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SvgGrdnBeauty

05-23-2005, 08:44 PM

Dear friends, it is wonderful! Isn't it so?
Yes. :)

Perfection consists in doing God's will...in being what
He would have us be." It was all beautiful...but this was by far my favourite part ^. :) Thank you so much for sharing...

Also, thank you Andrew for sharing the picture...she reminds me of my grandmother... :)

Hare Krishna!

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

BlackBillBlake

05-23-2005, 09:46 PM

Also, thank you Andrew for sharing the picture...she reminds me of my grandmother... :)

Hare Krishna!

*Peace and Love*
Nicole
Dear Nicole,

Thank you ! What you say actually has a great resonance for me, as Saint Therese also reminds me (in Her looks) of my own Grandma, a Lady who was born in a nearby region of France at about the same time as Therese.

Love *peace.

BlackBillBlake

05-23-2005, 10:28 PM

Here are some more quotes from Saint Therese on the subject of Love – they are taken from ‘The Story of a Soul’ (Her autobiography, written at the request of her sister), and from letters to her sister Celine.

“The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity... “

“Seeing the eternal recompense so disproportionate to the trifling sacrifices of this life, I longed to love Jesus, to love Him ardently, to give him a thousand proofs of tenderness while yet I could do so...”

“In times of aridity when I am incapable of praying, of practicing virtue, I seek little opportunities, mere trifles, to give pleasure to Jesus; for instance a smile, a pleasant word when inclined to be silent and to show weariness. If I find no opportunities, I at least tell Him again and again that I love Him; that is not difficult and it keeps alive the fire in my heart. Even though this fire of love might seem extinct I would still throw little straws upon the embers and I am certain it would rekindle.”

“But on whom shall our poor heart lavish its love? Who shall be found that is great enough to be the recipient of its treasures? Will a human being know how to comprehend them, and above all will he be able to repay? There exists but one Being capable of comprehending love; it is Jesus; He alone can give us back infinitely more than we shall ever give to him.”

“I desire no sensible consolation in loving; provided Jesus feel my love that is enough for me. Oh! to love Him and to make Him loved...how sweet it is...”

“O my God, Thou knowest I have never desired but to love Thee alone. I seek no other glory. Thy Love has gone before me from my childhood, it has grown with my growth, and now it is an abyss the depths of which I cannot fathom.”

This Prayer Card was one beloved by Therese, the original is in the museum at Lisieux, France.

SpliffVortex

05-23-2005, 10:34 PM

They still work at the airport?

SvgGrdnBeauty

05-23-2005, 10:46 PM

Dearest Andrew,

Thank you for the beautiful quotes...I also very much like that prayer card (although I can only read half of the French on it ;) ) ...again reminds me of my grandmother...she used to have so many...and these little charms with all different saints on them and some of Jesus too...she used to give them to me when I was little...and I have some in a this little bag I got for my first holy communion and then some more when she passed away which are in a box also with postcards that she used to collect...

Thank you again for sharing and for reminding me of fond memories of my dear grandmother. :)

BlackBillBlake

05-23-2005, 11:17 PM

Dear Nicole,

If I were you, I'd treasure those little items, and you memories of your dear Grandmother. :)

In the case of Therese, a few prayer cards and similar items were among the very few posessions she had as a Carmelite Sister, living a very simple, and quite tough and demanding life.

Incidentally - my own Grandma did much work for the Free French during World War II, and so played a small part in the downfall of the NAZI's. Thank God that people were prepared to stsnd up against tyranny!

Love & Peace.

Bhaskar

05-24-2005, 05:05 AM

gdkumar

05-24-2005, 11:05 AM

Hare Krishna!

Dear SGB and BBB,

Thank you for the beautiful posts.

Love,

Kumar.

gdkumar

05-24-2005, 11:20 AM

Hare Krishna!

Dear BBB,

Just saying 'thank you' is not enough for the beautiful quotes from Saint Therese (From "The Story of A Soul"). I feel deep gratitude for sharing this wonderful part of Her Autobiography with all of us.

“I desire no sensible consolation in loving; provided Jesus feels my love that is enough for me. Oh! to love Him and to make Him loved...how sweet it is...”

“O my God, Thou knowest I have never desired but to love Thee alone. I seek no other glory. Thy Love has gone before me from my childhood, it has grown with my growth, and now it is an abyss the depths of which I cannot fathom.”

That is so beautiful! Please carry on with the good job of spreading the words of love(Prem) for God. That is the best seva and offering at His feet.

Love,

Kumar.

gdkumar

05-24-2005, 02:12 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear all friends, here is a poetry-a very short one- written by Dilip Kumar Roy, Dadaji. Hope, you will like it.

TRUE SEER

Man wailed : "How heartless art thou, Lord!
To have fooled me with these traitor eyes!
When I seek their aid to be led to thy Truth
They feed me with make-believes and lies!"

God laughed : "Why not, son, use your eyes
where they can help you the way to find?
Then, when you're homesick for my Truth,
Search with your heart, for the eyes are blind."

Love,

Kumar.

gdkumar

05-24-2005, 02:43 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear all friends,

Following is a piece of beautiful poetry by Dadaji, Dilip Kumar Roy, on Rabeya, the great Arab Saint. She also talks in the same line as all other great Saints. They all establish only one thing that God is there, that is the Truth and nothing but the whole Truth. Let us pray for that love and 'Ahaituki' (without reason) Bhakti(Devotion). Here it is :

RABEYA

"O Allah, I love thee so," Rabeya sang in a mystic ecstasy,
"That to live without thee for a moment seems a dark eternity.
And a blessed eternity with thee, Lord, passes like a lightning -flash :
Thou hast reversed all rooted concepts, kindling afire my life of ash!"

"Oh what a love, Rabeya!" cried a devotee who kissed her feet.
"But tell me : is your heart for Satan with an equal hate replete?"

The virgin laughed : "My heart now so overflows with love
for the One on high,
The hate is crowded out : to none I can with aught but love reply."

(This is a part of a very long and beautiful poetry on The Great Saint Rabeya)

Love,

Kumar.

BlackBillBlake

05-24-2005, 03:55 PM

Dear Kumar,

Thanks for the two pieces by Dadaji, I especially liked the first one.

He seems to be sying that if we just look with our eyes all we will see is the surface, the appearance - to get a sight of Truth, we have to look with the heart, or the inner eye.

Love & peace.

BlackBillBlake

05-24-2005, 04:24 PM

Saint Therese was asked "what is this Little Way that you would teach to souls?"

Therese replied "It is the way of Spiritual Childhood, the way of trust and absolute self-surrender"

gdkumar

05-24-2005, 07:40 PM

HareKrishna!

Dear BBB,

Thank you for your two posts.
Yes, the first poetry surely meant the need of developing the inner eye and to look into one's own heart. That is our actual home where we reside as soul. So, when we are homesick we should try to get back to our home, that is our heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saint Therese was asked "what is this Little Way that you would teach to souls?"

Therese replied "It is the way of Spiritual Childhood, the way of trust and absolute self-surrender"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That is really so beautiful ! Thanks again.

Love,

Kumar.

SvgGrdnBeauty

05-24-2005, 10:17 PM

Dearest Kumar,

Thank you for the two beautiful pieces of poetry from Dadaji. :)

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

SvgGrdnBeauty

05-24-2005, 10:19 PM

Saint Therese was asked "what is this Little Way that you would teach to souls?"

Therese replied "It is the way of Spiritual Childhood, the way of trust and absolute self-surrender"
This is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing. :)

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

gdkumar

05-25-2005, 11:23 AM

Hare Krishna!

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

Jai Gopal ! Jai Gopal ! Jai Gopal !

They say, "He is a thief, a butter Thief !"
Every thing belongs to Him and is very much
His own, still He is a Thief ! In His Divine Lila
He has taken the part of playing the Thief ....
ours is all other roles but all optional. Let us
opt for the role to be stolen by Him, to be like
a piece of butter, be stolen and dissolved by Him.

Love,

Kumar.

SvgGrdnBeauty

05-28-2005, 07:02 PM

gdkumar

05-29-2005, 08:47 AM

You may or may not have heard this one...but its one of my favourites:

"Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.

This really bothered him, and he questionsed the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed you most you would me?"

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."- Mary Stevenson
..............From SGB

Hare Krishna!

Dear SGB,

Thank you for the wonderful story. If I remember well it is from The Bible. It is one of the best stories ever told for all of us, the human beings. The words of love, hope and confidence building. Whatever we may think under illusion(Maya) He never leaves us even for a while. Because He and we are one, non-dual. Under the influence of Maya we fail to understand and feel this and consequently we suffer so much.

Radha was waiting for Krishna to come to her but Krishna went first to Chadravali who also prayed for Him. Being sentimental Radha refused to see Krishna again. Krishna tried to persuade through Radha's friend and messenger, Brinda, who gave Him the news that Radha was terribly upset and would not see Him again.

Krishna told Brinda, " Chandravali also wanted only me with all her devotion, love (Prem) and prayers. So I had to see her, I have to show up to anybody who prays for me the way Chandravali did."
Krishna also told Brinda, "Brinde, dear, Radha cannot survive even for moments without seeing me, how she can leave me and for what cause? Dear Brinde, I am Radha, my eyes are Radha, my body, heart...my whole being is Radha...how she or I can leave one another ?

This also reflects the light of the same story which you mentioned. Dear Nicole, thank you again.

Love,

Kumar.

SvgGrdnBeauty

05-29-2005, 09:31 AM

Dearest Kumar,

Thank you for that lovely story...definetely similar and equally as beautiful. :)

Hare Krishna!

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

BlackBillBlake

05-29-2005, 03:42 PM

'Did not Christ say: "Those who are heavy laden, come to me and I will give you rest"? Why not hold Him to that promise - why not give the Lord a trial?........

What is neccesary is for each one of us to give what we can. Don't calculate, don't plan. Whatever little you have to give to the Lord - give it today. Some days back Indira overheard one aspirant tell another: "I missed two hours meditation yesterday. Today I'll make it up". He did not realize that those moments he failed to think of Him were gone forever!
People say: "As soon as I get out of my present circumstances, I'll give myself up to the Lord". But this tommorrow never comes, it is eternally before us. Does a mother say "Tommorrow, after I do this or that thing I will love my son?" No, that is not the way. The hostile forces will see to it that your circumstances remain always with you.
If you cannot give yourself completely to Him today, then pray that you may be able to do so tommorrow. Only give what you can today. If you are sincere there will always be time to remember Him, no matter what we are doing. If we truly want Him, He is bound to change our circumstances if they are unfavourable. I defy anyone to disprove this. The crux of the trouble is that we do not really want Him.'

Ma Indira Devi in 'PILGRIMS OF THE STARS'.

'We are told to abstain from fleshy desires that we may loose no time from the work of the Lord. Every moment lost is a moment that cannot be redeemed; every pleasure that intermingles with the duty of our station is a folly un-redeemable, and is planted like the seed of a wild flower among our wheat. All the tortures of repentance are tortures of self-reproach on account of our leaving the Divine harvest to the enemy, the struggles of entanglement with incoherent roots.'

'He who waits to be righteous before entering the Saviour's Kingdom will never enter in there'. (my italics).

William Blake in 'JERUSALEM'.

gdkumar

05-29-2005, 05:13 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear Nicole,

Thank you!

Dear Bill,

Thank you for the wonderful post!
Truly it says that the time gone does never come back and we waste the opportunity to look at Him for the period lost.That is why it is so important to form the habit of remembering Him through the process of doing Japa. It can never be done by planning. Continuous Japa or 'Smarana' removes the ideas of preponing or postponing the thing that we must do, that is to remember Him, to thank Him and to talk to Him(This automatically happens when Bhav becomes deep and continuous. He is never away from us, He never leaves us. We, the egoistic souls, just deny to accept His existence even ! How can He show up? ..................

Thank you again for the post causing Bhav(Thought) for the Lord again.

Love,

Kumar.

SvgGrdnBeauty

05-29-2005, 05:20 PM

Thanks for sharing that Andrew....:)
---
Something a bit different...

"The Hardest Part is People

The hardest part is people
So Lord, help me face them
without rancor or disappointment
Help me to see the pain behind their actions
rather than the malace;
the suffering rather than the rage

And in myself, as I struggle
with the vise of my own desire--
give me the strength to quiet my heart,
to quicken my empathy, to act
in gratitude rather than need.

Remind me that the peace I find
in the slow track of seasons
or an uncurling fern frond,
is married to the dispair I feel
in the face of nuclear war.

Remind me that each small bird shares atoms
with anthrax, with tetanus, with acid rain,
that each time I close my heart
to another, I add to the darkness;
Help me always to follow kindness.

Let this be my prayer."

--Karen Holden

gdkumar

05-29-2005, 06:04 PM

Hare Krishna !

He is inside us, He never leaves us. He shows up to him who prays for Him with love, bhakti and prem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati
Tadaham bhaktyaupahritam ashnami prayatatmanah"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whatever in love one offers Me
Fruit, water, flowers or leaves
My heart in joy receives
To bless My devotee"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There was a priest, a very poor Brahmin, in Brindaban, who used to weave garlands daily from dawn to midnight for the Lord. That was his only sadhana : he went ever on offering such garlands to the Lord. But the Lord was mute like the marble he worshipped till, after twelve years, the Brahmin concluded that the Lord would not come to life in the Image to accept him and make him His own. So he decided to drown himself in the Jamuna. As he was about to take the final plunge , the Lord as Balgopal appeared before him, barring his way and said : 'If you drown yourself to-night, my dear, who would weave garlands for me tomorrow?'

In the Bhagavat He said to the Gopis that He absented Himself from them temporarily only to deepen their thirst for Him.

Love,

Kumar.

BlackBillBlake

05-30-2005, 04:12 PM

Thanks both for the quotes. I hope this may be of interest also.

“Now you might ask, what is detachment, since it is so noble in itself? Here you should know that true detachment is nothing other than this: the spirit stands immoveable in all the assaults of joy and sorrow, honour, disgrace or shame, as a mountain of lead stands immoveable against a small wind. This immoveable detachment brings about in man the greatest similarity with God. For if God is God, He has it from His immoveable detachment, and from this detachment He has His purity, His simplicity and His immutability. And therefore, if man is to become like God, as far as a creature can possess similarity to God, it must be by means of detachment. It is this that leads man to purity and from purity to simplicity and from simplicity to immutability. And these things bring about a certain similarity between God and man. But this similarity must take place through grace, for grace draws man from temporal things and purifies him from all transient things.”

Miester Eckhart.

Bhaskar

05-30-2005, 04:54 PM

Beautiful, bill. Reminds me of a verse by Goswami Tulsidas, from his Ramcharitmanas:

prasannata ya na gatabhishekatah
tatha na mamle vanavaasa dukhatah
mukhambujha shree raghunandanasyame
sadastu sa manjula mangala prada.

May the face of Sri Rama,
which did not light up with joy upon hearing of his impending coronation,
nor cloud over with disappointment upon being sentenced to live in the forest the next day,
always bring grace and goodness to me.

BlackBillBlake

06-04-2005, 02:05 PM

"Prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us."

Saint Teresa of Avila.

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-07-2005, 01:26 AM

Dearest Andrew,

That is a beautiful quote. :) Thank you.
----

A random and beautiful picture post!

http://www.dharmakshetra.com/literature/gaudiya/reflections.JPG

gdkumar

06-13-2005, 04:45 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear Bill,

That's a wonderful quote from Saint Teresa of Avila, thank you.

Love,
Kumar.

gdkumar

06-13-2005, 04:47 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear Nicole,

That's a very beautiful photograph! How do you manage to get them?

Thank you so much !

Love,

Kumar.

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-13-2005, 09:23 PM

Truthfully...I went to google images and typed the word :"Sri Krishna" and it was the one that jumped out of the page and said : "Post me!" hehehe

IronGoth

06-13-2005, 09:32 PM

So yeah, Hare Krsna - read Monkey on a Stick and looked at all the abused children.

You will tell the tree by the health of its fruit.

BlackBillBlake

06-13-2005, 10:29 PM

So yeah, Hare Krsna - read Monkey on a Stick and looked at all the abused children.

You will tell the tree by the health of its fruit.
Yes - we know all about the abuses in ISKCON - there are previous posts to this thread giving links to details. But - ISKCON are one small sect within the much larger compass of hinduism. The majority of people in this world who believe in Krishna are not members of ISKCON, or even adherents to it's off-centre teachings.

IronGoth

06-13-2005, 10:45 PM

BlackBillBlake

06-13-2005, 11:10 PM

Are we talking about Hare Krsna or Hinduism? Hare Krsna is, as a Brahmin friend of mine once said (rather too rudely for my tastes) a kind of Hinduism-lite that tries to distill centuries of religious thought into "dance around mumbling a Sanskrit limerick."

I wouldn't say it quite so disrespectfully, but Hare Krsna != Hinduism.
What your friend says is right, but perhaps needs a little more adding to get a truer picture.

The Hare Krishna movement, known as ISKCON, are a particular sect which derives from Hinduism. But just as in the west, there are many churches and sects who worship Jesus Christ, in India there are different lines and schools of yoga, many of whom acknowledge the Divinity of Krishna. It is mainly Bhakti Yogis, those practicing devotion who are focused on Him.
From a philosophical standpoint, your friend is quite right that the ISKCON teachings represent 'hinduism-lite'. And worse, they are very narrow minded and closed to anything but their own teachings.
And still worse, the whole movement is completely corrupt, including in the past to the extent of serious criminality. To-day it's a fragmented mess. If ISKCON people find my saying that disrespectful, so be it. But it is true.

This thread has gone from Hare Krishna to Hinduism in general to pretty well anything connected with spirituality.

*peace*

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-14-2005, 12:20 AM

This thread has gone from Hare Krishna to Hinduism in general to pretty well anything connected with spirituality.

*peace*
I think that is def. safe to say that that is indeed what has happened to this thread....lol...

Bhaskar

06-15-2005, 02:58 PM

BlackBillBlake

06-15-2005, 03:51 PM

What makes me really sad is that the ISKON have taken a truly beautiful school of Hinduism, Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and totally defiled it. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a great bhakta and truly noble person, but now his name is inextricably tied up with ISKON, because of one bad disciple in the lineage.
That's about right Bhaskar. And I notice that, presumably because they seek to defend the indefensible, they've all stopped posting on this thread. It is sad that the very thing meant to liberate people leads only to increased bondage to narrowness and division.

gdkumar

06-15-2005, 05:42 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear IronGoth,

Welcome to this thread which, to the best of my understanding, is all about God, His messages and His devotees. Let us concentrate on that only. When you start churning anything to obtain something in particular, undesirable things will automatically come and separate out(Because you don't want them).

Names of God, His devotees and religions are different but we are all trying to understand that it is one with so many differences. He has become good and bad as well, so we cannot have love and hate feelings. Can we go above these feelings? That is the whole point.

Love,

Kumar.

Very nice posts from SGB, Bill and Bhaskar.....Thanks to all of you.

Love,

Kumar.

BlackBillBlake

06-16-2005, 01:23 PM

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a great bhakta and truly noble person, but now his name is inextricably tied up with ISKON, because of one bad disciple in the lineage.Actually Bhaskar, it is worse than that, because prior to Srila Prabhupada's coming to the west, the situation in the Gaudia Math back in India was pretty bad. The details of this are hard to get at, but it seems that there was some dispute over the lineage on the passing of Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati - as I understand it, false claimants put themselves forward, and the norm became "kill guru become guru". Nor do the Gaudia Math people accept that SP was the true successor. At least, so far as I can ascertain - they don't exactly broadcast this stuff, in fact, they'd like to keep it hidden.
So it's not just SP who is to blame. The thing seems to have been pretty corrupt before he came west.
I get no joy from these posts denouncing ISKCON, I feel it sad that it is neccessary. I would only say that as I know a few ex-devotees, who have suffered badly due to the fallout from all this, I just feel it's sad if young people get mislead.

In a way, It's similar to the situation with Christianity, where there is a history of corruption etc. in the Church. One can criticize the church, that doesn't mean Christianity is a fake or has nothing to offer. It just means it has become twisted and distorted. Similarly, although some of these so called devotees are both ignorant and corrupt, it doesn't at all mean that Krishna is no good, or that there aren't very sincere and pure devotees around. (I know you know that is so Bhaskar).

Where Sri Chaitanya is concerned, it is a shame there isn't more literature in English about Him. I don't actually know of any other book than SP's 'Golden Avatar'. (of course there are references to him in many works by various writers) If anyone does know of an alternative life of Chaitanya, I'd be very grateful to hear of it.

*peace*

Bhaskar

06-16-2005, 04:03 PM

Here is Swami Sivananda's chapter on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, from his book Lives of Saints...

http://www.dlshq.org/saints/gauranga.htm

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-16-2005, 04:54 PM

'And when he sees me in all and sees all in me,
Then I never leave him and he never leaves me.
And he, who in this oneness of love
Loves me in whatever he sees,
Wherever this man may live,
In truth, he lives in me...'

Bhagavad Gita, VI:30,31

BlackBillBlake

06-16-2005, 05:35 PM

Here is Swami Sivananda's chapter on Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, from his book Lives of Saints...

http://www.dlshq.org/saints/gauranga.htm
Thanks Bhaskar - I'll check that out. I like Swami Sivanada - I think his works are very clear, easy to read and inspiring.

BlackBillBlake

06-16-2005, 06:19 PM

In the individual existence, the spirit is what makes all the difference; so long as one just speaks of the spirit and it is something one has read about, whose existence one vaguely knows about, but not a very concrete reality for the consciousness, this means that one is not born into the spirit. And when one is born into the spirit, it becomes something much more concrete, much more living, much more real, much more tangible than the whole material world. And this is what makes the essential difference between beings. When that becomes spontaneously real – the true, concrete existence, the atmosphere one can freely breathe – then one knows one has crossed over to the other side. But so long as it is something rather vague and hazy – you have heard about it, you know that it exists, but…it has no concrete reality – well, this means that the new birth has not yet taken place.

Sweet Mother in “ The Sunlit Path”

BlackBillBlake

06-18-2005, 12:33 AM

I was feeling earlier on that at times, the going can get tough. I picked up the book ‘Yogi Sri Krishnaprem’ by Dilip Kumar Roy, it opened at p.207, and I read the following passage from one of Krishnaprem’s letters:

“You say you find it hard to go on. That is a good sign. This path is the hardest in the world and as long as we find it easy we may be sure we are not getting very far but just free-wheeling easily along a level road. Oh yes, we may be happy and peaceful for a time but that happiness or peace is illusory; anything can disturb it and we achieve nothing. His peace is something quite different, something that has its being in the very heart of tremendous winds. Winds which would shatter us to atoms. It is only when the strain begins to tell on us, when the breath comes short, that we can know we are really climbing. Till then, all that we have done at most is to go over rapidly the ground we covered in a previous life. This life begins when the strain comes on – scarcely before. There is no attainment of Him until the egg-shell of self is broken. Why then should we complain when the breaking-strain begins to come on? With pain we are born both physically and spiritually, but it is the inner life we seek and not the self-enwrapped bliss of uterine existence.

Fill yourself with Krishna, occupy your thoughts with Him, and let all your actions be for Him. Surely you will find Him……………………..

…..Why worry over what your fellows around you say or do? Each of us has his or her own egg-shell cracked. Some are cracked in one way, some in another, but all are broken in the end…….

…………..See Krishna, think of Krishna, act for Krishna and, if you believe me, you will find Krishna with the uttermost certainty though the world should crack and open up beneath your feet. This is the truth. All else but Him is nothing, absolutely nothing”.

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-18-2005, 02:29 AM

Wow...that was beautiful...thank you Andrew... :)

Bhaskar

06-18-2005, 02:04 PM

The beauty of the lord is that he is available to all of us, in whichever form we choose to see him.

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-18-2005, 05:32 PM

The beauty of the lord is that he is available to all of us, in whichever form we choose to see him.
http://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gifhttp://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gifhttp://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

BlackBillBlake

06-19-2005, 01:47 PM

The beauty of the lord is that he is available to all of us, in whichever form we choose to see him.
And beyond form too. :)

BlackBillBlake

06-19-2005, 11:27 PM

If you want a clear and easy to read translation of the tenth canto of the Bhagavatam, where the stories of Sri Krishna's earthly pastimes are related, I would recommend this book.

http://img25.echo.cx/img25/7180/014044799702lzzzzzzz1os.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us/)

The Beautiful Legend of God. Edited & translated by Edwin F. Bryant, published by Penguin Classics.

Jai Govinda!

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-20-2005, 02:29 AM

Wow...I didn't know that there was one out for the "western front" that wasn't by Srilla Prabhupada...thank you for that...I will def. look into it. I really like Penguin Classics...they put out some nicely done books. :)

BlackBillBlake

06-20-2005, 11:04 AM

Thanks Nicole. It's the only other version that's readily available so far as I know.

Bhaskar

06-20-2005, 07:08 PM

https://www.cybermatics2.com/chinmaya/images/Bhagavatam.jpg

This is a version by Swami Chidananda Saraswati, available through the chinmaya publications webpage at https://www.cybermatics2.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=150&CATID=45

It is not a translation so much as a narration of the same contents of the bhagavatam.

If someone is interested I very strongly recommend taking a week off to go to Chicago, July 4th to 11th, for Swami Tejomayananda's bhagavatam week. I speak form personal experience of his bhagavat saptahas. Guruji is truly a wonderful story teller and he sings wonderful bhajans and brings out all the beauty, the emotion, the love while maintaining a strong focus on the philosophical symbolism, the import of the stories of the lord.

BlackBillBlake

06-20-2005, 08:54 PM

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-20-2005, 09:09 PM

Thanks Bhaskar. That looks good. But I meant that the book to which I referred is an actual verse by verse translation, with no commentary (other than explaining sanskrit words etc) and as Nicole said in her post, the only other version generally available in western countries is Prabhupada's

Since the stories of Lord Krishna's lila are so great, it seems a pity that they aren't more widely known outside India, but the fact is that most people don't know them, or even that they exist. It is true that one can read Prabhupada's translation, although there are voluminous (and in my opinion misleading) commentaries. There is also his 'Krishna' book, a re-telling based on the Purana, which is OK, but once again is slanted in favour of SP's own interpretation, which is very literalist.

For someone wanting to find out the basics about Krishna, these stories are indispensible.

One other thing: there is an Indian TV version of 'Mahabarata', which was shown on British TV some years ago, and is now available on DVD - although since it covers over 90 hours it is also rather expensive - but it contains all of Krishna's pastimes, and of course, a great deal more.
Yea...the Krishna book is the one I read because someone at the GeorgeHarrison forum sent the website to me... but the stories were good nonetheless...(they make good stories when babysitting ;)...esp. the one where Krishna steals the Gopis clothes...:) )...but I do want to see that other book...

That tv/dvd thing sounds cool...but those dvds (even if I had the money) don't usually work on American dvd players (I tried to buy Palin's Travel's off the BBC store online and the format is different)...but I'll bet it was really cool to watch...somethings are sometimes even better in AV (and that is from a book lover to the extreme! )

BlackBillBlake

06-20-2005, 09:28 PM

Yes, they're excellent stories alright!http://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

Actually, the 'Krishna' book is probably one of Prabhupada's most readable, despite the limitations.

Your right about DVDs - there are different formats in the USA and Europe - however, many TV sets and DVD players these days will play both - but I just looked on Amazon, and the version I had in mind isn't on there, although there's a shortened version (only 5 discs!), but it is in PAL (Euro) format.
Here's the cover anyway.

http://img79.echo.cx/img79/4583/b0000bv1j902lzzzzzzz7zu.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us/)

BlackBillBlake

06-20-2005, 10:56 PM

Couldn't resist posting this...........

http://img236.echo.cx/img236/6393/f2smirabai6df.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us/)

Jai Mirabai!

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-21-2005, 06:32 PM

Oh...what a pretty picture. :) I <3 Mirabai. :)

Bhaskar

06-21-2005, 09:34 PM

BlackBillBlake

06-21-2005, 10:00 PM

I watched the entire Mahabharat TV series and the Ramayan TV series as well. I was not very happy with it, although it tells the stories accurately and well, the actors themselves are not very skilled andthe special effects are comical almost. I especially didnt care for the guy who acted as Sri Krishna, he was far too effeminate. All the same, HAri katha is hari katha, whatever defects it may have in presentation, it brings our minds to rest on the lord, which is the whole point anyway.

I haven't seen Ramayana, so I can't comment on that. But I agree that there are flaws in Mahabharata, although I thought the actor playing Krishna was great. And overall. I wouldn't criticize the quality of the acting. The special effects though are rather pathetic ;) but as you say, it tells the story accurately, and I know I enjoyed it despite the defects. The thing is so powerful, it comes through anyway.

SvgGrdnBeauty

06-23-2005, 06:49 AM

"While visiting Benares, Kabir always passed by the same man
daily, who was always sitting in his garden. One day, Kabir
said to him, 'Good Sir, instead of merely sitting in your garden
doing nothing, why not sit in meditation and make spiritual
progress?'

"The man replied, 'I have a family. My children are young, and I
cannot find enough time for spiritual practices now. But I will
practice spirituality when the children grow up.'

"Years later, after the children had grown up, Kabir met the
same man again. 'Now that your children are older, do you find time for meditation?'

"This time the man responded, 'I am in the process of getting my
children married off so they can live independently. As soon as they are all married, I will begin my spiritual practices.'

"A few years passed, and Kabir met the man again. He again
inquired about the man's spiritual life. 'Now that your children are
married, do you have time for meditation?'

"'My children have grandchildren, and I am watching them grow up, receive an education, and then marry.'

"Some years passed, and Kabir returned to find that the man had
passed away. Kabir Sahib shook his head and said, 'The poor man has spent his whole life thinking he would find time for meditation, and passed away without devoting any time to discover his soul. His mind led him into such a deep attachment to this world that he did not take any time for his own meditations.'"

BlackBillBlake

06-23-2005, 01:58 PM

A nice story - it shows clearly that the time to seek for Him is now - there will always be some reason we can find why it's not possible, and meanwhile, our span of worldly existence races past.............we wait for a tommorrow that never comes.

gdkumar

06-23-2005, 03:28 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear Nicole,

As Bill has said, it is indeed a very nice and inspiring story, thank you.

So let us not stand and stare uselessly any more wasting the precious time which is never to come back again and is ticking off every moment of our life time.

Let us chant and praise His name alone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With love,

Kumar.

BlackBillBlake

07-01-2005, 11:23 PM

Sri Ramakrishna: "He who has God here

(pointing to the heart), has Him also there (pointing

to the external world). He who does not find God

within himself, will NEVER find Him outside of

himself. But he who sees Him in the temple of his own

soul, sees Him also in the temple of the universe."

BlackBillBlake

07-02-2005, 12:56 AM

More from Sri Ramakrishna.

“What will you know by reading books? Till you have reached the market place, you can only hear noises like ‘ho-ho’ from a distance. It is quite different when you reach the market. Then you will clearly see, you will clearly hear, ‘Take these potatoes, pay for them.’

‘‘From a distance there is a sound of ‘ho-ho’ from the sea. When you come near to it, you are able to see that so many ships are sailing, the birds are flying and the waves are rising.

“One does not gain the right kind of experience by reading books. It is quite distant. After realizing Him books, scriptures, science all seem to be ‘khadkuto’ (dry straw, grass, twigs, etc.).

“You have to introduce yourself to the master of the house. Before that why are you so eager to know how many houses, gardens and scrips of companies he has? If you approach the servants, they will not even let you stand there. What information they will give you of the company shares? On the other hand, try somehow to meet the master even if you are pushed aside or you have to jump over the fence. Then he will himself tell you how many houses and gardens and shares he has. When you know the master, the servants, the doorkeeper and all others will salute you.’’ (Everybody laughs.)

The Devotee — Now, how to meet the master of the house? (All laugh.)

Sri Ramakrishna — That’s why karma (*action) is needed. It does not avail if you say, ‘God is’ and keep sitting where you are. You have somehow to approach Him. Call upon Him secretly, pray to Him, ‘Grant me Thy vision, grant please.’ Say this and cry with a longing heart. Just as you roam madly for ‘woman and gold’, be a bit crazy for Him too. Let people say that such and such person has gone mad for God. Give up everything for some days and only call upon Him secretly.

“What will it avail just to say ‘He exists’ and do nothing? There are big fish in Haldarpukur. Can you catch fish just by sitting on its bank? To attract it, you have to prepare its food and put it in the pond. The fish will come slowly from the deep water and agitate it. You will then feel happy. Maybe you are able to see a bit of a fish at times. A fish suddenly jumps up and you see it. You are then happier when you see it.

‘‘Turn the milk into curds, churn it and only then you will get butter.”

gdkumar

07-04-2005, 02:12 PM

Hare Krishna!

OM RAMAKRISHNAYA NAMAH
OM RAMAKRISHNAYA NAMAH
OM RAMAKRISHNAYA NAMAH

Dear BBB,

Wonderful ! Beautiful ! Thank you for presenting the matchless pieces from the Master, Thakur Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa. These very inspiring talks tell us everything about God and how to go about attaining God-realization.

Thank you again, dear brother.

Love,

Kumar.

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-04-2005, 03:29 PM

Dearest Andrew,

Thank you for those too beautiful pieces. :)

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-04-2005, 03:35 PM

The Divine Image by William Blake

To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
All pray their distress;
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love
Is God, our father dear,
And Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
Is Man, his child and care.

For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face,
And Love, the human form divine
And Peace, the human dress.

Then every man, of every clime
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

And all must love the human form,
In heathen, turk, or jew;
Where Mercy, Love, & Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too

btw...I think that when he says the "human form" that he is talking about the Spirit/the Self...but that was just my interpretation. :)

BlackBillBlake

07-04-2005, 06:48 PM

Thanks for that Nicole. There is much debate and discussion about the true meaning of Blake's works. Myself I think that when he says 'the human form divine' he means the body. I know that might seem like a contradiction, but I think that Blake did see the body as a form manifested by the Divine. There is a lot in his works that gives rise to that idea, for example, the following extract from 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell':

'The Voice of the Devil'
All Bibles and sacred codes have been the causes of the two following errors:
1. That man has two real existing principles, viz. a body and a soul.
2.That energy, called evil, is alone from the body; and that Reason, called good, is alone from the soul.
3. That God will torment man in Eternity for following his energies.
But the following contraries to these are true:
1. Man has no body distinct from his soul; for that called body is a portion of the soul discerned by the five senses, the chief inlets of the soul in this age.
2. Energy is the only life, and is from the body; the reason is the bound or outward circumfrence of energy.
3. Energy is Eternal delight.

The key (as always in Blake) is in Christianity. When Christ became One man, He became all men. He 'divinized' the human form. It is in such a form that the Lord Himself advents Himself among us.
Also, Blake was perhaps seeking to establish a kind of respect for the body against a background of medieval Christian ideas about the body's inherent sinfulness. See also his painting 'Glad Day' - Blake's celebration of the simple and unadorned human form.

On the other hand, Blake is not 100% consistent in what he says - he was, after all, a poet and not a philosopher or theologian. Hence, we get a different view expressed in 'To Tirzah', a poem he added to the original manuscript of 'Songs of Experience' some 20 years after it's composition.

To Tirzah.

What'er is born of mortal birth
Must be consumed with the earth
To rise from generation free
Then what have I to do with thee?

The sexes sprung from shame and pride,
Blowed in the morn, in evening died;
But mercy changed death into sleep;
The sexes rose to work and weep.

Thou, Mother of my mortal part,
With cruelty didst mould my heart,
And with false self-decieving tears
Didst bind my nostrils, eyes and ears;

Didst close my tongue in senseless clay,
And me to mortal life betray:
The death of Jesus set me free:
Then what have I to do with thee?

Which gives again a more orthodox picture. But I think ultimately what he means by 'Human Form Divine' is the human form redeemed through Jesus Christ.

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-04-2005, 11:26 PM

Hmm...that's really interesting...thank you for sharing Andrew. :)

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-06-2005, 05:03 PM

I thought this was pretty:

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.

- St. Ignatius of Loyola

:)

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-06-2005, 06:08 PM

The Plums Tasted

The plums tasted
sweet to the unlettered desert-tribe girl-
but what manners! To chew into each!

She was ungainly, low-caste, ill mannered and dirty,
but the god took the fruit she'd been sucking.

Why? She knew how to love.
She might not distinquish
splendor from filth
but she'd tasted the nectar of passion.

Might not know any Veda,
but a chariot swept her away-
now she frolics in heaven, esctatically bound
to her god.

The Lord of Fallen Fools, says Mira,
will save anyone who can practice rapture like that-
I myself in a previous birth
was a cowherding girl
at Gokul.

- Mirabai

gdkumar

07-06-2005, 06:47 PM

Hare Krishna!

To add to the beautiful contributions from BBB and SGB here is another one :

" I must devote myself to becoming a great saint. That sounds conceited, of course, when you consider how imperfect a creature I was, and still am, after eight years in religion. But this daring ambition of aspiring to great sanctity has never left me. I don't rely on my own merits, because I have not any : I put all my confidence in him who is virtue, who is holiness itself. My feeble efforts are all he wants; he can lift me up to his side and, by clothing me with his own boundless merits, make a saint of me."

.......From Autobiography of a Saint (Saint Therese of Lisieux.)

I am so very grateful to BBB for presenting this wonderful book to me.

With love,

Kumar.

gdkumar

07-06-2005, 06:57 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear BBB and SGB,

Thanks for the inspiring pieces on William Blake. They are wonderful.

And the pieces on Jesus (By Saint Ignatius of Loyola) and The Plum Tasted by Mira Bai are superb. It is a pity that even after reading all these we get subdued every minute by arguments and consequent doubts.

With love,

Kumar.

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-06-2005, 07:00 PM

" I must devote myself to becoming a great saint. That sounds conceited, of course, when you consider how imperfect a creature I was, and still am, after eight years in religion. But this daring ambition of aspiring to great sanctity has never left me. I don't rely on my own merits, because I have not any : I put all my confidence in him who is virtue, who is holiness itself. My feeble efforts are all he wants; he can lift me up to his side and, by clothing me with his own boundless merits, make a saint of me."

.......From Autobiography of a Saint (Saint Therese of Lisieux.)

Thank you for sharing that...its very beautiful.

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

BlackBillBlake

07-06-2005, 10:01 PM

Bhaskar

07-07-2005, 06:40 AM

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-07-2005, 07:22 AM

Hari Om!

I am currently in Chicago enjoying the truly beautiful bhagavata kathamrita from the lips of my beloved guruji. And we havent even got to Sri Krishna yet, his birth shall be tomorrow! I am excited :)

krishna krishna bolo radhe shyaam!
Dearest Bhaskar,

Glad to hear you are having a wonderful time! :)

My love to you and your dear guru...I hope your journey continues well...

*Peace and Love*

Nicole

gdkumar

07-07-2005, 03:26 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hari Om!

I am currently in Chicago enjoying the truly beautiful bhagavata kathamrita from the lips of my beloved guruji. And we havent even got to Sri Krishna yet, his birth shall be tomorrow! I am excited :)

krishna krishna bolo radhe shyaam!
__________________
Jai Sri Ram .......From Bhaskar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hare Krishna!

Dear Bhaskar,

My pranam at the lotus feet of your Guru, Swami Tejomayanandaji. Wish you all the best during this time when you are with your Guruji. I have heard His explanations of the Gita on cassettes, it was wonderful. You are very fortunate to be in your Guruji's company, try to make the best of it.

You have already got to Krishna, look at your Guruji .......nothing will enter your ears .......no Gita-jnan.......no talks.......no surrounding existences.......only Krishna will be there.....Guru-Krishna, Krishna-Guru..... birthless.....deathless...ananda...chaitanyananda.

Guru kripahi kevalam...Guru kripahi kevalam...Guru kripahi kevalam.

Jai guru! Jai guru! Jai guru!

With love,

Kumar.

Bhaskar

07-08-2005, 06:56 AM

Thank you for your lovely post, Kumar bhaiya!

Today's katha was especially charming, but the best part was singing the mahamantra with Guruji and I closed my eyes and I could see various forms of krishna flitting through my mind and tears filled my eyes and when I opened them, Guruji was before me...the blisss of that moment cannot be explained.

dhyana moolam gurormurtihi
pooja moolam gurorpadam
mantra moolam gurorvakyam
moksha moolam gurorkripa

The root of meditation is the Guru's form, the root of worship is the Guru's feet. The root of a mantra is the guru's words and the root of liberation is Guru's grace.

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-08-2005, 09:35 AM

Bhaskar

07-09-2005, 07:44 AM

Vanshi vibhooshita kalat navaneeradabhat
peetambarat arunabimbaphalada netrat
poornendusundara mukhat aravindanetrat
Krishnat param kimapi tattvam aham na jaane.

- One whose hand is adorned by flute, whose complexion is like the newly formed clouds, who dons yellow clothes, whose lips are red like the fruit of Kundan; whose face is like the full moon, whose eyes are like lotus flower, I know no truth greater than that Lord Krishna.

gdkumar

07-10-2005, 05:37 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vanshi vibhooshita kalat navaneeradabhat
peetambarat arunabimbaphalada netrat
poornendusundara mukhat aravindanetrat
Krishnat param kimapi tattvam aham na jaane.

- One whose hand is adorned by flute, whose complexion is like the newly formed clouds, who dons yellow clothes, whose lips are red like the fruit of Kundan; whose face is like the full moon, whose eyes are like lotus flower, I know no truth greater than that Lord Krishna.
_Jai Sri Ram_ ........From Bhaskar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hare Krishna!

Dear Bhaskar ,

That is beautiful, thank you.

Wish, I could paste that picture here.

Love,

Kumar.

gdkumar

07-10-2005, 05:54 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear Bhaskar,

Forgot to add about your experience while singing the Mahamantra with your Guruji. It is simply wonderful and is a clear sign of rush of bhakti coming to you at that time. If I am not wrong it is because of kundalini power rising due to your mind's one-pointedness at that time. Surrounding vibrations and converging thoughts of all help such occurence. This is why it is always good for a sadhaka to be in the company of like minded people.

Love,

Kumar.

BlackBillBlake

07-12-2005, 06:00 PM

Hare Krishna!

If I am not wrong it is because of kundalini power rising due to your mind's one-pointedness at that time. Surrounding vibrations and converging thoughts of all help such occurence. This is why it is always good for a sadhaka to be in the company of like minded people.

Love,

Kumar.
Dear Kumar,

I agree with what you say about the awakening of Kundalini Shakti.
I also agree that the company of devotees, sadhakas, those on a similar path is very much to be aspired for. But it is not so easy to get that sort of association. I think it can only come through grace. And good karma. And for some rare souls, the path of solitute can be just as good.

Hare Krishna!

BBB.

BlackBillBlake

07-12-2005, 06:03 PM

“You must accept the forms of the Lord. Do you know the significance of the Divine Mother in the form of Jagadhatri? It means that She supports the world. If She doesn’t support, doesn’t protect, the world would fall, it would perish. He who can tame the elephant of his mind, it is only in his heart that Jagadhatri dawns.”

http://img346.imageshack.us/img346/838/logo11gf.gif (http://www.imageshack.us/)

Om Sri Ramakrishnaya Namah!

gdkumar

07-13-2005, 01:13 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Kumar,

I agree with what you say about the awakening of Kundalini Shakti.
I also agree that the company of devotees, sadhakas, those on a similar path is very much to be aspired for. But it is not so easy to get that sort of association. I think it can only come through grace. And good karma. And for some rare souls, the path of solitute can be just as good.

Hare Krishna!

BBB.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hare Krishna!

Dear BBB,

Thank you for the beautiful post and I fully agree with your views.

Grace comes through our Karma. This karma is very difficult to understand. Everything that we do is karma in our accounts but He does not seem to consider our physical acts (Good or bad). He only sees our minds and accounts only for what is in our minds. The Gita also says this.That is why chitta-suddhi is so much important. And this is why constant prayer in our minds can do the job easily for us. We should constantly pray for the company of His devotees, we should pray to save us from material noise and troubles. Slowly but surely He takes us away from every undesirable disturbances. But we must remember that we cannot escape trials and tests. Everybody went through these and we also have to go through these.

When we learn to love Him intensely then only He ensures that we don't neglect Him anymore and that we remain absorbed in His thoughts alone. He is more sentimental than any girl in love. Slightest negligence from us and He pulls on a long face more frequently with beads of pearls(Tears) in His eyes. It is so true!
A true devotee knows it very well that the Lord cannot tolerate tears in His devotee's eyes, the same way he also tries to reciprocate. He also tries to ensure at all times that his karmas (Mind's thoughts) should not make his Lord upset and cry for him.

To reach this level let us try to do only one thing, let us sing His name at all times to let Him know that we really love Him. He shall do the rest for us.

With love,

Kumar.

gdkumar

07-13-2005, 01:28 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Sri Ramakrishna Parhamhansa “You must accept the forms of the Lord. Do you know the significance of the Divine Mother in the form of Jagadhatri? It means that She supports the world. If She doesn’t support, doesn’t protect, the world would fall, it would perish. He who can tame the elephant of his mind, it is only in his heart that Jagadhatri dawns.”

http://img346.imageshack.us/img346/838/logo11gf.gif (http://www.imageshack.us/)

Om Sri Ramakrishnaya Namah! From BBB

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hare Krishna!

Dear BBB,

Oh, thank you so much for this beautiful piece of gem from Thakur.

Today I went to Dakshineswar temple(It is about 20KM from my house), it was so peaceful there ! We did our puja at the Kali temple and then sat in the living room of Thakur where He spent nearly 85% of His life-time. That room is meant for the people who want to sit for meditation there. Thakur's cot and bed are still kept there. It was a wonderful time there. And then this beautiful post of yours ! It is all His grace.

OM RAMAKRISHNAYA NAMAH!
OM RAMAKRISHNAYA NAMAH!
OM RAMAKRISHNAYA NAMAH!

Love,

Kumar.

BlackBillBlake

07-13-2005, 03:26 PM

Dear Kumar,

Thanks for your kind and inspiring words!

Hare Krishna!

BBB.

BlackBillBlake

07-13-2005, 03:36 PM

Two Paths of Yoga.

There are two paths of yoga, one of tapasya (discipline), and the other of surrender. The path of tapasya is arduous. Here, you rely solely upon yourself, you proceed by your own strength. You ascend and achieve according to the measure of your force. There is always the danger of falling down. And once you fall, you lie broken in the abyss and there is hardly a remedy. The other path, the path of surrender, is safe and sure. It is here, however, that the western people find their difficulty. They have been taught to fear and avoid all that threatens their personal independence. They have imbibed with their mother’s milk the sense of individuality. And surrender means giving up all that.
In other words, you may follow, as Ramakrishna says, either the path of the baby monkey or that of the baby cat. The baby monkey holds to its mother in order to be carried about, and it must hold firm, otherwise, if it looses its grip, it falls. On the other hand the baby cat does not hold to its mother, but is held by the mother and has no fear or responsibility; it has nothing to do but let the mother hold it and cry ma! ma!

Sweet Mother.
http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/8675/sweetmother7pz.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us/)

gdkumar

07-13-2005, 05:49 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear BBB,

What a beautiful day it is !

Thank you so much for another very beautiful teaching from Sweet Mother and this teaching is the base of all knowledges and is the best for any fresh seeker.

Jai Sweet Ma! Jai Thakur!

Love,

Kumar.

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-16-2005, 07:36 AM

Dearest Kumar and Andrew,

Thank you both for inspiring passages and beautiful words. :) They are very much appriciated. :)

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

half a hippie

07-17-2005, 07:10 PM

gdkumar

07-17-2005, 09:55 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear Half-a-hippie,

Welcome to this thread and the Forums.

Love,

Kumar.

BlackBillBlake

07-17-2005, 10:24 PM

Ahhh........
The mother

I studied in a school that was affiliated to the Aurobindo Ashram
hence from an early age I was exposed to Aurobindo 's teaching s

Glad to meet a someone who is follower of Sri Aurobindo's and the mother's teachings

just curious but have you been to the aurobindo ashram in pondicherry ?
Hi - I haven't been to Pondicherry, but I am a great admirer of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, as well as a number of other teachers and gurus.
It is great to have someone posting here who is familiar with Sri Aurobindo. I should think that you probably know a lot more than me about it all with your background.

Bhaskar

07-18-2005, 06:21 AM

I have been to Auroville a couple of times. It is a very beautiful place. I remember meditating under the big banyan tree, sitting on the cool grass, it was very beautiful.

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-18-2005, 10:33 AM

:) Welcome indeed Half- a - Hippie! :)

gdkumar

07-18-2005, 10:05 PM

Hare Krishna!

It is a pity that so far I have not been able to go to Pondicherry. Whatever I know today about Rishi Aurobindo and Pondicherry is through book knowledge (From writings of the great master Himself, mahayogi Sri Krishnaprem, Dadaji, and Sweet Mother) and directly heard about Him from Ma Indira Devi(Who spent years with Him and saw Him very closely).

His was a great life, a life that tells us many things. It confirms the truth of destiny, the truth that God is very much there and that God is Sakar and Nirakar,both depending on how we look at Him and how we want Him. Rishi Aurobindo was one of the greatest yogis ever born on this earth. He was the picture of total divinity.

I am unfortunate that I missed to see Him and His great disciples, Sweet Mother and Dilip Kumar Roy(Dadaji).

Jai Sri Aurobindo! Jai Sri Aurobindo! Jai Sri Aurobindo!

With love,

Kumar.

BlackBillBlake

07-18-2005, 11:04 PM

Yes - I fully agree Kumar - Sri Aurobindo's life was 'the Life Divine'.

He is among the greatest seers of all times and places.
This from 'Savitri':

"His was a spirit that stooped from larger spheres
into our province of ephemeral night.
A colonist from immortality.
A pointing beam on earth's uncertain roads,
His birth held up a symbol and a sign;
His human self like a translucent cloak
Covered the All-Wise who leads the unseeing world."

gdkumar

07-19-2005, 10:50 AM

************************************************** *********
He is among the greatest seers of all times and places.
This from 'Savitri':

"His was a spirit that stooped from larger spheres
into our province of ephemeral night.
A colonist from immortality.
A pointing beam on earth's uncertain roads,
His birth held up a symbol and a sign;
His human self like a translucent cloak
Covered the All-Wise who leads the unseeing world." .....From BBB
************************************************** ********

Hare Krishna!

Dear BlackBillBlake,

It is wonderful to read the quote from SAVITRI, thank you.

Yes brother, there is absolutely no doubt that He is among the greatest seers of all times and places. The quoted gem from the ornamental Savitri tells us all about His unfathomable greatness.

Love,

Kumar.

gdkumar

07-19-2005, 11:26 AM

Hare Krishna!

The message of Savitri :

The Mighty Mother shall take birth in Time
And God be born into the human clay
In forms made ready by your human lives.
Then shall the Truth supreme be given to men...
The superman shall wake in mortal man
And manifest the hidden demi-god
Or grow into the God-Light and God-Force
Revealing the secret deity in the cave....
Annulling the decree of death and pain,
Erasing the formulas of the Ignorance....
Ruling earth-nature by eternity's law....

Life's tops shall flame with the immortal's thoughts,
Light shall invade the darkness of its base,

When superman is born as Nature's king
His presence shall transfigure Matter's world:
He shall light up Truth's fire in Nature's night,
He shall lay upon the earth Truth's greater law;
Man too shall turn towards the Spirit's call.

A divine force shall flow through tissue and cell
And take the charge of breath and speech and act
And all the thoughts shall be a glow of suns
And every feeling a celestial thrill...
Nature shall live to manifest secret God,
The spirit shall take up the human play,
This earthly life become the life divine.
........From Savitri by Sri Aurobindo.

The great Rishi said it all.

Love,

Kumar.

gdkumar

07-19-2005, 12:29 PM

Hare Krishna!

Dear Friends,

The following is part of a letter from Sri Aurobindo to His disciple Dadaji. Hope you will like it and will be inspired in your spiritual quest . This is taken from the book "Sri Aurobindo Came To Me " by Sri Dilip Kumar Roy(Dadaji).

" Dilip, I wrote to you all that in answer to your statement about your former idea of the Yoga that if one wanted the Divine, the Divine himself would take up the purifying of the heart and develop the sadhana and give the necessary experiences. I meant to say that it can and does happen in that way if one has trust and confidence in the Divine and the genuine will to surrender. For such a taking up involves one's putting oneself in the hands of the Divine rather than trusting to one's own efforts alone and this implies one's putting one's trust and confidence in the Divine and a progressive self-giving. It is in fact the principle of sadhana that I myself followed and it is the central part of Yoga as I envisage it. It is, I suppose, what Sri Ramakrishna meant by the method of the baby cat in his image. But all cannot follow that at once : it takes time fore them to arrive at it- it grows most when the mind and the vital fall quiet."

With love,

KUmar.

BlackBillBlake

07-19-2005, 10:17 PM

Thanks Kumar for those two great quotes!

If anyone wants to check it out, the whole of 'Savitri'. Sri Aurobindo's visionary epic poem can be found along with commentary and readings at:

http://www.savitribysriaurobindo.com/

I also have on file some comments by Sweet Mother in which she gives some explanation of the opening part of the poem. If anyone would like to view these, pm me your email and I'll send them to you. I don't know if they are available online at present.

Hare Krishna!

Kharakov

07-20-2005, 01:34 AM

For such a taking up involves one's putting oneself in the hands of the Divine rather than trusting to one's own efforts alone and this implies one's putting one's trust and confidence in the Divine and a progressive self-giving.Trust and confidence in the divine, with the realisation that the divine is teasing you half the time. :p

Youth of delight! come hither
And see the opening morn,
Image of Truth new-born.
Doubt is fled, and clouds of reason,
Dark disputes and artful teazing.
Folly is an endless maze;
Tangled roots perplex her ways;
How many have fallen there!
They stumble all night over bones of the dead;
And feel--they know not what but care;
And wish to lead others, when they should be led.

ChiefCowpie

07-20-2005, 04:48 AM

************************************************** *******
Article of the Month - July 2005
************************************************** *******
http://www.exoticindia.com/article/ramakrishna
================================================== =
Healing Through Faith and Love - A Case Study of Sri Ramakrishna
================================================== =

It is a little known fact that actors in Bengali theatre, prior to entering the stage, bow down before the image of an unshaved, rustic-looking, middle-aged man, who is now unofficially the patron deity of all dramatic performance in the region. It becomes all the more intriguing when we realize that the gentleman in question was an unlettered individual who was never formally related to theatre and saw only a few plays during his
own lifetime.

Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/ramakrishna.jpg

The story of how this came to be about begins on February 28, 1844, with the birth of a boy named Girish at Calcutta. Girish lost his mother when he was eleven and his father at fourteen.
From his boyhood, he was a voracious reader but left school since he found the formal atmosphere detrimental to the process of learning. Without the restraining hand of a loving guardian, Girish's life drifted into drunkenness, debauchery, waywardness
and obstinacy. He had to earn his living through a succession of office jobs, which he found thoroughly boring. His spare time was devoted to the theatre, both as playwright and performer. He was, in fact, a bohemian artist. An early marriage proved unable to
stabilize his lifestyle and his wife passed away when he was thirty. Thus did he lose his mother in childhood, father in boyhood and wife in early manhood.

For the next fifteen years he worked in various capacities in different offices. He continued to indulge his appetites but also remained devoted to writing and acting. In his late thirties, he had already begun to be recognized as the father of modern
Bengali drama. He was single-handedly revitalizing the revival of theatre by producing a vast body of dramatic work in the Bengali language, and at the same time was molding the first generation of actors and actresses by leading from the front; in fact, such
was his versatility that he often played two or three roles in the same play. In 1883, the Star Theatre was opened in Calcutta with his money; this later developed into an active center for the evolution of Bengali drama.

In Girish's case, talent and licentiousness gradually achieved a state of peaceful co-existence. He himself sized up his personality as follows: 'from my early boyhood I was molded in a different way. I never learned to walk a straight path. I always
preferred a crooked way. From childhood it had been my nature to do the very thing I was forbidden to do.'

Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/girish.jpg

Skepticism

The course of Girish's tumultuous life continued till he read one day about a holy personality who was living in the famous shrine of Goddess Kali (Dakshineshwar) near Calcutta.

Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/dakshineswar.jpg

A skeptical Girish, without ever having met the sage, concluded that he was probably a fake. However, soon after he heard that the guru would be visiting his neighborhood and decided to see him firsthand. It was nearing sunset when Girish reached the
place, and lamps were being brought into the room. Yet the ascetic kept asking, "Is it evening?" This confirmed Girish's earlier opinion, 'what pretentious play-acting, it is dusk, lights are burning in front of him, yet he cannot tell whether it is evening or not' thus murmuring under his breath and not recognizing the saint's super conscious stage, he left the premises. Thus was the first impression of Girish Chandra Ghosh,
the father of modern Bengali theatre, regarding Sri Ramakrishna, the beloved saint and priest of one of India's most renowned Kali temples.

Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/paramhansa.jpg

Some years later, Girish saw the holy man again, at the house of a common acquaintance. In his own words: 'after reaching there, I found that the sage had already arrived and a dancing girl was seated by his side and singing devotional hymns. Quite a large gathering had assembled in the room. Suddenly my eyes were opened to a new vision by the holy man's conduct. I used to think that those who consider themselves param-yogis or gurus do not speak with anybody. They do not salute anybody. If strongly urged they allow others to serve them. But his behavior was quite different.

With the utmost humility he was showing respect to everybody by bowing his head on the ground. An old friend of mine, pointing at him, said sarcastically: "The dancing girl seems to have a previous intimacy with him. That's why he is laughing and joking with her." But I did not like these insinuations. Just then, another of my friends said, "I have had enough of this, let's go."' Girish went with him. He had half wanted to stay, but was
too embarrassed to admit this, even to himself.

Lessons in Humility

Only a few days after this, on September 21, 1884, the saint and some of his devotees visited the Star Theatre, to see a play based on the life of the great Vaishnava devotee Shri Chaitanya, authored and directed by Girish. The latter reminisced: 'I was strolling in the outer compound of the theatre one day when a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna came up to me and said: "The guru has come to see the play. If you will allow him a free pass, well and good. Otherwise we will buy a ticket for him." I replied: "He will not have to purchase the ticket. But others will have to." Saying this, I proceeded to greet him. I found him alighting from the carriage and entering the compound of the theatre. I wanted to salute him, but before I could do so he saluted me. I returned his greeting. He saluted me again. I bowed my head and he did the same to me. I thought this might continue forever, so I let him perform the last salute (which I answered mentally) and led him upstairs to his seat in the box.'

This was Girish's third meeting with Ramakrishna; but his intellect continued to refuse to accept another human being as a guru. This is how he reasoned: 'after all, the guru is a man. The disciple also is a man. Why should one man stand before another
with folded palms and follow him like a slave? But time after time in the presence of Sri Ramakrishna my pride crumbled into dust. Meeting me at the theatre, he had first saluted me. How could my pride remain in the presence of such a humble man? The
memory of his humility created an indelible impression on my mind.'

Three days later, Girish was sitting on the porch of a friend's house when he saw Ramakrishna approaching along the street: 'No sooner had I turned my eyes towards him than he saluted me. I returned it. He continued on his way. For no accountable reason my heart felt drawn towards him by an invisible string. I felt a strong urge to follow him. Just then, a person brought to me a message from him and said: "Sri Ramakrishna is calling you." I went. He was seated with a number of devotees around him. As soon as I sat down I asked the following question:

"What is a guru?"

"A guru is like the matchmaker who arranges for the union of the bride with his bridegroom. Likewise a guru prepares for the meeting of the individual soul with his beloved, the Divine Spirit." Actually, Sri Ramakrishna did not use the word
matchmaker, but a slang expression, which left a more forceful impression. Then he said: "You need not worry, your guru has already been chosen."

Girish, however, was a complex personality: a mixture of shyness, aggression, humility and arrogance. Although in one corner of his heart he did believe that Ramakrishna was the guru who he had hoped for, another part of his old self revolted against the idea. On December 14th of the same year, the playwright was in his dressing room when a devotee came up to inform him of Ramakrishna's arrival. "All right," Girish said rather haughtily, "take him to the box and give him a seat."

"But won't you come and receive him personally?" The devotee asked.

"What does he need me for? " said the annoyed Girish. Nevertheless, he followed the disciple downstairs. At the sight of Ramakrishna's peaceful countenance Girish's mood changed. He not only escorted the saint upstairs but also bowed down before
him and touched his feet. Later Girish said: 'seeing his serene and radiant face, my stony heart melted. I rebuked myself in shame, and that guilt still haunts my memory. To think that I had refused to greet this sweet and gentle soul! Then I conducted him
upstairs. There I saluted him touching his feet. Even now I do not understand the reason, but at that moment a radical change came over me and I was a different man.'

The Transforming Power of Faith

'Soon he started conversing with me. He spoke of several things while I listened longingly. I felt a spiritual current passing, as it were, through my body from foot to head and head to foot. All of a sudden Sri Ramakrishna lost outer consciousness and went into ecstasy, and in that mood he started talking with a young devotee. Many years earlier I had heard some slandering remarks against him, made by a very wicked man. I remembered those words, and at that moment his ecstasy broke and his mood changed. Pointing towards me, he said, "There is some crookedness in your heart." I thought, 'Yes indeed. Plenty of it - of various kinds.

" But I was at loss to understand which kind he was particularly referring to. I asked, "How shall I get rid of it?" "Have faith," Shri Ramakrishna replied.

Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/samadhi.jpg

On another occasion when Ramakrishna offered Girish a spiritual discourse, the latter stopped him short saying: "I won't listen to any advice. I have written cartloads of it myself. It doesn't help. Do something that will transform my life." Girish had a writer's skepticism about the authority of the written word.
Ramakrishna was highly pleased to hear his view and asked a disciple to sing a particular song whose words went like this:
"Go into solitude and shut yourself in a cave.
Peace is not there. Peace is where faith is,
for faith is the root of all."
At that moment Girish felt himself cleansed of all impurities and doubts: 'my arrogant head bowed low at his feet. In him I had found my sanctuary and all my fear was gone.'

Girish's faith however required constant strengthening; years of suffering and torment had damaged it severely. In a later meeting he again directed the question to Ramakrishna:

"Will the crookedness of my heart go?"

"Yes it will go."

Girish repeated the question and received the same reply. The process was replayed twice until one of the other disciples reprimanded Girish: "Enough. He has already answered you. Why do you bother him again?" The theatre veteran turned towards the
devotee to rebuke him since no one who dared criticize him ever escaped the lash of his tongue. But he controlled himself thinking: 'my friend is right. He who does not believe when told once will not believe even if he is told a hundred times.'

Venerating with Poison

One night, while Girish was in a brothel with two of his friends, he felt a sudden desire to see Ramakrishna. Despite the lateness of the hour he and his friends hired a carriage to Dakshineshwar. They were very drunk and everyone was asleep. But when the three tipsily staggered into Ramakrishna's room, he received them joyfully. Going into ecstasy, he grasped both of Girish's hands and began to sing and dance with him.

The dramatist thus described his feelings: 'here is a man whose love embraces all -
even a wicked man like me, whose own family would condemn me in this state. Surely, this holy man, respected by the righteous, is also the savior of the fallen.'

Girish, however, was not always so pleasant when drunk. Once at the theatre he publicly abused Ramakrishna, using the coarsest and most brutal words. All those present were shocked and advised the sage to sever all links with the playwright.

It is interesting to read what Girish himself says about this incident:

'Although I had come to regard Sri Ramakrishna as my very own, the scars of past impressions were not so easily healed. One day, under the influence of liquor, I began to abuse him in most unutterable language. The devotees of the master grew furious and were about to punish me, but he restrained them. Abuse continued to flow from my lips in a torrent. Sri Ramakrishna kept quiet and silently returned to Dakshineshwar. There was no remorse in my heart. As a spoiled child may carelessly berate his father, so did I abuse him without any fear of punishment. Soon my behavior became common gossip, and I began to realize my mistake. But at the same time I had so much faith in his love, which I felt to be infinite, that I did not for a moment fear that Sri Ramakrishna
could ever desert me.'

A common friend reminded Ramakrishna of the story of the serpent Kaliya, who, while battling Krishna, spewed enormous quantities of venom and said: "Lord you have given me only poison, where shall I get the nectar to worship you?" Similarly, Girish too had
worshipped Ramakrishna with abuse, which was in accordance with his nature.

Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/product/PE61/

Ramakrishna smiled and immediately asked for a carriage to go to Girish's house, where he found the latter repentant. Seeing the guru, Girish was overwhelmed. He said, "Master if you had not come today, I would have concluded that you had not attained that supreme state of knowledge where praise and blame are equal, and
that you could not be called a truly illumined soul."

On another occasion Ramakrishna had told Girish: "You utter many abusive and vulgar words; but that doesn't matter. It's better for these things to come out. There are some people who fall ill on account of blood poisoning; the more the poisoned blood finds an outlet, the better it is for them. You too will be purer by the day. In fact, people will marvel at you."

ChiefCowpie

07-20-2005, 04:49 AM

Binding Through Freedom

One night, Girish drank himself into unconsciousness at the house of a prostitute. In the morning, he hastened to visit Ramakrishna. He was full of remorse but had not neglected to bring a bottle of wine with him in the carriage. On arriving at Dakshineshwar, he wept repentantly and embraced Ramakrishna's feet. Then, suddenly, he felt in urgent need of drink, and discovered, to his dismay, that the carriage had already driven off. But presently a smiling Ramakrishna produced not only the bottle, but Girish's shoes and scarf as well; he had privately asked a devotee to bring them from the carriage before it left.
Girish could not control himself; he drank shamelessly before them all - and, having done so, was again remorseful. "Drink to your heart's content" Ramakrishna told him, "It won't be for much longer." Girish said later that this was the beginning his abstention from intoxicating drinks. But the abstention was gradual; and this was certainly not the last time that Girish was drunk in his guru's presence. Sri Ramakrishna never forbade
Girish to drink because he knew that it takes time to change deep-rooted habits. Yet the silent influence of the guru's love worked wonders. In the playwright's own words: 'from my early childhood it had been my nature to do the very thing that I was forbidden to do. But Sri Ramakrishna was a unique teacher. Never for a moment did he restrict me, and that worked a miracle in my life. He literally accepted my sins and left my soul free. If any of his devotees would speak of sin and sinfulness, he would rebuke him saying, "Stop that. Why talk of sin? He who repeatedly says, 'I am a worm, I am a worm,' becomes a worm. He, who thinks, 'I am free,' becomes free. Always have that positive attitude that you are free, and no sin will cling to you."'

The Power of Attorney

One day Girish finally surrendered himself at the feet of Ramakrishna and asked him for instruction. "Do just what you are doing now," said the guru. "Hold on to god with one hand and to the material world with the other. Think of god once in the morning and once in the evening, no matter how much work you have pending." Girish agreed that this sounded simple enough. But he then reflected on his disorganized life, so much on the mercy of impulses and emergencies and realized that he did not even have fixed hours for eating and sleeping; how then could he promise to remember god? Making a false commitment was out of the question.

Ramakrishna, as if reading his mind said: "Very well, then remember god just before you eat or sleep. No matter what time of the day it is." Girish however, couldn't even make this simple promise, the fact being that any kind of self-discipline was
repugnant to him. "In that case," said Ramakrishna, "give me your power of attorney. From this moment on, I'll take full responsibility for you. You won't have to do anything at all."

Girish was overjoyed. This is what he had been wanting all the time; to be rid of responsibility and guilt forever. He readily agreed to the suggestion and thought to himself, 'now will I be as free as air.' He was however mistaken - as he soon found out.
By consenting, he had turned himself into Ramakrishna's slave. Whenever Girish indulged himself, he was forced to think of the tremendous moral burden he would be placing on his guru. In fact, he found it hard to not constantly think of Sri Ramakrishna
before performing any action.

The Garlic Container

One day he went to a brothel intending to spend the night there. At midnight however, he experienced an unbearable burning sensation all over his body and had to immediately leave the place to return home. Girish was reminded of the time when
Ramakrishna had compared him to a cup of garlic paste. Though such a container may be washed an umpteen number of times, it is not possible to get rid of the smell altogether. "Will my smell go?" Girish had enquired. "Yes it will. All offensive odor vanishes when the vessel is heated in a blazing fire." Was this the same heat that was tormenting him now? So wondered the playwright.

In later years he would tell young devotees that the way of complete self-surrender was actually much harder than the way of self-reliance and effort: "Look at me, I'm not even free to breathe, Sri Ramakrishna has taken full possession of my heart and bound it with his love."

The Guru as Mother (In Girish's Own Words)

'One day, when I arrived at Dakshineshwar, Sri Ramakrishna was just finishing his noonday meal. He offered me his dessert, but as I was about to eat it, he said: "Wait. Let me feed you myself." Then he put the pudding into my mouth with his own fingers, and I ate as hungrily and unself-consciously as a small baby. I forgot that I was an adult. I felt like a child whose mother was feeding him. But now when I remember how these lips of mine had touched many impure lips, and how my guru had fed me, touching them with his holy hand, I am overwhelmed with emotion and say to myself: "Did this actually happen? Or was it only a dream?" I heard from a fellow devotee that Sri Ramakrishna saw me as a little baby in a divine vision. And from then, whenever I was with him, I would actually feel like a child.'

Here it is also relevant to observe that though Girish had the company of his mother till the age of eleven, he only had a limited interaction with her. This restriction was due to an innate fear on the part of the parent that if she came near her children she would lose them; blaming herself for the many such bereavements she had already suffered before Girish.

The Vision of Bhairava

Long before he had met the dramatist, Sri Ramakrishna had a vision, which he described as follows: 'One day, when I was meditating in the Kali temple, I saw a naked boy skipping into the temple. He had a tuft of hair on the crown of his head, and was carrying a flask of wine under his left arm and a vessel of nectar in his right. "Who are you?" I asked. "I am Bhairava," he replied. On my asking the reason for his coming, he answered, "To do your work." Years later when Girish came to me I recognized that Bhairava in him.'

In fact, Ramakrishna had often chided his disciples who derided Girish's enchantment with the bottle, saying, "What harm can alcohol possibly cause to someone who embodies Bhairava himself?
None other than our beloved Mother Kali can ever judge or restrain him. We, who are her mere servants, may not even dare to do so. Girish is not a hypocrite, he is the same, inside and outside." The analogy with Bhairava is both apt and instructive. Bhairava was generated from the wrath of Shiva, when the latter was forced to listen to the vain boastings of another deity (Brahma). Having such provocative origins, holding within himself a simmering potential, Bhairava is thus visualized in Indian thought as an ambivalent, excitable and dangerous character, reflecting the emotions aroused at his birth, and even today is worshipped with offerings of alcohol in many shrines across India.

Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/product/HE11/

The bonding through sharing of food was further strengthened when one day Girish went to the house of a friend, who too was a devotee of Ramakrishna. He found the host cleaning rice. Now, the latter was a rich landlord with many servants, but nevertheless
he was performing this unaccustomed job himself. Girish was amazed and enquired of the reason. The householder replied: " The master is coming today, and he will have his lunch here. So I am cleaning the rice myself."

Girish was touched by this extraordinary devotion. He reflected on his own ability to be of such service to Ramakrishna. He returned home and lay on the bed thinking, 'Indeed, god comes to the home of those who have devotion like my friend. I am a wretched drunkard. There is no one here who can receive the master in the proper manner and feed him.'

Just then there was a knock on his door. Startled he jumped up. In front of him stood the master. "Girish I am hungry, could you give me something to eat?" There was no food in the house. Asking Sri Ramakrishna to wait, he rushed to a restaurant nearby and brought home some fried bread and potato curry. The food, coarse and hard, was much
different from what the frail guru's constitution permitted. Nevertheless, he relished it with visible joy and delight.

A Unique Solution

As time progressed and age took over Ramakrishna, his health began to deteriorate. On the advise of doctors he was moved outside the city where the air was felt to be better.

Illustration: http://www.exoticindia.com/artimages/healthhouse.jpg

An arrangement was made whereby the householder disciples contributed money for his treatment, food and rent. The younger, unmarried devotees, who later would establish the Ramakrishna Mission, managed the household, including the nursing and
shopping. After a while however, some of the householders felt that the expenditure was getting out of hand and demanded that a strict accounting system be maintained. The youngsters felt offended and decided not to accept any more money from them. When the situation reached a flashpoint, Girish came forward with a solution. He simply set fire to the account book in front of everybody. Then he told the householders to each contribute according to his means and that he would make up the shortfall. To the unmarried monks he said: "Don't worry. I shall sell my house if the need arises and spend every bit of the money for the master."

Whatever might have been the fate of Ramakrishna's physical well being, one thing was certain - Girish's healing was complete - and he later remarked in humor: 'Had I known that there was such a huge pit in which to throw one's sins, I would have committed many more.' It was this transformed soul who began the practice of paying homage to Sri Ramakrishna before the commencement of a theatrical performance.

===========================================
This article by Shri Nitin Kumar.
===========================================

Bibliography:

Blurton, T. Richard. Hindu Art: London, 1992.

Chetanananda, Swami. Ramakrishna As We Saw Him: Calcutta, 1999.

Chetanananda, Swami. They Lived with God (Life Stories of Some
Devotees of Sri Ramakrishna): Kolkata, 2002.

Isherwood, Christopher. Ramakrishna and His Disciples: Kolkata,
2001.

M. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (Tr. into English by Swami
Nikhilananda): Madras, 1996.

M. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna 2 vols. (Tr. into Hindi by
Suryakant Tripathi Nirala): Nagpur, 2004.

Mishra, Krishanbihari. Ramakrishna Paramhamsa Kalpatru ki Utsav
Lila (Hindi): New Delhi, 2004.

Muller, F. Max. Ramakrishna His Life and Sayings: Kolkata, 2005.

Ramakrishna Sri. Sayings of: Madras, 2004.

half a hippie

07-20-2005, 09:01 AM

All those who welcomed me thanks

I forgot that I had posted in this thread

and
billyblake I soon hope to start reading life divine again

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-20-2005, 09:04 AM

Not to change the subject...but I got this in my e-mail today and found it interesting. :)

Mark 4:21-34

And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

And he said to them, "Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away." And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-20-2005, 09:07 AM

Hare Krishna!

The message of Savitri :

The Mighty Mother shall take birth in Time
And God be born into the human clay
In forms made ready by your human lives.
Then shall the Truth supreme be given to men...
The superman shall wake in mortal man
And manifest the hidden demi-god
Or grow into the God-Light and God-Force
Revealing the secret deity in the cave....
Annulling the decree of death and pain,
Erasing the formulas of the Ignorance....
Ruling earth-nature by eternity's law....

Life's tops shall flame with the immortal's thoughts,
Light shall invade the darkness of its base,

When superman is born as Nature's king
His presence shall transfigure Matter's world:
He shall light up Truth's fire in Nature's night,
He shall lay upon the earth Truth's greater law;
Man too shall turn towards the Spirit's call.

A divine force shall flow through tissue and cell
And take the charge of breath and speech and act
And all the thoughts shall be aglow of suns
And every feeling a celestial thrill...
Nature shall live to manifest secret God,
The spirit shall take up the human play,
This earthly life become the life divine.
........From Savitri by Sri Aurobindo.

The great Rishi said it all.

Love,

Kumar.

Dearest Kumar,

This makes me think so much of the moon (esp. when it is full like it is tonight...)...everytime I see it...it is so beautiful that I am convinced that it must be the face of the Divine Mother. :)

This was a very beautiful poem...thank you for sharing it. :)

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-20-2005, 09:10 AM

Nice to see you again CCC!! :)

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

BlackBillBlake

07-20-2005, 03:44 PM

Dearest Kumar,

This makes me think so much of the moon (esp. when it is full like it is tonight...)...everytime I see it...it is so beautiful that I am convinced that it must be the face of the Divine Mother. :)

This was a very beautiful poem...thank you for sharing it. :)

*Peace and Love*
Nicole
Here is a short quote from 'The Mother' by Sri Aurobindo:

"Nothing can be here or elsewhere but what She decides and the Supreme sanctions; nothing can take shape except what She moved by the Supreme percieves and forms after casting it into seed in Her creating Ananda.
The Mahashakti, the Universal Mother, works out whatever is transmitted by Her transcendent consciousness from the Supreme and enters into the worlds that She has made; Her presence fills and supports them with the divine spirit and the divine all-sustaining force and delight without which they could not exist. That which we call Nature or Prakriti is only the outward executive aspect; She marshals and arranges the harmony of Her forces and processes, impels the operations of Nature and moves among them secret or manifest in all that can be seen or experienced or put into motion of life. Each of the worlds is nothing but one play of the Mahashakti of that system of worlds or universe, who is there as the cosmic Soul and Personality of the transcendent Mother. Each is something that She has seen in her vision, gathered into her heart of beauty and power and created in her Ananda."

BlackBillBlake

07-20-2005, 03:49 PM

and
billyblake I soon hope to start reading life divine again
It's worth the effort. My advice would be to read only when you are calm and peaceful, and not too much at a time.

Hare Krishna!

BlackBillBlake

07-20-2005, 03:52 PM

Dear Chief Cowpie -

Nice to see you're still around. Thanks for the item about Sri Ramakrishna :)

Hare Krishna!

SvgGrdnBeauty

07-20-2005, 07:32 PM

Here is a short quote from 'The Mother' by Sri Aurobindo:

"Nothing can be here or elsewhere but what She decides and the Supreme sanctions; nothing can take shape except what She moved by the Supreme percieves and forms after casting it into seed in Her creating Ananda.
The Mahashakti, the Universal Mother, works out whatever is transmitted by Her transcendent consciousness from the Supreme and enters into the worlds that She has made; Her presence fills and supports them with the divine spirit and the divine all-sustaining force and delight without which they could not exist. That which we call Nature or Prakriti is only the outward executive aspect; She marshals and arranges the harmony of Her forces and processes, impels the operations of Nature and moves among them secret or manifest in all that can be seen or experienced or put into motion of life. Each of the worlds is nothing but one play of the Mahashakti of that system of worlds or universe, who is there as the cosmic Soul and Personality of the transcendent Mother. Each is something that She has seen in her vision, gathered into her heart of beauty and power and created in her Ananda."
Dearest Andrew,

Thank you for this quote...it is absolutely beautiful... :)

*Peace and Love*
Nicole

gdkumar

07-20-2005, 08:13 PM