Sunday Chat: One should accept their prescribed duty (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Vrindavan, India, 17 november 2013

Gurumaharaj

You are not a clockwork, by Bhakta Tom

On Christmas Eve I went to church, and in his sermon the priest challenged atheism by bringing up the question of which came first - the Word or the World. In other words, does consciousness arise from matter or vice versa? One year ago this question made me abandon atheism and led me towards Krishna Consciousness, so I will share my own take on it.

A story about sadhu-sanga, by Bhakta Tom

Since you are reading this, you have probably met a saintly person who made you feel warm inside, and you are looking for more of this contagious warmth. The truth is, we live in a very cold place, so it is essential for us to seek warmth.

 

Prema Satsang with Swami B.A. Sridhar Maharaj

Prema Satsang with Swami B.A. Sridhar Maharaj

Saturday December 28, 17.00

Satsang means company with an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the highest Truth. Prema means Divine Love.

Swami B.A. Sridhar Maharaj is a sannyasi visiting from Poland, disciple of Srila Prabhupada and Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj, and an old and dear friend of Nimaihuset. This time he is coming directly from 3 months in Vrindavan, charged with spiritual power to share with us.

The bhaktas (devotee-hangarounds) from restaurant Thali will cook!

Come join the satsang in Nimaihuset – sing devotional songs, hear Maharaj's lecture on the highest Truth, ask questions, and afterwards take prasadam (sanctified food) with us!

The satsang does not cost anything but donations are gladly accepted.

Nimaihuset

Adress: Underåsgatan 24, Gårda, Göteborg

Karta / Map: http://kartor.eniro.se/m/nJ5i0 

Telefon: 031 - 405 108

E-mail: nimai.arts@gmail.com

Brahma-Samhita das visits from Bulgaria

  Our dear Godbrother Brahma-Samhita das, 

co-founder of Nimaihuset, nowadays resident in Bulgaria

and together with his wife Bhakti Shakti devi dasi presiding the

temple in Sofia, last 6 months travelling secretary of Gurumaharaj,

visits Sweden and gives lecture in Nimaihuset. 

Topic of the lecture is 'Fellow students in the most prestigious university of life'. 

Saturday december 21st, 17.00, in Nimaihuset

As usual we also sing bhajans before,

and afterwards a sanctified vegetarian meal (prasadam) is served

 

 Welcome!

Selected Posts on Krishna Consciousness (22): Go straight there, don't break your journey anywhere (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

Excerpt from Inner fulfilment 

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Srila Prabhupada's disappearance day in Vrinda Kunja, Vrindavan

From our Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj's temple in Vrindavan, with among others His sannyasi-disciples Srila B.V. Sadhu Maharaj and Nimaihuset's dear frequent guest Srila B.A. Sridhar Maharaj.

 

Big thank you, jay and haribol to Madhavendra Puri das for the clips!

Prema Bhakti + Srila Sridhar Maharaj (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj from Mayapur this morning)

 

"I was an impersonalist, I only knew about Brahman, I knew about moksha (liberation). [---] And then you start hearing about prema bhakti (spontaneous loving devotion to The Absolute / Krishna consciousness). Oh-oh... What is that? What is prema bhakti? ...It's more than a quantum jump, I tell you. [---] Yes, this is very, very dangerous... It's so dangerous, that sometimes I long for my impersonalist days. Or not so much them, but for something more easy, more safe to approach The Infinite. But this whole falling in love with The Infinite-topic, it is so advanced, and it doesn't accept anything but full surrender." 

Last 20 minutes, anecdotes about Srila Sridhar Maharaj, including Srila Prabhupada, Srila Sadhu Maharaj and George Harrison. A little internal maybe, but for those who carefully 'whet their cochleas' there is some precious nectar here...

A story about gratitude, by Bhakta Tom

If I am making any progress in Krishna Consciousness, it is only baby steps. Nevertheless, I would like to share a lesson I learned recently, about gratitude to the Lord and His devotees, in the form of a story.

Mind Over Matter

So, I recently stumbled across this exciting article in Mail Online. It is about the biologist Robert Lanza and his ideas about a "biocentric universe" derived from his own studies and the findings in the field of quantum physics.

You can read the article here:

 www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2503370/Quantum-physics-proves-IS-afterlife-claims-scientist.html

And you can read about Professor Robert Lanzas biocentric universe here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biocentric_universe

Are these ideas new? Lets take a look at what the gaudiya vaishnava saint Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaj thinks about the order of matter and mind:

Live under the sky, not under a shed to protect you (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

Srīla Bhakti Rakṣak Srīdhar Mahārāj 

Lust for Krishna's service (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj from Mayapur this morning)

"All this is extremely, extremely auspicious. Extremely, extremely fortunate. You are very fortunate."

Some Nimaihuset blogposts on service:

“I want to serve You, I want to be with You” (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)
“By service” (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)
So the real current is His pastimes (Srila Sridhar Mahraj)
 Service - Samadhi - Lila (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)
Service to the Absolute (Srila B.B. Tirtha Maharaj)
Service, service, service (Srila Sridhar Maharaj) 
Service with and without love (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)
Service, Beauty (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
Service (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj) 

We very much appreciate intelligence (Srila Prabhupada)

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

(from a morning walk in Paris, June 13, 1974)

Kishori Mohan das and Sudevi dasi: "Ki Rupe Paiba Seva"

Amazingly beautiful bhajan by Kishor Mohan das and Sudevi dasi. From the album "Cry for mercy", playing 24/7 in the temple lounge.

Two instructions (Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu)

 

"You should engage yourself in the service of the servants of Krishna and always chant the holy name of Krishna."

—  Sri Krishna Chaitanya (Nimai), Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya lila 16.70

                                   

Sense enjoyment (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj from Vrindavan this morning)

Govardhan Puja in Nimaihuset saturday 2 november!

This day we remember Krishna's pastime of lifting the Govardhan Hill on one finger to protect the residents of Vrindavan from the demigod Indra's rage for being neglected in favour of Krishna, the Absolute, and thus showing His devotees the meaning of the final conclusion of Bhagavad Gita: 

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. 

I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” 

(Bg 18.66)

We will sing bhajans, there will be lecture, there will be arati for Giriraj, and as on every day of the Kartik month we also offer ghee-lamps to Sri Damodar, and afterwards there will be prasadam, with a hill of sweets. 

We start at 17

Welcome!

Srila Sridhar Maharaj Appearance Day Special: Absolute Harmony

Transcription (with minor edits) of an informal talk given by

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj

Srila Sridhar Maharaj on the veranda, talking about Absolute Harmony

*

Harmony, how the things of opposite types can be harmonized by higher principles.

To harmonize things of a particular plane, energy of the higher plane is necessary. Thesis, antithesis — synthesis! Anything — and there must be something anti that. This cannot but be. Some opposition, some opposite conception. Any statement, some opposition, and to harmonize that. Hegel says that this is the process of progress. Progress means this. Whatever there would be — some opposite conception, some opposition, possibility. The possibility of opposition. And then, to do away with the opposition, some greater harmony is necessary. The highest type of harmony is so. The diversity ultimately helps it.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj (biography, links, blog index)

Today is the appearance day of one of the greatest Vaishnavas of recent time and a great favourite in Nimaihuset: Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. 

Your eternal, essential characteristic — that is your religion (Srila Prabhupada)

Excerpt (2) from a lecture on Absolute Love, 

given in Seattle, Washington, October 1968

You have love within you — you want to love somebody. A young boy tries to love a young girl; a young girl tries to love a young boy. This is natural, because the loving propensity is within everybody. But we have created circumstances in which our love is being frustrated. Everyone is frustrated — husbands, wives, boys, girls. Everywhere there is frustration, because our loving propensity is not being utilized properly. Why? Because we have forgotten to love the Supreme Person. That is our disease.

From tiger to rat (Srila Prabhupada)

Excerpt (1) from a lecture on Absolute Love, 

given in Seattle, Washington, October 1968 

Srila Prabhupada describes being in maya/illusion — taking something for what it is not and start acting on that: imagining, creating and responding. A rope in the dark may look like a snake; if I believe it and start acting on that, then that is called being in maya. When we forget Krishna, the only thing that there is, this is what happens. It's either Krishna consciousness or maya consciousness, either the rope consciousness or the snake consciousness.

Selected Posts on Krishna Consciousness (20): Service, service, service (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

Excerpt from Inner fulfilment

I can go up to somewhere higher (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

Excerpt from Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Vol III

Srila Sridhar Maharaj and 

Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj (Gurumaharaj) (left)

Vrindavan (Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur)

Goloka Vrindavan, Krishna’s own abode – is it real? I was about to say “Just as real as this ’place’”, but that is wrong; it is the Source of Reality, as opposed to this faint, diluted shadow of Reality. How do you “go” there? It’s easy. You raise and purify your consciousness by chanting the Maha Mantra, you change your spirit and activity from enjoying/exploiting/consuming, to serving/dedicating/giving, and you follow the instructions of the Spiritual Master, Krishna manifesting in a soul surrendered to Him, to lead you to Him.

*

Vrindavan

A rare poem by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thākur

(Written on 18 July 1871 in Śrī Purī Dhām,

published in Śrī Gaudīya Darśan on 12 August 1957)

Srila Prabhupada in New York

Tompkins Square Park, New York 1966.

A pure devotee in the material world, 

representing the highest realm of the spiritual world 

in New York City, the very centre of the spirit of enjoying (maya).

Vertiginous.

Srila Prabhupada on the blog here

Vyasa Puja 2013

Vyasa Puja

Saturday 12th October

Nimaihuset 

17.00

This saturday we celebrate the appearance day  of our Gurudeva, 

Srila Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Maharaj,

founder of Vrinda Mission and co-founder of World Vaishnava Association

* 

There will be music meditation, lecture, arati and puspanjali (ceremonies of worship), and afterwards prasadam (sanctified vegetarian food)

* 

The feast does not cost anything, but donations are gladly accepted

* 

Welcome! 

Gurumaharaj in Mallorca (August 2013) singing to Srimati Radharani

This is Gurumaharaj's poem "Commentary to the Maha Mantra" that we posted some time ago – here.
Very beautiful lyrics. Very beautiful music. And singing. Better. Than. Ever.

”Been here before” — When bhakti takes over the mind (Swami B.V. Tripurari)

Excerpt from “Be Like Water”

(Brackets and links by Nimaihuset)

By Swami B. V. Tripurari

"He is so merciful. I don't know why" (Srila B.V. Sadhu Maharaj)

From Vrindavan last week: Srila Sadhu Maharaj on His appearance day praising His sannyasa-guru Srila B.A: Paramadvaiti Maharaj (07.09 – 15.38). Some great quotes and beautiful stories adding to the picture of our Gurumaharaj. 

Film by Nimaihuset friend Madhavendra Puri das

Swami B.A. Sridhar Special!

Swami B.A. Sridhar Maharaj opens for Gurumaharaj (Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj) in the temple basement, doing the Maha Mantra on guitar in his own fantastic, bluesy way, accompanied by some groovy beats, handclaps, and a childlike-sounding choir of response-singing devotees. The best interpretation of the Nimaihuset vibe ever! So good that Yours Truly can not believe it.

Prema Satsang in Nimaihuset with Swami B.A. Sridhar Maharaj

Prema Satsang with Swami B.A. Sridhar Maharaj

Saturday October 5, 17.00

Satsang means company with an assembly of persons who listen to, talk about, and assimilate the highest Truth.

Prema means Divine Love.

Swami B.A. Sridhar Maharaj is a sannyasi (Vaishnava monk) visiting from Poland, disciple of Srila Prabhupada and Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj, and an old and dear friend of Nimaihuset.

The bhaktas (devotee-hangarounds) from restaurant Thali will cook!

Come join the satsang in Nimaihuset – sing devotional songs, hear Maharaj's lecture on the highest Truth, ask questions, and afterwards take prasadam (sanctified food) with us!

The satsang does not cost anything but donations are gladly accepted.

Nimaihuset

Adress: Underåsgatan 24, Gårda, Göteborg

Karta / Map: http://kartor.eniro.se/m/nJ5i0 

Telefon: 031 - 405 108

E-mail: nimai.arts@gmail.com

"Don't try to analyze this..." (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

“...But don't get the idea that the drop is the ocean.”

Fragment of a great class in the Berlin temple. 

Devotional service is on an Absolute level (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Gurumaharaj in Bulgaria, July 2013,

giving class on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.5.17

“Whether you have all the material desires, or no material desires, 

or you have the desire for liberation from the material sufferings –

regardless, it is recommended that you serve Krishna.”

Selected Posts on Krishna Consciousness (19): In a particular direction that cannot be traced by any loss or gain of this world (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

Excerpt from Follow the Angels

Srila Srdihar Maharaj - Vaisnava

Appendix to Donations (1): Felix

Adopted cat Felix. (His former name was Fenix. Why would you name a cat after a bird?) Saved by temple devotee and veterinarian Prema Dhama mataji. Very well-behaved and polite, very loving and sweet, and quite aware. Temple cat for 2 weeks. He loved the temple basement (this he has in common with Gurumaharaj). But now he has a new home: temple devotee Makhan Chor's villa in the countryside. A big old house with many exciting places to hang out in indoors, wild nature with high grass outdoors, and a cat-hatch to come and go as he likes. The best possible home for a cat. That's why his name is Felix: happy. And sadhusanga* and prasadam*. Thank you Krishna for the best possible solution for Felix. For the background story, click here.

* Sadhusanga: click here and here.

* Prasadam: click here and here

*

Photo by Makhan Chor

Who am I, inside out? (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

"When you look in the mirror, you think you see somebody you know. 

We have to understand one thing. We don't really know who we are."

Flea Market in Gauda (Pictures)

Pictures from last week's flea market "Loppis på Gårda"

in the temple backyard, where we served prasadam

The portal to Nimaihuset’s backyard in the area Gårda (pronounced 
just like Gauda, Lord Nimai’s whereabouts).
Wonky but beautiful, as everything about this place.

Everything is sweet (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

In this fantastic informal talk on his veranda, Srila Sridhar Maharaj describes how to make your transition from the path of this nether-world to the path to the Gracious World, from the land of bondage to the Land of Freedom, in 3 easy steps. You can start from wherever you are.

1. Stop acting on a personal agenda. Do your duties, your responsibilities, what's "on your table", but don't cash in the fruits from it.

2. Accept your karma as it comes to you, without resistance or trying to enjoy it.

3. Think of Krishna, the Supersoul/Superconsciousness, the Absolute Person, the Supreme Will behind the Universal Flow, and surrender everything to Him. Chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is the best method for that. If you want to add power to it, think of its inner meaning as "Please let me be an instrument of Your love".

Then just watch your surroundings change, and follow what unfolds in that flow. 

*

Srila Sridhar Maharaj

Everything is Sweet

(27 July 1982)