An old baba looked at my hand... FB Memories April 29

An old baba looked at my hand and told me I would not die in Vrindavan.

Perhaps a relevant post from five years ago in view of my present circumstances. Of course I do the best I can and all the advice is respected as relevant. Krishna is indeed everywhere, just sometimes more apparent than others,


 

5 years ago

An old baba looked at my hand and told me I would not die in Vrindavan.

Panditji Dabral : Why would you want to die in Vrindavan ? And NOW what will you do since OLD baba have said so? Change of plan??

Panditji!!! You pay attention to this humble sadhaka's foolish ramblings! I am honored to have your presence on my thread.

I cannot tell you the attachment that we Vaishnavas feel for the Dham. I was just now writing an article on the subject based on the following verse from the Bhagavatam:

vanaṁ tu sāttviko vāso grāmyo rājasa ucyate

tāmasaṁ dyuta-sadanaṁ man-niketaṁ tu nirguṇam

The forest is a sāttvika residence,

The town is said to be rājasika,

the gambling den is tāmasika

but My dwelling is beyond the material qualities. (SB 11.25.25)

"My dwelling" can mean either a temple or the Holy Dham. The reason being that God's avirbhāva takes place there. This is anubhava-sāpekṣa. And no learned person can really talk a bhakta out of his insane belief that even his attachment to the Dhama is also nirguna.

Radhe Shyam!!

Dasi Radha Kund: A real saint can die any where in the world that becomes dham so you are living dham of world

Of course, we HAVE to say that. I am just now thinking about the Dham. This little incident provoked a bit of reflection on the issue.

For me, living in the Dham is a sadhana in itself. Not only is it a sadhana, it is, practically speaking, a siddhi in itself. Dying in Vrindavan means to attain the dust of Braj.

The sadhana of Vrindavan means to mix your mind with the dust of Vrindavan. With the environment. The problem is -- as Kaliyuga progresses and the influence of rajas and tamas become stronger, does this affect the power of Vrindavan as a sadhana?

The sadhana of becoming a Brajabasi, both internally and externally. Where better to do it than right there?

Sri Swaprakashananda Avadhuta Guruji: you are sahajiya Upasaka - Vrindavan is in your heart, physical location is not important. Why being nostalgic now? At end of journey...

You will have to read what I have written above in two places, my dear Avadhuta Maharaj. Of course, my point, which is our Vaishnava point, is that this transformation of personality that is the result of cultivating Braja Bhava is not a mere sentiment, but a sadhana of cosmic proportions. Sahaja combined with Braja Bhava is really our sadhya. We cannot envision prema without it.

To say I want to die in Vrindavan is to say live in Vrindavan until you die. Living in Vrindavan until you die is the injunction as stated by Rupa Goswami. And Prahlada (7.5.51):

 tat sādhu manye'sura-varya dehināṁ
sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt
hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpaṁ
vanaṁ gato yad dharim āśrayeta

Here Vanam indicates Vrindavanam. The vana is the destination to which we aspire and that vana is Vrindavana.

 And man-niketaṁ tu nirguṇam (11.25.26): Other places are in the modes of nature but my abode is nirguna, In other words, live there.

 And if you can't, make your own home a replica of Goloka and it will become Vrindavan. Wherever you are, live in Vrindavan. But one will always be the copy and the other always the original.

 As to injunctions and descriptions, I believe that often descriptions supersede injunctions. This happens when the verbal message and the image do not match.

 In this case, the image of Vrindavan is attained by the rāgānugā process and not by adherence to injunctions, especially in the case where the injunctions are not specifically in line with that image. The nature of rāgānugā is to disregard any such thing that detracts or distracts from Vrindavan.


Eight years ago (2014) 

Attraction then repulsion. Repulsion then attraction. 
We watch and ride these eternal waves in action. 
Be repulsed enough to keep stable and free from sin, 
but not so much that you destroy digestion.
 

13 years ago (2009) 

The law of diminishing returns. Reduce sadhana in order to accomplish some other end... and you end up with less concentration and ability to accomplish that end. Don't cut back on sadhana. Hari OM.

Again an appropriate instruction to self of the past to the self of the present!







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