home sweet home

Good Association

I feel so fortunate to be here right now. Every where I turn, throughout the day and everyday I will see one devotee, and another, and another who is full of so many of the devotional qualities I am trying to develop: humility, tolerance, respect, sincerity, a serving attitude, an affectionate nature….

As I am realizing more and more, good association is so important! Even hearing about the devotees gives me some inspiration. About a week ago, Srila Gurudev showed a couple of slideshows to the devotees gathered for morning darshan: first of some recent pictures Hasyapriya Prabhu had brought from China, depicting the glorious preaching activities of Yudhmanya Prabhu, and then of a collection of pictures showing the activities of our devotees from all around the world. When the slideshow had finished, Srila Gurudev told us he had wanted to give us some “enlightenment.”

As Ashram Maharaj pointed out in the morning class he gave a short while later, when we are given a glimpse into the serving lives of our god-brothers and sisters going on so gloriously in every corner of the globe, we will be inspired and also feel the need to look at ourselves and ask: ““What am I doing?! And how am I doing?” It’s like a wake-up call: “I need to be doing more service, I need to be cultivating my devotional qualities, I need to try a little more.”

And when we have the closer, physical association of higher devotees, we will feel this even more. In higher association, I have the opportunity to see the mood and qualities of higher devotees. This helps me to recognize my faults, and also increases my desire to remove them, improve myself and make spiritual progress. As Srila Gurudev says in Affectionate Guidance, higher association gives us spiritual hankering:

When practising spiritual life, doing what we call sadhana, at that time it is necessary to have the association of the saintly devotees. Through that association, regard grows within, and hankering arises.

Away from the association of devotees, it is easy for me to begin to think that I am full of so many devotional qualities. But here, surrounded by higher devotees, it becomes clear to me that by comparison, the depth of my faith, my humility, my tolerance, respect and so on – is very shallow.

Here, in the association of Srila Gurudev and his closer associates, friends and disciples, I cannot but realize how small my connection with Srila Gurudev is; I cannot but realize how meagre and lacking I really am, and I also cannot but aspire and try to make some spiritual improvement. In Sri Guru and His Grace Srila Sridhar Maharaj gives the example of approaching Mount Everest. From far away, I will only be able to see the highest peak of the mountain. But if I want to approach Mount Everest, I “must pass through so many closer mountain peaks” and in doing so, I “cannot avoid discovering the name and characteristic of other peaks surrounding Mount Everest.” Similarly, here, at Srila Gurudev’s lotus feet, I have the opportunity to learn about the “name and characteristic” of those devotees surrounding him.

And this process is so essential for my spiritual progress. These devotees have what I don’t have, and by my association with them, I have some hope becoming a little more like them. Srila Sridhar Maharaj advises us to “…approach the devotees for faith. They are like many pillars of faith.” Here, I am able to see the example of devotees like Sripad Ashram Maharaj, Kum Kum Didi, Hasyapriya Prabhu, Trivikram Maharaj and so many others, and I can only I feel “Here is faith, here is dedication, here is sincerity, here is humility, earnestness, honesty; here is a devotee.”

Having the association of these devotees also helps to increase the appreciation and faith I have for my Guru, because their spiritual qualities have come from their connection with him. Srila Sridhar Maharaj says that the higher devotees “stand with their heads erect, proving and declaring their experience of the Supreme Entity.” Similarly, these devotees surrounding Srila Gurudev prove and declare the greatness of our Gurudev, Srila Govinda Maharaj.

Last night Srila Gurudev spoke of the process for leaving behind our attachment for the mundane (“We are only here for a few days!”) emphasizing that it was only possible by dedicating ourselves to our Guru, who is “before us,” our connection to Krishna. Srila Gurudev then affectionately praised Trivikram Maharaj, speaking of their relationship and some of the exchanges they have had over the last few years. Srila Gurudev ended happily with: “Now his heart is given to Mahaprabhu!”

Trivikam Maharaj eagerly responded: "It is by your grace Gurudev!"

The Search

We’re on a mission. Traipsing through the heart of the city, holding our saris above the mud and grime of Calcutta and clutching our precious cargo to our chests, Varshana and I travel by auto rickshaw, metro and foot – to an uncertain destination. On all sides we are assaulted by loud voices encouraging us to stray off the path we’ve chosen:

“Naina, come, come look at this!”
“Here, saris, beautiful saris!”
“Chai! Hot chai!”
“Over here, come! You will like!”

The most insinuating are those that come in the guise of help:

“What are you looking for? I can help you. Come with me.”

But somehow, we know these people have their own agenda; maybe they will ask us for money, or lead us to a store where they will encourage us to buy their own wares. And we are determined to find only the authentic thing, no matter what it takes. So we trudge on under the hot sun, as our loads get heavier and heavier.

Somehow, out of the cacophony of voices, we get some indication of the right direction to go in, and end up on the right street. But now we are assaulted by more obstacles: where is the shop we are looking for? Our heavy bags contain an assortment of electrical items from the office that need to be fixed; now we need to find the store we’ve been told to go to. Standing in the middle of the street, and wondering which way to go, we soon find ourselves surrounded by a group of ‘helpful’ pedestrians. We tell them what we’re looking for and are given a number of suggestions that all only serve to simultaneously contradict each other and confuse us even more.

Deciding to follow one piece of advice, we peer into a nearby electrical store across the road. After briefly considering going there for help, we finally decide we must continue to look for the shop we were recommended to use. As we wander down the street, we are again attacked by shopkeepers and passerby’s trying to give us their spiel.

“This is ridiculous.” I say. We’re so close, and yet so far! We need to ask a reliable source. Someone who speaks English would be a good start. After some searching, we find a likely candidate, who we are relieved to find not only speaks English, but is also able to point out the exact spot of the shop we’re looking for.

“We made it!”

We enter the cool air-conditioned room, approach a desk and begin to unload our bags: out come mangled pieces of cord, unidentifiable pieces of machinery, electrical boxes of odd sizes, and so on and so forth. A man comes and sits at the other side of the desk, and we eagerly tell him of everything we need fixed. We are surprised by his response:

“Well, why have you come to me? I don’t usually fix these kinds of items.”

We can see his point: the collection of wires and boxes on his smart desk is a real mess. But we’re not about to give up. We’ve come this far already. He was recommended to us, we explain. We have friends – Mahananda Prabhu and Jamuna – who have come here before, and you were able to help them. But those were exceptions he explains. He seems reluctant to accept us, but after surveying our sorry, disheveled and tired selves, he concedes:

“OK, I can see you don’t know your way around the city. I’ll fix these for you.”

Whew! But then:

“But, are you in a hurry?”

No, we tell him, whatever it takes and however long - we don't mind! We don't want a 'quick fix.' And we don't really have anywhere else to go in any case. We know this man is the best, and only he can help us in the way we need.

Back in Calcutta

Entering the gates of the Dum Dum Park Math yesterday afternoon, I was greeted by the bright face of Sripad Jitendriya Maharaj peering over a balcony from the building opposite the front entrance: “Welcome Damayanti Didi!”

I couldn’t help but think this was a good start.

Braja Kishor Prabhu helped me lug my bags up to the ladies rooms, where I saw some more bright faces – Varshana, who’s been in Calcutta for several weeks now, Jayanti who arrived from London just a few hours earlier than me, Bhakti Lalita Didi and Jamuna Priya – who all gave me a warm welcome. It was odd to even see some other females – when I was here just over a month ago, I was literally the only girl around.

Srila Gurudev was resting after having taken afternoon prasadam when I arrived, so I sat and caught up with Varshana, who told me of all the devotees who have begun to gather here in Calcutta: a big group of devotees who just arrived from Turkey, Kum Kum Didi and Vrinda from California – and of course all the sannyasis: Sripad Goswami Maharaj, Sripad Avadhut Maharaj, Sripad Siddhanti Maharaj, Sripad Janardan Maharaj….

About an hour later, Jamuna came and told me Srila Gurudev was asking for me, so I gathered the gifts and donations I’d been given from my family and the devotees in London and went downstairs. As usual, I was full of nervousness and anxiety the few moments before I saw Srila Gurudev, and also as usual, every trace of this dissipated as soon as I saw his beautiful smiling face. After asking me about some of the London devotees, my flight, and all in all very mercifully making me feel at home, Srila Gurudev told me to go take rest.

Later on in the evening, I returned to the veranda for a short time, where Sripad Avadhut Maharaj was showing Srila Gurudev and the gathered devotees some awesome videos of the various preaching programmes and festivals that have been going on in Russia, as well as some made-for-tv films offering an introduction to our Math – including a film of Govardhan parikrama. It was definitely inspiring to see such incredible activities going on around the world in the name of our Math, and it was even better to see Srila Gurudev’s happy response. He was especially pleased mentioning the strong mood of some of the women servitors there.

This morning showed the first lapse from the rain which has been going on in Calcutta for about four days straight, and the first group of devotees left for Srila Sridhar Maharaj’s Vyasa Puja festival that will be held in Nabadwip on Wednesday. There had been some concern that the roads would be unusable, so the rain stopped just in time. Of course, this does not mean the rain has stopped in Nabadwip, where it has also been raining non-stop. And if it continues, there is a strong chance of a flood occurring….

It seems that Srila Gurudev will most likely go to Nabadwip tomorrow, but as always, nothing is certain.

The Future: "Are we there yet?"

Saskatchewan, Canada

Oh no! It's that familiar and unwelcome feeling at the pit of my stomach again: that's right. I'm nervous. Not again! The flight leaves in about ten hours. I don't really have time for this.

This is not the so-called Existential Crisis I had a few weeks ago. I will definitely miss my family and the devotees of the London community, but I now feel confident in the fact that, somehow, my Krishna conscious practicing life has brought me to this point, and the only way there is to go, is happily forward. I am fortunate that this way has been shown to me in a tangible and clear way by my Guru: “I will be very happy if you stay.” ‘Thought is progressive,’ and we also want our lives to be progressive, so I must go in the direction where I see some hope of making progress. In a letter of encouragement I received a few weeks ago from Sripad Akinchan Maharaj, he said: “You are taking a big step, a big risk -- for what? To make progress in spiritual life.”

So all the concerns I had a few weeks ago no longer trouble me.

But, ahead of me lies the ‘Great Unknown.’ Ahead of me lies a new environment, a new serving group, a new lifestyle, a new everything. And not just new, but unknown: I am not sure where I will be all of the time, what exactly I will be doing, or for how long even!

And most importantly, how do I know how I will respond to any of these new experiences and ‘Unknowns?’ Ahead of me will be so many new choices to make, and how do I know what I will decide and if I made the right choice?

The simple answer is: I don’t.

But surely, this is what progress is all about, right? This can only be an opportunity for spiritual progress. Because how much do I actually know I have truly learned until I put it into practice? Srila Sridhar Maharaj says in Sri Guru and His Grace: “What we have received from our spiritual master, in what way have we received it? Properly, or only showingly? The time has come to purify us, to test whether we are real students, real disciples, or his disciples only in face and confession.”

How can I make progress until I actually actively go out there and try what I think I have learned? Aristotle, writing on his theory of tragedy, said: “Well-being and ill-being reside in action, and the goal of life is an activity, not a quality; people possess certain qualities in accordance with their character, but they achieve well-being or its opposite on the basis of how they fare.” Similarly, I may feel that I have so many qualities, but until these are expressed, and until I find myself in a circumstance which tests them to their limit, I don’t know how much I truly know.

E.M. Forster said: “How do I know what I think, until I see what I say?” How do I really know where my faith lies, and how deep it lies, until I see how I express it? As Srila Sridhar Maharaj continues, “…what is the depth of our creed? In what attitude have we accepted his teachings? How deep-rooted is it within us? The fire has come to test whether we can stand. Is our acceptance real? Or is it a sham, an imitation? This fire will prove that.”

Through trying to follow the teachings of our Gurus, and through the association of my God-sisters and God-brothers, I may easily feel that I know something and understand something. But all this so-called knowledge could at any moment be revealed as a mere theoretical understanding. As Sripad Akinchan Maharaj wrote in a blog a few months ago: “If I read Bhagavad Gita but I do not apply its philosophy to my daily life, then what is the value of that reading? It has served only to entertain me for a few hours.”

For my own spiritual progress, I need these ‘Unknowns’ and new challenges. How can I ever make personal growth if I do not encounter new challenges, problems and difficulties? This is an indispensable part of my spiritual life. Srila Sridhar Maharaj continues:

“So, this is the real field of sadhana, or practice. Our practice, our advancement needs these difficulties. Otherwise, we may not know what is progress, and we will become hypocrites, and give the adulterated thing to others. So, to purify ourselves, it is necessary that so many disturbances come.”

And what if I fail? Because surely that is why I feel any nervousness at all. What if I do encounter a choice and make the wrong decision? What if what I thought I knew is revealed to be nothing more than a mere theoretical understanding? What if the degree to which I truly live by the principles of ‘humility, tolerance and respect’ is revealed through one circumstance as being very little after all?

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: “Progress means elimination and acceptance…. Life is dynamic; we are living in a dynamic world. Everywhere we find acceptance and elimination. That is progress. And our life must be progressive, not static.”

In this case, failure can’t be such a bad thing after all. Because how do I “eliminate?” By first finding the faults, the conceptions and untruths that need to eliminated from my consciousness. And one way I can find them is by expressing them – i.e. by making a mistake. So failure is all a part of the learning process, if we have the correct attitude.

And if I try to be sincere, then I must be successful, even if I do make mistakes along the way: “Sincerity is invincible.”

Into the Future

The University has been dropped, the bookstore quit and the last day of work worked. The ticket is booked, the visa is on its way, and my flight leaves this Saturday!

This is really happening.

All of a sudden the future looms ahead of me, bright, but also full of uncertainties and what-ifs: what if Srila Gurudev changes his mind about me staying in Nabadwip? And where exactly will he want me – in Nabadwip all the time, or in Calcutta also? And will I really live there for the rest of my life?

Meanwhile, the present is full of important necessities: finalizing my abrupt exit from university, filling out this form and that form, organizing my finances, packing, shopping….

And the past has also been making a claim on my time. As Saturday gets closer, I have been thinking more and more of all the people and places I would like to make a final goodbye to. Yesterday morning I took the courage to visit an estranged friend I hadn’t spoken to in about three years; although our friendship had ended on bad terms, we’d been like sisters at one point and I wanted to make amends before I left the country. On the way to her house, I passed through neighborhoods I’d grown up in, the school I left a few years ago and not one but two houses our family have lived in over the last ten years. The memories came flooding in, and by the time I’d reached my friend’s house I was feeling overwhelmed and almost frightened. Why am I doing this? The past is the past. Let it be! You have a future ahead of you. “Forget the past that sleeps!”

But I knew that if I didn’t do this now, I’d regret it later. So I rang the bell tentatively. “Damayanti!” Whew. A happy meeting.

After the first few minutes of chitchat, I dropped my bombshell: “You’re doing what?! Are you crazy? I don’t believe it! Are you feeling OK?” Two hours later, after I’d talked to her about everything from why I wasn’t crazy, to why we need a Guru, to the difference between the plane of exploitation and dedication, to where I thought I could get decent shampoo in India :-), she began asking all the questions I’d asked myself only a few weeks ago….

“But what’s so wonderful about it? Why were you so happy there? And why do you think you can do it? You’re only twenty [twenty-one now!]. Don’t people normally decide to do things like this when they’re much older? You’re so little! And India might be tough!”

If she’d asked me all this back then, I might have broken down and said “You’re right. Why should I think I can do it?” But somehow, these last few weeks have given me new perspective and a chance for growth: I told her the simple truth – I don’t know why I was so happy in Nabadwip, I just was. And I don’t know if I can survive living there for the rest of my life, but I’ve got to try, right? And because it is the desire of my Guru, my chances of success are greatly increased….

If I go trying to identify with my pure ego, which is: “I am a servant of my Guru” and I am doing this because it is his desire, then I may have some hope of success. In Sri Sri Prapanna Jivanamrtam is Mahaprabhu’s expression that

“I am not a priest, a king, a merchant, or a labourer (brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra); nor am I a student, a householder, a retired householder, or a mendicant (brahmachari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasi). I identify myself only as a servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Sri Krishna, the Lord of the Gopis, who is the personification of the fully expanded (eternally self-revealing) nectarean ocean that brims with the totality of divine ecstasy.”

If I go identifying with my false ego: “I am a student, householder, etc etc, who therefore needs this and that” I will undoubtedly fail.

And since I am unable to even leave my false ego behind, I can remember that I can try to offer myself at the lotus feet of my Guru, as I am, false ego and all, in the faith that he will purify me as he sees necessary:

vapuradisu yo ’pi ko ’pi va
gunato ’sani yatha-tatha-vidhah
tad aham tava pada-padmayor
aham adyaiva maya samarpitah

“However I may be materially designated, however my character may be known – now, O Lord, this whole sense of ego is offered by me unto Your holy lotus feet.”
                -Sri Yamunacharyya

Whatever conception I may have of myself - my nature or character - based on my sense perception and my identification with a particular material body within this material environment, does not matter, because I can now try to dedicate my entire sense of self at the lotus feet of my Guru: “this whole sense of ego is offered by me unto Your holy lotus feet.”

When my friend and I finally said goodbye, it was on good terms, and I promised to send her a picture of our Math in Nabadwip so she could have an idea of just why exactly it was so wonderful.

Back at home, I have a few forms to complete to finalize my ticket arrangements. Asha tells me she’s just received good news from Nitai Sundar, in the US, about a certain successful application for a ten-year Indian visa. My mother is on the phone planning a party that will be held at the end of this week, in honour of all the ‘October Birthdays’ within our London Math, the arrival of Sachi Didi and Pandita from Holland – and my own departure to India. Then I have a phone conversation myself, with Saraswati Didi, about looking after my health in India: “Vitamins, minerals, nourishment, be careful….”. I think we both know that, as usual, I will not follow a word of her advice (sorry Saraswati Mama!), but it’s a fun routine :-).

The future it seems, is reasserting itself, loud and clear…. It might even be appropriate to say: “The Future is Now!” :-).

'Chant Hare Krishna and Be Happy!'

This time last year

As anyone reading these blogs will see, I make my Krishna conscious practicing life extremely complicated at times. After reading 'Self-examination: D+,' a friend asked me, “Damayanti, does your brain hurt sometimes?” I think it’s a valid question.

Today, reading this beautiful passage from ‘Affectionate Guidance,’ I was reminded of how it all began for us; how we fallen souls were given this connection we have with Krishna consciousness in the first place, and the way we are advised to go forward on our way back home, back to Godhead.

Mahaprabhu’s conception is very simple but we are making it complicated in so many ways, because we are tainted with a kind of uncleanliness. Mahaprabhu has given within His Siksastakam a sloka about Harinam-sankirttan, and I think this is sufficient for us. What could we need more than this?

cheto-darpana-marjjanam bhava-mahadavagni-nirvvapanam
sreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidyavadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-varddhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirttanam

Cheto-darpana-marjjanam—that is the full, clean position of the jiva. The mind, the consciousness, is being fully cleansed by the performance of Nama-sankirttan. But cleanliness, purity, on its own is not sufficient. When you are cleaning something, all the dirt that will come out as a result, you will have to do something with that. The dirty things—our mundane wealth, our mundane conceptions, all our evil tendencies—what will we do with them?

Bhava-mahadavagni-nirvvapanam—you make a fire there, and that fire of Nama-sankirttan will burn all those things to ashes. First you will clean your house and then you will burn all the filth accumulated there. And then in its place you will need to establish something good.

Sreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam—you can start a new life there and you will see the nectarean ray of Krishna-nama bestowing grace upon your head; the service of Sri Krishna in Madhura-rasa.

Sometimes I think that this one sloka is sufficient. There we find Chaitanya, Advaita and Nityananda.

When Sri Chaitanya appears in our heart then all that is a-chaitanya flees from there. Then Sri Advaita; The feeling of so ‘ham—that means Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and I am a part of Him, and Nityananda—ecstasy, nectar, everything. Through the chanting of Hari-Nama, the non-different form of Krishna, the Pastimes of Krishna will play in the heart.

Hidden Treasure, Secret Service

ConstructiveExampleOfUnrevealedUntruth, United Kingdom

Yesterday a friend who was my closest companion throughout secondary school (high school), and who has now become like an extension of my family, made her second visit with us to the London Math, for the weekly Sunday programme. Ever since we became such good friends all those years ago, Mariam has always been interested in Krishna consciousness and is one of those people, unlike me, who was just born with natural devotee qualities: humility, tolerance, respect, a serving attitude, and a sweet, genial nature.

This summer, while I was in India, she joined my family for a three week visit to Villa Govinda in Italy, where all were happily surprised at how naturally she took part in all the day-to-day activities of the temple – waking early for the morning programmes, helping in all service activities, participating in Harinams…. She was also fortunate to have the wonderful association of the Italian devotees, headed by Krishna Kanta Didi and Munindra Prabhu, and the visiting devotees, including Jagamohini Didi from the USA, Pandita Devi Dasi from Holland and others, who all showered her with affection, goodwill and friendship.

Over the years I’ve given her a few books, including Home Comfort and The Search for Sri Krishna: Reality the Beautiful, leaflets and encouraged her to visit the Math website – but I’ve never given her a copy of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. So when she happened to come across a copy downstairs in the basement of the temple this morning, she picked it up with interest: “Oh, I should read this,” and began flipping through with curiosity.

I don’t know how this particular copy came to be in the temple, but unfortunately, the book she picked up was not Srila Sridhar Maharaj’s Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute or Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupad’s Bhagavad-gita As it Is, but a Penguin Classic edition, which had been translated and edited by some academic scholars of a top university somewhere in the world.

I remember in a class given by Sripad Goswami Maharaj some months ago, he told of his first experience of reading the Bhagavad-gita. When he had finished he called a friend excitedly and encouraged him to also read it. A while later his friend called back and said: “I went out and bought a copy of the Gita, and I read it, but I just didn’t have the same experience as you.” Sripad Goswami Maharaj responded by saying he couldn’t just read any copy of the Gita: “You have to read Bhagavad-gita As It Is!”

Why do we read the books that have been given to us by our Gurus in the first place? Not because we want to increase our knowledge, or so that we can gain a theoretical knowledge of what we think might-or-might-not-be-true. After all, we are told that mere knowledge cannot take us anywhere; we are followers of bhakti-yoga, the path of divine love, the highest path - not followers of jnana-yoga, the path of knowledge. As Srila Gurudev says in Bhagavat Darshan: Revelation Not Speculation:

“A Ganges [river] full of knowledge of the Scriptures cannot rescue you. Knowledge has its final destination up to satya loka. It will not get a divine connection from there to the transcendental plane. Knowledge devoid of devotion is useless for you.”

And in a talk given in London some years ago, Srila Gurudev quoted this verse while explaining the “deep, deeper and deepest” way in which the Bhagavad-gita has given us “all knowledge,” and the fact that knowledge is useless without bhakti, devotion, and sraddha, faith:

sei saba sadhaner ati tuccha bal
krsna-bhakti vina tara dite nare phal
                     Chaitanya-charitamrta, Madhya 22.18

“Without devotional service, all other methods for spiritual self-realization are weak and insignificant. Unless one comes to the devotional service of Lord Krishna, jnana and yoga cannot give the desired results.”

We read Affectionate Guidance, Divine Guidance, Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Search for Sri Krishna and all the other books we have been given because we want spiritual nourishment, spiritual guidance and spiritual progress, because want to increase our faith – and so on and so forth. Our Gurus always tell us that if we are lacking something – whether it is faith, hankering or anything else - we must take the association of those who have that which we lack. In Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion, Volume I, Srila Sridhar Maharaj says:

“We should approach the devotees for faith. They are like many pillars of faith. We are told that electricity can flow everywhere, but practically, we must be connected with the dynamo. Dynamos can show electrical power, and similarly, there are many devotees, past and present, in whom we can find real Godliness. They stand like pillars of faith, in their dealings and example. If we approach Christ, his ideal and sacrifice will encourage faith in us. If we examine the history of Prahlada, we will come to understand what a great devotee he is. Our hearts will become filled to the brim: "Here is faith - here is the presence of the Almighty."

When we pay heed to the devotees, with their help we are raised to a particularly high standard of faith. We are in a safe position when we turn our attention towards the devotees. They are like so many pillars standing and proving His presence. Summarily neglecting the enjoyable objects of this world, they stand with their heads erect, proving and declaring their experience of the Supreme Entity.”

“…they stand with their heads erect, proving and declaring their experience of the Supreme Entity.” Our Gurus have a real connection with the spiritual world because they are of and from the spiritual world. The teachings they give us are not theoretical or a product of their mental judgement; they are giving us the living truth, the live current of truth which they are living and which flows through them. In Sri Guru and His Grace, Srila Sridhar Maharaj says:

“Krishna consciousness, the spiritual conception of the highest level, descends by flowing down from one level to the next, just as from the peak of a mountain, the Ganges flows in a zigzag way, from one peak to another.”

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who is with us here and now, is our connection to this current of the living truth. And this connection is what we need so urgently; in Sri Guru and His Grace, Srila Sridhar Maharaj continues to say:

“We are slaves of the truth. We are beggars for the pure current of truth that is constantly flowing: the fresh current…. I will bow down my head wherever I find the river of nectar coming down to me. When one is conscious that the Absolute Truth is descending to him from the highest domain, he will think, “I must surrender myself here.”

We are worshippers and followers of ‘Revealed truth’ and living truth, and we can find this by following the words and reading the books of our Gurus who are in touch with, and the personification of this truth.

A copy of the Bhagavad-gita as seen through the divine vision and consciousness of His Divine Grace Srila Sridhar Maharaj will be imbued with his high realizations and spiritual, Absolute truths. If my friend were to try and read this with faith, she must have some spiritual benefit. If on the other hand, Mariam were to read a Penguin Classic edition of the Gita as seen through the mundane, limited vision of an academic scholar, and as such full of relative truths, intellectual speculations, untruths and utterly lacking in faith – the only result would be damage to her faith and useless mental speculation….

Srila Sridhar Maharaj advises:

“…before we read anyone's book, we shall try to find out who is his Guru, and from where the substance is coming down. Is it only a facade, or is there any real substance within? If we can understand that he has a relationship with a genuine sadhu, then we can give some attention to him.”

I am sure my friend Mariam will testify to the fact that I am terrible when it comes to explaining anything to anyone, but essentially I told her: if we want the truth we should go to someone who is living that truth, knows that truth and is that truth!

When I had finished my spiel, I urged Mariam to not go out and pick up a copy from her local bookstore or library. Instead, I promised I would get her a copy of Srila Sridhar Maharaj’s Hidden Treasure.

Of course, this was before I remembered what I had just recently learned while in India: there’s a worldwide shortage. We’re all out. Sold the last copy (Sorry Mariam!).

But on second thoughts, all is not lost: just a few months ago, a beautiful Sanskrit/ENGLISH!/Turkish edition of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita, The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute was produced and offered to Srila Gurudev through the inspiring service of the Turkish devotees….

N.B: Interestingly enough, Mariam comes from a Muslim family who don’t especially approve of her interest in Krishna consciousness. So the above link to Sripad Akinchan Maharaj’s blog ‘Secret Service,’ has a little more relevance than you might at first think….