Tilakam Madhuram

We are on the way back from the temple, from the Sunday feast program. We are out of milk and I need to get it for Monday but wait a minute I am draped in a sari, with a bright tilaka adorning the ajna chakra covered by the layers of flesh and skin - my forehead. I pass a palm over my forehead trying to clear up the tilaka before I can enter the grocery store. "What will people think of my appearance!"

That was my initial reaction when I started putting on the tilaka. Nowadays, it doesn't really matter, I'm less conscious of my bodily appearance and am immune to the stares and glances of onlookers. The Urdva Pundra or the Tilaka is one of the 5 items received at the time of initiation, where a Vaisnava can adorn his body with tilaka.

The smrti-sastras explain panca-samskara in the following manner:
tapah pundram tatha nama mantro yagas ca pancamah/ami hi panca-samskarah paramaikanti-hetavah//
"Tapa, pundra, nama, mantra, and yaga-these five items comprise panca-samskara. They are the cause of intense devotion to Lord Hari." [3]
When a faithful person learns about panca-samskara, he approaches a religious teacher and humbly requests him for initiation, or diksa. After considering the student's sincerity, the teacher mercifully gives tapa and pundra to the student in order to sanctify his body. Some religious groups give tapa by marking the student's body in various places with the symbols of Sri Visnu's conch, disc, club and lotus using hot iron brands. Other religious groups imprint the name of Hari with clay using a sandalwood stamp. [In reference to tapa the smrti sastras further state:
hari-namaksarair gatram ankayet candanadina/sa loka-pavano bhutva tasya lokam avapnuyat// [4]
"One who marks his body with the syllables of Hari's name using sandal paste purifies the world and after death attains the kingdom of God."
[In the Sri Sampradaya of Ramanuja tapa is given by branding the body with the symbols of conch and disc, but Sri Caitanyadeva has instructed that we mark the body with Harinama using sandal paste etc. instead of brands. This rule is a blessing for the souls of kali-yuga.]
Pundra, or tilaka marks, are vertical lines drawn on the body. The sastras interpret these vertical marks either as symbols representing the Temple of Hari, or as His footprints. Accordingly each religious group has its own prescription for pundra which is universally accepted within that particular group. [5]

So when my daughter's friend came home the other day, she looked at my daughter first and said what is this mark you have on your forehead. She then entered and looked at a picture of prabhupada with the same mark, Guru Maharaja with the same mark, Jayananda Thakura and said why do so many guys have this strange mark. The typical third generation preacher that she is my daughter said to her " You know we follow a different religion." Pointing to the altar she said, " There are more guys in there with the same mark, but you have to be clean before you can open it." I let her do the talking. It is all in the eyes of the beholder, some people think its bird poo, others think its a weird paint, but Vallabhacharya has said it all in his Madhurastakam, and since we follow the Lord our business is to be reminded and remind others of Him at all times through our words and actions and appearance.

Gitam madhuram pitam madhurambhuktam madhuram suptam madhuramrupam madhuram tilakam madhurammadhur-adipater akhilam madhuram
His song is sweet, His drinking is sweet, His eating is sweet, His sleeping is sweet,His beautiful form is sweet, His Tilaka (mark on the forehead) is sweet,Everything is completely sweet about the Lord of Sweetness.
Text5

Narasimha Chaturdasi

Since the actual day of Narasimha Chaturdasi was a weekday we celebrated it at the property which will someday house our Radha Krishna in a temple. Here are some pictures of the celebrations.

Our Ugra and Jwala Narasimha Shilas.

Our Pancha loha Lakshmi Narasimha deva deity.

Radha Gokulananda surrounded with mustard blossoms

The Grass IS greener on the other side!

My sister and her family visited us en route, on a tour of America. When relatives visit it is always bittersweet. My sister (who is a good eight years older than me), or for that matter no one from my family can relate to the fact that I am no longer the person that I used to be. In the high school years of my sister, my parents received a complaint from the teachers that she was not paying enough attention to her studies. She was so attached to her new younger sibling; me... that she she was neglecting her studies and consequently scoring less marks. She still sees me as that little younger sister and is not able to fathom my affiliation to ISKCON or my fascination for Krishna and His pastimes.

As discussions always take the familiar route she said, "Why don't you'll come back to India?" I tried evading this all too familiar question smiling and serving them more upma. As if to highlight this fact that this is not the place where I should be, that very same evening when we went to the park,

My sister and her family with Vrinda.

some kids threw an empty can at us as they passed us by in their car and also swore at us using foul language. My sister was a little taken aback. I offered silent prayers to Srila Prabhupada and Jayananda Thakura, to give me strength to see those kids as lost souls. Jayananda Prabhu was expert at converting negative situations to positive ones and he is my role model,the very personification of humility. However my sister's question kept tormenting me especially since I keep expressing so much reluctance to go back and reside in a place like Mayapur. In Mayapur, the chances of someone swearing and throwing an empty can at us is naught! What is it that I'm holding on to and why do I fear going back? It is not that I have lived in a city all my life and won't be able to adjust to a secluded life. I am not able to submit to the will of the Lord and do as He desires. I want to be the controller and therefore have to pay the price in terms of mental torture. The park incident did cause some pain and some understanding that I don't belong here. The grass IS greener on the other side. When will I be able tear off the layers of conditioning and realize this. When will I give up my comfort zone and allow myself to be utilized like a puppet in His hands?

When will I be able to understand this whole existence on this planet is but a temporary transit lounge? Please do not let me get comfortable. I need the association of sadhus who will cut to shreds with their words my false ego and make me realize my place. Incidents like this make me wake up a little but I go back to sleep again comfortably! Ohe Vaisnava Thakura, Doyara Sagara E Dase Karuna Kori.

(1)ohe! vaiṣṇaba ṭhākura, doyāra sāgara,e dāse koruṇā kori'diyā pada-chāyā, śodho he āmāya,tomāra caraṇa dhori

(2)chaya bega domi', chaya doṣa śodhi',chaya guṇa deho' dāsechaya sat-sańga, deho' he āmāre,bosechi sańgera āśe

(3)ekākī āmāra, nāhi pāya bala,hari-nāma-sańkīrtanetumi kṛpā kori', śraddhā-bindu diyā,deho' kṛṣṇa-nāma-dhane

(4)kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dīte pāro,tomāra śakati ācheāmi to' kāńgāla, 'kṛṣṇa' 'kṛṣṇa' boli',dhāi tava pāche pāche

TRANSLATION
1) O venerable Vaisnava. O ocean of mercy, be merciful unto your servant. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify me. I hold on to your lotus feet.

2) Teach me to control my six passions; rectify my six faults, bestow upon me the six qualities, and offer unto me the six kinds of holy association.*

3) I do not find the strength to carry on alone the sankirtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the holy name of Krsna.

4) Krsna is yours. You have the power to give Him to me. I am simply your servant running behind you shouting, "Krsna! Krsna!"

REMARKS/EXTRA INFORMATION:
*The six passions are those pertaining to words, the mind, anger, the tongue, the stomach and the genitals. The six faults are overeating, attachment to material things, inability to follow regulative principles, sense gratification, useless idle talk, and impure habits. The six positive qualities are enthusiasm in practicing devotional service, firm faith in devotional processes, a strong desire to attain prema-bhakti, a favorable service attitude, avoidance of non-devotees, and appreciation of the company of devotees. The six methods of association are to go to an assembly of devotees, to invite devotees into one's home, to discuss and hear devotional topics, to take the maha-prasada of devotees and to offer maha-prasada to devotees.

The Rocking Horse

About 2 weeks ago as I was listening to the Nectar of Devotion class, part of our Bhakti Shastri program, the topic of discussion was Mercy. How without Mercy we cannot go anywhere in our spiritual life.

Mercy according to webster's is: A blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion.

Mercy comes in many ways, we only have to recognize it. My mind was conjuring up images of a stationary rocking horse and a swift steed...

I mounted the horse gingerly,

Adjusting my boots and hat

The horse was colorful and enchanting.

I thought I would gallop past hills and vales

Filled with bright flowers that danced and swayed

All I could see was my garden;

With yellow dandelions and grass so green.

Along came Guru and Vaisnavas

Swinging the wand of MERCY

Singing the Mantra for Freedom

The rocking horse so shiny,

Transformed into a sturdy steed

With a lustrous mane and a powerful gait

First he trotted, then he ran, then he galloped

To a faraway land,

Filled with enchanting sights

I dared not breathe but held on tight

It was clear that he was headed for Krishnaland!

Had I not received such mercy

I would be still rocking

Not moving an inch I would be standing still

Such is the mercy of Guru and Vaisnavas,

Who accelerate our journey by leaps and bounds

Taking us to a land where peace abounds.