iMonk | December 2008

Navadwip, India — Friday, December 5th

Banished!

sent to navadwip
we feel like we've been banished
gurudev's not here

Tags: Haiku

Navadwip, India — Sunday, December 7th

Banished — to Navadwip!

Srila Gurudeva returned from the hospital two weeks ago, but because he is still an outpatient, His Divine Grace will be unable to travel to Navadwip next week to celebrate his Vyasa Puja with his disciples from all over the world.

Because the facilities in Calcutta are limited, the main festival will still be held at our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Navadwip, and all the devotees who arrive in Calcutta are allowed to spend a few days with Srila Gurudeva before being sent on to the holy dham.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam (10:84:13), we are told:

yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah

"Anybody who goes to place of pilgrimage just to wash away their sins (yat-tirtha-buddhih salile), not for the darshan of the sages who live there (na karhicij janesv abhijnesu), is ignorant (sa eva go-kharah)."

Indeed, Srimad Bhagavatam (1:13:10) asserts:

bhavad-vidha bhagavatas / tirtha-bhutah svayam vibho
tirthi-kurvanti tirthani / svantah-sthena gada-bhrta

"Pure devotees like you [Srila Gurudeva] (bhavad-vidha bhagavatas) are holy places of pilgrimage personified (tirtha-bhutah svayam). Even places of pilgrimage [that become saturated with the sins of those who go there to cleanse themselves] are purified (tirthi-kurvanti tirthani) by powerful saints like you (vibho), because you always carry the Supreme Personality of Godhead in your heart (svantah-sthena gada-bhrta)."

So when we are sent away from the shelter of your holy lotus feet, Srila Gurudeva — even to such an exalted place of pilgrimage as Sri Navadwip Dham — we feel as though we are being punished... like we are being banished... to Navadwip.

Tags: Pilgrimage

URL: http://www.imonk.net/08/december1.html
Layout by iMonk — December 7th, 2008.