Bhakta Gaurahari blessed by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami

The material world is a sad place..

Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that the material world is dukhalayam asasvatam, and we nod our heads and say, yes, I know that AND do nothing about it. We have been going through this process since time immemorial and still haven't learned our lesson. How wonderful is the influence of Mahamaya Devi ! Hats off to you mataji ! You are the best !

What brings me this realization on this fine and wonderful April morning is something that happened yesterday. I had a meeting at work with some people in the afternoon. As everyone knows, there are good meetings and then there are bad meetings. Yesterday's one was slanting more towards the bad end of things - so to say. The guy begins with a verbal attack on me, then transfers the attack to his own subordinate. I always remember something that Jayadvaita Maharaja once told me "defending is an animalistic tendency and I don't like to do it". Whenever I have to defend myself for anything, I always remember him. Thank you Maharaja for that wonderful instruction. So, I kept my defense to a minimum. I was thinking in my mind, "poor guy, he has got up on the wrong side of the bed today, or maybe he is always like this. Pity his poor wife. What sanga she must be having with this gentleman ! Then, he again started a new attack on a technical point and since he was not an engineer and in my team I had my project engineer, he was told off politely that he was absolutely wrong. This put an end to his attacks and the meeting could be rounded off quite cordially. I was happy that the engineer could quote from his "sastra" and break the unfounded argument by someone, even though highly qualified in his own field, was not an expert in the engineering domain.

The lessons I learnt yesterday were many.

People will give you hell, however you try to avoid it ! (dukhalayam asasvatam)

If we are well versed in our sastra as my engineer friend was in his "sastra" we can refute any whimsical theory put forward by others. (je krsna tattva vitta sei guru haya)


Defending is an animalistic tendency. (aahara nidra bhaya maithunam ca )

matra sparsas tu kaunteya !

The climate is chilly, more like icy, I should say. Here in the Middle East, winter is at its best. The rain tops it up with chilly winds - more like hell. I remember Srila Prabhupad's comments about St. Moritz in Switzerland - he called the place St. Hellish ! Because it was so cold. Srila Prabhupada said that hellish planets are very cold. I am getting a taste of it these days. We haven't seen the sun for three days now. Makes one realize the Brahma samhita verse "yacchaksuresa savita sakala grahaanaam, raja samasta sura-murtir asesa teja" - Sun is really the chief of all sura-murtis.

The climate also gives us a chance to practice the Bhagavad Gita verse :
matra sparsas tu kaunteya
sitosna sukha dukha da
agama payino nityas
tam titiksasva bharata
Titiksa or tolerance is very important for devotees - we have to tolerate many things, whether we like it or not ! Think about all the things that we are tolerating for a so-called "better life". So, we need to tolerate some things for a little spiritual advancement as well.

Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi dukha doshanudarshanam

Whenever there is some bodily trouble, it tends to affect the whole self, at least it is that way for me. Of course, I do realise that its the result of high bodily consciousness. I read with great astonishment how Srila Prabhupada was totally unconcerned about his bodily discomforts during the last days of his manifest lila on this planet. So, I say, "kabe habe bolo, sei dina amar" (when will that day be mine !) Its a nice prayer by Thakur Bhakti Vinode.

Whenever I fall sick, (which is quite often ! ) devotees encourage me that I am getting rid of karmic reactions. Well, that may be, but it sure is no fun falling sick. But here is a nice prayer Gokula Gaurangi Devi Dasi gave me to chant :

achyutaananda govinda vishno naaraayana hare
rogan may naashaya asheshan aashu dhanvantari hare

"O Achyutananda, Govinda, Vishnu, Narayana, Hari, Dhanvantari! "
Please destroy all my diseases quickly and completely. "

Of course, we must realize that the material body is bound to become diseased because thats the arrangement of prakrti. But, a fit body definitely helps in discharging devotional service for a neophyte like me, so I am going to pray to Lord Dhanwantari to please give me better health !

Happy (?) New Year !!!

On January 1st, I received many calls, messages and emails - all wishing me a happy new year. Its a nice wish people tend to make at the beginning of every year. They tell each other, "I wish you a very happy new year". Its equally nice for the speaker and hearer.

Now, here is the catch ! Everyone "wishes" for a "happy" "new" year. Its a wish, it means, the happiness in not within our control, nor is there anything new about the year that comes ! Now, the whole statement takes a new turn. Everyone wishes to be happy, but we understand from scriptures that this material world is "padam padam yad vipadam". There is danger at every step. So, beware ! Everyone is stressed and anxious about the future and this leads to a constant state of unrest in the mind. "asantasya kutha sukham" ! For one who has no peace, where is the question of happiness ? Get the point !!!

As Srila Prabhupada would say, "better to chant Hare Krishna, thats all".

So, HARE KRISHNA !