“Sentimentalists, sahajiyas and swooning”

 

Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja sent the below email to Uddharan dasa on the 21st March 2019

Dear Sriman Uddharan dasa,

Please accept my humble dandavat pranamas.

Today is very auspicious for we are just on the cusp of celebrating Sriman Mahaprabhu’s appearance.

I think I haven’t heard from you since asking you to post my email to Hrday Krishna dasa and assumed you might be facing some ill health or that your work had become so consuming it prevented you from posting the email. I assumed the same regarding your unusually late posting of our Sri Gaura Purnima celebrations.

Now I am very pleased to see you have posted that news and am responding to one point I want to make with regard to this painting you chose to use:

It is very similar to the one used by the BBT on the cover of Cc Madhya 5, which must have been authorized either directly or indirectly (via his delegation of that decision to others) by Srila Prabhupada. Therefore, I cannot rightfully criticize its use. However, it is not my preference, for it reminds me too much of the sort of posing used by sahajiyas. There is a black and white movie Srila Prabhupada criticized to the extreme for this very reason.… Read More...

Srila Giri Maharaja – “Dazed and Confused”

Date: 3/14/19

Dear Sriman Hrday Krishna dasa,

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

Prabhu, I have read the email you just sent me [Dated 3/13/19]. Because of the differences in our two languages there is some difficulty in fully understanding each other’s positions and perspectives.

As much as I can understand, however, you are living in a state of spiritual confusion with no clear direction for proceeding in the line of your Gurudeva, Srila Govinda Maharaja.

As a substitute for a clear path of devotional service under the guidance of a higher Vaishnava, you say things like this:

I serve Srila Prabhupada and other Vaisnavas in ISKCON.

and this:

I’ve been singing at ISKCON for several years and I’m currently the pujari there. I have been serving the deities for more than 5 years.

These are the kinds of expressions I would expect to hear from a kanishtha adhikari, one who sees Krishna as all-in-all but does not understand He cannot be served directly; He can only be served by serving His pure devotees.

You also wrote:

Acarya Maharaj has given me his blessings and told me that he is “very happy for the services I do”.Read More...

Thursday 3/21/2019. Sri Gaura-Purnima Divine Appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Sri Gaura-Purnima. Fast all day until moonrise then no grains.
We humbly invite you to participate in the grand festival of Sri Gaura-Purnima & the start of the 534th Gaurabda year.

Celebrations will take place at SCSM Global Headquarters in New Jersey, USA and at the SCSM Global Center in the UK.

Festivities include Harinama-sankirtana, readings from Chaitanya-caritamrta, discourses and anukalpa.

Please RSVP via the contact page.

Vyasa Puja offering by Sriman Jagadananda dasa and Family

Date: 3/10/19

Dear Acharyadeva Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja,

We are at your lotus feet offering our most humble obeisances. 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.

I am ignorant and asleep. Only your instruction can awaken this sleeping soul. I will follow you to safety through Maya’s illusion.You spoke to me of the dangers of my words and how I challenged Maya. Your infinite wisdom spared me from the repercussions and dangers of my actions.

How many lifetimes will it take for me to be able to properly glorify you? Your divine glories are unlimited, just as Lord Krishna’s are. Please continue to teach me, guide me, correct and chastise me for my offenses, so that I may become a better servant at your lotus feet.… Read More...

Sunday March 10th, 2019 – Appearance of Acharyadeva Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja.

On Sunday, March 10th, 2019, we humbly invite you to celebrate with us the Grand Appearance day of the President Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Global, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya-varya Astottara-sata Sri Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja.

Celebrations for this most blessed event will be held at SCSM Global Headquarters in New Jersey, USA, the SCSM Global center in the UK and in the SCSM Global center in Bacoor, Philippines.

The festivals will include kirtana, discourses and other all-auspicious activities.
Please RSVP using one of the methods available.

Srila Giri Maharaja – “Interest in ‘new transcriptions.’”

Date: 3.3.19

Dear Sriman Hrday Krsna das,

Please accept my dandavat pranamas in remembrance of our Divine Masters.

Thank you for your inquiry regarding new transcriptions of Srila Sridhara Maharaja’s audio recordings.

You wrote:

“Soy discípulo de Govinda Maharaj, vivo en Caracas Venezuela Me interesan las nuevas transcripciones de Srila Guru Maharaj” (“I am a disciple of Govinda Maharaj, I live in Caracas Venezuela I am interested in the new transcriptions of Srila Guru Maharaj”)

I am not sure about which recordings you are referring to as you were not specific on that point.

All our transcriptions are posted here: https://gvssanga.com/ssm/ along with audio and video recordings.

This morning we received 58 “new” transcripts which I asked our webmaster to post as soon as possible. When they are available for viewing and download a notice will be posted on our website.

Again, I thank you for your interest and pray this reply will be of some help to you.

I pray this finds you well in health and spirits.

Swami B.K. Giri

Srila Giri Maharaja – “In My Timeline: Happiness Video”

“Happiness” from TrulyMind’s Video

Jivana Pavana put the video above in my Facebook timeline along with this comment “Award Winning Animator’s Short Film ‘Happiness’ is Absolutely Brilliant”

My comment—

The animation “Happiness” from “TrulyMind’s Video” is not “Absolutely Brilliant”. It is foolish.

For a thing to be “Absolutely Brilliant” it must accurately and fully represent the “Absolute”, which this video does not.

In addition, the predicate must follow a subject. The subject is “Krishna” because He is the only thing that can give happiness. The animator introduces the predicate “is not here, not here, etc.” but without the subject (Krishna).

Happiness cannot be found simply by illustrating what it is not. That process is known as neti, neti, neti (not this, not this, etc.) or aroha pantha, the path of ascending knowledge—

There is another nice verse in the Brahma-saṁhitā that… Just I forget. The purport is that a person, if he tries to understand by his sensual process… This is called sensual, āroha-panthā. Āroha-panthā means trying to ascend. Trying to ascend. There are two kinds of ways to understand knowledge. One process is āroha-panthā, ascending process, and another process is descending process. Descending process. What is that āroha-panthā?… Read More...

Srila Giri Maharaja – “Twelve Hours to “Censored!’.”

Introductory notes:

In an effort to remove a great deal of junk that had accumulated on our Facebook sites I recently “unjoined” all the Facebook groups to which I had been joined. To the best of my knowledge I did not intentionally join any of these groups. One of the groups I “unjoined” was this one: “Srila Prabhupada’s Disciples, My Godbrothers & Godsisters.” I knew little about it except that within the last month or so I had a short exchange with Sripada Mahadhyuti Maharaja and, along other observations, developed a general opinion that the group was very similar to many others I have mostly avoided due to their being long on hyperbole and speculation, short on substance and discrimination.

Before you make me out to be the Grinch that stole Christmas, I don’t mean, or intend to imply the site I’m speaking to, or the many others like it, are entirely without merit. They have value and merit, but that value does not rank very high on the scale. In much the same way, the teachings of Jesus have value, but they do not rank very high on the scale when measured against the standard of devotion presented by Sri Krishna Chaitanya and his bonafide followers.… Read More...

Srimati Lilavati Devi – Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s Appearance Day

Dear Srimati Lilavati Devi,

Please accept my humble dandavat pranamas in remembrance of our Divine Masters.

We have received your service donation and I am very happy and heartened to hear the news of your program at our ashram there in the United Kingdom. What you have described are the bonafide practices taught by our Guru Varga. Such programs are certainly pleasing to our Divine Masters, Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Sri Krishna Chaitanya and assure us of being the recipients of Their continued blessings. Indeed, They have descended for the very purpose of establishing such programs for the benefit of one and all:

vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nityānandau sahoditau
gauḍodaye puṣpavantau
citrau śan-dau tamo-nudau

SYNONYMS
vande—I offer respectful obeisances; śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya—to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya; nityānandau—and to Lord Nityānanda; saha-uditau—simultaneously arisen; gauḍa-udaye—on the eastern horizon of Gauḍa; puṣpavantau—the sun and moon together; citrau—wonderful; śam-dau—bestowing benediction; tamaḥ-nudau—dissipating darkness.

TRANSLATION
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all. Ādi 1.2

Please ask Sriman Uddharan to post your report on our website.

I pray this finds you both well in every respect.… Read More...

Calendar: 24th February 2019 – Appearance of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada.

Sunday 24th February, Krishna Panchami. The divine appearance festival of the founder of the Sri Chaitanya Math and worldwide Sri Gaudiya Maths, Bhagavan Sri Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada.

For the satisfaction of the devotees we offer this link to Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura’s article titled “Organised Religion (Putana and Kamsa).”