India Series- Mayapur- Sri Jagannatha at Rajapur :)

Our first itinerary consisted of a visit to Sri Jagannath Puri Dham. But plans changed and we just decided to focus on MAYAPUR and Ekacahakra. Sice Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is non different from Sri Radha and Krishna and since the dhams are non different, we just decided to skip Puri, Remuna etc. and just visit Rajapur. With that went all my dreams of honoring malpua and rabri, khaja and kheer. Anyway i resigned myself to the fact that Guru Maharaja might just want it this way. Since our little Jagganth is originally from Mayapur, Ekachakra to be specific, i was just content to visit Rajapur and have Darshana of my Lord there. The ride to Rajapur is a little longer that most others. Seated on a flatbed rikshaw we would chant all the way up to Rajapur. On the way to Rajapur one can see signs for the house of Kolavecha Sridhara. Also seen is a new construction for the upcoming Simantini (Parvati) devi temple.

Vrinda and I would play a guessing game each day, what color dress would Jagannath be wearing today, and He tricked us every single time. The somewhat dense Mango orchards surrounding the temple precincts, remind us of the pastimes when Jagannath and Baladev were caught stealing mangoes. We had the immense good fortune of getting a taste of the extremely delicious Noon Prasadam. The deities Themselves are extremely merciful, especially when it comes to fulfilling desires. Lord Shiva is seen seated in one corner of the courtyard, alongside whom stands the Kalpavriksha tree. On the lower branches of the tree seen hanging are little stones. My curiosity was piqued and I learnt that if we make a wish and hang the stones with a thread onto the tree, our wishes would be fulfilled. Not the one to lose out on any mercy, I scouted for a stone and found a thread, it was a thread maybe plastic, which had fallen loose from a construction bag, maybe a cement bag, I endeavored to tie the stone with the thread, it kept falling off, finally i succeeded. Before the altar of Jagannath could open, i ran up to the tree, Vrinda followed close behind and we tied the thread onto a branch, wishing from my heart..What i wished for is a secret that i will refrain from sharing ;-). But my prayers were eventually granted. All glories to Bhavagrahi Jagannath, All glories to Ashutosh Shiva, All glories to the Kalpavriksha tree that carries the weight of so many desires. Some material, some spiritual!

I realized that when the desires are desires to serve we are not overburdened by them, beacuse of their spiritual nature, but if the desires are material, they are like heavy stones that we carry on backs for lifetimes and we will eventually become overburdened by them. Only a tree of the magnitude of the Kalpavriksha can carry the burden of all material and spiritual desires and not be overburdened. For ourselves, we need to develop that Vyavasatmika buddih, that single pointed focus to be engaged in the srvice of Radha Krishna, by engaging in the service of the holy names. School history lessons flashed across my mind- Desire is the cause for suffering- Gautam Buddha.. Were the stones I tied material or spiritual, only time will tell! Sometimes one can cloak mateial desires in the name of dovetailing in devotional service, but we can't cheat the supreme cheater.

India Series- Sridham Mayapur

Mayapur: The Place that every Gaudiya Vaisnava devotee longs to go. It was our third trip to Mayapur and the most interesting one. As soon as we were on the road to Mayapur, we saw a hearse. The gross way in which the glass covering exposes the body for all to see somewhat disturbed me, even though such things are common place in India where i come from. It was soon replaced by the beauty of the place. On the way to the ISKCON Chandrodaya temple are the lush green fields. Occasionally we spot a date palm or two with clay pots hanging on to the trunk to collect the fresh sap. Mango groves with green crowns stand there, reminding us of the Aamra Ghata pastimes that happened some 500 hundred years ago. Rickshaw wallas drive around in their cycle rickshaws or the flat bed rickshaws and haggle on the price with the passengers. Some others are seen coaxing devotee tourists to ride their 'rishkaw' as they call it. The simple life and the simple beauty of the people's faces is noticeable. Though the sun used to go down early in the evenings, it being winter, there was a feeling of oneness and magic in air, because all along the streets all you could hear was the Gaura Arotik Kirtans..

Apart from spending considerable time in the Samadhi mandirs of our Acharyas starting with our Guru Maharaja, HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami, Srila Prabhupada, Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura, Srila Bhakti vinod Thakura, Sri Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaja and Srila Gour Kishore Das Babaji Maharaja, we visited amongst other places, Yogapith, the birthplace of Nimai/Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Here i prayed to Nimai (our home deities happen to be named Nimai -Nitai,hence i have special affinity for this form of the Lord), to steal my heart on hearing descriptions of His unique childhood pastimes. Visting Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura's Samadhi brought back memories of the past visits. As the pujari led a deep throated sonorous kirtan, i desperately tried to absorb my restless mind in the magic of the moment. After a bit of protesting, it settled down and took control of my senses making them respond to the gong bells that sounded with the kirtan and the words of the song itself began sinking into my mind with a great intensity. Visits to the Caitanya Math culminated in circumabulating the samadhi temple with the local Gaudiya Vaisnavas. A toothless grin, a nod of the head, a wave of the hand and some broken bangla, made me join the old ladies in their daily ritual of circumambulating the Samadhi mandir of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Sri Gandharvika Giridhari and the 4 Sampradaya Acaryas, followed by circumambulating Srila Gaur Kishore Das Babaji Maharaja's samadhi. The caranamrita there always tastes the best.I remember Vrinda drinking all the caranamrita and asking for more during our previous visit. The place also reminded me of how my mind had revolted and received punishment when i fell down twice, once almost into shyam kund and the other time on the way out of Srila Gaura Kishore Das Babaji Maharaja's Samadhi Mandir, also the previous time. This time i was a changed person! I was reluctant to leave Mayapur. Mayapur had cast its magic on me. Everything, starting with the devotees who sold books in front of the main temple, the evening harinam procession with Gaura Nitai deities, the well timed aroti at the different altars in the temple, Lord Narasimhadeva's fierce countenance, the guards at the temple door, the mahaprasadam stall, the 'dab' stall round the corner to Guru Maharaja's Samadhi and even the roaring sound of the machinery used in the new temple construction seemed magical. Chanting seemed surprisingly easy. With no chores to do. No cooking, washing etc., food seemed a secondary consideration with the Mahaprasadam stall and the Govinda's restaurant.. .time was set aside automatically for chanting and absorbing the mind in thoughts of the holy name. HH Janananda Maharaja's words reverberated in my mind. In reply to my question, he had paused and studied me momentarily as if gauging my seriousness. Then satisfied with my attitude he replied by saying that the relationship with the holy name will be revealed only through service, and service without causing offenses to the Vaisnavas especially. Ruminating on Maharaja's words solaced me, but still the goal seemed elusive. Meditating on the verse Nama Cintamani Krsnas Caitanya Rasa Vigrahah, i tried to sleep excited about what the next day would bring!

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.