Advaita sends another old postcard

It has been quite interesting that Advaita Dasji has sent me a second postcard I wrote addressed to Radharaman Dasji. (See here also.) I used to keep diaries when in India, as did Advaitaji, but unlike him, I lost all mine when I came back to Canada in 85. As a result I have absolutely no recollection of the exact dates of my whereabouts at any given time, and most of my memories are fuzzy at best and totally non-existent at worst.

I have expressed wonder at this many times. It has convinced me of the utter untrustworthiness of memory in general and mine in particular. I used to make the excuse that I was so concentrated on texts and so on that my external life was always relegated to the background. That might be an acceptable excuse if I could remember a few more shlokas, which also have gone the way of flotsam on the ever-flowing Ganga. These little forgotten bits and pieces remind me how we also have previous lives that are lost to us.

This postcard is from Nabadwip and sent to "Radharaman Das Babaji Maharaj." [Ralph really should keep this just for the sake of that name and address.] It is interesting that I speak in it of Madan Mohan Das Babaji and the Gutika and Gadadhar Pran Das's "advancement" when I am currently here at Gadai Gauranga Kunj and posting about these very subjects.

I find it rather pleasing to see my own handwriting from that period in my life, and I have to agree with all my sentiments, especially the enthusiastic sounding last sentences.

I don't know what I meant by "the things he is most criticized for." I find myself a little condescending, especially as a little more than a year after this letter I set out on my long detour in Canada. Perhaps it is because I came to Lalita Prasad Thakur a few months before Gadadhar did that I considered myself to be in a more elevated position. Needless to say, this is not any longer the case. Despite the difficulties he encountered over the years, Gadadhar never budged from his goal and stayed here in the Dham by the mighty Ganga, strengthening his bhajan.

Quote of the day:

sādhu-saṅga sunirjana nija dṛḍha-bhāva |

ei tina bale labhi mahimā svabhāva ||103||

One attains his natural glory on the strength of these three things:

1. The company of advanced bhajananandi Vaishnavas,
2. a peaceful secluded environment,
3. and determined commitment to one's own siddha identity as received from the Guru. (HNC 15.103)

Seeing the intensity of his bhajana-niṣṭhā and the continued enthusiasm he has for Gaura-kathā, bhajana-kathā and the Vaishnava textual tradition, I feel quite inspired. He is non-compromising. Yesterday the two of us discussed Madan Mohan Dasji while preparing today's upcoming post of "Another side of Bhaktivinoda Thakur" which is about "the author's svārasikī sthiti" I think it worth mentioning here. The fruit of Gadadhar's studies with Madan Mohan Das was his Govinda-līlāmṛta, which is much more than just that book, but contains much from the Gutika and other books on the aṣṭa-kālīya līlā. Gadadhar studied with Madan Mohan Dasji for ten years, but when he met Sachi Dulal Babaji his life took another turn towards the Nagara bhava, to which Madan Mohan Dasji was unfavorable, as indeed are most Radha Kund babajis. He will talk about this in a future chapter.

I have to say, I really like the way Gadadhar is intertwining his life experiences in sat-saṅga  with his internal bhajana and smarana practices in this book. It will be quite a unique contribution to the Vaishnava literature that falls into its own category.