Monday, March 31, 2025

Seeing the Supreme in the Hearts of All

 In my madness, I consider this body to be me. My mind suggests: "I am beautiful. I am learned. I am very cool. And I know about spirituality. Thus, I am better than all these ugly, ignorant people and I can treat them with less respect and consider them less worthy since they have hardly any qualifications." But the truth is that I am hard-hearted and ugly due to conceit. I am not worthy of the mercy granted to me since I shove it away to the side and consider my own image more important. I accept the dictations of my mind and do not even pause for a moment to realize that this is not my life, not my body, not my wealth, nor my beauty. All this belongs to Krishna. He has very kindly given me facilities. And we both are together in this body. I don't even bother acknowledging that He is here living with me and has more right to this body and to control it than me. I see the deity in the temple and offer obeisances. But I do not see the same deity in everyone's heart. I am simply a neophyte. Even neophytes are more regulated and at least apply tilak consistently. I am simply fooling myself. Kali is having a good laugh. I'm easy to distract, tempt, and loot. Now what will become of me? Krishna, my Gurudeva, please protect me. Please keep me on the cloud of Your mercy. If You do not protect me what will happen? I will be nowhere. I will be ruined. Please protect me. Please give me a drop of devotion. Please make me free from slavery to my tongue. I simply accept the dictations of my mind and ego unquestioningly. Please help me question every dictation and check whether it is favorable for serving You.

Kali uses Telepathy too

 You must discriminate who is sending the telepathy by rejecting all physical pleasure but allowing mental pleasure because you are supposed to cultivate being together on the mental platform.

Serve Radha and Krishna in your mind - Prema Vivarta


Sunday, March 30, 2025

Raghunath Das Goswami asks Is it Spiritual Love or Material?

In Prema Vivarta, Jagadananda Pandit describes the confusion Raghunath Das Goswami expressed to Swarup Damodar Goswami. The question he asks is "I don't understand the priti described by Chandidas and other poets. Mahaprabhu also sings songs with you that seem mundane. Please explain to me what is priti."

Swarup Damodar invokes Mahaprabhu on his tongue. He says real spiritual mellows are not to be imposed on the material body. Externally one must act in vaidhi sadhana bhakti. Internally, one should meditate on one's siddha deha and serve Krishna, the master of Shri Radha, in that body.

I don't have a siddha deha. Therefore, I have no right to try to enjoy spiritual rasas at this moment. I think I got this right.

Now, in my mind, when I experience time with my Gurudeva. It seems weird that Gurudeva reciprocated in person with me in the material realm as a beloved. As an enjoyer. Enjoyer is only Krishna. One should never impose the identity of Krishna on someone who is not Krishna. Maharaj's hands do not reach his knees. Therefore he is certainly not svayam bhagavan. Krishna is appearing through him. That is true. He is an instrument in the hands of Krishna. He said he wants the world to see the relationship we have between each other. Why? To show that Krishna is independent.

 Now my doubt is this: I don't have a siddha deha to meditate on. I don't have one as far as I am concerned. Should I resist any dreams that I have with Gurudeva? Is he or is he not Krishna? He is not? But then, why did he gaze so lovingly at me by moving aside the boys standing before him in front of everyone at Yamuna Ghat that day he and Jay Shetty sat by the Yamuna? Was that romantic? Was that Maya? Was that a Gopi maidservant of Radharani? Was that Lord Chaitanya in the mood of Krishna? What was that? Who was that? And is that the person I am to relate to as my spiritual master? What is my relationship with him? Who am I? And how can I protect myself from Maya and still cultivate spiritual emotions safely?

Radha Sundari also relates to him in a similar mood. She sees how he is cunning and talks to her while giving class to pacify her anger when he acted angrily with her. He talks about how Jatayu shouldn't take it personally that Ram couldn't be kind to him initially. She loves him. It's obvious. She's his consort. And she asked me to also marry him. Was that all maya?

I am so confused and unclear. Even after reading Prema Vivarta and Mahaprabhu's instructions to Raghunath Das Goswami, I am not sure I've got this straight. Do not hear mundane talks and do not indulge in them. Do not eat or dress nicely. Serve Radha and Krishna in the mind.

Avoid rasabhasa. As far as I am concerned, my love for my guru will be tested by time. Until then, my motivations would likely be based on mundane lust. I should not pretend to be something I'm not yet able to perceive. My spiritual identity is covered heavily. Now I need to focus on mahat-seva and purification. Maharaj said control your tongue. And be careful to avoid the mad-elephant offence. Tolerate everything. Freedom is what you do with what is done to you.

Monday, March 17, 2025

Na teshu ramate budha

 A learned soul does not try to enjoy the senses, even if Krishna is forcibly trying to give pleasure. A surrendered soul does not even need to be in ecstasy anymore, externals stop affecting their mojo even when they're not swimming in bliss. But the pitfalls are the weeds of pride. As soon as we are proud of our material body, skills, abilities, powers, fame, wealth, knowledge, or anything of the sort, we will start committing offences and fall. To save ourselves we have to offer our mind to Krishna in full surrender, with full humility. Let the praise of others humble us knowing that Krishna's mercy is our only qualification.

Be very very careful. You may lose your bhakti at any moment. Keep hearing and reading scripture. Keep associating with pure devotees at least in your mind.