Guardians of Mother Earth (Srila BA Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj from Italy earlier this year, on his transcendental welfare work with making people wake up and take responsibility, the first step towards freedom, love, and self realization.

The basics again

I. 
Going Home

Going back to home, back to Godhead, is our only target. There is nothing else to do here.

— Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj 

_________________________________________________________________

II.
Two instructions

(Follow the links)

You should engage yourself in the service of the servants of Krishna 

and always chant the holy name of Krishna. 

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

What is Maya? (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

What is Maya?

From an informal talk by
Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

12 May 1982

*

What we conceive, what we feel, what we trust, what we believe — 

not only what we read but also what we believe —

 when it is not in consonance with the universal reading, 

then it is māyā.

*

Proposal and disposal: one goes up and the other comes down. They are waves. Suggestion and acceptance. All are His līlā [play].

naiva tasya kṛtenārtho nākṛteneha kaśchana
na chāsya sarva-bhūteṣu kaśchid artha-vyapāśrayaḥ
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 3.18)

Vi-apa-āśrayaḥ: all waves are welcome when one can can read their meaning, their deeper meaning.

Christmas Tables 2015!

Time again for the yearly Christmas Tables!

A Nimaihuset tradition from 2007 for our friends
and their friends too.

  
 A colour-dazzling vegetarian (mostly vegan) buffet, 

with traditional and less traditional christmas-tastes from 

the four corners of the world, in Gothenburg's coziest little temple!

*

2 occasions:

Sunday 13th December, 13-22

Thursday 17th December, 15-22

Price: 150 SEK

*

For booking (required) and details,

phone: 

031–405 108

or mail: 

nimai.arts@gmail.com

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Map: [Click]

 
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A   S p o o n   R e v o l u t i o n   o p e r a t i o n

Bliss Festival 2015, Educational & Environmental Program (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Srila Gurumaharaj about Mother Earth, Rights of Nature, veganism, eco villages, eco farming, world conscious movements networking, and more. "Reflecting the Srimad Bhagavatam's teaching in a practical application".

From Bliss Festival 2015 (17th November) in Vrindavan. 

(The sound is a little bad in the beginning but gets better after a while)

Purport to Jaya Radha-Madhava (Srila Prabhupada)

Today is the disappearance day of the world acharya and Guru of our Guru Srila Abhay Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (presentation etc here, mission statement here, blog archive here). Here is a favorite: Prabhupada's purport to the song Jaya Radha-Madhava, about Krishna in Vrindavan, His original form (not an expansion or incarnation).

*

The whole residents of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa. They do not know anything else. They do not know that Kṛṣṇa is God, or not. Neither they are very much harassed that "I shall love Kṛṣṇa if He is God." "He may be God or He may be whatever He is. It doesn't matter, but we love Kṛṣṇa." That's all. That is called unnalloyed love. "If Kṛṣṇa is God, then I shall love Him" — this is conditional love. This is not pure love. Kṛṣṇa may be God or whatever He may be, but by His wonderful acts the Vrajavāsīs [inhabitants of Vṛndāvana] they are thinking, 
"Oh Kṛṣṇa, he is very wonderful child. Maybe some demigod."

* 

TRANSCRIPT

Jaya Radha-Madhava (Srila Prabhupada)

Govardhana Celebration Saturday 14 November

Nimaihuset's very dear Sri Giri Raj

On Saturday we celebrate Krishna's earthly pastime of lifting the Govardhana Hill on His little finger, to protect the residents of Vrindavan from the demigod Indra's rage over being neglected in favor of Krishna – the Absolute, the Source of Consciousness, the Original and Supreme Person (a.k.a. God). Thus showing His devotees the meaning of the last instruction and 
final conclusion of the 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)

There will be kirtan, Bhakti Sakti Mataji gives lecture, we will make arati for our very dear Giriraj, and as on every day of the Kartik month we also offer ghee-lamps to Sri Damodara. 
Afterwards some fine prasadam will be served, 
with a hill of sweets. 

17.00!

Welcome!

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

"We have to understand one thing. We don't really know who we are."
Gurumaharaj in arty clip from a lecture in Bulgaria, skillfully framing you. 

There is the day, and there is the night. Two different lives. And then each day is also a little different. And every night is also quite different.

Where do you really live?

Who are you really?

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

We have to understand one thing. In our normal life, we don't really know who we are.

We also don't take into consideration who we are.

We only look at the body. And we become worried about the body.

We are not the awakening, we are not the sleeping. We are the conscious soul. 

That soul which has an independent existence of this body.

The materialistic philosophy is beg, borrow or steal.

Get deed and enjoy life.

Eat, sleep and be merry. Beg, borrow or steal.

This is what our life nowadays is like.

Because we are in the age of Kali Yuga. 
This time is dominated by the spirit of exploitation. Rampant materialism.

And we are suffering from that. Because when people want to enjoy, they become crazy.

So if we preach the philosophy of dedication, to God and to humanity, we are actually trying to save people from a very negative future. Actually trying to awaken people to the reality of themselves a spirit units, conscious units.

All your life you worship this body. 

And when the conscious unit leaves, you want to throw away the body.

Do we first need to die to realize that we are not this body?

Or maybe we can try to understand it before, by listening carefully.

But if you want to listen carefully, you have to stop the materialistic lifestyle. 
And that's what people don't want to do.

Absolute Harmony: JS Bach's Air and Srila Sridhar Maharaj from the veranda (Repost from 2012)

I don't remember what came first, if JS Bach's Air reminded me of Srila Sridhar Maharaj's talk about Absolute Harmony or the other way around. But in either case, here is Bach's Air, a piece of music that most people would think of as the epitome of harmony, but which is actually full of dissonances, all the time. And below, an excerpt from Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Absolute Harmony, where there is talk of how in the Absolute even discord is harmonized.

In this clip the disharmonies can be visually seen in graphics. Every time the white rectangles touch, that is disharmony – friction, two notes of two incompatible movements meeting and creating dissonance (like in 2.36–2.50). But you won't really notice, because as listener you are following the greater movement of the piece, and you will anticipate the greater harmony that the piece itself is both promising and delivering, and in that way harmonize the discord. At 2:47 and 4:19 the discord is extra pronounced (and can be given more stress by the conductor than in this version).

*

Excerpt from Absolute Harmony (transcription)

 

Absolute Harmony (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

Today is the appearance day of one of the greatest Vaishnavas of recent time, the sannyasa guru of our guru Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj, and a great favourite in Nimaihuset: Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. And the blog gives you another precious gem: Absolute Harmony, a talk from his veranda in Navadvip, wherein he expounds on the harmonizing capacity of the Krishna conception of the Absolute, which supersedes the mere Oneness of impersonal Brahman.
This is Srila Sridhar Maharaj as we know him. The philosopher and the poet, deep-diving and high-flying, yet practical and down to earth. Soft, low-voiced and relaxed, yet intense, concentrated and exacting. And underlying it all: his main teaching surrender – unconditional – and the unyielding focus on beauty.

*

Transcription (with minor edits)

Glorification of Srila Sridhar Maharaj

Pranam mantra

devaṁ divya-tanuṁ suchanda-vadanaṁ bālārka-chelāñchitaṁ
sāndrānanda-puraṁ sad-eka-varanaṁ vairāgya-vidyāmbudhim
śrī-siddhānta-nidhiṁ subhakti-lasitaṁ sārasvatānām varaṁ
vande taṁ śubhadaṁ mad-eka-śaraṇaṁ nyāsīśvaraṁ śrīdharam

“I offer my obeisance unto my lord, Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, whose speech is most pleasing; whose divine form is adorned with garments the colour of the newly-risen sun; who is an abode of intense, ecstatic devotion; who is the sole choice of the sadhus; who is an ocean of renunciation and knowledge; who is a treasure-house of perfect conclusions; who is resplendent with pure devotion; who is the best of the followers of Srila Saraswati Thakur; who is the giver of all good; who is the leading general of the tridandi-sannyasis; and who is my sole shelter.”

Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaj – Biography, links, blog archive

Radha Kunda Kirtan with Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj

Today is the appearance day of Radha Kunda, according to the acaryas the holiest place in the universe, and the blog gives you a precious gem: Gurumaharaj and disciples in a great kirtan from Radha Kunda on the evening of the appearance day 2012.

Kartik in Nimaihuset

Today starts the holy Kartik month and the worship of Krishna as child Sri Damodara.

Mother Yashoda and Baby Krishna Sri Damodara

During Kartik, from 27th October to 25th November, the program in Nimaihuset is as follows.

MORNINGS:
6.00: We sing Sri Damodarastakam and offer ghee-lamps to Sri Damodara. Afterwards, the regular morning program, with Skype-sanga at 7.00 as usual together with the Bulgarian yatra, where we read from Srimad Bhagavatam and talk and share. To join the morning sanga, just connect via Skype. 

Skype name: Jaiva Dharma.

EVENINGS:
18.00: We sing Sri Damodarastakam and offer ghee-lamps to Sri Damodara. 
18.30: Brahma-Samhita prabhu gives lecture via Skype on Sri Siksastakam, the only writing Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ("Nimai") left to the world: the essence of all Vedas and the core of Krishna Consciousness.
Skype name: Jaiva Dharma.

WEDNESDAYS:
Small Wednesday feast. Evening program as usual at 18, and afterwards some small prasadam.

AND:
Every morning at 2.30 AM swedish time Srila Gurumaharaj gives lecture from Vrindavan on Skype. 
Skype name: VRINDABANDAS108.

Sri Damodarastakam (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj) with Sri Sanatana Goswami's purport

Sri Damodarastakam, sung by Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj. With lyrics in sanskrit, translation, and Sri Sanatana Goswami's fantastic purport.

This song, originally spoken by Satyavrata Muni in a conversation with Narada Muni and Saunaka Rsi, is sung during the Month of Kartik, also known as the month of Damodara. As quoted in the Sri Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa, "In the month of Kartika one should worship Lord Damodara and daily recite the prayer known as Damodarastakam, which has been spoken by the sage Satyavrata and which attracts Lord Damodara. (Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.16.198)."

LYRICS

Sri Damodarastakam (Srila Gurumaharaj) (short)

   

(1) 
namāmīśvaraḿ sac-cid-ānanda-rūpaḿ
lasat-kuṇḍalaḿ gokule bhrājamanam
yaśodā-bhiyolūkhalād dhāvamānaḿ
parāmṛṣṭam atyantato drutya gopyā

(2)
rudantaḿ muhur netra-yugmaḿ mṛjantam
karāmbhoja-yugmena sātańka-netram
muhuḥ śvāsa-kampa-trirekhāńka-kaṇṭha-
sthita-graivaḿ dāmodaraḿ bhakti-baddham

(3)
itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe
sva-ghoṣaḿ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam
tadīyeṣita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaḿ
punaḥ prematas taḿ śatāvṛtti vande

(4)
varaḿ deva mokṣaḿ na mokṣāvadhiḿ vā
na canyaḿ vṛṇe ‘haḿ vareṣād apīha
idaḿ te vapur nātha gopāla-bālaḿ
sadā me manasy āvirāstāḿ kim anyaiḥ

(5)
idaḿ te mukhāmbhojam atyanta-nīlair
vṛtaḿ kuntalaiḥ snigdha-raktaiś ca gopyā
muhuś cumbitaḿ bimba-raktādharaḿ me
manasy āvirāstām alaḿ lakṣa-lābhaiḥ

(6)
namo deva dāmodarānanta viṣṇo
prasīda prabho duḥkha-jālābdhi-magnam
kṛpā-dṛṣṭi-vṛṣṭyāti-dīnaḿ batānu
gṛhāṇeṣa mām ajñam edhy akṣi-dṛśyaḥ

(7)
kuverātmajau baddha-mūrtyaiva yadvat
tvayā mocitau bhakti-bhājau kṛtau ca
tathā prema-bhaktiḿ svakāḿ me prayaccha
na mokṣe graho me ‘sti dāmodareha

(8)
namas te ‘stu dāmne sphurad-dīpti-dhāmne
tvadīyodarāyātha viśvasya dhāmne
namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai
namo ‘nanta-līlāya devāya tubhyam

Turning lust into love (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Srila Gurumaharj in a great lecture from Vrindavan 27 mars 2006, about absorbing the mind: in material activities, which lead to bondage, or in spiritual, which lead to liberation, and the goal: love.

"My satisfaction – that is called lust. When our attachment, our desire, goes to Krishna – it becomes love. So what is the subject? Turning lust into love. It's the whole idea of spiritual life, the essence, the substance, the daily struggle. Turning lust into love."

Radha Kunda and Syama Kunda

Nimaihuset's Gandharvika Sundarim devi dasi and Bhagavata Purana das have expanded their griha under the shelter of Srila Gurumaharaj with children, 2 at the same time: twins Radha Kunda and Syama Kunda, to be raised in Krishna consciousness. Congratulations to high-quality devotional service 24/7 for the next 20 years or so! And welcome Radha K and Syama K to the Vrinda Family and Sweden yatra!

 Radha Kunda and Syama Kunda

Srila Prabhupada

First meeting with Srila Prabhupada in Paris (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Today is the appearance day of our Gurumaharaj Srila Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Swami, founder of Vrinda Mission and co-founder of World Vaisnava Association. 
A presentation of him can be found here. 
Blog archive (2007-2015) with lectures, chats, bhajans, pictures and more here.
In this audio he talks about his first meeting with his spiritual master Srila Prabhupada and the meaning of life. (From Berlin the 6th August 2011)
 

"What are you living for? Why are you here? What gives meaning to your life? Where do you want to deposit your service?"

"I want to serve Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, because His message is love – love for all."

"[Prabhupada said] 'The vani [teachings] is more important than the vapu [body/direct association]. My teachings are the most important. Some people are half a meter from me and don't understand me at all, while others are very far from me and they're right next to my heart. Therefore I order you, you dedicate your life to take this message to others in the world.'"

*

namah om visnupadaya divya-jnana pradayine 

srimate paramadvaiti swamine nyasi rupine

saranagata bhaktebya suddha-bhakti vidayine 

visuddha bhaktisiddhanta dhara-dhara nisevine

Guru – Simultaneously Absolute and Relative (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

There are two aspects of the guru – the absolute and the relative. On the "inspired" side, the guru is absolute, God, and within his own thinking he is a devotee of Krishna: relative, a spirit soul, part and parcel of Krishna (the Absolute). Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaj, the sannyasa-guru of our gurudeva Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj, explains.

 Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaj

From Sri Guru and His Grace

By the special will of Krsna, gurudeva is a delegated power. If we look closely within the spiritual master, we will see the delegation of Krsna, and accordingly, we should accept him in that way. The spiritual master is a devotee of Krsna, and at the same time, the inspiration of Krsna is within him. These are the two aspects of gurudeva. He has his aspect as a Vaisnava, and the inspired side of a Vaisnava is the guru. On a fast day like ekadasi, he himself does not take any grains. He conducts himself as a Vaisnava, but his disciples offer grains to the picture of their guru on the altar. The disciple offers the spiritual master grains even on a fast day.

The disciple is concerned with the delegation of the Lord, the guru‘s inner self, his inspired side. The inspired side of a Vaisnava is acarya, or guru. The disciple marks only the special, inspired portion within the guru. He is more concerned with that part of his character. But gurudeva himself generally poses as a Vaisnava. So, his dealings towards his disciples and his dealings with other Vaisnavas will be different. This is acintya-bhedabheda, inconceivable unity and diversity.

Vyasapuja 2015 – Appearance Day of Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj

 

Welcome to celebrate Vyasapuja with us, 

the Appearance Day of our spiritual master 

Srila Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Maharaj

The real day is Monday the 12th October 

 but the official celebration will be on 

Saturday the 10th

We will sing bhajans (devotional songs), 
give appraisals to our Gurudeva, and make arati (ceremonial greeting) and puspanjali (flower petal rain), and afterwards we take prasadam – sanctified vegetarian feast-food

17.00 in Nimaihuset!

Warm welcome everyone and anyone!

Srimati Radharani's Mercy (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

On Srimati Radharani's appearance day: Srila Gururmaharaj in Seva Kunja, Vrindavan, telling the pastime of how Srimati Radharani lost a foot bracelet one night in the groves of Seva Kunja, and the sad devotee "Dukhi" (sad) Krishna Das sweeping the groves found it, was personally graced by Srimati Radharani Herself, named by Her Shyamananda Prabhu, and given a unique tilaka, with the shape of Her foot and a mark between the tilaka-lines of the form of an ankle bell, and a Deity, manifested from Her heart.

how Krishna Dasa received Radharani's mercy, the name Shyamananda, and his unique tilaka mark - See more at: http://gaudiyahistory.com/sri-syamananda-prabhu/#sthash.fkWQaSHX.dpuf

how Krishna Dasa received Radharani's mercy, the name Shyamananda, and his unique tilaka mark - See more at: http://gaudiyahistory.com/sri-syamananda-prabhu/#sthash.fkWQaSHX.dpuf

how Krishna Dasa received Radharani's mercy, the name Shyamananda, and his unique tilaka mark - See more at: http://gaudiyahistory.com/sri-syamananda-prabhu/#sthash.fkWQaSHX.dpuf

Beautiful, soft.  
Jay Sri Radhe!

The Perfection of Yoga (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Yoga.* Gurumaharaj from Kurukshetra, Berlin, 2013. Intimate, sweet, to the core.

"Deep yoga, inbound yoga – there you find your priorities."

Sri Radhastami Celebration

On Monday the 21st September it's Sri Radhastami – the appearance day of Srimati Radharani, the female part of the Divine Couple.

We celebrate this very special day with bhajans (devotional songs), lecture, puspanjali (flower petal rain), arati (Deity greeting), and afterwards some sanctified vegetarian food – prasadam.

We begin at 18.

Warm welcome!

Swedish Mela 2015 (Video)

The swedish mela 2015 – 7 days in May with Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj, documented in a video. Lectures, excursions, 2 first-initiations (our dear Bhakta Tom became Satyavrata Muni das and Madhu Mangala's father became Nanda Maharaj das), 11 second-initiations, a vedic wedding, and more. 
By Siddhanta prabhu.

Linus på linjen / Mr Linea sings the Maha-Mantra

I am speechless. 
Thank you Sudarshan.

Srila Prabhupada – The Beginning

On the appearance day of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada: The Beginning. An un-commented documentary with scenes from the beginning of his mission in America in the mid-sixties. (The first TV-interview, where he states his mission, can be seen here.) And again: the rest is history. 

Nitya-lila pravista om vishnupada paramahamsa pravivrajakacharya astotarasata Sri Srimad Srila Abhay Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupada ki jaya! 

 

Srila Prabhupada on the blog:

A declaration of war against Maya (Letter) 
Accepting Krishna (Conversations)
Associating with the sound incarnation of God (Lecture excerpt)
Begin by engaging the tounge (Lecture)
Devotional service will free you (Lecture) 
Dovetailing with Krishna (Video lecture)
Everyone should be happy (Quote)
From tiger to rat (Lecture)
God consciousness — do like this (Quote + Audio)
Godder than the Hindus (Conversation)
Here is Krishna (Conversation)
I am not this dream (Lecture)
I should act for myself (Excerpt)
Jaya Radha-Madhava (Audio lecture)
Maya (Excerpts)
New York, 1966 (Quote)
Nitai-Pada-Kamala (Audio + Purport)
Paramatma (Excerpts)
Picture 
Plato's cave. And after liberation? (Excerpt, in the commentary)
Rascaldom (1) (Conversation)
Rascaldom (2) (Quote)
Srila Prabhupada cooking for Krishna (Picture)
Srila Prabhupada in New York (Video)
Surrender (Video)
The Brahmana and the Cobbler (Conversation)
The Deity was nicely dressed (Letter)
The first TV interview in New York 1966 (Video)
The Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (Audio + Purport)
The most confidential part of knowledge (Lecture)
The Science of Self Realization (Quote)
We very much appreciate intelligence (Conversation)
Your eternal, essential characteristic — that is your religion (Lecture)
11 hours chanting the Maha Mantra (Audio)
 

Govindam Adi-Purusam (Srila B.A Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Today is Sri Krishna Janmastami, and the blog gives you a gem: Gurumaharaj in Mallorca 2013 singing "Govindam Adi-Purusam", verses 29f of the highly esoteric Sri Brahma Samhita – what Lord Brahma saw of Sri Krishna in his ecstatic trance of pure devotion. 

 

Descending in a straight line of disciplic succession: Lord Brahma's ecstatic descriptions, Sri Jiva Goswami's initiated commentaries on them, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's flashing purports to them, and Gurumaharaj singing them... 
Follow that attraction.

Sri Krishna Janmastami

On Saturday the 5th September we celebrate Sri Krishna Janmastami, the appearance day 5000 years ago of the Source of all Avatars Himself: The Original Person, the Supreme Consciousness, 

the last word of the Absolute Truth, Sri Krishna.

There will be kirtan (congregational devotional songs), lecture about Sri Krishna by Bhakti Shakti Devi Dasi, Children's theatre, abisheka (ceremonial Deity-bathing), arati (Deity greeting), and afterwards Krishna-prasadam – some fine vegetarian, holy food.

The celebration begins at 17.

Warm welcome everyone and anyone!

Balarama Jayanti Celebration

On Saturday 29th August we celebrate Balarama Jayanti, Lord Balarama's appearance day. 

The presence and effulgence of Lord Balarama in a Deity form

Balarama, or Baladeva, is Krishna's first expansion: His big brother in the spiritual world. He is also Sri Guru/the Guru principle, manifesting in the heart of a self-realized soul surrendered to Krishna, to guide the souls in the material world to the spiritual, or more precisely to Vrindavan, the innermost of The Absolute – Krishna-land. 

Come and celebrate with us on Saturday! We will sing bhajans, Brahma-Samhita prabhu gives lecture, there will be arati (altar ceremony), and afterwards we take some fine vegetarian Krishna-prasadam.

17.00

Warm welcome!

Another temporary temple cat

Now and then during summertime the temple expands its range all over Great Gothenburg by means of a 40 square meter big party tent, which we have since Vasudeva's and Arci's wedding and started renting out occasionally after that. Whether it is an actual expansion of the temple itself or an apparent expansion of it as an idea in the Platonic sense, we don't really know. But Gurumaharaj has been in it and sung and given lecture, so vaikuntha sabda – transcendental sound – has filled it, and a fire yajna has been performed in it, so Divine Presence has been there that way too. So maybe. We don't exactly know. But if a cat enters the energy field of the tent, we are inclined to say Lo y'all, another temporary temple cat!

An expansion of the temple. Maybe. In Sätila by Lygnern. 

The renters donated a jar of high quality own-produced honey to the temple.

Lo, y'all! Another temple cat! 

A very friendly little guy, 1-2 years old, pitch black with green eyes.

Very calm, fearless, trusting and sweet.  

Come to the world of love (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Another great intimate lecture from the days around Christmas in Berlin 2011. Gurumaharaj on his favorite topic: Love. 

"Love for God is in your heart already. It's a potential, it just has to be awakened. By what? – You have to hear, you have to listen to the heart, to the words coming from pure-hearted people – those who are pure in purpose, those who love God, who talk about God."

Listen to this.

 (Picture by Rasa Lila dd)

The tent: Vallda. Another perfect day (Pictures)

Vallda the other day, 33 km south of the Temple. Another perfect tent day. Perfect tent conditions: big flat lawn, no special arrangements, nice and quiet area. Perfect tent weather: blue sky, 23 C, a light breeze. As made for a new time record... 

"Siddhanta. Perfect conditions."

"Yup."
"Take timing or enjoy it?
"Enjoy it."

Srila Sridhar Maharaj Disappearance Day

Today is the disappearance day of one of the greatest Vaishnavas of recent time, the sannyasa guru of our guru Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj, and a great favorite in Nimaihuset: Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. 

Srila Prabhupada himself maintained the highest respect and confidence in Srila Sridhar Maharaj (at one time he wanted him for president of Iskcon but Srila Sridhar Maharaj declined), and there is a famous quote by Srila Prabhupada to one of his disciples, recommending him to take direction from Srila Sridhar Maharaj when his own direct guidance was not possible: "I consider Srila Sridhar Maharaj to be my siksa guru, so what to speak of the benefit that you can have by his association." He sang the glories of Srila Sridhar Maharaj by saying "Jaya Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj ki jay!" – a glorification that is only ever offered to one's guru.

A drop of Nectar (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

On Srila Sridhar Maharaj's disappearance day, here is 4 minutes with him from the veranda in Navadvip: A drop of nectar. 

Nectar is something concentrated and sweet that is both fulfilling, satifying, and at the same time creates a desire for more. In this talk Srila Sridhar Maharaj speaks about that. "More... More..." 
This is also an adequate description of the ever-fresh, ever-new talks themselves from Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Sweet, satifying, with some palpable attraction. It's not possible to say exactly what the attraction is, but it creates a desire for more. It's not really the words, what he is speaking about, neither just the sound, the frequenzy or energy of it, but some still excitement and intense attraction by which it is uttered, by which it flows. Which tells of a true connection with That which he speaks about, that seems to be possible to chase by just talking about it. Preferably in terms of unconditional self-surrender, sacrifice, service – love.
Here is a drop of that.

More drops of nectar:

Last week's Saturday Feast (Pictures)

Last week's Saturday Feast we were visited by two friends from Stockholm, Uffe and Raya. Uffe took some pictures.

The lounge on a sunny summer Saturday afternoon

No other business (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)

The Search For Sri Krsna 

Reality The Beautiful 

 By Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaj

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Introduction

Everyone is searching for rasa, pleasure. The status of rasa is the highest. As persons we have our subjective existence, but rasa, pleasure, has His supersubjective existence. He is a person. He is ahkila rasamrta murtih: the reservoir of all pleasure. He is Krsna. Rasa is Krsna. There cannot be rasa in any other place but Krsna. He is the fountainhead of all different types of rasa. So, by the nature of our constitution we have to search after Krsna.