Jagat

The short answer, of course, is that he cannot. In my last post I talked about parampara and consideration of what it means to follow in this particular line of devotees from Jahnava Mata, and how it took a bit of a turn with Bhaktivinoda Thakur when the first waves of Westernization hit Bengal. I admit that I chose to primarily consider this one aspect of Bhaktivinoda Thakur. I could have chosen others. But that is the nature of following; nobody can be anything but what he is and follow the path that he sees. Lalita Prasad Thakur followed one way, Bimala Prasad another. Now, how am I to follow? This first point already puts me at risk with many devotees and kanisthas can be pretty rough with those they consider heretical. But this next question is even stickier. Any role I play in the future development of Dwadash Mandir is going to be affected when people inquire into the defense of Sahajiyaism I have been engaged in over the last ten years. Even today on the comments to thi...

I would find it quite normal if someone who read the last post were puzzled by what seems like a tremendous change in my direction. After all, the famous Sahajiya and “mundane scholar,” Jagadananda Das could hardly at this point represent the great Bhaktivinoda Thakur, nor his son Lalita Prasad Thakur, and yet that is precisely what I am setting out to do. Well, not exactly, let us say that I intend to serve them. After all these years, all these changes, to return to a situation from what is now a quite distant past, and one that would look quite unpromising to most people, strikes even me as a bit strange. The decision to commit to Lalita Prasad Thakur’s bhajan sthali itself caught me a bit by surprise. Maybe not quite as great as it seems at first glance, but nevertheless I think it requires some explanation. This is probably going to take more than one post. Part of my decision comes as a result of my slowly maturing understanding of Guru-tattva, which is indeed a grand and f...

[ This is a rump article. I started it some years back, but never finished it. It seems though that the time is right for some anti-romantic propaganda. ] A couple of years ago I published an article here about Tristan and Iseult based on a Bengali version of the medieval legend. The story has also been analyzed by the Jungian psychologist Robert A. Johnson , The Psychology of Romantic Love . Although I am not that familiar with the overall body of Johnson's work, he is the author of numerous books on various aspects of archetypal psychology and clearly a man of deeply spiritual inclinations, as are many Jungians. This is a particularly important work as it deals with the interface of cultural products like myth and legend and the effects with human psychology and in particular the influence it has on creating unrealistic expectations in people. For Johnson, romanticism means "an idealized attachment to something unattainable." When that kind of illusory sentiment b...

Harigopal Dasji and Vamshi Dasji. So I did not finish reflecting on the visit to Dwadash Mandir. Some came out today in a bit of a poetical form, which can be seen here . Let me quote the relevant parts, which is actually most of the poem: It was a visit to a distant past, my guru's ashram. Strangely unchanged, though changes are coming, like everywhere, like a cancer they spread through every artery in the shape of fallen trees and piles of bricks in various shapes and forms, usually square and shapeless, devoid of love or art. ...  But Dwadash Mandir sits in obliviousness to the norms of the modern world. It is dangling with cobwebs the spaces are just nooks, the women are just cooks. And the bell rings and the gong chimes and one or two voices sing the mangal arati waking up the rest, who slowly drag themselves into their daily routine of cooking and cleaning the men are dragging long tubes or piles of wood, or bringing in mangoes from the orchard...

Construction and Renovation The Bhaktivedanta Charity Trust has given around Rs 4.5 lakhs for various renovation and construction projects around the ashram. The work is currently halted as another two lakhs is being sought to complete the work that has been begun. It seems also that there is a prosperous element in the local community that wishes to see the archeological heritage of the town preserved and restored, and some of that money has come to the mandir, particularly where the Shiva temples and Kali temple are concerned. Kali mandir seen as one comes into the mandir grounds. The BCT money is mostly going to the construction of a guest rooms and a dining hall. I find most of it aesthetically dubious and without a clear vision, but there is little that can be done about it now. This criticism applies to some of the earlier construction, such as the toilets and bathrooms built just off the ten Shiva temple area. The last thing you see as you close the toilet door is Prabhu...

The first draft of this article was written ten days ago when I first arrived with Hari Gopal Dasji in Birnagar. I have been experiencing a number of technological setbacks on this trip -- the loss of the camera being the first major hassle. It took a few days to get some photos taken and finally I am posting a revised version along with a few photos that were taken by other people. There were also numerous computer keyboard and internet connection problems. We will be leaving tomorrow to return to Vrindavan via Kolkata, and there is a lot more to say than what is here. In Kolkata we stayed two nights with a couple of bhaktas, disciples of a disciple of Bhakta Ma, Kanti Chakravarty Bhakti Hridaya, whom I don't know, but who apparently is engaged in preaching widely in Bangla Desh. He will, I think, be coming to the meeting in Birnagar today, or perhaps tomorrow. I look forward to seeing him, as it will be good to have many branches connected to the Bhaktivinoda tree all coming t...

These videos were shared by Kryszna Kirtan who taped them on November 17, 2013.

Bhakti Abhaya Ashram posted an article on editing the other day,  How to Edit?  Swamiji,formerly Babhru Das, has a background and training in English education on the college level, have been leading him to ponder this matter, and clearly the linguistic professionalization of Tripurari Maharaj's sangha is a result of his work. Since I do a fair bit of editing, I read it with interest. In my editing work, I have traditionally been pretty timid. That probably has something to do with the field I work in. I work very gingerly where scholars like Swami Veda Bharati and Satya Narayan Dasji are concerned. I prefer to take the approach of a student who is trying to understand, and then simply try to improve the English and improve the clarity. Being somewhat slow on the uptake, wider-ranging advice usually comes rather too late to be any good. But this work is in translation and commentary, scholarly and scripturally based writing, which has a bias to the conservative. It is...

It seems, strangely enough, that as we grow older, the less fearless we become. Should a lifelong sadhaka not be more ready and willing to risk or even embrace death, to take risks for Truth, Love and Justice? Perhaps we become more fearful because we discipline ourselves all our lives to crave security. Especially if you have been a parent you habituate yourself to creating an environment where everything is stable and secure, as best you possibly can. And you often have to struggle very hard to do so. When you finally get to retirement age, you are often so exhausted with it all that you just want to rest, or like the shastra says, finally do a little bhajan, or just sit back and enjoy the fruits of your work, or just go on tranquilly in your own way. Ah what dreams the world will only rarely permit! * * * * * A day or two ago, I posted the following on Facebook: Last night I had a minor bicycle accident. I swerved to miss an oncoming tempo as I turned the corner at Chai...

As I reflect on the Yājñasenī book, I have also been thinking to some extent about kṣatrīya-dharma , which is of course the principal theme of the book as a whole. The Mahābhārata is about polity. The largest section, the Bhīṣma-parva , is almost wholly concerned with guidance for rulers. And, after all,  kṣatrīyas  run the place, the politicians and so on, and they have a real influence on the way people live. Even Krishna, the avatar who has come especially to reestablish dharma, to vanquish the wicked and bring succor to the dispossessed and devoted, is a  kṣatrīya . So what is the  kṣatrīya  ethic? Once upon a time, a long long time ago, Srila Prabhupada took a walk with his disciples here in Vrindavan and suddenly said, "We must start a Varnashram college." And he began to explain his concept of varnashram dharma and the ideal way of forming community, in microcosmic settings, close to the land, simple living and high thinking. So, it was dec...