Tattva-viveka
North Carolina Fall MP3 CD out!
Guru-nistha Das - December 29, 2007 6:35 pm
The binding thread (or should I say ribbon) of Guru Maharaja's talks during the most recent North Carolina visit was his explanation and elaboration on Damodarastakam, the prayer of Satyavrata Muni found in the Padma Purana. Other than giving a talk to a yoga crowd, a talk on the dissappearance day of Gaura-Kisora das Babaji, and a talk on understanding true gratitude on Thanksgiving, he focused on bringing out the tattva and bhava of the Damodara-lila. In this particular lila both the nature of practice for sadhakas to enter that plane of consciousness, as well as the nature of the goal is intertwined. By the combined strength of effort and mercy Yasoda gives a perfect example of jnana-sunya bhakti in her determination to tie up the all-pervasive para-brahman–in which she eventually succeeds by the force of her pure affection.
Guru Maharaja is able to talk about the lila in a way that brings to life–or rather, to celebration– a reality that would otherwise stay distant and unapproachable for us. These talks really make you want to go there and see the abode of all the universes crying rivers and fearfully rubbing his kajal-smeared eyes! Just as amazingly as Yasoda binds her son, Guru Maharaja is able to tie together an unlimited subject and make the transcendent seem "medium-sized" for us to get a handle on.
Write me at gurunistha@earthlink.net to place an order.
Prema-bhakti - December 29, 2007 8:34 pm
With a description like that how could anyone not order it. 
Thanks GN!
Zvonimir Tosic - December 29, 2007 10:53 pm
With a description like that how could anyone not order it.
Guru-nistha is a poet
and we didn't even know it
I see him writing many inspiring words in the future.
Syamasundara - December 30, 2007 5:38 am
He already is! He is my favorite writer after GM and J.K. Rowling. Also, his command of English is quite... commendable, considering how his mother tongue has nothing in common with it. As a linguist I am awed, I counted the words in his above post, and 31 of them come from Latin and sound similar to Italian, so I could have grasped what he's talking about even with a basic knowledge of English, but the same in Finnish would have been full of weird words with aa, ää, etc, and a topsy turvey grammar.
So, one more quality and skill that he is using in Krsna's service.
Guru-nistha Das - December 30, 2007 5:17 pm
Guru Maharaja also emphasises on the Damodarastakam talks that we should be afraid of people who glorify us, so please, stop freaking me out 
Syamasundara - December 30, 2007 5:49 pm
You wanna stay away from me...
Syama Gopala Dasa - January 2, 2008 8:14 pm
Guru Maharaja also emphasises on the Damodarastakam talks that we should be afraid of people who glorify us, so please, stop freaking me out
No worries, I will see you in March. 
Zvonimir Tosic - January 2, 2008 10:07 pm
Guru Maharaja also emphasises on the Damodarastakam talks that we should be afraid of people who glorify us, so please, stop freaking me out
I was actually warning you.
Good writers are usually good targets for some people's severe criticism
Prema-bhakti - January 3, 2008 12:03 am
Guru Maharaja also emphasises on the Damodarastakam talks that we should be afraid of people who glorify us, so please, stop freaking me out
When one glorifies a limb of a tree one also glorifies the tree. GN you are a limb of GM and his mission. Any appreciation of you is also a glorification of GM who is developing you into a surrendered, wonderful, and poetic Vaisnava.
Babhru Das - January 3, 2008 12:26 am
Further, it glorifies Srila Prabhupada and our entire guru varga, the Bhaktivinoda parivar, that one of their disciples can help one of his disciples develop such wonderful qualities. In fact, I've been impressed by the sweet nature and dedication of all the devotees at Audarya. I've been particularly impressed, though, by Guru-nistha's intelligence--even wisdom--and maturity. His presence among us enhances all our devotion. (Now I'm going to get into trouble, because he's the chief up here.)
Prema-bhakti - January 6, 2008 9:54 pm
Thanks Babhru for taking it all the way home. Very nice. I am looking forward to your association as well as all the other Audarya-vasis in the next months ahead.
Syamasundara - January 7, 2008 2:06 am
I've been particularly impressed, though, by Guru-nistha's intelligence--even wisdom--and maturity.
I told ya! 
Syamasundara - January 7, 2008 2:09 am
Thanks Babhru for taking it all the way home. Very nice. I am looking forward to your association as well as all the other Audarya-vasis in the next months ahead.
Take what home? Which home? 
And where are GNu and Babhru posting from today if Audarya is offline?
Prema-bhakti - January 7, 2008 8:09 pm
Take what home? Which home?
I meant he took my expressed appreciation of Guru Nistha as a limb of GM further to apply to GM's esteemed gurus and then their gurus and so on and so on.
Syamasundara - January 8, 2008 6:54 am
Oooooh, duh.... When I read "Further it glorifies...." I thought he was still referring to the Damodarastaka talk and then he also added his two bits about GNu.
Syamasundara - January 8, 2008 7:06 am
Oh OK, now that others have intervened I can finally speak, without it sounding like self defense.
I am pretty sure that what GM meant is that we should run away before WE begin to think that we deserve a certain glorification, not that there is a problem with those who glorify you. It's also true that too much devotion is the sign of a thief, but personally, I want nothing from you, and I'm certainly not one to spit out cheap glorifications.
So yes, Prema Bhakti is right.
I remember once, a certain Sudhanidhi came to visit us in Eugene. After Gaura Arati we were in the back sink room, and he paid me a compliment, I guess about my singing. I tried to dismiss it, maybe a bit abruptly, out of what I thought was humility, but he gently chastized me, or rather instructed me, and he said that a more dynamic form of humility would have been to take the compliment and give all the credit to one's guru, this way we would say something positive about a Vaisnava (our guru), and we would avoid hurting the Vaisnava who has paid us the compliment.
So Gurunistha, get glorified and deal with it.
Gandiva Dasi - January 8, 2008 10:55 am
Oh OK, now that others have intervened I can finally speak, without it sounding like self defense.
I am pretty sure that what GM meant is that we should run away before WE begin to think that we deserve a certain glorification, not that there is a problem with those who glorify you. It's also true that too much devotion is the sign of a thief, but personally, I want nothing from you, and I'm certainly not one to spit out cheap glorifications.
So yes, Prema Bhakti is right.
I remember once, a certain Sudhanidhi came to visit us in Eugene. After Gaura Arati we were in the back sink room, and he paid me a compliment, I guess about my singing. I tried to dismiss it, maybe a bit abruptly, out of what I thought was humility, but he gently chastized me, or rather instructed me, and he said that a more dynamic form of humility would have been to take the compliment and give all the credit to one's guru, this way we would say something positive about a Vaisnava (our guru), and we would avoid hurting the Vaisnava who has paid us the compliment.
This is a nice point, , any good you see in me is due to the the mercy of my gurus.