Category: Weblog
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On Santosha and Satisfying Uncontrolled Senses
“The entirety of whatever there may be within the three worlds to satisfy one’s senses cannot satisfy a person whose senses are uncontrolled.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.19.21 ) The above words of wisdom were spoken by Vamanadeva, the fifth of the Dasavatara (Vishnu’s ten incarnations), to Maharaja Bali. It’s one of my favorite verses regarding santosha…
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Japa Thoughts I
Japa takes concentration. A moment of inattention and the mind jumps from the mantra to mundane thought. We even sometimes become lost in one of the deep groves of attachment (samskaras) embedded in our consciousness, sliding on the path of those impressions until good sense drags us back to the holy name.
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Munchies for the Mind II
So They Say: Prayer I throw myself down in my chamber, and I call in, and invite God, and his Angels thither, and when they are there, I neglect God and his Angels, for the noise of a fly, for the rattling of a coach, for the whining of a door. John Donne (1572-1631)
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Oh, My Master’s Lotus Feet Are Bittersweet
Following the lunar calendar, the day after Sri Krishna Janmastami marks the celebration of the birth of Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami (September 1, 1896–November 14, 1977), the Vaishnava monk, global proponent of Krishna bhakti and founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. To honor the day I’ll share a poem penned for the occasion in…
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Sri Krishna Janmastami
Best wishes to everyone on Sri Krishna Janmastami! For the occasion I thought I would offer something nice to meditate on in the form of the above painting, by Murlidhara das, and the lyrics to a beautiful song by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura about the desire for Krishna to appear in ones heart. Both the original…
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The Unexpected Call
Ring! Ring! Ring! It’s already the second time this morning. The first time you ignored it—it’s far too early for phone calls. Normal people, you have learned, phone after 10:00 in the morning and before 10:00 at night. A little nervous you ask, “Who is there, please?” A long silence—a timid silence, almost as if…
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Photos of Srirangam
Resting on an island in the Kaveri River in Tamil Nadu, South India, is the city of Sri Rangam and the famous Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. Lord Vishnu is worshiped there in a reclining form along with His consort, the Goddess Laxmi. The temple complex, occupying 156 acres, was conceived as a cosmic mandala with seven…
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The Yoga Chikitsa of Krishna’s Names
The Sri Sampradaya is one of four ancient Vaishnava lineages teaching bhakti-yoga. The name “Sri” refers to the Goddess Laxmi who is heralded as the founder of the lineage. The most prominent teachers of the Sri Sampradaya include Natha Muni, Yamuna Acharya and Ramanuja Acharya (all lived in the 9th and 10th centuries). Ramanuja, in…
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The Divine Names: An Adventure Continued- Episode Two
A group of us gathered in the bedroom after the wedding, and as the large reels of the tape recorder slowly revolved, the room filled with the sound of “the Swami” leading the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. I sang in response, answering his call. Looking back, the chanting on that August afternoon in…
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On Perceiving the Subtle in Bhakti-yoga
In the Srimad Bhagavatam’s third canto, chapter twenty-nine, Kapila (an avatar of Krishna) instructs his mother Devahuti regarding how a bhakti-yogi pleases the Lord, not through empty ritual, but through recognition of the Lord everywhere, and through behavior illumined by such vision. In this translation Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami uses the term “Supersoul” (usually used as…