Tattva-viveka
Saragrahi eight-day festival
Guru-nistha Das - November 5, 2013 8:38 pm
It has been a wonderful festival so far in Saragrahi. I'll resume my old habit and make short updates of what's going on.
Guru Maharaja took Vrindaranya, Haribhakti and myself to the Saragrahi property a day before Govardhana puja. Vrindaranya and I had been to North Carolina the last time about two and a half years ago when we purchased the first part of the land. It was super inspiring to see how the project has evolved. The property is about twice as big as it was then (from 80 acres to 170 acres), there are big pastures in place and all the different areas are manifesting. And as the icing on the cake, the new barn stands close to the top of the property. The place has so much potential. I could just imagine walking and driving around what it would be like with a couple hundred devotees living in and around the property and forming a meaningful community.
After the tour we went to the Ananda Ashrama and were greeted by the local pioneers and guests. The place was much bigger than I had imagined, a two-story building in the middle of a nice open yard. We headed back to our cabin soon to rest before the first festival day.
Haribhakti, Vrindaranya and I started cooking the feast right after Mangala arati on Govardhana puja. We would be cooking all the lunches and feasts for the whole eight days and it's always tougher to cook in an unfamiliar kitchen so we got started early. As it turned out, we could've not started any later in order to finish our preps for the noon offering. There was a pandala set up on the yard and Guru maharaja gave an inspired and inspiring talk on the Govardhana lila and the circumstances leading up to it. Afterwards Madan Gopal led a sweet kirtana as we brought out all the preps in the pots to the base of the Govardhana hill. The Ananda Ashramites had built a very impressive Govardhana and a cow dung Krishna. Citta Hari offered an abhiseka to the Giriraja shila while the kirtana was going on. Ananda Ashrama's three garlanded and decorated cows were brought down next to the pandala and an arati was offered to them as Guru Maharaja sang "Govinda jaya jaya, Gopala jaya jaya" and fed them grain-molasses sweet balls. Around 60 devotees sang along and circumambulated the cows.
In the afternoon we had a fierce frisbee match at the top of the property on the pasture next to the future temple site. Guru Maharaja picked his team and I picked mine and we squashed them despite the fact that Guru Maharaja sicked Madhumangala on us who plays like a bulldog (as an ex-football player would)!
After the game we sat at the temple site around two campfires set up by Citta Hari and others and Guru Maharaja answered questions for close to two hours. The evening was wrapped up by wrapped up potatoes roasted in the fire. A great festival in every way.
Tadiya Dasi - November 5, 2013 8:56 pm
Thank you, Guru-nistha! 
Guru-nistha Das - November 6, 2013 9:42 pm
For monday and tuesday we had pretty much the same program: mangala arati, class in the morning, lunch, camp fire and Q&A in the evening.
It's been a real immersion for me personally, I just really love the absorption and buzz of festivals. Well, I should say that I sometimes dread festivals before they start and my mind is resisting the idea of having to push myself continuously. But after the first day it all starts flowing and I get back to my ashram routines. I suppose it's a bit like diving into a cool lake (I know, it's a cheesy analogy). You know it will pinch at first and that's all you can focus on at that moment but once you do it you'll find it extremely pleasant. And that's what I'm finding.
There's also a sannyasi from Narayana Maharaja's group here for the whole festival. His name is Avadhuta maharaja and he is a Prabhupada disciple who took sannyasa from NM. I find him to be quite inspiring. He chants a lot and doesn't talk nonsense at all and is very renounced. He seems like a natural mendicant.
Today we had Srila Prabhupada's disappearance festival. Nitai came yesterday and it was great serving with him in the kitchen again. We used to spend so much time together in Audarya that it has been odd not being around him that much for a couple of years now. We started cooking the feast during mangala arati and the menu was as follows: rice in ghee, katchoris, naan, Shristi subji (originally Guru Maharaja's creation), salad, butter dahl, berry chutney, simply wonderfuls (made by Avadhuta maharaja), laddu and pecan-saffron-raisin halva.
The class consisted of Prabhupada disciples' memories and glorification of Srila Prabhupada. Ashama maharaja and Avadhuta maharaja opened up followed by Sumati dais and Ananga manjari dais, a well-known Prabhupada disciple who happened to be in the area and showed up. Guru Maharaja finished the glorification, adding a philosophical basis for the sentiments and sharing his own memories. Guru puja was offered to Prabhupada's murti, followed by arati and the feast. The feast was well received. Nitai, Vrindarnya and I were sitting together when taking prasadam and we were analyzing the preps and thinking of what turned out well and what could've been done better. That's one of the best parts of feasts for me.
Now we're getting ready to head to the campfire site for more Prabhupada maxima!
Braja-sundari Dasi - November 7, 2013 8:58 pm
Thank you so much, Gurunistha! You are like a soothing balm for the souls of all of us who couldn`t participate. Aniyor, aniyor... 
Guru-nistha Das - November 7, 2013 9:35 pm
Heh, I just noticed that the auto correct had changed "Prabhupada mahima" to "Prabhupada maxima" in my last post! No harm either way I guess. 
Thanks Tadiya and Braja for the encouragement.
Braja-sundari Dasi - November 7, 2013 9:54 pm
Heh, I just noticed that the auto correct had changed "Prabhupada mahima" to "Prabhupada maxima" in my last post! No harm either way I guess.
It just tried to translate it from Sanskrit 
Caitanya-daya Dd - November 10, 2013 1:27 am
Thanks GNu. Really wishing I could be there.
Bhrigu - November 14, 2013 9:27 am
Thanks for the descriptions, Gurunistha! Sounds like a wonderful festival!
Gopala Dasa - November 15, 2013 10:35 pm
A few non-systematic comments and notes from last weekend….
Nandini and I flew to Greenville, SC on Friday night and drove up to Saragrahi for the final two days of the festival. By way of practical advice for other travelers, Greenville/Spartanburg Airport (GSP) is about one hour from Saragrahi, and the drive is very easy. Direct flights operate to Newark, DC, Baltimore, etc.
I probably slept for two hours on Friday night. That has been typical for me whenever I first arrive at Audarya or Madhuvan. I lay awake in anticipation of the morning program (and a very early alarm). I wonder who else may show up for the festival. I keep thinking about seeing GM again after however many months, and what I might say to him.
For mangala-aratik on Saturday we visited Ananda Ashrama for the first time. My immediate impression when entering via the kitchen was that Bhakti-rasa and Dulal had completely given over their house to GM and the sanga. GM confirmed this later when thanking them both at the conclusion of the festival. With the exception of the bathroom -- which is ill-equipped for mass use – the festival guests had the run of the place. And there were a lot of them.
The downstairs room where GM gives talks at Ananda Ashram was basically standing-room-only on Saturday for the initiations. For the first time that I can remember, initiates actually had non-devotee relatives come out to support them. I thought this was very nice. The atmosphere was extremely welcoming.
Although I have more than a few qualms about how Saturday's ultimate frisbee game concluded before the final fireside Q&A with GM, I am (largely) able to overlook that outcome due to how many friends we got to reunite with over the course of the day.
The representation from all over the country was substantial, and we also met some facebook friends for the first time. Talking with Hari-bhakti, we discussed how it is possible to go multiple years without seeing some of our godsiblings in person. That is unfortunate for several reasons. I think that relative newcomers get much more out of festivals when GM’s senior disciples are able to participate. The senior devotees help set the mood at these gatherings, and they have the advantage of understanding GM and what he is all about. When I first started visiting Audarya I always watched how such devotees conducted themselves. (And I still do.) Also, although many of us are wary of festivals given the number of “social” interactions that they require, we also found ourselves in a “group within a group” at times in a way that allowed us take advantage of the kinds of association that energize (rather than fatigue) us. Relationships across the sanga are really formed and strengthened in-person. It's amazing, but some of those relationships can blossom in just a couple of minutes.
The kirtans led by Madan Gopal, Krsna-nama, and Nama-rasa were really excellent, especially the final kirtan on Sunday before the lunchtime feast. The musicianship was technically superb, and the chanting was very tasteful -- no showmanship.
The preps on both days were very good, especially Vrindaranya’s gulabjamuns, Nitai’s sweet rice, and Gurunistha’s blueberry halava.
Although we get to see Rohini-nandan das all the time in Chicago, it was awesome to hang out with him at Ananda Ashrama. Nandini and I discussed later how great it would (and will) be to travel to festivals with others from our area, so as to receive mutual inspiration that we can carry back to our small sanga.
On Monday we walked all over Saragrahi with GM, Vrindaranya, and Madhumangala for over two hours. GM’s vision for the project has advanced so much since our last visit (April 2012). Although only the barn is presently under construction, many other aspects of the plan now seem imminent and completely feasible. The scale and beauty of the property also became more obvious to us, as did the role that Saragrahi will play in GM’s unfolding vision for how GV can be articulated, practiced, and more widely embraced in the coming years.
Prema-bhakti - November 20, 2013 6:31 am
Thank you Gopal!!!
Anuraga Das - January 15, 2014 6:02 pm
For monday and tuesday we had pretty much the same program: mangala arati, class in the morning, lunch, camp fire and Q&A in the evening.
It's been a real immersion for me personally, I just really love the absorption and buzz of festivals. Well, I should say that I sometimes dread festivals before they start and my mind is resisting the idea of having to push myself continuously. But after the first day it all starts flowing and I get back to my ashram routines. I suppose it's a bit like diving into a cool lake (I know, it's a cheesy analogy). You know it will pinch at first and that's all you can focus on at that moment but once you do it you'll find it extremely pleasant. And that's what I'm finding.
There's also a sannyasi from Narayana Maharaja's group here for the whole festival. His name is Avadhuta maharaja and he is a Prabhupada disciple who took sannyasa from NM. I find him to be quite inspiring. He chants a lot and doesn't talk nonsense at all and is very renounced. He seems like a natural mendicant.
Today we had Srila Prabhupada's disappearance festival. Nitai came yesterday and it was great serving with him in the kitchen again. We used to spend so much time together in Audarya that it has been odd not being around him that much for a couple of years now. We started cooking the feast during mangala arati and the menu was as follows: rice in ghee, katchoris, naan, Shristi subji (originally Guru Maharaja's creation), salad, butter dahl, berry chutney, simply wonderfuls (made by Avadhuta maharaja), laddu and pecan-saffron-raisin halva.
The class consisted of Prabhupada disciples' memories and glorification of Srila Prabhupada. Ashama maharaja and Avadhuta maharaja opened up followed by Sumati dais and Ananga manjari dais, a well-known Prabhupada disciple who happened to be in the area and showed up. Guru Maharaja finished the glorification, adding a philosophical basis for the sentiments and sharing his own memories. Guru puja was offered to Prabhupada's murti, followed by arati and the feast. The feast was well received. Nitai, Vrindarnya and I were sitting together when taking prasadam and we were analyzing the preps and thinking of what turned out well and what could've been done better. That's one of the best parts of feasts for me.
Now we're getting ready to head to the campfire site for more Prabhupada maxima!
Avadhuta Maharaj is a wonderful devotee and very humble. He actually left to Orlando after I did and arranged for us to spend some time together.
I think a nice story should be written about him here due to his Vyasa Puja being today.
When I first spent time with him was on my last night on Saragrahi. After offering my respects, we talked about Orlando and how if he would have known he would have gone with me in my truck (I couldnt help but smile). I cant remember exactly what happened next but he disappeared and I was talking to Indranuja about some personal things while Madan Gopal's wife was singing Damodarastakam. The mood was so surreal it felt... not of this world. The night was filled with stars and the trees looked as if they were piercing the sky. Listening to Indranuja and hearing the chanting, I finally realized I was at home with my spiritual family that night. I was surrounded by those who cared and after many trials and doubts I finally felt I wasnt alone...
Back to the story. So while realizing and feeling these things out of nowhere from the darkness of the night, Maharaj comes out into the light of the fire with a cup of tea and taps me in the arm and tells me "Here. Take your Guru remnants". I can personally tell you that it was like a story from the Chaitanya Charitamrta where it seems from another world. I drank the tea with sooo much love and excitement that I felt drunk in happiness. Here through everything I was going through, at the end Maharaj comes and gives me the cup of tea of Guru Maharaj. A bit childish but I feel that was arranged by Sri Sri Radha Madhava to show me they were listening.
I cant help but smile and remember of another story when I was in the house he was staying at and he asked me if I knew how to offer bhoga. I said yes (remembering the pamphlet for first initiates written by Bhrigu) and told me "Ok here you will offer while I take my bath" My heart dropped and felt so scared. Was I being tested? or was this a joke? lol. I dont know why I was so nervous well I knew that I didnt want to cause an offense or make a mistake so perhaps that is why. Seeing my nervousness he started to smile and made the plate for me and asked how do I offer it. I explained and he was interested by it so when he left for his bath I offered the bhoga and spent the day talking and doing bhajans.... OH IT WAS THE DISAPPEARANCE DAY OF PURI MAHARAJ!!! Yes. He read from one of his lectures. So from that day on (I have many more stories but too long to retell ) he has helped me, instructed me, guided me and made sure I remembered the blessing I received from Guru Maharaj.
Avadhuta Maharaj ki jai!!
* Forgive my grammar.