Vrindavan is for shallow thinkers?

Sun rising over canal between Rishikesh and Haridwar

Yesterday was an unusually quiet day for FB memories. That is made up for today. There are a couple of political comments about Modi's win in 2018. Of course  political opinions are pretty unstable as new information comes up so I may  or may not be ready to defend any of them.

More on Vrindavan Today difficulties in 2018. A Vrindavan walkabout and a discussion of the Vrindavan being for "shallow thinkers", a quote apparently attributed to Bhaktivinoda Thakur, coming via Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. I find it very hard to believe.

Prema Madhuri broke her hip and we are in the hospital awaiting attention. She may need an operation. It is Ekadasi, so there is something of an enforced vrata. We are getting a close up on socialized medicine in Canada. Patience required.

FB Memories May 28.

---

2018

Actually where Vrindavan Today is concerned, I am getting a lot of love from the devotees.

It somehow did not seem like enough. The outrage was and still is so great it feels that the whole world should just rise up and protest, but we are few. Nevertheless, I do appreciate all the people who have been supportive.

I feel it might be incorrect to name names, because I will forget to mention so many, but Raseshwari Dasi, Katie Jo Walter Shoemaker, Kurt Shoemaker, Stuart Trusty, Jagannath Poddar, Jennifer Michael, Vishakha Ramos, Vinode Vani Dasi, Niscala Devi Dasi, Satya Devi Dasi, Pancatattwa Das (who changed all the links on VINA to VT from .org to .com), Madan Gopaldas Marcus Vinícius , Thor Leichhardt, Malatimanjari Dasi, Prem Nidhi Das, Parikshit Chauhan, Angelo Pugliese among others, all come to mind. Too many really to mention as I start thinking...

Forgive me if I have been insufficiently appreciative or if I haven't mentioned your name.

Those who have not made the change or do not yet know about the difficulties we have been facing, please like our new Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/vrindavantodayofficial/) and bookmark vrindavantoday.in.

Thank you.

Jai Radhe! Jai Krishna! Jai Vrindavan!

---

2018

Bravo to Modi for not buckling to USA pressure to put sanctions on Iran after breaking the JCPOA treaty. The USA has been a bully since at least 1989, and even before, if you consider even all the way back to the Monroe Doctrine.

The American evangelicals want the Apocalypse, and Trump is playing to them. Turning the eyes the other way at Netanyahu's atrocities and aggression because it is all part of God's plan at the end of days.

No one said the Middle East is easy, but this current situation is having repercussions that affect the entire planet, beginning with Europe. Modi good. Trump, not so good.

---

2018

Purushottam Maas, Nrishingha Chaturdasi? In Radha Damodar... The last few weeks have been trying. And I am still trying to come to grips with all the fallout from the adventures we have been having at Vrindavan Today.

I have the good fortune to be able to take just a short walk into town and have darshan of some of the most fabulous deity incarnations of the Supreme Lord that ever manifested in this world. And that is what I did today. It was just the medicine I needed.

Today, it was time to go and visit the gods of this Holy Dham. I have neglected them.

Out of Jiva Insititue, I paid pranams to the dust of Vrindavan and walked down Moti Jheel. It is immediately apparent that these are not ordinary times in Vrindavan. It is Purushottam Maas and even the usually quiet Moti Jheel is filled with cars and tempos using it as an alternate route.

There are a couple of Warkiri ashrams (Vinoba bhaktas from Maharashtra), and they were all full of devotees, some doing the traditional style of kirtan-katha that they do down there. Many of the other ashrams were also busy, some with small Hari katha, some big. I saw people dancing. Then I cut across to Hari Nikunj where Bhagavata Path was going on, then into my favorite short cut through Baba Surdas Marg. That is a back alley distinguished for having the big ashram of Kishori Sharan Baba. I stopped in and had darshan and paid obeisances to his disciple Netra Dasji.

Then Sineha Bihari, Banke Bihari's photographable incarnation. There I had darshan of Atal Krishna Goswami and Biharilal Vasisthth. I paid obeisance, but did not stop to talk.

Next I walked through the crowded narrow alleys that lead to Bihariji. Sweet shops filled to the brim and lots of buyers too. Bihariji was of course impossible to mover around in, but I got my split second darshan and then crossed to the exit out the other side.

Stopped in to say hello to Vilas Goswami, who gave me free his newly published English translation (and a Bengali translation) of his miracle stories of Banke Bihari. He said it was for the right people... I said we will have to find the right people.

I went through the next maze of sweet shops and Thakur paraphernalia shops and through the crowds until I made it to Radha Vallabh. Radha Vallabh was also in an elaborate phool bungalow, lots of pink. He was in a hindola, looking glorious as usual. They have a shower in the middle of the temple floor that makes it all wet. Not good for dandavats but very kind to hot feet. There I had darshan of Hit Kamal Dasji, who sits calm and impassive on the outside but does not stop looking at the image of Radha Vallabh Lal. I took the dust of his feet.

Then I went through the Dan Gali to Seva Kunj Gali and then to Radha Damodar, where Damodarji was dressed up as Nrisingha Deva because it is Chaturdashi today. The thing about Purushottam Maas is that all the year’s festivals are done in one month. Holi, Rukmini Dwarkadhish marriage, you name it. I did parikrama of the samadhis as usual and paid obeisances to Prabhupada at his bhajan kutir.

I took a look at the construction around Rupa Goswami's samadhi, which is something huge. There I spoke to Krishna Balaram Goswami, begging him once again to send us pictures of what it will look like and to tell us a story so that VT can let the world know what they are up to. I also told him you might get some donations out of it. Anyway, they are doing something quite big there, towering over the samadhis, which seem to be tolerating the distraction. But no one can go in to roll on the ground in front of Shri Rupa Prabhu, which feels like a bit unfair.

On the way to Radha Raman I stopped in at Meera Bai's temple. There I saw Prahlad Gosai who was on the altar. His temple was empty, but he was really nice and told me a bit about how the Giridhari Gopal there is the REAL one. Accept no substitutes. He also said he has a picture of the two of us from a BVHA meeting that was printed in the Times of India. I did not know that.

For there to Radha Raman. No doubt about which is my favorite. And the phool bangalow there was the best. The chameli and rajani gandha are intoxicating. There were crowds there too. Festivals everywhere. Did parikrama, paid obeisances to Vishnupriya and then as I go out, I see Shrivatsa Goswami's son Abhinav in the picture shop at the entrance. I sit and talk with him and the shop owner, whose name I forget, also a Goswami, and found out a few things about Abhinava that I did not know. He studied archeology at Deccan University in Poona. The crowds, the changes. Everyone is marveling.

Then I went to Gokulananda and did parikrama of the samadhis. The Thakurji was closed, but the pujari very kindly opened for me special so I could get a glimpse of Radha Gokulananda.

Then I walked on to Keshi Ghat. I was going the wrong way because I was going to head west counterclockwise. There were tons of people doing parikrama and many, many were doing dandauti.

There I saw my friend Siddhartha Shukla, who is one of the Yamuna arati and Yamuna deity worshipers. He has a nice Yamuna altar set up and a group of brahmins appear to participate in the worship. He gave me prasad and a beautiful garland that made me very happy. We talked about the Yamuna coming back to the ghats. He is serious about it and is a big supporter of Jagannath Poddar.

Then I walked on. The sand comes all the way up to the ghat. This was part of the plan that has been stayed. The idea was to have people walk around Keshi Ghat on the sand and that is what many of them are doing. I saw a lot of children having fun walking on the cool nighttime Yamuna sand. Who knows how this Yamuna drama will all end? Jagannath seems to be very determined, so we have to make him the favorite. He has stopped everything so far. Siddhartha says that they will push on and petition the PM to bring the river back to Keshi Ghat where she belongs.

The final leg along the parikrama marg. Imli Tala was closed so I missed hoped for darshan with Tamal Krishna Das Brachmachari. Across the road is a new Yamuna puja place. They have planted tons of trees there. I talked to the pujari who is not a brahman, but a Nishad, which is another name for Kaivart or the boatman class. I figured that was right, as who is going to be a better worshipier of the Yamuna than a boatman? I asked him if he wants the Yamuna back to the ghats and of course he said yes.

The work of the Braj Foundation on making the Parikrama Marg more pleasant was evident, even though I did not get a good look in the darkness. One thing is sure, they have planted hundreds of trees and they all seem to be doing well, so they are obviously being taken care of. It will be wonderful when they all grow to adulthood.

And so from there I pretty much came straight back, except somehow I struck up a conversation with a disciple of Bhakti Ballabh Tirth Maharaj, Shrauti Maharaj, who has built a little kutir across from Madan Mohan. He used to serve Jagannath Deva at Chakdaha.

And I topped it all off with a mango shake at the corner of Sheetal Chaya.

So, in the back of my mind I am thinking, how can anyone live in Braj without making friends with the bhaktas and Brijvasis?

---

2018

To the extent that I am aware of goings on in the world, I truly think that the USA is headed towards either disaster or total transformation. Or both, in the way that destruction leads to new beginnings.

The world is in a confused state. I am strangely happy that I have gotten to the age where death is a reality staring me in the face and that I have spent my life, with a few exceptions, preparing for it. anityam asukham lokam.

So I have Bhakti to accompany me while I watch the world as it descends into new modes of the tamo-guna day by day.

The concept of the evolution of the human race seems to have become something of a joke.

Perhaps a new understanding of God and love of God will awaken so that the world can move towards light instead of darkness and we can believe in evolution once more.

---

2016

A friend writes: "Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati once said that Vrindavan is for 'shallow thinkers'. Why don't you put that on Vrindavan Today?"

Apparently the full quote is, "Vrindavan is for shallow thinkers. The real place to do bhajan is Kurukshetra, since there, Srimati Radhika is in total need of assistance and help because she meets Sri Krishna again after a very long time." Apparently in the original quote "bogus, hollow men" is added to shallow thinkers.

Does anyone from the Gaudiya Math defend this statement? Is there anyone in Kurukshetra from the Gaudiya Math doing this "real" bhajan?

In the thread on Gaudiya Discussions from 2003 where this was found (I don't have an actual source other than that), Markus Ananda Oskari, then posting as Madhavananda, wrote the following--

"In the material world, an attempt to praise one thing often involves putting down another. Shallow thinkers often tend to unnecessarily put down others, failing to appreciate different moods of devotion while praising their own.

"Philosophically speaking, we aim for the aprakata-lila, and the pastimes at Kuruksetra are not present in the nitya-astakaliya-lila. Why, therefore, should we make those pastimes the main focus of our attention?

"Moreover, according to Sanat-kumara Samhita, Sri Radha in Her original form as the daughter of Kirtida, the hladini-sakti-svarupa, never leaves Vraja. She expands as kAmA (samyogini) and vAmA (viyogini). In Her aspect of viyogini, She drowns Herself in the Yamuna after Sri Krishna leaves for Mathura, and enters the Gokula-prakasa. 

In Her aspect of samyogini, afflicted by separation, She travels to Kuruksetra to meet Her priyatama. However, the original Kirtida-suta never leaves Vraja. Samyogini-Radha and Viyogini-Radha do not know that Vrajendra-nandana never leaves Vraja, but Kirtida-suta knows."

Vrindavan is certainly not for shallow thinkers. And we have too many of them at the moment, thinking that Vrindavan is a mundane theme park or tourist center. Let us bring people here to spend money, not let us bring people here so they can taste the bliss of prema-bhakti and associate with saints.

yat tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicit
Janeshu abhijneshu sa eva gokharah.

That is what we have. Go-khara = shallow thinker. Bhagavatam . It says that if you think a tirtha is just the water flowing there, and not a place where you go to associate with experts in bhajan, you are no better than a donkey or a cow. Not entirely bad to be a cow, so "or a donkey". Or a donkey among cows, or something.

It is a general statement about holy places that also applies to Vrindavan even though Krishna said this at Kurukshetra during the solar eclipse.

Saraswati Thakur is here making a value judgment that supersedes relative statements. Rupa Goswami says the final instruction is to live in Vrindavan and to engage in kirtan and smaran in the company of rasik devotees. He is also making a value judgment that supersedes relative statements.

So is Rupa Goswami a shallow thinker? After all, it is through him and Swarup Damodar Goswami that the meaning of the Kurukshetra lila was revealed to the world. So we might expect that Rupa Goswami will be the arbiter of this question of values. I believe Siddhanta Saraswati would base his argument on Rupa Goswami somewhere along the line.

I asked Shripad Tripurari Maharaj to explain and he wrote me as follows:

"Sridhar Maharaj said that Bhaktivinode Thakura made this comment about Kuruksetra/Vrindavan, not Saraswati Thakur. However, the statement is not to be taken literally, but rather as an emphasis on the principle that the necessity with regard to seva has much to do with the measure of remuneration. For example, water is a great necessity in the desert, while otherwise it is commonplace. So If I bring you water in the desert, because your necessity for it s great it will be greatly appreciated. Radha has a great necessity in Kuruksetra. Thus the Thakura has highlighted it to make this point, but what is her necessity? It is to bring Krishna to Vrindavan!"

That is even worse. I can't really take it seriously. It is a kind of ecstatic utterance that really has no meaning. Hyperbole. When BVT decided to retire he went to Puri. He never built anything in Kurukshetra, he built something at Radha Kund. This statement is "out there" but has anyone made it the cornerstone of their practice in the Gaudiya Math? Other than perhaps an outlier or two?

Anyway, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu must not have gotten the memo, because he sent Rupa and Sanatan to Vrindavan. And when Mahaprabhu left the world, Raghunath Das came running to join them. Rupa and Raghunath are our acharyas and our exemplars. These are the "bogus, hollow men, shallow thinkers" that he was referring to? And we are supposed to take it seriously? I don't think so.

Some people say that Vrindavan is everywhere. Of course we accept this understanding. But the shastras also glorify the actual place Vrindavan in absolute terms. We could, for instance, say the same thing about the Holy Name, and say all sound is Krishna's name. This would not be incorrect, but is it correct?

---

2016

...Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that health initiatives linking soda consumption to diabetes and obesity have had a negative impact on the global pace of soda sales. The country of Mexico responded by imposing a 10 percent soda tax, hoping thus to discourage the poor from purchasing sugary drinks. Sales briefly slowed. But, the Wall Street Journal crowed, sales were once again climbing: “a bright spot for an industry that has feared it could be cast as the next tobacco.”

Oblivious to the bleak implication of those words, the article’s next sentence ventured into self-parody. Those soda-drinkers sending Coke and PepsiCo’s profits soaring? They’re responsible for the “alarming obesity and diabetes rates in a country where per capita soda consumption is the highest in the world.

” Why won’t the diabetic, obese poor of Mexico drink healthful water, which Coke and PepsiCo also sells in such quantities that “global volumes were up 5.7 percent last year”? Among other things, it’s because plain bottled water is more expensive than soda in a country where tap water frequently comes in a variety of colors (yellow, red, brown), and flavors (metallic, sulfuric, chlorinated). And that’s in the city. Rural areas often have no water delivery systems at all. But this is great news for capitalists, who have no interest in developing municipal water utilities but are thrilled to sell water to poor and politically disenfranchised communities. Because humans need water to survive. It's a guaranteed captive market.

“The lack of free, publicly supplied quality drinking water generates great business opportunities,” writes Kurt Hollander. “As a result, Mexico ranks second in the world in per capita consumption of bottled water, now the single most profitable product ever sold.”

---

2015

Down the road is Vrindavan Ashram. They are having a Bhagavata saptaha. After wpending months here I forget everything. Then I just hear the devotees sing Radhe Radhe Govinda and I am back.

---

2015

भारत होगा स्वच्छा जब 

दिन सब अच्छे होंगे तब

---

2013

"Scapegoating is always a form of the task-avoidance assumption of flight." F. Scott Peck.

---

2011

Happiness is seeing the presence of God. Unhappiness is not seeing the presence of God. Unhappiness becomes happiness when we see the presence in the non-presence. Happiness without seeing the presence of God is one side of an inevitable duality and a failure of understanding.

---

2009

The protective barriers of sattva-guna: myth and ritual.