Reflections Oct07

8/14/2019 Reflections Oct07

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A Newsletter from His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swam

A Disciple Should Remain A Foolby His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad

The disciple and spiritual master are never separ

because the spiritual master always keeps company with

disciple as only fools give up the service of the spir

master and think themselves advanced in spiritual knowle

In order to check such fools, Caitanya Mahaprabhu Him

presented the perfect example of how to be a discipl

spiritual master knows very well how to engage each disc

in a particular duty, but if a disciple, thinking himself m

advanced than his spiritual master, gives up his orders

acts independently, he checks his own spiritual prog

Every disciple must consider himself completely unawar

the science of Krsna and must always be ready to carry ou

orders of the spiritual master to become competent in K

consciousness. A disciple should always remain a fool be

his spiritual master.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.72

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Srila Vyasadeva humbly hears the science of Srimad

Bhagavatam from his spiritual master, Narada Muni.

ct 2007


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To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me

with love, I give the understanding by which they

can come to Me.

Bhagavad-gita 10.10

Even by looking at our own society of devotees, we

an gain this understanding. We have seen that devotees can

be externally engaged in service for many years, but if they

do not have a deep quality of devotion and love, there will note a sense of longevity. They will not have deeper realizations

nd experiences, and will go on only mechanically in their

devotional service. But as we understand what we read and

hus practice it amongst ourselves, it will become more xed

n our minds and hearts. Krsna, who is hiding in the heart, will

begin to come out and

end signals as long as

we do not allow our own

obfuscations to block that

onnection.We know that

we all have a personal

elationship with Krsna

or God, and we all have

personal relationship

with the spiritual

master. However, we

an only have a healthy

elationship with theguru

when we have healthyelationships with sadhus

or the devotees of the Lord.

f we have healthy relationships in our daily associations,

hen our relationship with the spiritual master becomes

genuine. Without healthy relationships among our peers, our

elationship with theguru does not go beyond hero worship.

t will just be another expression of sentimentalism and even

anaticism. People naturally have the tendency to put their

nergy into some type of worship, but most people worship

thletes, musicians, politicians, or other popular personalities

with foolish adulation. However, as servants of the Lord, we

do not want this type of sentimental relationship with our

piritual master or with our peers. We want to focus on the

quality and the purpose of the relationship.

The relationship between the disciple and the spiritual

master is essential. We cannot have a clear understanding

of love of God without involving ourselves in the bona de

ystems and practices given by the Lord Himself. If it were so

asy to develop God consciousness without the help of others,

why does Krsna constantly send different representatives and

eachers? If we try to succeed on the spiritual path alone, we

are basically just engaged in speculation and interpolation

the end of the day, it will leave us frustrated because it is

quite that simplistic. Yudhistira Maharaja conrms this t

in the Mahabharata, Vana-parva (313.117):

Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegate

one cannot come to the right path by which religio

principles are understood. The solid truth of religi

principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated serealized person. Consequently, as the sastras conrm, o

should accept whatever path the mahajanas advocate.

Love of God is locked up in the heart of the p

devotees, and by following the path given by such unadulter

devotees, we can begin to also experience the transcende

culture. We have such a wonderful chance to tune into

real purpose of lifea wonderful chance to end relations

based on lust and understand what love really entails.

Establishing a Heart Connection

With the Spiritual Master

by His Holiness Candramauli Swami

To connect with the spiritual master is somet

that can be done in various

degrees. When one accepts a

spiritual master, one whole-

heartedly agrees to abide by his

instructions. His instructions arethe connection. The instructions

of the spiritual master are

the essential principle that

establishes and develops the

relationship. How much one

takes those instructions into

ones heart and into ones life

in a practical way determines

the level of connection of

that relationship. The deeper one goes, the deeper

relationship.In certain cases, the spiritual master, know

the inability or unwillingness of a disciple to follow e

instruction, will only put forth those instructions which

knows the disciple will be able to follow. This is don

order to allow that disciple to stay within the ambienc

the spiritual masters mercy. The spiritual master knows

if he gives him too difcult instructions, he will not be

to follow or not want to follow; therefore, he will commi

offense of disobedience.

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Krsna is always engagedin loving relationships.


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This is an insincere disciple. In other cases where the disciple

s fully surrendered to the spiritual masters instructions, the

piritual master will present more opportunities in the form of

nstructions in order to take that disciple to higher levels of

piritual realization and transcendental knowledge.

So what factually is a heart connection? The disciple

s connected. We may nd a heart connection with the

piritual master in terms of the disciples desire to learn and

o imbibe the mood of his spiritual master in his execution

of his devotional service. In other words, he takes up the

mission of his spiritual master as his service in the same

mood as his spiritual master. We know from the association

of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja that his mood was to

elieve the suffering of others through Krsna consciousness

with relation to the devotees and in his outreach to the fallen

ouls of Kali-yuga. His writings entitled Spiritual Warrior are

ndicative of his mood of service, emphasizing leadership in

he utmost sense of personal qualities: To live it and to preach

t. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to achieve

hese goals. His words personal purication echo in our

minds. Dear Lord Krsna, let whatever may come upon men order to bring me to the point of becoming your perfect

nstrument. And my Dear Lord Krsna, take away those things

which are obstacles in the path of becoming your pure perfect

nstrument. He asked us all to consider seriously making this

prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila

Prabhupada said to his disciples in one talk: Do what I am

doing. Of course no one could do what Srila Prabhupada

ould do but what he was saying is preach the message of

Krsna consciousness to others. That he wanted for each and

every one of us. He who dedicates his life for the mission ofhe spiritual master lives with the spiritual master. That is the

onnection to the spiritual masters heart. Hare Krsna.

Devotee Spotlight:Kartamisa devi dasiby the Editors

Editors Note

We are happy to introduce this new column entitled Devotee

Spotlight as a way to both appreciate our fellow Vaisnavas and

o learn more about their particular services. Each edition willhighlight a different devotee from around the world, allowing

us to gain inspiration and perhaps deepen our own offerings

o the Vaisnava community.

Those of you familiar with the life of H.H. Bhakti

Tirtha Maharaja will also know of Gita Nagari, the farm

ommunity in rural Pennsylvania where he resided for his

nal pastimes. Gita Nagari is special for many reasons, one of

he most important being the presiding Deities, Sri Sri Radha-

Damodara. These Deities have captured the hearts of many

devotees over the years, binding them to the dhama thro

Their service. Her Grace Kartamisa devi dasi is one of th

fortunate devotees who has come to Gita Nagari and who

allowed Sri Sri Radha-Damodara to bind her heart.

Mother Kartamisa joined ISKCON in Washing

D.C. in 1993 and, soon after, Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja a

her to move to Gita Nagari. She followed those fortu

instructions, and with the help of Brahma dasa, she mo

to the dhama, arriving late one night in 1995. Almimmediately, without much time to settle, she was enliste

Deity service. Kartamisa reects:

I had no idea about how to serve the Deities, nor ha

any inkling of the intensity of the service. There wer

rumors abounding that my service would be hea

pujari, but that did not occur until about six or seve

months later. In the meantime, my service was dressing

Nitai-Gaurasundara. One day as I began dressing Thei

Lordships, I looked over at Sri Sri Radha-Damodarand promised Them that if They gave me an opportunit

to serve Them, I would never make Them wait to b

servedI promised Them to always be timely.

Kartamisa has kept that promise to this day, consiste

pleasing the Deities through her staunch punctuality. As

Prabhupada writes, The deity worship must be comple

pure in terms of cleanliness and punctuality, otherwise t

will be some offense (Letter to Sri Govinda, Calcutta, Jan

31, 1973). Soon after making that promise, Kartamisa become Sri Sri Radha-Damodaras pujari, as well as

pujari, initially sharing the position with Mother Kaulini

Mother Indulekha.

Over the years, Kartamisa has accepted

responsibility for the Deity department, and twelve years l

she remains unswerving in

her determination to serve

the Deities with devotion

and opulence. Some

mornings she is up early,

long before the Deities,

making bur or kheer for

Their rst offering of the

day. At other times she

is busy sewing gorgeous

outts for Janmastami or

Gaura-purnima, and often

on Radhastami,

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Kartamisa devi dasi focused o

serving Their Lordships.


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he will arrange very ornate ower outts that certainly

enchant the devotees. As her duties have expanded over the

years, she explains how she has come to appreciate the service

and how her spiritual master continues to inspire her:

The position has grown as my understanding of the

needs of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara and Company, the

needs of the devotees who serve Them, and what it takes

to manage the Deity department have grown. Everystep of the way, Gurudeva constantly encouraged and

trained me, whether in person (encouragement coupled

with necessary chastisement), or in a dream (helping

me understand my relationship with him, and increasing

my vision on how to serve Them). Usually when there

was a decision to make regarding the Deities, I would

consult with Gurudeva until there came a time when he

told me to make the decision myself.

Managing the details of the Deity department could

be contained in a book all by itself, but I am limited

in this offering. Certainly it helps one understand

how Krsna is a person, His service is personal, and

His service is constantly expanding. Its a constant

meditation. As Krsna speaks to your heart according

to your level of surrender, more details are revealed

about how to please Krsna.

If the bliss heightens or as difculties arise, thisis the service Gurudeva intended for me when he sent

me to Gita Nagari. I am never absent from him, nor is

he ever absent from me. He continues to serve Sri Sri

Radha-Damodara for his spiritual master, and I am

trying to assist him in that service. All glories to His

Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami Krsnapada!

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Copyright 2007 Hari-Nama Press

All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in

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written consent of the publisher.

Hari-Nama Press gratefully acknowledges the BBT for the use of verses, purports and photos from Srila

Prabhupadas books. All such material are Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.

Designed by Tamal Krsna dasa

Edited by Lila Katha devi dasi

Photo of Bhakti Tirtha Swami: 2005 Lawson Knight/Laksmivan dasa ACBSP

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Reflections Oct07