iMonk | December 2008

Navadwip, India — Wednesday, December 10th

Banished?

I received this really nice email in response to my somewhat broody Banished to Navadwip blog:

Yes, we know what its like to be shuttled off and banished to Nabadwip. Our ego was hurt, but when we got to the holy dham of Nabadwip, the hurt feeling disappeared.... The Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Nabadwip Dham took all the pain away and we felt that Srila Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj was with us at every moment.

The Vaishnavas were so sweet, and Sripad Acharya Maharaj especially, was so caring and accommodating. Sripad Damodar Maharaj also showed us his photos with Srila Sridhar Maharaj. So many memories. To be banished is such a nectarean blessing.

And after a few days here in Navadwip, I have to agree.

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Navadwip, India — Sunday, December 14th

Vyasa Puja questions

We're all a little disappointed, I guess, that after we came all the way to India to celebrate Srila Gurudeva's Vyasa Puja, His Divine Grace is still too ill to attend the festival in his honor here in Navadwip...

But because Srila Gurudeva is not physically here with us, it forces us to rethink and to re-evaluate our conception of who is guru.

When we sing this verse from Srila Narottama das Thakur's prayer, Sri Guru-Vaishnava Mahatmya-Giti,

caksu-dana dila yei / janme janme prabhu sei
divya-jnana hrde prokasito

we are forced to meditate on just how is it that Srila Gurudeva (sei) can be our master (prabhu) birth after birth (janme janme)? If we put too much emphasis on his persona — if we only identify him in the guise of his current external form — how will we recognize and renew our connection with His Divine Grace in future lives?

This sort of vision, of course, is a gracious gift from Srila Gurudeva himself (caksu-dana dila yei), a transcendental insight (divya-jnana) that His Divine Grace only instills in the sincere hearts (hrde prokasito) of his most devoted disciples.

In the Bhagavad Gita (4:34),

tad viddhi pranipatena / pariprasnena sevaya

Krishna confirms that this transcendental knowledge (tad viddhi) is only given to those disciples who surrender absolutely and exclusively (pranipatena) to Srila Gurudeva, who submissively receive this divine revelation without skepticism or argument (pariprasnena), with the sole intention of using this insight and enlightenment to unselfishly serve His Divine Grace (sevaya).

When will I submit to Srila Gurudeva's lotus feet and receive his mercy?

Tags: About Guru | Slokas

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