Archive for September, 2007
Saturday, September 8th, 2007
Mother Teresa: Crises of Faith or Ecstasy of Separation
Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear.— Mother Teresa to the Rev. Michael Van Der Peet, September 1979
Recently there was an article published in the September issue of Time about Mother Teresa’s ‘fifty year crisis of faith.”
Her letters seem to portray a deep lack of faith and deep felt absence of the presence of God.
Lord, my God, who am I that You should forsake me? The Child of your Love — and now become as the most hated one — the one — You have thrown away as unwanted — unloved. I call, I cling, I want — and there is no One to answer — no One on Whom I can cling — no, No One. — Alone … Where is my Faith — even deep down right in there is nothing, but emptiness & darkness — My God — how painful is this unknown pain — I have no Faith — I dare not utter the words & thoughts that crowd in my heart — & make me suffer untold agony.So many unanswered questions live within me afraid to uncover them — because of the blasphemy — If there be God — please forgive me — When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven — there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives & hurt my very soul. — I am told God loves me — and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul. Did I make a mistake in surrendering blindly to the Call of the Sacred Heart?
Of course the media took advantage of this to try and discredit a person who is revered as a saint by millions of people.
To give some credit to the author he does conclude the article on a positive note. He acknowledges that love is an action rather than a feeling, and that real love is often times expressed in the absence of the feeling.
Kolodiejchuk thinks the book may act as an antidote to a cultural problem. “The tendency in our spiritual life but also in our more general attitude toward love is that our feelings are all that is going on,” he says. “And so to us the totality of love is what we feel. But to really love someone requires commitment, fidelity and vulnerability. Mother Teresa wasn’t ‘feeling’ Christ’s love, and she could have shut down. But she was up at 4:30 every morning for Jesus, and still writing to him, ‘Your happiness is all I want.’ That’s a powerful example even if you are not talking in exclusively religious terms.”
This is what we find in her life, an incredible dedication to the service of the Lord, despite the separation and apparent emptiness that she felt. That is love.
If this brings You glory — if souls are brought to you — with joy I accept all to the end of my life.
— to Jesus, undated
But understandably the article comes short of revealing the depths of love in separation and the intensity of humility experienced by a pure devotee.
Srila Rupa Goswami defines love as when there is all reason for the dissolution of love but the love remains intact. Krishna tested the gopi’s love in the fire of separation. Their love which was like pure gold was proven completely pure and despite burning for over a hundred years in the fire of separation their love only shown more brightly.
Krishna disappeared from the Gopis and from all the residents of Vrindaban and yet for over one hundred years they remained faithful to them, thinking only of His welfare and thinking themselves most unfortunate and unqualified to have Krishna’s association.
In Brihad Bhagavatamrita Sanatana Goswami describes pure love of God (prema) as the mother of humility (dainya mata).
He will become humble and he will feel the pure love felt by the great devotees. There he will search for the person loved by the great souls whose voices there are filled with calls of “Alas! Alas!” and whose hearts are burned by great sufferings. . . .None of them are ever satisfied. The many varieties of the thirst of their love for Krishna, which is the mother of humbleness (dainya mata), always increase.
He goes on to further describe the mood of the Gopis in separation from Krishna.
. . .Although each gopi is most dear to the Lord, and although they all experience the many ecstasies of enjoying pastimes with Him, the gopis do not think the Lord loves them. Each gopi thinks: “When will I be fortunate to be the least of Krishna’s maidservants?”
Lord Caitanya in the mood of the separation of Srimati Radharani also expressed similar emotions.
O Govinda! Feeling Your separations I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.I know no one but Krishna as my Lord, and He shall remain so even if He handles me roughly by His embrace or makes me brokenhearted by not being present before me. He is completely free to do anything and everything, for He is always my worshipful Lord, unconditionally.
I guess it is possible that Mother Teresa was just a miserable depressed old lady but judging by her dedication to her service and by the way she was able to transform peoples lives I believe her letters are expressions of humility due to her deep and profound love for the Lord.
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Saturday, September 8th, 2007
Sermon on the Subway
As we were leaving Radha Govinda Mandir Jagat Pati Prabhu walked us to the subway and gave us some profound words of wisdom about the essence of spiritual life.
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Friday, September 7th, 2007
Painting The Winter Barn Roof
Most of the herd are out on the summer pastures. Those too infirm to make the 5 mile walk stay at the winter barn all summer. Although there is enough pasture for them to graze, they prefer staying indoors during the heat of the day. Here is a bunch of them chilling […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by Madhava Gosh
Friday, September 7th, 2007
Crossword Puzzle In English and Sanskrit
From one of the inmates Muktakesh used to correspond with.
Click thumbnail below for printable size.
Click thumbnail below for answers.
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by mg
Thursday, September 6th, 2007
Janmastami Reflections
It was a little odd not being in New Vrindaban for Janmastami but I am realizing that where ever life takes me I have the opportunity to serve Krishna. I did alot of the services I normally do at festival time, cooking, helping out with deity service, cleaning, kirtan, etc and of course there are always devotees to serve.
Here are a few pictures from the recent festivities:
Om Hrsikesh Prabhu has very quickly become a wonderful devotee and expert pujari and deity dresser. As you can see he is doing a wonderful job of taking care of Radha Muralidhara.
This was my offering to Krishna this year, a tray of milk sweets which include 10 types sandesh and burfi (plain burfi, walnut burfi, mango burfi, plain sandesh, sandesh stuffed with walnut burfi, mango jelly topped sandesh, royal sandesh, lemon sandesh and maybe a couple of others) 
This visit for the first time I was able to begin to appreciate the beauty of Radha Govinda sometimes it can take a while to become accustomed to a particular diety but this trip they manifested a drop of thier beauty to me. I think it was because I rendered some service to them.
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Thursday, September 6th, 2007
Off Week
“That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.
“PURPORT
“In the pursuit of self-realization, one has to follow many rules and regulations to control the mind and the senses and to […]
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2007
Summertime Blues Or The Winter Of Our Discontent
It’s Summer: Isn’t Anyone at Work by Lisa Belkin (NYT - August 9th) chronicles the author’s struggles to interview people and to write an article about the lack of motivation to do any work during the sweltering summer heat. During the summer more people seek diversions through online games or they call in sick on hot days. Another obstacle to getting anything done is that the youngsters are on summer break and the adults have to spend more time in tending to them and organizing activities for them.
But do you think people would take longer breaks or vacations? No way. They’re afraid to take anything too long because their boss might realize that they are not indispensable, or they might miss something important. So people are at the office more, and they might pretend to be busy, but they actually do less work.
It’s either a juggling act or a melt down. We’ve been juggling like there’s no tomorrow and our limbs are getting weak and we’ll soon conk out like some old junker that’s been on the road much too long. Actually, in the article, there’s an illustration of a guy with an ice cream cone as a dunce cap and it looks like his face (or his entire being) is slowly melting, forming a puddle on the floor. Is this the new everyman? People are just stressed to the max. I keep hearing that people want to retire early, that they can’t take it much longer. As a matter of fact, I’m hoping I can finish this piece before I melt away myself. But it’s no use. They say there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.
“The nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.” Bhagavad Gita 2:14
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by NY Times & Bhagavad Gita Sanga/ Sankirtana Das
Wednesday, September 5th, 2007
Vyas Puja Offering
My Dear Srila Prabhupada,
On this most joyous occasion please accept my most respectful obeisances at your lotus feet.
Today is Nandotsava, the biggest festival of the year. All the residents Gokula rejoice in celebration of the birth of Krishna. Nanda Maharaj is giving in cows, gold and other valuable items in charity, Nanda Bhavan is decorated gorgeously, the decorations all over Vraj add to the festive mood, some are throwing milk and yoghurt just to increase the fun and everyone is singing and dancing chanting the glories of their dear most friend, Krishna.
In a secluded place Srimati Radharani calls her devotee and requests him to descend to this world to bestow Krishna’s mercy on the fallen conditioned souls of Kali Yuga. Being very eager to fulfill her desires you happily abondon even the associton of your most beloved Radha Govinda.
All the intimate associates of Radha and Krishna rejoice to know that the fallen conditioned souls of Kali Yuga will very soon receive the mercy the Divine Couple in Their combined form as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Of course the joy is also tinged with sadness because everyone knows what a birth in the material brings, old age, disease, and death. No one wants you to experience this but you are fearless and out of compassion you are eager to fulfill the inner most desire of your beloved Lords.
All the saintly devotees on this planet are celebrating Krishna’s appearance but none except a very few are aware of the significance of your divine appearance in this world.
Thakur Bhaktivinode knew, he predicted that very soon a great personality would appear who fulfill the prophecy of Lord Chaitanya and spread the chanting of Krishna’s names “to every town and village.”
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura knew and upon his first meeting with you he instructed you to spread the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu around the world. Later he told his disciples that in time you would “do everything.”
In all directions throughout the material and spiritual creation there is a great celebration. Only Kali is sad knowing that his reign of sin will soon be overthrown.
And somehow by the Lord’s causeless mercy we have come in contact with you and we aspire to knew the special significance of your appearance in this world.
You have appeared to fulfill the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to distribute the most confidential mellows of love of God to the fallen conditioned souls of Kali Yuga.
Although totally unqualified we aspire to understand the significance of your appearance in this world.
Please bless us with the greatest treasure of pure devotional service, residence at Govardhan and entrance into the eternal pastimes of the Lord.
I beg you to mercifully accept me as the servant of your servants.
Your Servant,
Gauranga Kishore Das
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Wednesday, September 5th, 2007
?Questions About Angels? by Billy Collins
Of all the questions you might want to ask
about angels, the only one you ever hear
is how many can dance on the head of a pin.
No curiosity about how they pass the eternal time
besides circling the Throne chanting in Latin
or delivering a crust of bread to a hermit on earth
or guiding a boy and girl […]
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Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
Sri Sri Radha-VrindabanChandra
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Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
Samsara
Sa?s?ra
“ Samsara refers to the process of passing from one body to another throughout all species of life. Hindus believe that consciousness is present in all life forms, even fish and plants.
“However, […]
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Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
Recollections of Janmastami in New Vrindaban 1972
RECOLLECTIONS OF JANMASTAMI/VYAS PUJA ‘72
Srila Prabhupada was only personally with us for 10 celebrations of Krishna’s appearance day followed immediately by His own appearance, Krishna and Guru together. How incredibly appropriate a way to solidify in disciples’ heads the two tracks of the Bhakti train that must be in place for […]
No Comments » - Posted in Contributors by mg
Monday, September 3rd, 2007
The Prayers of Queen Kunti
O Lord, no one can understand Your transcendental pastimes, which appear to be human and are so misleading. You have no specific object of favor, nor do You have any object of envy. People only imagine that You are partial.
Of course it is bewildering, O soul of the universe, that You work, though You are inactive, and that You take birth, though You are the vital force and the unborn. You Yourself descend amongst animals, men, sages and aquatics. Verily, this is bewildering.
My dear Krishna, Ya?od? took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.
Some say that the Unborn is born for the glorification of pious kings, and others say that He is born to please King Yadu, one of Your dearest devotees. You appear in his family as sandalwood appears in the Malaya hills.
Others say that since both Vasudeva and Devak? prayed for You, You have taken Your birth as their son. Undoubtedly You are unborn, yet You take Your birth for their welfare and to kill those who are envious of the demigods.
Others say that the world, being overburdened like a boat at sea, is much aggrieved, and that Brahm?, who is Your son, prayed for You, and so You have appeared to diminish the trouble.
And yet others say that You appeared to rejuvenate the devotional service of hearing, remembering, worshiping and so on in order that the conditioned souls suffering from material pangs might take advantage and gain liberation.
O Krishna, those who continuously hear, chant and repeat Your transcendental activities, or take pleasure in others’ doing so, certainly see Your lotus feet, which alone can stop the repetition of birth and death.
SB 1.8.29-36
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Monday, September 3rd, 2007
I Lied
Actually I lied, there is one other time I am happy in New York, when I am associating with wonderful devotees like Ananta Govinda Prabhu and Caitanyananda Prabhu.
Here’s a little taste of the bhajans after the Sunday program at Radha Govinda Mandir.
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Monday, September 3rd, 2007
Top Ten Unexplained Phenomena
10. The Body/Mind Connection
Medical science is only beginning to understand the ways in which the mind influences the body. The placebo effect, for example, demonstrates that people can at times cause a relief in medical symptoms or suffering by believing the cures to be effective whether they actually are or not. Using processes only […]