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Items Worth Remembering: 1995 Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Temple Rules

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(Copied word for word on 10/25/95 from a notice posted on the bulletin board of the Calcutta Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.)

Ail glories to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga

Nabadwip Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math & Associated Branch Maths

Compulsory Rules and Regulations for Eastern & Western Resident Servitors of the Math.

1.) As appropriate, everyone should give respect to one another whether junior or senior, and go on witli Hari Kirtan and a chaste life in the Math considering oneself “more humble than a blade of grass and as tolerant as a tree”. To criticize others or, discuss the defects of others, and idle talks are strictly to be avoided.

2) Bad association is to be avoided at all times; especially association of betrayers of the Acharya and the association of persons who are unchaste or of loose character must be shunned like poison. Bad association is the worst enemy and the destroyer of devotion.

3) All persons must always join without fail, Mangal aroti, parikrama, class and kirtan. If anyone fails to do so, they must fast from breakfast prasada.

4) Prasad seva must be punctually attended with full regard. Breakfast prasad 7:30 – 8:30 am.

5) The English preaching program will be held daily at Sri Samadhi Temple from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

6)The worship of the Deities will be completed 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., and Boga aroti must be performed by 12:00 noon.

7) Noon prasada should be respected from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.… Read More...

“Clearing Up My Doubts”

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This Post Was Authorized for Publication by the Author.

Date: 7/26/21

Dear Srila Giri Maharaj, accept my humble dandavat pranams!
Everything you said in this letter/lecture [Dated 7/26/21] is very precise.
I feel fortunate to have you spending your time to help me clearing up my doubts.
My heart feels completely nourished after reading it.

Your servant

BVT

The Process for Carrying Out Srila Prabhupada’s Desires for Future Initiations.

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Note

The paper presented below was prepared by ISKCON’s GBC after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance and sent to all ISKCON temple presidents in 1978. I read the paper carefully at that time and was astonished to see that my Godbrothers apparently had so much knowledge of the matters presented therein. I remained puzzled, however, at how they had gained such insight and by the phrase “in consultation with higher authorities.” Who were these “higher authorities”? Years later I leaned “they” were Srila Sridhara Maharaja; the one from whom the GBC, at Srila Prabhupada’s direction, sought advice on the most crucial matters that would affect his disciples after his disappearance.

[Addressing Srila Sridhara Maharaja]

Jayapataka Mj: After the departure of our beloved spiritual master we came to offer our respects to you as well as to hear your very esteemed upadesa on certain matters if you would be kind enough.
. . .
Jayapataka Maharaja: He has given explicit desires, but he told us that, on other technical points and other matters of philosophy, it there was question we should approach you.

—ISKCON GBC Consulting Srila Sridhara Maharaja, 78.03. _ . A [GBC]

Swami B.K. Giri

The process for carrying out Srila Prabhupada’s desires for future initiations.

A paper prepared by the GBC (in consultation with higher authorities)
~ Mayapur, March 1978

In May 1977 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada felt that his days in this material world were almost at an end. He traveled to Vrndavana and asked that his leading disciples come and join him.… Read More...

“Na Hi Gopyaṁ Hi Sadhūnāṁ – Certainly, No Secrets are to be Kept by Saintly Personalities”

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An email from Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja to Uddharan dasa –

Dear Sriman Uddharan dasa Adhikari,

Please accept my humble obeisances in remembrance of our Divine Masters.

I hope you will post your excellent email to Sripada Paribrajaka Maharaja, with or without his name. I lean in the direction of including his name because: 1. He is a sannyasi and a guru. As such, his is supposed to be a public life and he should not expect too much in the way of “secrecy”. “na hi gopyaṁ hi sadhūnāṁ— Certainly, no secrets are to be kept by saintly personalities… ”

        SB 10.24.4

        etad brūhi mahān kāmo
        mahyaṁ śuśrūṣave pitaḥ
        na hi gopyaṁ hi sadhūnāṁ
        kṛtyaṁ sarvātmanām iha
        asty asva-para-dṛṣṭīnām
        amitrodāsta-vidviṣām

Synonyms:
etat — this; brūhi — please speak; mahān — great; kāmaḥ — desire; mahyam — to Me; śuśrūṣave — who am ready to hear faithfully; pitaḥ — O father; na — not; hi — indeed; gopyam — to be kept secret; hi — certainly; sādhūnām — of saintly persons; kṛtyam — the activities; sarva-ātmanām — who see everyone as equal to themselves; iha — in this world; asti — there is; asva-para-dṛṣṭīnām — who do not distinguish between what is their own and what is another’s; amitra-udāsta-vidviṣām — who do not distinguish between friends, neutral parties and enemies.

Translation:
Please tell Me about it, O father. I have a great desire to know and am ready to hear in good faith. Certainly, no secrets are to be kept by saintly personalities, who see all others as equal to themselves, who have no conception of “mine” or “another’s” and who do not consider who is a friend, who is an enemy and who is neutral.… Read More...

Vyasa Puja Offering From Gokulananda das

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Dear Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja,

Dandavat pranams on the day of your appearance.

Srila Govinda Maharaja once said:

Everything depends on the mood of the devotee. Someone may go for collection, someone else may cook, another may clean, but everything depends on the individual’s mood whether it will be karma or bhakti. If someone will follow his Guru’s instructions in a surrendered mood, it will be bhakti, otherwise it will be pious karma. If anyone will follow the instructions of the Scriptures and Guru he will always receive a good result, but that is not necessarily bhakti. It is a big difficulty for everyone if they are not conscious of their purpose. Srila Guru Maharaja always emphasized the word ‘consciousness’-everything is living within consciousness.The result depends on the devotee’s mental position. So first he must try to cleanse his heart. Krsna said in Bhagavad-glta:

yat karosi yad asnasi, yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya, tat kurusva mad arpanam

Krsna has clarified everything for us and given us a very easy way: “Everything you do, and everything you want to do-whether eating, sacrificing, going anywhere, etc.-connect everything with Me, then that will be bhakti.” First it is necessary to finalize what our need is, and what is the process to achieve it. If we need bhakti-yoga to Krsna, and if we do not want to stay within the illusory environment, and if we feel the necessity to go to the transcendental world-our own home-then with full heart we must try to achieve that.… Read More...

Vyasa Puja offering from Uddharan dasa & Lilavati Devi dasi

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Dear Sripad Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja,

Please accept our humble obeisances on this most auspicious day of your appearance in this world.

Rather than any fasting, I will be more pleased if sumptuous prasadam is made available for distribution to all my disciples and friends beginning from eight o’clock in the morning. As told to me by Srila Govinda Maharaja, this was the ideal shown by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura when celebrating the appearance days of Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakura. I will be very happy if my disciples and friends follow the same.—Swami B.K. Giri

We liked this idea very much and followed it as much as possible by us. See below.

Srimati Lilavati Devi made the rice (a mix of 3 types), dahl, and chutney and I made the subji and halavah.

All was made with the above statement in mind, whilst remembering and feeling greatly fortunate that Srila Gurudeva has given us such a true friend and mentor as your Divine Grace.

I think the Vaishnavas may have accepted our humble offerings because it tasted sumptuous and delicious although in reality it was a very simple offering.

This purple cauliflower came from Lilavati Devi’s garden and was cooked in the subji.

We wish this day a very happy one for you with sumptuous prasadam, walks by the sea and relaxation as much as possible.

Happy Birthday from your friends and servants,

Srimati Lilavati Devi & Uddharan dasa

Vyasa Puja offering from Sriman Jagadananda dasa & Family

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tvam gopika vrisharaves tanayantike ‘se
sevadhikarini guro nija-pada-padme
dasyam pradaya kuru mam vraja-kanane shri-
radhanghri-sevana-rase sukhinim sukhabdhau


“O beloved spiritual master, you are always in the presence of the cowherd girl Radha, the daughter of King Vrishabhanu. Please award me service at your lotus-like feet, which are the proprietors of devotional service. Please place me in the ocean of joy by bestowing upon me happiness in the mellows of service at the feet of Sri Radha in the groves of Vraja Dhama.”

mukam karoti vachalam
pangum langhayate girim
yat-kripa tam aham vande
shri-gurum dina-taranam


“I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the deliverer of the fallen souls. His mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross mountains.”

Dear Guru-maharaja,

We are at your lotus feet, prostrate, offering our most humble obeicanses. All glories to our param gurus Srila Govinda Maharaja, Srila Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Swami Maharaja. All glories to you and we wish you a very happy vyasa-puja and pray to Srimati Radharani for many happy returns of this auspicious day!

I offer you my life and everything I own. It is all at your disposal to do as you wish. My wife, my children, and I wish to take this opportunity to rededicate ourselves to you and your divine mission.

Guru-Maharaja, I can never forget the wretched state I was in two years ago. I was confused, lost and spiritual mess. And then by His mercy I was led to you. Nectar still flows from from that first darshan when, after many many lifetimes of hardship and struggle, Lord Krishna sent your Divine Grace as my master and saviour from these earthly bonds.… Read More...

Srimati Lilavati Devi’s Seva Garden

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Srimati Lilavati Devi serves alongside her husband Sriman Uddharan dasa Adhikari in our UK preaching center. Both are senior disciples of HIs Divine Grace Srila Sridhara Maharaja, and dedicated servants of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaja. Srimati Lilavat Devi is what Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada called an “all rounder” due to her expertise in many fields. Beside being an avid gardener, she is very expert and proficient in many other ways; as a seamstress, artist, cook and too many other fields to enumerate. She might be termed a renaissance lady, but it would not do justice to her devotional mood for which the only proper consideration should be to recall the nature of the gopis of Vrndavana, who, like Srimati Radharani, their leader, were proficient in all types of art and domestic services, but were known preeminently as the most devoted of Krishna’s servitors.

Such a comparison as I have made above should not be mistaken as one intended to imply a direct correlation between Srimati Lilavati Devi’s seva and that of Krishna’s gopi friends. On the other hand, it should not be thought that there is no relationship between the two. The relationship between the gopis and Krishna is a topic that is beyond the comprehension of our “puppy brains”; therefore, I cannot speak much about it. But we can discuss topics of our guru, and it is upon that fertile ground that I can summarize my thoughts by saying, “She is my guru.” The reason being; her devotional mood is one I respect and value, and desire to apply to my own sea.… Read More...

Sri Guru Purnima—a Disciple’s Appreciation

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BKG Ukraine

Date: 7/19/16

Dearest Srila Giri Maharaja,

Please see me at your lotus feet and I pray you accept my most humble obeisances.

I hope all is well with you and the math. I saw all the hard work you were doing and the repairs being undertaken and I can’t describe the feelings I had. I truly wanted to be there to help with those repairs (although I am not too good with heights) but also I was overwhelmed with such an admiration and love for you and your dedication to the math.

Today is Guru Purnima. I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how grateful me and my family are that you have taken us under your shelter and shared your wisdom.

I keep and archive every one of your letters from the very first and many times have gone back through and reread your replies and the scripture references you always include. Normally I find what I am looking for and much much more.

There is the old saying “When the student is ready the teacher will appear… ” I am not so certain that is correct. I don’t know if this fallen jiva was entirely ready when you appeared, but apparently the Lord felt it was time for us to meet. Out of all the gurus in the entire world, as far away as we are, I found you, my dearest teacher, and I am happy and grateful that you took me and my family in.… Read More...

2016 Vyasa Puja Offerings for Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja

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BKG Ukraine

Dear Sripad Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaj,

Please accept our humble obeisances on this most auspicious day.
Lilavati Devi and I are wishing you a very happy birthday and we hope there is some cake for you.

Ud Cake for BKG 2016

Your friends and servants,

Uddharan dasa & Lilavati Devi dasi

All Glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga,

I am certainly not qualified to say anything to the assembled Devotees, and disciples, what to speak of His Grace, who was the first Westerner to take Sanyasa initiation from Srila Guru Maharaja, BR Shridhar Maharaja.

Sripad Giri Maharaja has persevered in the “Search For Sri Krishna” while so many stalwarts have fallen by the wayside. All glories to him, and I wish him all the best. May Sri Sri Gaur-Nitai shower their Grace upon him.

Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja ki jai!

Humbly, Krishna-Balaram das

I respectfully offer my dandavat pranams to Srila Bhakti Kana Giri Maharaja on the occasion of his Vyasa Puja.

Maharaja, we have over 27 years association. You would think, that after so much time I would have something substantial, or at least clever, to say.

Alas, I have nothing to offer, except the hope that I can continue to render some service as I follow you down the ever narrowing path of exclusive devotion in the line of Srila Sridhar Maharaja and Srila Govinda Maharaja!

Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja Ki Jai!

Gokulananda das

Lilas Cake for BKG

Birthday cake prepared by Lila Sundari Devi dasi for His Divine Grace.

I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge.… Read More...