iMonk Archive: 2011

Getting to know, serve, and appreciate the new Sevaite-Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Srila Gurudeva's foremost disciple and successor, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

January

January 7th Guru: personality vs. conception

Correspondence addressing readers' questions and concerns about the "Who is guru?" blog written in December 2006.

January 10th Guru: form vs. substance

More correspondence answering readers' questions related to the "Who is guru?" blog published in December 2006.

January 14th 'Here is Mr. Ghosh!'

Srila Guru Maharaj's broad conception of guru: we must be able to detect our guru's advice when we find it in another.

January 21st Guru: persona vs. person

Even more correspondence related to the "Who is guru?" blog published on Srila Gurudeva's Vyasa Puja in December 2006.

January 28th Dive deep into reality

What does it mean, and what is it like, to "dive deep into reality"? Srila Guru Maharaj and Bhagavad Gita give us a clue.

February

February 7th Where do we go?

The great danger in chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is that it will take us precisely where we want to go!

February 14th Truth through fiction

Is it possible to show the truth through fiction? Yes, because fiction is the complement of truth, "the lie that tells the truth."

February 16th Gaura-Nityananda deities

No photograph can capture Their exquisite beauty; you must come to Ekachakra at least once to get Their darshan.

February 28th Srila Acharya Maharaj's miracle

Srila Acharya Maharaj fulfills Srila Gurudeva's desire to establish a Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math branch in Ekachakra.

March

March 7th Srila Gurudeva's samadhi mandir

Srila Gurudeva's samadhi mandir will be inaugurated on the first anniversary of his disappearance, in five weeks time.

March 11th A loving relationship

Just as he was in his relationship with Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Gurudeva was "bound by affection" to Srila Acharya Maharaj.

March 14th Visakha's whiteboard

Visakha Devi Dasi has a knack of choosing the pithiest quotes from our guru varga for the edification of the devotees.

March 17th Navadwip Dham parikrama

Srila Acharya Maharaj leads us on the parikrama — and he is such a dynamo we sometimes find ourselves running to keep up!

March 18th Parikrama relief

Srila Gurudeva's newly published poem gives relief to pilgrims who have just completed the four-day parikrama.

March 19th Gaura Purnima

Devotees from all over the world celebrate the advent of our Golden Lord, Sri Gauranga, on this Golden Full Moon day.

March 30th Krishna the Revolutionary

Srila Gurudeva shows how the subjective evolution of consciousness culminates in a revolution of consciousness.

April

April 7th Lotus feet

We get the shade of Srila Gurudeva's lotus feet when he accepts our service... but it is not so easy to serve Gurudeva!

April 11th Living in eternity

Will the world end in 2012? Are we all going to die soon? Our gurus advise us to stop worrying and start living in eternity.

April 15th A sad day...

A sad day at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Navadwip on the first anniversary of Srila Gurudeva's disappearance.

April 18th Srila Gurudeva's murti

Srila Gurudeva's murti (divine form) is installed in His Divine Grace's samadhi mandir, the "Temple of Love and Affection."

April 30th Just a minute!

An occasional series to give you pause: If only there was a vehicle that could take us to Vaikuntha...

May

May 7th Things fall apart

If we view these tribulations as a test "to train us to go in the right direction," we won't waste time looking for a scapegoat.

May 14th Nirmal Bhakti blog

Sripad Bhakti Kamal Tyagi Maharaj has started an excellent new blog at nirmalbhakti.net.

May 21st Just a minute!

An occasional series to give you pause: To make a long story short... you shouldn't!

May 30th Housekeeping

Updating and revamping the iMonk blog archives, adding new tag categories, etc.

June

June 7th Kicking the bucket

When will I stop trying to extinguish the blazing forest fire of material existence with my pitiful pail of knowledge?

June 14th Contaminated containers

Before we can catch what Srila Gurudeva is giving us, we must first make ourselves a fit receptacle to receive his grace.

June 21st Ignorance is bliss

The truth can free us from the matrix of illusion, but it is so much easier to remain oblivious — to embrace the status quo.

June 30th All in the game

Don't think that Bhagavad Gita is ancient history; it is a living conversation that you can have, right now, with God.

July

July 7th Draupadi's surrender

If Draupadi is such a great devotee of Krishna, why did He allow her to be abused, and wait so long to rescue her?

July 14th What's the point?

Should we follow the chaturmasya vrata? Srila Guru Maharaj explains the purpose of this vow and other devotional duties.

July 18th Stop! Thief!

We may have erected high walls to prevent Krishna from entering our hearts, but fortunately for us, Krishna is a thief.

July 24th Just a minute!

An occasional series to give you pause: a drain inspector visits his brother in a beautiful monastery.

August

August 10th New look

Experimenting with a new page layout and format for the iMonk blog...

August 28th Preparing for liftoff

Before we can embark on our journey into consciousness, we have to throw away our luggage and get "a good launching pad."

September

September 3rd Just a minute!

An occasional series to give you pause: unfortunately, Krishna sometimes gives us what we want (instead of what we need).

September 28th His Divine Grace

Our chastity to Srila Gurudeva will be measured by our obedience to his instruction to love and faithfully serve Srila Acharya Maharaj.

October

October 18th Sripad Jajavar Maharaj

Where did all the great Vaishnavas go? In the absence of our gurus, Srila Narottama Das Thakur's lament is so much more poignant.

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