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How can we detect pratistha within ourselves?

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Divine Words of the Guardian of Devotion

Devotee: How can we detect pratistha within ourselves?

Srila Guru Maharaj: That comes with the development of internal perfection and our continuous thankfulness to Gurudeva. It is necessary to understand and feel that everything comes from above: “I have nothing. I have no position and therefore my present situation always depends on the mercy of my Gurudeva. It may be withdrawn from me at any moment. Whatever I may have is not a fixed thing in me. It is not as a matter of right but is only extended grace in me. The moment it is withdrawn I am nowhere. It is all Krsna’s svarupa-sakti. I am tatastha-sakti and have no capital. I am working on the capital of my Master. I have no capital of my own.” We must be able to remain on such a plane of thinking and realize that, “Without His help, without His grace, I am in darkness. My fate is dark. As long as He extends His grace in me I can see. If the light is withdrawn, the eye is helpless.” We are to realize the position that it is not our birth-right.

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Loving search

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Loving search for the lost servants

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Although He is full in all respects, still the Lord feels pangs of separation for every one of us. He appears again and again to reclaim us; to take us back home, back to Godhead. As we are engaged in the Search for Sri Krishna, He is also engaged in an urgent campaign: a Loving Search for His Lost Servants.

Great intensity is expressed here in a simple way. It is a mad search, an urgent campaign. With great earnestness Krishna comes to deliver His lost servants. Krishna comes to take us home. In Brihad Bhagavatamrita, it is written that once as Krishna and the cows were returning from the Vrindavan forest at the end of the day, a boy had just attained spiritual emancipation and entered Vrindavan as a cowherd boy (sakhya rasa). Seeing His long lost servant, Krishna embraced him and both of them fainted in ecstasy.

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True Freedom

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The difference between worldly and spiritual freedom.

By Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

I lived through two world wars. During the first great war while I was studying in college, a man asked an astrologer whether India would become free after the war. The astrologer said that India would not become free after the war but that after the present war there would be a pause in fighting followed by another larger world war and some years after that second world war India would become free. And that is what happened. I am a witness to it. The first world war ended and India could not immediately attain freedom, but another larger world war came that ended in 1945 and India attained freedom in 1947.

We consider that British rule, however, was better than our present situation because the condition of the present government is anarchical. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur recommended British rule very much because during the British period everyone had the right to go on with their own religion very safely; there was no interference in religious feelings, sentiments, preaching, or anything. So, Bhakti Vinod Thakur liked British rule. What liberty have we got with the independence of India? I was in the camp of Gandhi for his first movement. There were three movements led by Gandhi, the first movement non-cooperation, the second civil disobedience, and the third do or die.

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The position of subordination to the Absolute Truth

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Divine Words of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

The only standard of life for a gentleman is to understand and accept the position of subordination to the Absolute Truth.
To admit what is proper and real, and on that basis makes one life advanced is not meanness.
To understand one’s proper position and to understand one’s duty and discharge it that is a gentleman’s life.

Harmonizing Instructions

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From Golden Staircase, Chapter Two, The Eye to see Sri Guru

Harmonizing Instructions of the Upper House.

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

And one thing we must always keep in mind is that we can’t investigate all of the subtle, higher knowledge as a subjective researcher. Rather, according to the degree of our saranagati, our surrender, the Truth will come down to make Himself known to us. We must always remember this, otherwise, some spirit of imitation will be created in us. Knowledge of the higher domain is not under the jurisdiction of the intellect, and to think so is very dangerous. Intellectualism is dangerous; it will cause us to think that we have “caught the Infinite”. It will be negligence to the infinite characteristic, the infinite aspect of the Lord. He is Adhoksaja, beyond the grasp of academic research.

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Formality of purity or impurity

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From the chapter “The Real Judgement of Love” in Heart and Halo:

Srila B.R Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj

There is one story I heard from my godbrother Vaikanasa Maharaj, who was a brahmana scholar of Orissa, about an incident which occurred in recent history, in connection with the Jagannatha Temple at Puri, where it was customary that no khechuranna (kitri) used to be offered to the Lord.

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Birth after Birth

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Verse 4:3 by Sri Kulasekhar in Sri Prapanna Jivanamrita

nastha dharme na vasu-nicaye naiva kamopabhoge
yad yad bhavyam bhavatu bhagavan purva-karmanurupam
etat prarthyam mama bahu-matam janma-janmantare ‘pi
tvat padambhoruha-yuga-gata niscala bhaktir astu

“O Lord, I have no faith in religiosity, economic development, or sense enjoyment. May all these things come to pass as they are ordained according to my previous karma. But my earnest prayer is that birth after birth I may have unflinching devotion for Your lotus feet.”

I am Yours

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In his commentary on Saranagati, Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj notes that ‘Sri Nanda Kumar hears their prayers’ means Krishna reciprocates with the surrendered souls in accordance with their prayers. As an example of this, Srila Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj cites the following evidence from the scriptures:

sakṛd eva prapanno yas tavāsmīti cha yāchate
abhayaṁ sarvadā tasmai dadāmy etad vrataṁ mama
(Ramayana: Yuddha-kanda, 18.33)

[When Vibhishan, the brother of Ravan, prays to Him for shelter, Ram Chandra proclaims before Hanuman and all His devotees:] “Anyone who even once sincerely surrenders unto Me, declares, ‘I am Yours’, and prays for fearlessness — it is My vow that I will always supply that to them.”

Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweetness

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It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10. 31.9):

tava kathamrtam taptajivanam
kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham
sravana-mangalam srimad-atatam
bhuvi grnanti ye bhurida janah

“O, Krsna, the nectar of your words and the narrations of your pastimes give life to us, who are always suffering in this material world. This nectar is broadcast all over the world by great souls, and it removes all sinful reactions. It is all-auspicious and filled with spiritual power. Those who spread this message of Godhead are certainly doing the greatest relief work for human society and are the most magnanimous welfare workers.”

This is what is necessary and this is what is universal. Everyone can be satisfied to the highest degree in their hearts only by the nectar of Krsna’s words and the nectarine descriptions of his activities. This is because Krsna is raso vai sah, the reservoir of all pleasure, and akhila rasamrta murtih, ecstasy Himself. Krsna’s very nature is sweet:

 
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Divine quotes – part 3

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1. Ecstasy can exist by itself. Neither existence nor consciousness are complete in themselves. Consciousness alone hankers for ecstasy. And existence without consciousness is to exist with no purpose. Both existence and consciousness are subservient to ecstasy.

2. To come to the plane of ecstasy, we shall have to dive deep into reality. We must not be satisfied with the formal, the superficial.

3. Our attitude should be one of humility, and if we think that we are being done wrong, still we should be patient, and under no circumstances should we work for our own position; that should be our aim.

4. Slow and steady wins the race. Our march towards the infinite is a long journey, not to be finished within a few hours, a few days, or a few years.

5. Eternal existence, consciousness, and fulfillment (ecstasy) are the three principles of our ultimate destination.

6. First, we must eliminate this mortal existence. Then, we must satisfy our reason, our consciousness. And finally, we must satisfy our hearts.

 

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