Tattva-viveka

Guru Maharaj in NC - Sept '09

Madan Gopal Das - September 24, 2009 2:56 am

Hello family!

GM came to visit us for a week. He arrived last night, took a little prasad and we chatted about Harmonist, the success of the Audarya cow-sharing program, updates on happenings in nc, etc.

Tonight was GM's first class. He picked up from where he left off when he was here in April; 9th chapter of Gita. GM is very excited when he gets to share the king of secrets - raja guhyam. GM explained that Krsna will speak about two things in this chapter, his aisvarya and his madhurya. GM elaborately explained that though we don't generally think of vraja as a place of aisvarya and opulence, it actually has the most aisvarya. He gave the example of Brahma-vimohana lila. Krsna straightened Brahma out (or freaked him out!) by manifesting Visnu forms for each of the gopas and cows he had manifested. So, thousands of Visnu's (from whose pores universes are born) are within that simple cowherd boy. All that opulence and all that awe-inspiring GOD-ness is contained within sweet Krsna. Now that is aisvarya! Another example is that of Damodara-lila. Yasoda-ma could not get enough rope to bind Krsna because he is param-brahman - he is everywhere! His form is unlimited. How are you going to tie that up? But when aisvarya recedes and in love Yasoda takes the ribbon from her hair, she is easily able to bind him.

GM also made a very interesting point that kind of reminded me of the banyan-tree reflection explanation of the material world. He explained how the world of the mind is understood by many people to be a very small place. The world of our mind is cramped, there is no room for others there, other conceptions, etc., and so consciousness expands to be more accomodating. When the pursuit of free consciousness arrives at the concept of Brahman, that seems to be like the biggest place. Consciousness is unencumbered by difference, by form, by any kind of limitation. Brahman is BIG. As consciousness goes further (vaikuntha), it would appear that it is becoming smaller again, limiting itself to forms, relationship, etc. But actually it is growing further, because there is affection in "post-Brahman" realization. Then onto Vraja, which appears to be the smallest aspect of the godhead. Forms, relationships, and no aisvarya. But actually it is the biggest because it has the greatest affection with godhead. As GM has said, in love there is room, space, freedom. And so Vraja is actually the biggest place!

I'm really tired, but blissful. Off to bed!

Madan Gopal Das - September 25, 2009 3:24 am

Today was a nice day... Well of course it was extra-specially nice because GM is here!!! This morning GM showed me some plans for landscaping the area in-between his house and the bathhouse. I have been inquiring about all of the Audarya-vasis, and the Madhuvan-vasis, what they are up to and what is the latest marathon project they are absorbed in. I think about them often, so it is nice to have some details filled in for my meditation.

After that GM decided to go on a walk. When we came back he requested a massage and needed some new neckbeads, both of which I was happy to facilitate. note: Nitaisundara, Gurunistha, I love you guys, but it is a toss-up whether I want you to stay home when GM comes so that I can do all the service, or whether you should come so that I get to see and serve you too!

Then GM had lunch with Gaurangi and Venu - veggie burgers! GM mentioned to Venu that he should eat because Gaurangi's burgers are so good!

Tonight GM spoke at Hindu Bhavan, a Hindu temple and Cultural center. Drshta and Rudrani arranged the program with their Gita study group they meet with regularly. I was interested to see how GM would approach the crowd as we don't usually see GM speak with a group of Indian-born Hindus. GM jumped right into the 9th chapter again, quoting sloka's left and right to support his conviction that the essence of the Gita is about bhakti. GM explained that his approach to the Gita is to put Krsna in context; study who he is as a person, what he was doing at Kuruksetra, what are the other aspects of his lila; in other words, from the perspective of the Bhagavat. After all, love is the highest knowledge, so one who knows Krsna can better understand what he is saying in Gita. GM gave another example of aisvarya being present in vraja-lila. When Yasoda-mayi looked in Krsna's mouth because he was eating dirt, she saw the entire universe, with herself in it, gazing into Krsna's mouth, with universes in it, where she was looking into Krsna's mouth with universes in it... behold his mystic opulence!

Krsna speaks about similar mystic opulences (aisvarya) in the first verses of the 9th chapter. Then he criticizes those who think that his activities in human form are mundane (9.11). But the devotees (like Yasoda-mayi) have gone beyond that aisvarya. Those under the daivi prakrti are mahatmas (9.13), "big souls", their hearts are big and they have big affection. They are constantly chanting his glories (9.14). Here GM made a great point that kirtan is an anga of bhakti, and kirtan is just suited for Krsna specifically. In the puranas there are not recommendations to do Siva kirtan, or Devi kirtan (like modern yoga kirtan people do). But Krsna-avatara is perfect for lila-kirtan!

GM gave a wonderful class which makes it so apparent that the goal of the Gita is bhakti. After the class GM commented that he did not think much progress could be made with that crowd. One of the leaders of the group is heavily influenced by Advaita-vedanta, and though he absorbed what GM said and I'm sure it made sense to him and he was agreeable, the influence of advaita-vedanta is such that it is easy to absorb the tenets of bhakti but with the ulterior motive to grow beyond it into brahman.

GM and I came home and watched some youtube videos of the teacher whose commentary the group is studying; Swami Dayananda Saraswati. If you ever need a nap, turn on his stuff. It'll put you right into dreamless sleep! Advaita vedanta just doesn't ring true with the individual's experience of individuality.

good night. dreamless sleep awaits me.

Babhru Das - September 25, 2009 2:26 pm

Thanks so much for the updates, Madan. These are nectar. I wonder how the crowd at the Hindu Bhavan responded to GM's presentation.

Gaura-Vijaya Das - September 26, 2009 6:27 am

Today was a nice day... Well of course it was extra-specially nice because GM is here!!! This morning GM showed me some plans for landscaping the area in-between his house and the bathhouse. I have been inquiring about all of the Audarya-vasis, and the Madhuvan-vasis, what they are up to and what is the latest marathon project they are absorbed in. I think about them often, so it is nice to have some details filled in for my meditation.
After that GM decided to go on a walk. When we came back he requested a massage and needed some new neckbeads, both of which I was happy to facilitate. note: Nitaisundara, Gurunistha, I love you guys, but it is a toss-up whether I want you to stay home when GM comes so that I can do all the service, or whether you should come so that I get to see and serve you too!

Then GM had lunch with Gaurangi and Venu - veggie burgers! GM mentioned to Venu that he should eat because Gaurangi's burgers are so good!

Tonight GM spoke at Hindu Bhavan, a Hindu temple and Cultural center. Drshta and Rudrani arranged the program with their Gita study group they meet with regularly. I was interested to see how GM would approach the crowd as we don't usually see GM speak with a group of Indian-born Hindus. GM jumped right into the 9th chapter again, quoting sloka's left and right to support his conviction that the essence of the Gita is about bhakti. GM explained that his approach to the Gita is to put Krsna in context; study who he is as a person, what he was doing at Kuruksetra, what are the other aspects of his lila; in other words, from the perspective of the Bhagavat. After all, love is the highest knowledge, so one who knows Krsna can better understand what he is saying in Gita. GM gave another example of aisvarya being present in vraja-lila. When Yasoda-mayi looked in Krsna's mouth because he was eating dirt, she saw the entire universe, with herself in it, gazing into Krsna's mouth, with universes in it, where she was looking into Krsna's mouth with universes in it... behold his mystic opulence!

Krsna speaks about similar mystic opulences (aisvarya) in the first verses of the 9th chapter. Then he criticizes those who think that his activities in human form are mundane (9.11). But the devotees (like Yasoda-mayi) have gone beyond that aisvarya. Those under the daivi prakrti are mahatmas (9.13), "big souls", their hearts are big and they have big affection. They are constantly chanting his glories (9.14). Here GM made a great point that kirtan is an anga of bhakti, and kirtan is just suited for Krsna specifically. In the puranas there are not recommendations to do Siva kirtan, or Devi kirtan (like modern yoga kirtan people do). But Krsna-avatara is perfect for lila-kirtan!

GM gave a wonderful class which makes it so apparent that the goal of the Gita is bhakti. After the class GM commented that he did not think much progress could be made with that crowd. One of the leaders of the group is heavily influenced by Advaita-vedanta, and though he absorbed what GM said and I'm sure it made sense to him and he was agreeable, the influence of advaita-vedanta is such that it is easy to absorb the tenets of bhakti but with the ulterior motive to grow beyond it into brahman.

GM and I came home and watched some youtube videos of the teacher whose commentary the group is studying; Swami Dayananda Saraswati. If you ever need a nap, turn on his stuff. It'll put you right into dreamless sleep! Advaita vedanta just doesn't ring true with the individual's experience of individuality.

good night. dreamless sleep awaits me.

I saw this youtube video about his life.

it seems better than listening to his lectures.

Gaura-Vijaya Das - September 27, 2009 2:38 am

I reached in the morning today and I will fill up for Madan Gopal on the updates. It was great to see GM after such a long time. The first program was at Madan's house and GM was speaking from the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. He spoke about the verse 9.11 " Fools deride me when I descend in the human form." According to VCT's interpretation, in this verse Krsna chastises people who think Mahavisnu is his source. GM said that people in Vaikuntha need to be ignorant of the fact that Krsna is the source of Narayana to function in their bhava. It is not necessarily such a bad thing!! GM also made reference to Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami who says that people who do not accept CM as Krsna are asuras and said that we have to be careful while presenting these statements if we don't have the bhava to arrest people's intelligence. Prabhupada could insult people in a charming way because he had the bhava, but others imitate him with terrible results.

In the evening, there was a class at a Yoga studio. It was interesting to see how GM changed his mood for yoga audience speaking how stillness achieved through meditation is a good thing, especially after mindless moving in the karmic realm. But bhakti is so much more user friendly than other paths. He spoke about 9.14 and ananya bhakti to the yoga audience. Krsna is the form representing romantic life of the Absolute and bhaktas exploit the vulnerability of Absolute who is weakened by love. GM lead an ecstatic kirtan for 30 minutes in the end

I have to go to sleep. More update late

Guru-nistha Das - September 28, 2009 3:26 am

note: Nitaisundara, Gurunistha, I love you guys, but it is a toss-up whether I want you to stay home when GM comes so that I can do all the service, or whether you should come so that I get to see and serve you too!

Argh, I saw that coming...