Jagat

These thoughts are based on conversations I had in 2017, after I had posted on my response to Srila Narayan Maharaj's statements related to Bhaktivinoda Thakur's  Sva-likhita-jivani (SLJ), which it would be advisable to read before going on here. I am currently doing a bit of work on SLJ and the Thakur's frank description of his conversion to Chaitanya Vaishnavism is particularly important to us, who are also converts. I have heard that Swami Tripurari Maharaj coined the sobriquet "the first European convert to Vaishnavism" since the Thakur passed through a thorough indoctrination into Western thinking before being exposed to the Chaitanya Charitamrita and Bhagavata Purana when already in his 30's. His English-medium education, which a strong element of Unitarian Universalism through the association of Reverend Charles Dall , was not monolithic. In fact, it reflected the contemporary debates in Europe and America about scriptural literalism and the natur...

Sadhus are also called sat , which is best translated as "the good or holy." Sat-sanga means "association with the good, the holy." But the derivation of sat  is that it is the present participle of the verb "to be" ( as ), so it s fundamental meaning is "being, existing." This then has several derived meanings, primary of which is truth, the sacred, or reality. In other words, what exists is real and true, what does not ( asat ) is not true. That which is true is good, that which is not is not. As Vaishnavas we are meant to discriminate between sat and asat , but basically asat is an illusion, because untruth, by definition, is that which does not exist. The asat person is one who is living in the mistaken belief that asat is sat . One who finds fault, therefore, is seeing asat and meditating on asat . As much as we meditate on asat , that much are we ourselves asat . Coming into contact with asat is called asat-sanga . Coming ...

I was accused of Vaishnava nindā for my response to an excerpt from a Narayan Maharaj conversation. For the record I am presenting that excerpt [May 23, 2009 darshan] along with which I shall make some remarks. This conversation took place around 11-08-2017. I was a little confrontational so I have mostly edited my remarks. Bear in mind that those who objected and accused me of committing offense to Narayan Maharaj paid no attention whatsoever to my remarks and simply condemned me for disagreeing with their authorities. I have spoken on that elsewhere on Facebook, but have gathered those remarks and shall post everything to my blog for reference. I have already responded to many of the things Narayana Maharaj said in a blog post addressed to Rocana Dasa a few years ago as he was saying pretty much the same stuff, but with a bit less of the combativeness that Narayan Maharaj shows here. Bhaktivinoda Thakur's meat-eating and Lalita Prasad Thakur. The numbers are annotations ...

After all the talk about character, now comes the last section about Fate and Karma. Bhartrihari does not let you off the hook, even though he admits the omnipotence of destiny. For instance, after declaring Fate to determine our fortunes, in the next verse he immediately tells us that sloth is our greatest enemy. One still has to act and think (v. 90); for Destiny is nothing other than the unseen consequences of previous acts. This is an apparent contradiction that cannot be escaped. The point is that one has to act without attachment to the results because those are not fully under our control. So, this is the last of the Niti-sataka. Links to the other instalments: Niti-sataka 1 :: The Fool Niti-sataka 2:: In praise of learning and the learned Niti-sataka 3 :: The greatness of the hero and the duties ofthe king. Niti-sataka 4: The dependent and the wicked Niti-sataka 5 :: The qualities of the virtuous and resolute bhagnāśasya karaṇḍa-piṇḍita-tanor mlānendriyas...

I found this unposted draft dated from around the time that Swami Veda left this world. I am posting it now, although I understand why I left it in the drafts for so long. (7-21-2018). Swamiji answered me that he hoped to attain absolute liberation or kaivalya at the time of his death. As a Vaishnava I was not overly enthusiastic about such a destination. Three years later, I am only now beginning to understand how much affection I had for Swamiji and how much his teachings and practices affected and influenced me. May he rest in peace, and may the good he did continue to benefit the world. He was a dear friend and guide. I am going to Rishikesh for the first time in three years in a few days, and have been having dreams of Swamiji. In meditation I often think of him as I do nāḍi-śodhana , remembering how he sat for hours doing this practice in the meditation hall at SRSG, trying hard to keep his body alive for a little longer so he could continue his service to his disciples a...

Sorry for the interruption in posting the rest of Nīti-śataka . There will be one more segment after this. These are really pretty nice verses and all seem to be without any contradiction to the principles of good character that are at the basis of all religious temperament, including that of the Vaishnava. It is when fanaticism leads one to ignore these principles that religion becomes debased. It is interesting to me that so many of the verses are confirmations of my feelings about the turmoil of the last few weeks, even though it may be said with justification that I failed to act with true virtue. The virtuous vāñchā sajjana-saṅgame para-guṇe prītir gurau namratā vidyāyāṁ vyasanaṁ sva-yoṣiti ratir lokāpavādād bhayam | bhaktiḥ śūlini śaktir ātma-damane saṁsarga-muktiḥ khale yeṣv ete nivasanti nirmala-guṇās tebhyo narebhyo namaḥ ||62|| I bow my head respectfully to those in whom dwell these qualities: the desire for the company of the pious, an appreciation of the virt...

It rained during the night quite heavily. I had been sleeping on the roof in the open, so I had to escape downstairs where most of the other guests and some ashram devotees sleep. The air was cool and the fans running so I did not sleep very well. This was the first time that I slept there. An alarm went off, a rather gentle one, at about 4.30. I groggily struggled to stand up and gather my things, thinking I would go somewhere back to sleep as soon as I could. Suddenly I saw Binode Baba standing at the edge of the veranda with a couple of disciples, putting a plastic shower cap on over his dreadlocks. Then the entire group walked out the front gate to take bath in Priyaji Kund. Last time I was here, nobody took bath in Priyaji Kund. Even thought the Braj Vikas Trust had done a nice, tasteful renovation of the kund a few years ago, it face all the typical problems of Braja waterbodies. The water level was low, the water was stagnant and full of algae, and people and the wind h...