine at <a href="http://iskcondesiretree.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ISKCON</span> Desire Tree</a>. The story of "<a href="http://iskcondesiretree.com/Comics/FamilyforGita/tabid/758/Default.aspx">A Family for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Gita</span></a>" by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Bhaktisidhanta</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sarasvati</span>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-1265185080251969086?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-58054633051926448432007-12-04T15:04:00.000+02:002007-12-05T15:00:37.464+02:00About anger<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R1Vxx0DoPbI/AAAAAAAAAEg/8VoHROglp8k/s1600-h/hanuman03.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R1Vxx0DoPbI/AAAAAAAAAEg/8VoHROglp8k/s200/hanuman03.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140139650314681778" border="0" /></a>A poet once wrote a very wise phrase in hindi: "A person without judgment must never act hastily in anger, and by so may prevent a disaster". A king was passing by and saw that phrase and thought it was a verry inspiring thing. And so the king had the phrase inscribed on a golden plate and hanged by his bad.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">One day the king came home and entered his bedroom where a very disturbing sight was discovered there before his eyes: His dear wife, which he loved more then anything in the world, was laying on the bed sleeping. and in her arms was a young man, also sleeping. The king, filled with anger, quickly puled out his sword, about to strike the unfaithful wife and her young lover and kill them in their sleep. And then, as he raised his sword, he suddenly saw a flash from the golden plate by his bad and reminded: "I must not act in anger! Never in anger!"<br />Gently he approached the bed and woke his wife. The wife immediately called: "Husband! The most wonderful thing happened to us today! The son we've lost years ago, when he was just a baby, has come home! And there he is, by now a young man!"<br />Just imagine the thoughts the king had as he realized the disaster just prevented. And all thank to those inspiring words of wisdom. He immediately summoned the poet to his palace and gave him the respect he so deserve.<br />What is the problem with action in anger? It is it's feature of distorting our judgment, our perception of reality. As mentioned it the Gita: "From anger, delusion arise" ("krodhād bhavati sammohah" 2:63). Why is that? Because anger set our center in the self, which is a false reality. Vedic philosophy sets a model of reality in which there is one center, which is Bhagavan. The natural state of things would be to revolve around that center. If one choose to revolve around himself, that would be a false reality. It is the desire to be God, to be in control. And anger is all about control. And so, out of anger, the delusion of control arise, and so the perception of reality becomes twisted. That is why the scriptures sets anger as one of the three gates to hell (greed, lust and anger). It's not just happen that the Jewish scriptures state that one who is angry it's as if worshiping false gods (Talmud, Shabat 105:2).<br />What about spiritual anger? is there such thing? Yes indeed! The Ramayan tells us of such anger. The anger of Hanuman the monkey, servant of Rama, who set fire into the city of Lanka. Is my anger can be considered "spiritual"? A tempting thing to consider. Let us investigate that idea: Hanuman's anger was spiritual since it revolved around the service of Rama. Meaning, the center point was not the self, but Bhagavan. Can I truly say my anger is as such? Can I truly say it's about service, not control?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R1Vy-0DoPdI/AAAAAAAAAEw/VXx1cFNIe14/s1600-h/rama-hanuman.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R1Vy-0DoPdI/AAAAAAAAAEw/VXx1cFNIe14/s400/rama-hanuman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140140973164608978" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-5805463305192644843?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-80450873914264561712007-11-08T17:32:00.000+02:002007-12-04T13:47:47.054+02:00The story of an offence<div style="text-align: justify;">One day in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vrindavan">Vrindavan</a>, the grate saint <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupa_Goswami">Sri Rupa Goswami</a> had a visit from a grate scholar of a different school of Vaishnavism. The two sat down and, as customary between vedic scholars, had a conversation about spiritual subjects. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiva_Goswami">Sri Jiva Goswami</a>, the nephew of Sri Rupa, was also present, listening to the conversation. At some point, Sri Rupa suggested his own commentary on a cirtin topic to the scholar, at which point the gap between the two philosophies had arise. The scholar politely commented to Sri Rupa that it is to his opinion that this commentary was wrong. While Sri Rupa took no offense to this comment, Sri Jiva could not bear such criticism against the doctrine of his friend and teacher. Out of respect, Sri Jiva remained silent, not disturbing the conversation.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was later that day when Sri Jiva could not bear it no more. Knowing the scholar went to bath in the river, Sri Jiva decided to go there to get some water. Then he decided to take the chance and explain to the scholar his mistake. After the conversation, the scholar was indeed impressed by the knowledge of the young swami. A few days after, when he re encountered Sri Jiva Goswami, the scholars praised the young Sri Jiva in his ears, describing their conversation by the river. Though the scholar seemed very pleased, Sri Rupa was indeed unpleased. And after the the departure of the scholar, he called his disciple Sri Jiva and had a conversation with him. "You're act was unpolite" he said. "When engaged in a philosophical conversation, we should first consider the other side as our Guru to whom we bow down to. Only after such respect is offered should we debate as equals." And then Sri Rupa said: "Return home now. Leave Vrindavan until the day you'll be able to show more control."<br />So tormented was Sri Jiva by this instruction. He wondered around the roads lamenting his separation from his master and the land of Vrindavan. Then one day Sri Rupa's brother, Sri Sanatana Goswami found him in a temple at Nanda-Ghat, weak from days of fasting and crying. He took Sri Jiva back to Vrindavan where Sri Rupa Goswami was glad to welcome him back.<br /></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Om! May God protect us both together by showing us the way through </span>knowledge<span style="font-style: italic;">. May He sustain us both by that </span>knowledge<span style="font-style: italic;">. May we attain that </span>knowledge<span style="font-style: italic;"> together. Let what we learn enlighten us. And may we not </span>quarrel<span style="font-style: italic;"> among ourselves. Om Peace Peace Peace!"</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(The Upanishads)</span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R1U3CUDoPaI/AAAAAAAAAEY/LDbHbDmi8V4/s1600-h/l_548b5361deadef23683dd2add819c2f8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R1U3CUDoPaI/AAAAAAAAAEY/LDbHbDmi8V4/s400/l_548b5361deadef23683dd2add819c2f8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140075062596484514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Samadhi Mandir of Sri Rupa Goswami </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Radha-Damodara temple - Vrindavan, India</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/R1U3CUDoPaI/AAAAAAAAAEY/LDbHbDmi8V4/s1600-h/l_548b5361deadef23683dd2add819c2f8.jpg"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-8045087391426456171?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-29985511302206136052007-10-30T12:30:00.000+02:002007-11-01T11:48:08.150+02:00Trying to hug the truth<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/te/thumb/c/c8/Madhavacharya.jpg/200px-Madhavacharya.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 181px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/te/thumb/c/c8/Madhavacharya.jpg/200px-Madhavacharya.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I've been around the western "new-age"/commercial-spirituality scene for some time. Around this scene you can find so many classes, people and books presenting their version of eastern philosophy and ancient cultures. Often you'll find among those a vary sad reality in which truth moves aside, making way to commercialism. You find teachers who dismiss legitimate criticism on their teachings simply by arguments such as "you're thinking too much " or "you're not open to new ideas". You'll find people clinging to ideas they find pleasant even when they are proven wrong, simply by the notion of "all is one" and "what the blip do we know". When asked to present valid arguments against the disproofs they simply reply that knowledge is irrelevant and simply "feeling" that it is true is enough for them. Such a notion of "knowledge is ignorance" is so very common among the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">neo</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">hinduists</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">neo</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">budhists</span>/<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">neo</span>-native-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">americans</span> of the west. These western followers of the orient will be very sad to hear that grate personalities such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Shankara</span> and Buddha, the ones they respect as spiritual masters, would have shown no support whatsoever in such ideas. It is quite obvious from looking in their writings that those thinkers were indeed philosophers. They came from a culture of logical debates in an attempt to reach conclusions, seek truths through philosophical inquiry. To arguments such as "it's true because I feel it" the real, historical, Buddha would probably reply: "well then, you're a cheater!" and walk away. Postmodernism was not common these days and no one would have even think of following a guru who's ideas were disproof in front of followers eyes.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">But, of course, there is a grate gap between the historical Buddha and the western Buddha "logo" of the new-age culture. Instead of showing you the truth of his teachings, he tries to drag you into it. He uses the weapon of charisma rather then the light of truth presented by the original one in public debates. Sometime, when you tell him you disagree, he tells you you are not open to new ideas. How can you disagree now? You don't want to be consider narrow minded, do you? Or sometimes he simply smiles and tells you you have to follow your hart, when in fact he wants you to follow his hart after he bought your trust with his smile. His followers are victimised indeed, but have only themselves to blame. Simply because they choose to accept a simple incorrect equation: if he smiles, then his words are true. This equation is, of course, untrue. What I say here may seem a bit harsh and some of the readers may choose to ignore such criticism and choose a softer notion instead. Well, that is exactly what I'm talking about! Just because a word is not pleasant to them, they define it as untrue. Is that a valid conclusion? Is it so hard to smile, be nice to people and say the word "love" in each sentence? Do you have to be "enlighten" to be able to do so? Well then, what makes you think there's no one using these things to sell you ideas? Common salesmen do it all the time, don't they?<br />This is what the <a href="http://www.celextel.org/108upanishads/katha.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Katha-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Upanishad</span></span></a> means by saying: "One path is pleasant and the other is good. The wise should choose the good" (1.2.1). It is indeed very tempting to accept the words of the one who hugs you rather then strain your head a little and try to think a little bit more. I do think that many of these "love"/"all is one" theories are based less on love and more on laziness. Truth demands hard work. To think, to read books, to successfully confront counter arguments. In a culture that sets escapism and mass-media as its ultimate goal, it is very easy to just let go of all the hard work and simply declare "all is one" and we don't need to think. In other words: laziness.<br />Sometimes the spiritual seeker should be harsh. Always he should insist on valid conclusions. No, it is not <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">disrespective</span>. On the contrary: it is the biggest respect among intellectuals. Was the Buddha <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">disrespective</span> when he attended public debates with counter schools? Was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Shankara</span>? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ramanuja</span>? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Madhavacharya</span>? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Patanjali</span>? No, there is nothing wrong in following valid conclusions, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. No, it is not a sin to tell you're guru, master or yoga instructor you see an apparent faults in his teachings and ask him to explain them. Remember the words of the <a href="http://www.gita-society.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Bhagavad</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Gita</span></span></a>: "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master, serve him and inquire him submissively. One who have witnessed the Truth can show it to you" (4.34). Look carefully on this quote: "Inquire him submissively". Be submissive, be respectful, yes. Always. But also inquire. Ask him. See if he has a valid logical conclusion to each and every point.If he's for real, he will answer. And if he avoid you're question, saying you should stop thinking too much or that your just being narrow minded, well, then you no longer have to be submissive. Be alert. If you read George Orwell you should know "Knowledge is ignorance" is a slogan that can be used to control you. Serve as a disciple only if he serves as a guru.<br />Letting go from your mind is not freedom. It'll turn you into a slave in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">hands</span> of cheaters. The mind is not you're enemy as long as it's controlled. And controlling you're mind means making it follow valid conclusions rather then whimsical desires. And the desire to cheat and be cheated is one of the most dangerous ones. Can love not be the way? Or no-mind? I'm not saying it is and I'm not saying it isn't. But the way to finding weather they are must go through logical proof. Through the mind. Only when you see the road you should start walking in it. And you see with your eyes, not your feet.<br />I'm not saying that the "hugging guru" can't be true. I'm not saying that every nice guy who talks about peace and love is a cheater. He doesn't have to be. Just as long as he follows <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">certain</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">rules</span>. As long as he is honest and is very strict about <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">intellectual</span> integrity. "Truth is God" said Gandhi. If you want to reach God, worship the truth.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://artdominiqueamendola.com/vedic_art/room_4/Gadhad_p2_big.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://artdominiqueamendola.com/vedic_art/room_4/Gadhad_p2_big.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-2998551130220613605?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-47394457899833230022007-10-27T20:55:00.000+02:002007-10-27T21:23:21.865+02:00Kartika<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RyOPf41ygXI/AAAAAAAAAEI/6dUx9PAwwes/s1600-h/PA210103.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126098578874466674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RyOPf41ygXI/AAAAAAAAAEI/6dUx9PAwwes/s320/PA210103.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">The month of Kartika has started.<br />This month is much recommended for going on pilgrimage to holly places and temples.<br />It is very recommended on this month to worship Krishna's image as Sri Damudara and chant the Damodarastaka prayer found in Padma-Purana. </span><div><div></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">SRI DAMODARASTAKA </span><br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">(found in the Padma Purana of Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasa, spoken by Satyavrata Muni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Saunaka Rsi.) </span></div><div></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">"In the month of Kartika one should worship Lord Damodara and daily recite the prayer known as Damodarastaka, which has been spoken by the sage Satyavrata and which attracts Lord Damodara." (Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.16.198)<br /></div></span><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">(1)</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">namamisvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupam</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">lasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanam</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">yasoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanam</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">paramrstam atyantato drutya gopya</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />(1) To the Supreme Lord, whose form is the embodiment of eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss, whose shark-shaped earrings are swinging to and fro, who is beautifully shining in the divine realm of Gokula, who [due to the offense of breaking the pot of yogurt that His mother was churning into butter and then stealing the butter that was kept hanging from a swing] is quickly running from the wooden grinding mortar in fear of mother Yasoda, but who has been caught from behind by her who ran after Him with greater speed - to that Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, I offer my humble obeisances. </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><br />(2)</div><div>rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mrjantam</div><div>karambhoja-yugmena satanka-netram</div><div>muhuh svasa-kampa-trirekhanka-kantha-</div><div>sthita-graivam damodaram bhakti-baddham </div><br /><div>(2) [Seeing the whipping stick in His mother's hand,] He is crying and rubbing His eyes again and again with His two lotus hands. His eyes are filled with fear, and the necklace of pearls around His neck, which is marked with three lines like a conchshell, is shaking because of His quick breathing due to crying. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara, whose belly is bound not with ropes but with His mother's pure love, I offer my humble obeisances. </div><div><br />(3)</div><div>itidrk sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde</div><div>sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam</div><div>tadiyesita-jnesu bhaktair jitatvam</div><div>punah prematas tam satavrtti vande </div><div><br />(3) By such childhood pastimes as this He is drowning the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of ecstasy, and is revealing to those devotees who are absorbed in knowledge of His supreme majesty and opulence that He is only conquered by devotees whose pure love is imbued with intimacy and is free from all conceptions of awe and reverence. With great love I again offer my obeisances to Lord Damodara hundreds and hundreds of times. </div><div><br />(4)</div><div>varam deva moksam na moksavadhim va</div><div>na canyam vrne 'ham varesad apiha</div><div>idam te vapur natha gopala-balam</div><div>sada me manasy avirastam kim anyaih </div><div><br />(4) 0 Lord, although You are able to give all kinds of benedictions, I do not pray to You for the boon of impersonal liberation, nor the highest liberation of eternal life in Vaikuntha, nor any other boon [which may be obtained by executing the nine processes of bhakti]. O Lord, I simply wish that this form of Yours as Bala Gopala in Vrndavana may ever be manifest in my heart, for what is the use to me of any other boon besides this?<br /></div><div>(5)</div><div>idam te mukhambhojam atyanta-nilair</div><div>vrtam kuntalaih snigdha-raktais ca gopya</div><div>muhus cumbitam bimba-raktadharam me</div><div>manasy avirastam alam laksa-labhaih </div><div><br />(5) 0 Lord, Your lotus face, which is encircled by locks of soft black hair tinged with red, is kissed again and again by Mother Yasoda, and Your lips are reddish like the bimba fruit. May this beautiful vision of Your lotus face be ever manifest in my heart. Thousands and thousands of other benedictions are of no use to me. </div><div><br />(6)</div><div>namo deva damodarananta visno</div><div>prasida prabho duhkha-jalabdhi-magnam</div><div>krpa-drsti-vrstyati-dinam batanu</div><div>grhanesa mam ajnam edhy aksi-drsyah </div><div><br />(6) 0 Supreme Godhead, I offer my obeisances unto You. O Damodara! O Ananta! O Visnu! O master! O my Lord, be pleased upon me. By showering Your glance of mercy upon me, deliver this poor ignorant fool who is immersed in an ocean of worldly sorrows, and become visible to my eyes. </div><div><br />(7)</div><div>kuveratmajau baddha-murtyaiva yadvat</div><div>tvaya mocitau bhakti-bhajau krtau ca</div><div>tatha prema-bhaktim svakam me prayaccha</div><div>na mokse graho me 'sti damodareha </div><div><br />(7) 0 Lord Damodara, just as the two sons of Kuvera - Manigriva and Nalakuvara - were delivered from the curse of Narada and made into great devotees by You in Your form as a baby tied with rope to a wooden grinding mortar, in the same way, please give to me Your own prema-bhakti. I only long for this and have no desire for any kind of liberation. </div><div><br />(8)</div><div>namas te 'stu damne sphurad-dipti-dhamne</div><div>tvadiyodarayatha visvasya dhamne</div><div>namo radhikayai tvadiya-priyayai</div><div>namo 'nanta-lilaya devaya tubhyam </div><div><br />(8) 0 Lord Damodara, I first of all offer my obeisances to the brilliantly effulgent rope which binds Your belly. I then offer my obeisances to Your belly, which is the abode of the entire universe. I humbly bow down to Your most beloved Srimati Radharani, and I offer all obeisances to You, the Supreme Lord, who displays unlimited pastimes. </span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-4739445789983323002?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-32475789054113655162007-10-25T04:51:00.000+02:002007-10-24T19:57:27.368+02:00The appearance of Lakshmi Devi<div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.goddessgift.com/images/goddess-Lakshmi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.goddessgift.com/images/goddess-Lakshmi.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Lakshmi Devi is a Divine personality who always serves the lord's feet. As </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" style="font-size:100%;">Vishnus</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> mate, the also has the power to give everyone wealth, being the power of wealth and fortune. That power is pursued by most people, but not in a good way. </span></div><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Once the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" style="font-size:100%;">Devas</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" style="font-size:100%;">Asuras</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, the good and evil forces of the universe, declared a truth in order to churn a life giving nectar out of an ocean of milk. Vishnu, the supreme person himself, brought a grate mountain called </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" style="font-size:100%;">Mandara</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> to serve as a churning rod. </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-size:100%;">Vasuki</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, the king of snakes, wrapped his grate body around the mountain and the two groups were to pull on the two ends like a rope for the churning. But then the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-size:100%;">Asuras</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, the proud lustful demons, had a complaint: "why should we grab on the snakes backside and not the head? Let us have the head and you the back!" So proud were they. But Vishnu </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-size:100%;">Bhagavan</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, in grate humility and with a smiley face, let them have the front. And during the churning, the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" style="font-size:100%;">Asuras</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> suffered a grate deal from the fire coming from the serpent's thousands of mouths. Such are the choices of materialistic people, going after what seems pleasant and not what is right. And thus it is said "The good is one thing, the pleasurable is another. They lead to different places. The wise man choose the good while the one who choose the pleasurable shell not reach his goal." (Katha-</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" style="font-size:100%;">Upanishad</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> 2.1.1)</span></p><div style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And with the life giving nectar thus churned, also manifested Lakshmi as a beautiful woman. Knowing her to be a grate devotee of God, the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" style="font-size:100%;">Devas</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> hurry to give her their respect, worship her and chant prayers, while the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" style="font-size:100%;">Asuras</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> quarreled over the nectar, pursuing eternal life. They also were </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" style="font-size:100%;">envy</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> of the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" style="font-size:100%;">Devas</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> and their relations with Lakshmi. In the end, the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" style="font-size:100%;">Devas</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> got the nectar as well while the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" style="font-size:100%;">asuras</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> did not get anything. (You can read the full story in </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" style="font-size:100%;">Shrimad</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" style="font-size:100%;">Bhagvatam</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" style="font-size:100%;">kanto</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> 8) </span></div><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Some believe that in order to advance spiritually one must renounce the world completely. It is, in fact, not true. The world and the forces of nature are, in fact, the lords energy. All the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" style="font-size:100%;">Devas</span> represent a certain power of nature and those are grate servants of the lord. Lakshmi represents the power of wealth and fortune. It is not renunciation from it that the yogi should seek, but detachment. When a person is attached to a certain thing of the world, such as wealth of pleasure of the senses, it is materialism. It is worshiping a Deva as a separate "God". But a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" style="font-size:100%;">Vaishnava</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> worships </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" style="font-size:100%;">Bhagavan</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, the supreme personality. God. And </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" style="font-size:100%;">thuse</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> he worships the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" style="font-size:100%;">Devas</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> as his servants and all living things as his children. And thus love of God becomes love of all. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>"In human society there are various activities performed for the protection of one's wealth and life by one's words, one's mind and one's actions, but they are all performed for one's personal or extended sense gratification with reference to the body. All these activities are baffled because of being separate from devotional service. But when the same activities are performed for the satisfaction of the Lord, the beneficial results are distributed to everyone, just as water poured on the root of a tree is distributed throughout the entire tree." </em></span></p><p style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Srimad</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Bhagvatam</span> 9.8.9)</em></span> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-3247578905411365516?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-2349861059694841632007-10-18T20:00:00.000+02:002007-10-19T13:00:56.478+02:00Mistress of illusion<div align="justify"><a href="http://www.hindumandir.com/new/images/mod/durga03.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.hindumandir.com/new/images/mod/durga03.jpg" border="0" /></a>Yesterday was <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Durga-Puja</span>, a celebration in honor of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga">Durga</a>, the cosmic mother, personification of the material potency. Also known as Maha-Maya, "The Grate Mistress of Illusion".<br /><a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmNlbGV4dGVsLm9yZy9zdG90cmFzZGV2aS9kZXZpbWFoYXRteWFtLmh0bWw="><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Devi-Mahatmaya</span></a> is a scripture in honor of Durga. It is said that anyone who reads it will have the blessing of the holly mother such as fortune and wealth. Such worship of Durga is meant for people who are attached to material things. But like all Vedic scriptures, it also gradually elevates people towards the Divine.<br />The <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Devi-Mahatmayam</span> begins with the story of a king who was betrayed by his people and lost his kingdom. On his way, he ran across a householder who was betrayed by his family and lost all he had. As they talk, they realize they both are still attracted to the things they lost. The king is still longing to his kingdom and the householder still has feelings for those who betrayed him. Such a nasty senseless attraction for both intelligent man, both king and commoner aren't amuned to. Together they try to find out why do they have such an irrational attraction. They approach sage Sumedhas asking him why do they have this problem, and the sages answer was conclusive: it is Maya, the mistress of illusion, who is making all being after what they shouldn't be after". And then the sage started to tell them the story of that grate <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Devi</span>.<br />According to the Vedic narrative, all that is comes from the one. God. Brahman. Param-Brahman, the supreme, is known by many names such as Narayan or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu">Vishnu </a>and also has many incarnations. In a small corner of his domain, lays the material creation. But most of what is, is actually the spiritual creation. In the material creation Vishnu lays down in a mystic sleep: <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Yoga-Nidra</span>. At the same time he is in the spiritual world, having relationships with the souls who are there, he is also in his <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Yoga-Nidra</span> sleep in the material corner of his domain. And out of that sleep, the material universes are manifested. You might say that this whole world is God's dream. And if so, Durga is his sleep. She is the very force that is manifested as the material worlds, those very same worlds in that corner of creation meant for those who chose to be apart from God, just to fulfill their desires, just until they'll choose to return home to their heavenly father.<br />And in this material world there are many things to attract the mind and senses. So many things that seems beautiful, hiding the fact that it is no more then one big cosmic jail. And <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Maya</span>, the mistress of illusion, is guarding it's gates. By her we are trapped here. But by her mercy we can also be free from this illusion and see the supreme truth (<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Sanatan-Dharma</span>). For she is the grate servant of him, the supreme lord. And in the spiritual realm she also has a form. In here she is <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Maha-Maya</span>, but there she is <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Yoga-Maya</span>. In here she constructs the entire world of illusion, making us forged the lord and our eternal relationship with him. But in the spiritual world, as <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Yoga-Maya</span>, she helps us forget the lord's greatness so we could have a close relationship with him. Forget the lord's gratness? is that a good or a bad thing?<br />In the <a href="http://www.gita-society.com/"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Bhagavad-Gita</span></a> the lord appears as Krishna to his devotee Arjuna. They have a close relationship as friends, which is the goal of the spiritual practitioners and yogis. Arjuna is acting as the lord's friend, unaware of his supreme universal form. And then, upon his request, Krishna revels that grate universal form to Arjuna, which Arjuna finds very disturbing. How can you have a close relationship with something that grate? How can you be his friend? And so Arjuna request the lord to take back his original form as his dear friend, lord Krishna.<br />Also, in the <a href="http://bhagavata.org/"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Srimad-Bhagvatam</span></a> it is told how Krishna appeared on earth as the child of Vasudeva and Devaki. At first, when he was born, he took his majestic form of Vishnu. But then, upon the parents request, he took the form of Gopal, the sweet baby Krishna. For only in such a form they could have a close relationship with him as their child. So sometimes, spirituality is not about seeing God as the all mighty in his greatness (even though he is), but also about forgetting this greatness. And <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Yoga-Maya</span> makes it possible.<br />Krishna appeared on earth to Vasudeva and Devaki who were immediately persecuted by the evil king Kamsa. And then the grate mother Maya appeared there and Kamsa became so frightened. In this world she is the grate mother Durga, holding all the wepons given to her by all the celestial rulers, just to show she manifests all their strength. Like fire, she is riding a tiger through the battle filed, destroying the enemy. As such, we should pray to that grate mother Durga to destroy our illusion and bad habits, so that we'll no longer have obstacles in our spiritual path.<br /></div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122999898022422018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RxiNQ7H9JgI/AAAAAAAAADw/CvZ_ChtzdcQ/s200/maya01.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"> <span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Maha-Maya</em> in Vrindavan</span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-234986105969484163?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-30266577454469593242007-10-02T11:26:00.000+02:002007-10-04T22:28:19.077+02:00Licking the wounds of the enemy<div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RwVMlMyT1XI/AAAAAAAAACY/9E49kgoTkuc/s1600-h/kalima03.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117580753547548018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RwVMlMyT1XI/AAAAAAAAACY/9E49kgoTkuc/s320/kalima03.jpg" border="0" /></a>In <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Vedic</span> scriptures, the world is often compered to a battle field and the self to a warrior. The process of Yoga, spiritual progress, is compered to a battle. So is the case in the <a href="http://www.gita-society.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bhagavad</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gita</span></a> where Arjuna comes face to face with his inner demons before actually going to battle. He finds out that defeating these demons may be more complicated then he thought and that he may have left himself unguarded in places he should. And here is another description of a battle:<br />An historical tale is told in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devi_Mahatmya">Devi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Mhatmya</span></a> about Mother <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durga"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Durga</span></a> who was in battle against a terrible demon called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Raktabija</span> ("one who's blood is seed"). No matter how many time she wounded the demon, she could not defeat him, for that demon had a unique ability: every drop of his blood that falls to the ground would turn to a replica of the demon. Every time the mother strike the demon with one of her weapons, the drops of blood who fall to the ground would immediately turn to more enemies for her to fight. How can you defeat such a demon? in fact, if you look around you, and maybe inside you, you'll find there are many of these <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Raktabija</span> demons around. You fight them, and they get stronger. They seem to be undefeated. That is the demon Mother <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Durga</span> fought. But then the Divine mother found a way to defeat the demon: She expanded herself to another form of her, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali">Kali</a>, the black mother. Kali-Ma has a terrible dark form, holding weapons and wearing a garland of skulls. The dark mother then reached out her long tongue and start licking the demon's wounds, preventing the blood from reaching the ground. And in this way the demons deadly ability was prevented. And thous, by the licking of his wounds the demon was defeated, rather then striking him harder. You may use this information to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">defeate</span> the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Rakabija</span> demons in your life.<br /></div><div align="center"> </div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117578404200437090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RwVKccyT1WI/AAAAAAAAACQ/BcHos3hVRN0/s400/PA270265.JPG" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><em>A small Kali shrine I found in a small village in West-Bengal</em></p><p align="center"> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-3026657745446959324?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-52165857315597470182007-09-24T14:24:00.000+02:002007-10-10T00:53:06.470+02:00Bhaktivinoda Thakur – A Vaishnava Pioneer<div align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span><br /></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.salagram.net/bhaktivinode2.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bhaktivinoda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Thakur</span> (1838-1914)</em></span><br /></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">About 500 years ago, in the Nadia district of West Bengal, the ascetic named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaitanya_Mahaprabhu">Chaitanya <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Mahaprabhu</span></a> had founded a new branch of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaishnavism"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Vaishnava</span></a> tradition. This <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Gaudiya</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Vaishnava</span> branch became an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">unseparated</span> part of Bengali spiritual culture. in western countries it is a common mistake to assume this branch (which is now often referred to as "Hare-Krishna" in the west) as some sort of a new-age western movement, when in fact it's roots goes way back into Indian culture.<br />The spreading of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Gaudia</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Vaishnavism</span> into the west became known through the street chanting of the Hare-Krishna mantra brought to New-York in the 60's. But not many know that the spreading of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Gaudiya</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Vaishnavism</span> has history back to the 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">th</span> century.<br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Sankirtan</span> movement of Chaitanya-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Mahaprabhu</span> was meant by him to spread world wide, "in every town and village" in his words. This movement, who was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">leter</span> developed by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Mahaprabhu's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">deciples</span>, "the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Goswamis</span>", prospered through the 16<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">th</span> and 17<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">th</span> century. Then came a decline. A hand few of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">bonafied</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Vaishnavas</span> were buried under so many bogus ones and the main writings of this branch became rear items. But then, at the second half of the 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">th</span> century, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Gaudiya</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Vaishnavism</span> spread like never before, all thanks to the foundations settled by one grate scholar name <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Bhaktivinoda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Thakur</span>.<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Bhaktivinoda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Thakur</span> was born in 1838 at the district of Nadia, the very same land where <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">Mahaprabhu's</span> movement started. But be may so, his family were not <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Vaishnavas</span> and some of them were not even sympathizers of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Vaishnava</span> branch. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Bhaktivinoda</span> was received with a modern education in English schools. Later, as a young student in Calcutta, he showed grate interest in western culture as shown in his book "The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Poriade</span>", the story of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Porus</span> meeting with Alexander the grate. In a later period of his life he even founded the first English school in the state of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Orrisa</span>.<br />The 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">th</span> century in this area of India, under British occupation, was also the time of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengali_Renaissance">Bengali Renaissance</a>, when many Hindu scholars and spiritual leaders were influenced by western values. Scholars such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivekananda">Swami Vivekananda</a>, disciple of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramakrishna"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Sri</span> Ramakrishna <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Paramahamsa</span></a>, who presented a modern <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">neo</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">hinduist</span> philosophy influenced by admiration of British culture. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">Bhaktivinoda</span> was also influenced by western theology at the time. As a young student, being under the impression that Hinduism revolves around the notion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advaita_Vedanta"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Adveita</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Vedantic</span></a> "all is one" perception, he thought the Christian bible to be more suitable, as it shows a conception of God as a person. This admiration of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Bhaktivinoda</span> to the Bible never went away and is shown in his later articles.<br />Eventually, after investigating all the philosophies common in the area, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Bhaktivinoda</span> came to a conclusion that out of all the philosophies developed in west Bengal, only the branch of Chaitanya-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">Mahaprabhu</span> is genuine. Later he became a disciple of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">Jaganath</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">das</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">Babaji</span>, a guru in the line of Chaitanya <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">Mahaprabhu</span>. </span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114262388800214290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RvmCi8yT1RI/AAAAAAAAABo/DrpZYRn4B10/s200/PA270268.JPG" border="0" /> </p><p align="center"><em>The temple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">Bhaktivinoda</span> and his son <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">Bhaktisidhanta</span> lived in</em><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><em>Nadia district - West-Bengal</em> </span></div><p align="justify">In 1961 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">Bhaktivinoda</span> accepted the post of deputy magistrate of West-Bengal. In this service for a long period lasted most of his life he fought against corruption and injustice through the country. A <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">verry</span> famous tale told by his disciples is how he brought to justice a bogus guru from the area of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55">Orrisa</span> who claimed to be God and used his authority to molest young girls. All through his service in his government post, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56">Bhaktivinoda</span>, a family man, did not neglected his study of theology and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57">Vaishnava</span> philosophy. He searched for rear copies of writings by the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58">Goswamis</span> and written many poems, books and articles, many of them in English. While many misrepresenting ideas about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59">vedic</span> philosophy were spreading through the west, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60">Bhaktivinoda</span> published English translations to scriptures and sent them to western universities. He wrought many books representing Indian philosophy, such as his book <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61">Jiva</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_62">Dharma</span>, written as a novel. He wrought English books explaining the philosophy of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_63">Mahaprabhu</span>, such as "<a href="http://www.scsmath.net/math/docs/LifeAndPrecepts.pdf"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_64">Caitanya</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_65">Manaprabhu</span>, His life and precepts</a>". This was all done in the attempt to do the bidding of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_66">Mahaprabhu</span> himself, spreading <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_67">Vaishnava</span> philosophy all through the world. Along with his guru, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_68">Jaganath</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_69">das</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_70">Babaji</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_71">Bhaktivinoda</span> founded the Yoga-Pith temple in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_72">Mayapur</span>, stating the birth place of Chaitanya <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_73">Mahaprabhu</span>. </p></span><div align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114260511899505922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RvmA1syT1QI/AAAAAAAAABg/lXB9TCzp-BQ/s200/PA260237.JPG" border="0" /><em>Yoga-Pith, birth place of Chaitanya <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_74">Mahaprabhu</span></em><br /></div><br /><p align="justify">Through his life, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_75">Bhaktivinoda</span> was a family man and served his duties for the public in his government post. And then, in the last few years of his life he decided to retire. 6 years before his death he took initiation as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_76">Babaji</span>, an ascetic hermit. And then, at 1914, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_77">Bhaktivinoda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_78">Thakur</span> entered an eternal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_79">Samadhi</span> as he finally left his body. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_80">Bhaktivinoda's</span> son, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_81">Bhaktisidhanta</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_82">Sarasvati</span>, latter continued in his fathers spirit when he established the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaudiya_Math"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_83">Gaudiya</span>-Math</a> society, the first <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_84">Gaudiya</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_85">Vaishnava</span> organization to ever actually spread it's teaching in the west and make western disciples. This attempt to spread this philosophy in the beginning of the 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_86">th</span> century had later inspired organizations such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_87">ISKCON</span>, founded by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_88">Bhaktivedhanta</span> Swami in New York during the 60's, and Chaitanya <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_89">Sarasvati</span> Math, founded by B.S <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_90">Govinda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_91">Maharaj</span>, and many other disciples of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_92">Bhaktisidhanta</span> who did the same. Every westerner who is inspired by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_93">Vaishnava</span> philosophy and the chanting of Hare-Krishna, should pay his gratitude to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_94">Bhaktivinoda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_95">Thakur</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_96">Bhaktivinoda</span> was indeed a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_97">Vaishnava</span> Pioneer. </p><p align="center"><br />For more information:<br /><a href="http://www.salagram.net/parishad116.htm">http://www.salagram.net/parishad116.htm</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhaktivinoda_Thakur">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhaktivinoda_Thakur</a></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-5216585731559747018?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-89523356071034381992007-09-18T22:13:00.000+02:002007-10-10T00:53:53.414+02:00Religion VS A Higher Truth<div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RvAu_fTEmXI/AAAAAAAAABM/b589JTYvFq0/s1600-h/PA190011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111637245333641586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x__tYGfM7TQ/RvAu_fTEmXI/AAAAAAAAABM/b589JTYvFq0/s320/PA190011.JPG" border="0" /></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;">A small Goddess shrine - New-Delhi</span></em> <div align="center"><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">I often come across the dilemma weather <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Gaudiya</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Vaishnavism</span> (Krishna Consciousness, "Hare-Krishna") is a religion or not. Considering the fact that it revolves around God, our relationship with the supreme and meditation on God as a person, the common assumption is that this philosophy is a religion. It seems that once God is involved most people would consider the subject matter a religion. This assumption is clearly incorrect. Buddhism is a religion without god and so is Jainism. But from the other hand we cannot just define every mystic or spiritual persuasion as a religion. The first question should be: what is the definition of religion?<br />When we think of a religion we often think of a prophet talking to a large crowd of people, one such as Jesus or Moses talking to the people from a mountain top. Not so is the case with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Vedic</span> spiritual leaders such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_Shankara"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Shankara</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramanuja"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ramanuja</span></a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaitanya">Chaitanya</a>. Though they are sometimes referred to as religious figures, they in fact show more of the symptoms of philosophers rather then prophets. If you look at the teachings of lord Chaitanya, as presented in writings such as the <a href="http://vedabase.net/cc/">Chaitanya-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Chaitamrita</span></a>, you'll find him having deep conversations with other scholars such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Sarvabhoma</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Bhatacharya</span>, presenting valid arguments and thus establishing his teachings. This is the standard presented by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">vedic</span> scholars. Religious figures, on the other hand, present instructions that demands faith rather then logical proofs. Not that religious leader such as Moses and Jesus had philosophical base for their teachings and not that their scripture, if you take a second look at them, have no deeper spiritual meaning (usually discovered later by religious scholars). Though there is a class of educated theologians in every religion, the congregations of all religions consist mostly of masses of people who never considered deep philosophical questions. </div></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.krishnaland.com/images/Chaitanya.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Sri</span> Chaitanya <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Mahaprabhu</span> (1486-1534)</span></em></div><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Founder of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Gaudia</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Vaishnavism</span> ("Hare-Krishna)</span></em></div><br /><div align="justify">For example: when I was in West-Bengal I've notices a picture of a local saint presented on stores, houses, taxi cabs and so on. When I asked who is this man, everyone know his name to tell me. But when I asked what did he do and why do you have his picture, all they could tell me is that he was a grate man. So is the case of all religions. Most Buddhists go to temples praying the Buddha and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Buddhisatvas</span> for material wealth, not showing much interest in the Buddhist teachings, which are in fact much deeper. So is the case for most Christians, Jews and Muslims and Hindus. It is also worth mentioning that there are also a grate deal of people in India who consider <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Gaudiya</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Vaishnavism</span> as their "religion", defining it as a branch of Hinduism.<br />To the spiritual aspirant there are no religions. To him there is only truth and the way to it. Also, if you look at the teachings of transcendentalists, such as lord Chaitanya, you'll find ouy not only that the activities they encouraged were on different level then religion, but that they also apposed organized religion in many ways. Offering an unorthodox interpretation of scriptures, reducing the emphasis on ritualism and apposing the cast system, those were principles spread by Chaitanya and others like him.<br />Is religion a bad thing? Not at all. It is simply one of the many branches of activity in our life. And like all of them, it two can become <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">spiritualized</span>. All religions have the everyday level as well as the higher levels. The everyday level includes material activities. The higher level is where the scriptures show us a higher purpose. One that will eventually shell free the aspirant from material bounds and let him gain enlightenment. At this level he is detached from all mundane things, including material forms of religion. As it said by lord Krishna in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Bhagavad</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Gita</span>: (18.66) "Abandon all forms of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">drarma</span> (religion, truth) and give in to me" </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-8952335607103438199?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991434802665877845.post-39508460462215673082007-09-17T21:17:00.000+02:002007-09-17T21:17:08.699+02:00A Manifesto / A word to you, the readerWhy did I open this blog?<br />Once in a while I get an Idea. Could be at home, could be at work, could be in bed of while I'm reading. Could be while I'm going out for a minute for fresh air (get lot's of idea this way). I develop it in my head and if I won't write it down it may be lost forever. That's why I'm going to write here. And why is that? Becous an idea that was never expressed or exhibited is simply barren.<br />Through years of Art College I came to the conclusion that what makes an art piece what it is is its audience. A poem written and then put in the poet's pocket is might as well kept in his head and never written. There is really no difference between painting a picture on canvas and painting it in your imagination. Unless, of course, it is exhibited.<br />Hence my conclusion: you, the readers, are the ones who give life to my creation. I am merely a labor. A carrier bringing it to you. If it wasn’t for you, non of what you see here (or will see, depends on the point of time you are reading this entry) would ever come to existence. It would've remain nothing more then a thought. Then please: read and, if possible, comment.<br /><br />Thenk you.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4991434802665877845-3950846046221567308?l=omer07.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Omernoreply@blogger.com0