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.

Chappan bhog

Been busy spring cleaning the house and trying to do some serious reading. With limited access to a computer, my life is dramatically changing, for the better.

Chappan Bhog, the blog dedicated to bringing out recipes of bhoga being offered on a daily basis at home is now online. Here is the link http://chappanbhog.wordpress.com/. The recipes are going to be a mish mash predominantly featuring South Indian dishes that I grew up eating. So, if you fancy offering vada, sambar masala dosa, or boondi laddu you are welcome to visit the site. Not a great cook but I'm trying to sincerely learn and will attempt to share the recipes along the way.

Our own little battles.

While going about our own day to day activities from time to time one is faced with their own little battles of Kurukshetra, sometimes with other devotees, family members, and mostly the mind. Sometimes Mr. Jekyll takes over and at other times Mr. Hyde becomes very powerful, snuffing out the all the goodness with a sip of his very own magic potion. In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, we are often faced with "catch 22" situations and conflicts. Our success lies in effectively dealing with conflicts. Relationships are intrinsic to the soul. One can live without a microwave, a bed or even a computer, comfortably, but everyone wants to relate to someone. Just looking around my own neighborhood, I always see single old men and women with just a pet dog to keep them company. Shopping around in the grocery stores I see again; old men and women all alone unable to even pick a can of peas and drop it into the shopping basket,that it requires so much effort. Absent mindedly picking up a can of olives, I wonder what my plight will be in the years to come. Will I be fortunate enough to live in the association of devotees that I take so much for granted?

Guru Maharaja's words on the 4 principles of community building come to my mind:

1. Treat everyone you encounter as if the success or failure of your spiritual life depends on the quality of your interactions with them.
2. Reflect on the person you love the most, and aspire to treat everyone with that same quality of love.
3. View all conflicts as your own fault first.
4. Realize that people in your present environment might very well be the people with whom you will live out your life, and who are likely to be with you at the time of death.

I put my hand into my jacket pocket and find a folded sheet of paper, notes that I jotted down from a seminar on Devotee Relationships by my God brother- Bhuta Bhavana Dasa, January 1, 2009. That it should surface when such thoughts are going through my mind were indicative that I should note it down someplace else. I am summarizing the contents here:

Relationships are intrinsic to the soul. Our quality of existence is intrinsically related to our relationships. All qualities that we develop are a result of association- good or bad. From the Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 1 we see that "Actual association of devotees brings about a quick change in life for spiritual realization."

The first, fundamental principle of establishing and maintaining good relationships is knowledge. Often times devotees are afraid in their dealings with other devotees in stating the facts for fear of committing Vaisnava Aparadh.It is stated in Harinama Chintamani by Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur that we actually commit aparadhs by not dealing with a conflicting situation appropriately. In order to serve a devotee better it is not wrong to judge the devotee by his/her qualities and understand them. The 6 loving exchanges mentioned in the Upadeshamrita are important instructions. Krishna consciousness is so powerful that by following it through, with the blessings and empowerment we experience something far superior to our karma. We must therefore make a conscious attempt to include the 6 loving exchanges in our day to day activities, by being humble, with the single goal of pleasing Krishna. Building trust amongst devotees and non-devotees requires that one practice these 5 trust building measures viz: share relevant information, honor commitments,clarify expectations, admit mistakes and make amends. The Lord teaches different lessons through conflicts. Vaisnava Aparadh is the topmost offense and one must constantly engage in cultivating the positive while avoiding the negative. In order to achieve tolerance and to learn to discriminate the situation, one has to hear and read regularly. Addressing the situation, tolerating without envy and checking our motive for all actions, addresses the conflicting situation effectively.

Though it does seem like a long list of things to do, in reality there is just one point- Is my thought and consequent action going to please Krishna? In my own activities I felt that sincerely attempting to practise the the 6 loving exchanges has made a difference. Constantly living the philosophy is not easy when you are dragged into situations of conflict. This Friday, at the weekly Bhakti Vriksha gathering, we met a newcomer with a very unusual name- 'Bhagavad Gita.' Turns out that her father was so taken up with the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita that not only did he memorize all the verses of the Bhagavad Gita, but also ended up christening her with that name. A name that conjures up visions of a battlefield, powerful warriors engaged in a fierce battle. Powerful warriors; who are relatives and a constant reminder of our own battles of Kaliyuga. In our case, who wins the battle? you may ask. Ultimately the wolf that is fed is the one that wins the battle! For devotees it is very simple for it is the one on the side of Krishna who wins the battle and If Krishna is on your side it is only because He is pleased with your actions!

Krishna Balaram-Some Pictures.

Wonderful dancing of Krishna and Balaram

Excerpt from a lecture by HH Varsana Swami, Submitted by Manoj

The holy dham is to be respected as the expansion of the Lord Balaram, Who sets the scene for the pastimes. And what are the Lord's embellishments, decorations?Mother Yasoda comes into Krishna's bedroom, singing sweet songs about the loving pastimes that took place before and she wakes up Krishna. And then all the cowherd boys come and they assist in dressing Krishna. And to please Mother Yasoda, He puts on jewelery and fancy clothes, and the cows… they won't even give milk until they have darshan of Lord Krishna.And then what happens! Krishna goes to the forest. He takes off the fancy jewelery that Mother Yasodha put and that gets covered with the forest gifts. The flowers and the peacock feathers, the mango twigs, and Krishna decorates Himself … the Gopis see this about 20 miles away, premanjana churita bhakti vilocenena, with eyes anointed with the salve of love, they can clearly see what is going on 20 miles away. They say, why is He dressing so nice? How's He dressing … Like a dramatic actor. Somebody who is about to do a stage performance, a dramatic act, and they are suspended in rapt attention, from inside their houses 20 miles away or so. Why is He dressing so nicely ? Is He dressing to please the cowherd boys? Well, they are dressing Him, so that's not it. Is He dressing to please Mother Yasoda? Well, she already dressed Him. So who is He dressing to please?Who do young boys dress to please? Young girls … So the Gopis feel very happy.Nanda Maharaj, Mother Yasodha and the elders all follow Krishna upto the point where Krishna assures them with a look, we'll be alright … you can go back … we'll be well behaved … And then painfully they go back …And then as the acharyas explain, as soon as Nanda and Yasodha turn to go back, Krishna and the cowherd boys turn like baby elephants who just got released. So the cowherd boys are joking and talking. So when the devotees asked Prabhupada, what do the cowherd boys talk about … Prabhupada said, Non-sense, ofcourse. But it has all got one purpose and one center, and that is Krishna. Which creates harmony, and peace, and sweetness, through out all of creation. And carrying that message of peace through the process of sankirtan is the most benevolent activity and the only antidote to the hideous influence of cruelty. So when Krishna and the cowherd boys begin to play, naturally all the cows, the birds, the peacocks get into a very playful mood and the cowherd boys … they also like to fight. How do they fight? with nuclear missilens … No … with flowers. They launch flowers. Sometimes they play ball …And then Vrndavan forest is not a dull inert, inanimate forest, full of darkness. Everything is enlightened. So understanding Krishna's mood, it creates a stage. And one of the cowherd boys starts drawing out his design, how the stage should be, with a stick. Ok, this is the center stage for Krishna and Balaram, Who come on. Krishna like a sapphire, and Balaram like an emerald. And Krishna's bluish effulgence, cast a nice bluish hue all over the forest and Balaram, when He gets enlivened, He starts sparkling like lightning. And the cowherd boys decide, ok, the musicians can go on this side and the deer and the rabbits sit in front, creating an audience. And then Krishna and Balaram come on to the stage, bow down to the audience, to bhumi, to Goddess Saraswati, Goddess of music and dance, and then they begin to Dance. Krishna begins dancing like a peacock. And the earth planet is so blessed, that no where else in the universe does Krishna dance. No where else does He even appear and bless the planet with the emblems of His bear lotus feet. So Krishna begins to dance. And everyone begins to sing. Krishna then begins to adjust His clothing, in a very accentuated manner. And then Krishna begins tap dancing. Creating a musical rhythm. When Krishna and Balaram begin to dance, They become to attracted in mutual love for each other and everyone witnessing this lila become so filled with love for Krishna and Balaram that their natural response is to embrace and love one another. If we have love for Krishna, you cannot have enimity for anyone or anything …And then Krishna, begins playing His flute and this enlivens Balaram to start dancing in a way no one can imitate. When Balaram gets enlivened, How would you compare? He gets so enlivened that with one hand on the ground and His whole body pivoting in the air and His lotus feet, circling in the sky, that just enlivens Krishna to no end … so that Krishna cannot even contain His joy, and Krishna begins dancing which culminates in doing cart-wheels around Balaram, who is rotating on His hand, with His body in the air and Krishna is doing cartwheels circumumbulating Him While simultaneously playing His flute; While simultaneously taking the dust from Balaram's feet in the air and also Distributing that dust to everybody in the audience until finally all that anyone can say is WONDERFUL ! WONDERFUL ! And Krishna begins boasting … Can anyone in the world out-do us in dancing … And everyone say NO WAY … First there is the competition who is the best. And the cowherd boys to please Krishna, they dance the best. But finally Krishna and Balaram dance even better until finally everyone in the forest and the earth is so enthralled and the sound even penetrating the outer coverings of the universe reaching Vaikuntha, Lord Narayan begins smiling. And Lakshmi is asking, What is causing you so much pleasure?There is such a correlation between love and wonder that everyone is just enraptured by the dance. And then as Srila Prabhupada points out, Krishna and Balaram, not having undergone the hair cutting ceremony, everything is dancing … Their ear-rings, Their hair … Their garlands, Their ornaments, everything …If we have love there will be no room for malice in our hearts. It is not by hatred, or fighting that malice can be killed, but it is only by love is envy stilled. This is a lesson repeatedly emphasized in the life of Haridas Thakur. And the symptom of love is humility, service attitude. The expression is service. And who is the best servant - Krishna is the best everything. He is also the most humble. Because after this dance, theatrical performance, that enraptured and enchanted everyone, everyone is saying - Krishna, you're the best … And Krishna saying yeah, Iam the best … And Sridama comes and says, Hey Krishna, you know I got evidence that under the cloak of darkness you sneak out sometime and take dancing lessons from my older sister. Sridama is Radharani's brother … So you know, Krishna says, Yea … I was actually kind of presumptuous to proclaim that I am the supreme dancer when I've got my own teacher.Ofcourse, this is all so esoteric and above our heads we should understand that we don't have connection with anything spiritual, except by the Grace of our Spiritual Master, the supreme expression of love, kindness and mercy, who has come to redeem us from the plight of this world and save us from the viciousness that destroys everything and everyone in this world and teaching us how to sing and dance in sankirtan.Sankirtan has two meanings - everyone coming together to sing and dance; and also means everything being used in the missionary work of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to develop love for Krishna, which is the purpose of our chanting Hare Krishna. By one mantra Which consists of three names, Hare Krishna and Rama, we can derive our dormant Krishna consciousness and counteract all the evil tendencies of the age of Kali, perfect the human form of life, benefit all living entities, by assisting one another in the path back home, where everyone lives eternally, in perfect peace and harmony.