tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23223122920348159712024-03-14T05:41:52.549+01:00Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda / Bhakti MargaOfficial page of Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, an enlightened spiritual master and the founder of the Bhakti Marga movement, the path of devotion.Swami Kurunandhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930808539592841449noreply@blogger.comBlogger1180125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-10939797251778157582016-10-03T13:10:00.002+02:002016-10-04T00:39:58.876+02:00The New Swamis and Swaminis of Bhakti Marga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jai Gurudev, today we are happy to announce the initiation of the new Bhakti Marga Swami's and Swamini's. Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda gave his blessing to all the new initiates and distributed the danda (staff) to each, which represents the Paramapara, the spiritual lineage, of which they have now entered. Along with this, a new Rishi has also been initiated. </div>
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Introducing Swami VishwaAniruddhaananda</div>
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1 of the 12 appointed Swamis</div>
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Introducing SwamiAtmikaananda</div>
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Swami for the country of Poland</div>
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Introducing Swamini VishwaSarvaTirtha Ma</div>
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Swamini for the country of France</div>
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Introducing Swamini VishwaNimesika Ma</div>
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Swamini for the country of Mauritius</div>
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Introducing Swamini VishwaAparajita Ma</div>
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Swamini for the country of Italy</div>
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Introducing Swamini VishwaYajnaVidhya Ma</div>
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Swamini for the country of Portugal</div>
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Introducing Rishi Sambhavaananda</div>
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May all these new initiates become great servants and carriers of Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwanada's teachings and mission of unconditional Love. Jai Gurudev!<br />
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Prem Se Bolo Bhakti Marga Swami's, Swamini's and Rishi ki - Jai!<br />
Prem Se Bolo Sri Ramanuja Acharya ki - Jai!<br />
Prem Se Bolo Mahavatar Kriya Babaji ki - Jai!<br />
Prem Se Bolo Satgurudeva Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda ki - Jai!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-55506478362708396182016-10-02T14:53:00.000+02:002016-10-02T14:54:32.220+02:00The Maha Samadhi of Shirdi Sai Baba as told by Paramahamsa Vishwananda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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(This story is an excerpt from the book, <i>Just Love 3: The Essence of Everything</i> by Parmahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, enjoy!):<br />
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Shirdi Sai Baba could have stayed (in his body) longer,
but he took upon himself the illness of one of his devotees. It was one devotee
that he had taken as his son, because he had promised to the mother of Tatya
Patil that he would look after him and nothing bad would happen to him. So, one
day this devotee got tuberculosis and, of course, he would cough blood, all
this. </div>
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Everyday people would go to Sai and say “Hey, your nephew is sick. Do
something, you have helped so many people; you have healed so many people. Why
is he still sick? Why don’t you do something?” But the nephew accepted it and
never said one word about it. He never would have said to Sai “Heal me or do
something.” So, Sai said, “I am getting old now. I am an old man. So it’s time for
me to go.” </div>
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There was one lady, Laksmi Bai, who used to look after Shirdi Sai
Baba. Just before he died, he gave her nine coins, saying to her “These coins
that I am giving you are the nine forms of bhakti.” Then, knowing that he would
take upon himself the illness of Tatya Patil, he sent everybody and said “Well,
it’s a good time.” Then he transferred all the illness onto his own body. He
could do that through his siddhis (spiritual powers). Then he took Maha Samadhi willingly. </div>
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"(Before) I was explaining to somebody about the difference between samadhi and Maha
Samadhi. There are a lot of samadhis, but for saints, they always take Maha
Samadhi when they die, because they say willingly “Yes, I will go.” That is
easy for them. Of course, anybody could say “Yes, I can kill myself and go,”
but one would not go in the same manner. There are so many incidents in Shirdi
Sai Baba´s life that we could talk about. We can see many small things, which
have great meanings, but I guess you all know the story of Shirdi Sai very
well, so I will not go much into detail about that. His life was an example; he
was simple and free. If people offended him, he was neutral, because he had
such a Love for people; everybody was welcome.</div>
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Sometimes though, he would
behave in such a strange way, when people would come to him. There were
incidents when people would come to him and he would behave really madly and
push them away. After pushing them away, he would call them back and treat them
as a tender mother with all his care and Love. Of course, people would not
understand “Why did he first push us away and now he is being so kind to us?” Actually,
he was not pushing away the person as a person, but he was pushing away the
negativity of the person; he was pushing it away from that person. Strange was
his ways, because he would never say directly what he was doing. He was always
talking to himself, always looking after the welfare of the Universe like a mad
person. Well, it’s typical for Masters to do that, you know? Otherwise it would
be so easy for people to understand things. Only the clever will understand. I
don´t mean clever with the mind, but clever with the heart, wise. </div>
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Once, a man and his gang
planned to kill Shirdi Sai. They knew that he used to walk a certain path, so they
hid themselves behind a stone and as Shirdi Sai was walking by, they planned to
beat him up. As they were going to hit him, he just turned and they saw the
Mecca and the moon and the stars in his eyes and they were transformed. Some of
them ran away, because they got so scared, but the man who had planned to kill him
changed. He fell at Shirdi Sai´s feet and asked for forgiveness. </div>
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Shirdi Sai
said to him “Look my dear, in the mind of ignorance one sees the difference,
one sees the limitation, but there is only one God with thousands of Names. You
can call Him Allah, you can call Him Bhagavan or any Divine Name, but it’s the
same God that you are calling. If God would have a limit, He couldn’t be God.
We can’t say “God is just this” or “God is just that.” Then how could He be God?
God is the manifestation of everything. God is this and that! And it is only
the manifestation of Him that seems different.” So, realising this, the man
changed. </div>
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This was just one example of how Shirdi Sai used to break all the barriers
of religions that one can put in one´s mind. There was also one other similar
incident. One lady came to Shirdi Sai and asked him “Are you a Muslim or are
you a Hindu? I can’t understand that.” Shirdi Sai went into a rage, tore his
clothes, removed his clothes and, standing completely naked in front of her, said
“What do you see? Am I a Muslim or am I a Hindu?” </div>
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You see, we look so much at
the outside; we give limits to the outside. Of course, we have to build up the outside
first, so that gradually we can transcend the outside and move into the
infinite, move from the finite to the infinite, from the limited to the
Unlimited One. You have a mind and you have a body and in this there is
limitation. Learn to handle your humanness first, so that you can then handle
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Shirdi Sai Baba is such a great example, such a great Saint, but
he was always humble. He could have been living in a big palace if he had
wanted. He gave so much to people and he is still giving so much to people.
Even though he died a long time ago, there are so many people who still profit
from him. One of his promises was “Even if I am dead, I shall speak through my
tomb.” He also said “If you look at me, I will look at you.” He has shown this
so many times to so many devotees. Even I have so many experiences with him. Call
Him sincerely.<br />
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Tomorrow is the inauguration of the Shirdi Sai Mandir at Shree Peetha Nilaya. You can learn more by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktimarga.org/shirdisaimandir">www.bhaktimarga.org/shirdisaimandir</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-89367747918846225502016-08-24T15:48:00.000+02:002016-08-24T16:06:03.047+02:00Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 8 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"As a devotee which is surrendered to God, surrendered to Love, one also should be similar. One should be empty inside and let the Love of God take full control over you. Let the Lord guide and act through you. Let the Lord reflect through you. Let His Glory be ever in your mind. Let His vision be ever in your eyes. Let your hands always be at service to Him. Like that you will always be next to Him, night and day. You will sleep next to Him. You will dwell eternally, like the flute, with Him." </i><i> - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016</i><br />
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The final day of the Bhagavad Gita course with Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda was an extraordinary day that concluded the course with inspiration and gratitude. On Day 8, Swamiji gave commentary solely on chapter 18, the last chapter of the Gita. With only having one chapter left, Swamiji spent the entire day explaining the ending of the glorious conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna.<br />
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<i>"Without any attachment either to the action or the fruit of the action, this is regarded as sattvic. If your heart is non-attached to the reward, to whatever you gain from it, how people are seeing, what they are seeing, this is true renunciation. You don’t expect any recognition. You do it in the quietness. So, that’s what Jesus said also in the Bible, no? He said, if you want to pray don’t make it a show. Go in the deepest corner, the quiet and the renounced corner and pray to your Father. Know that He is looking at you. </i><br />
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<i>So, those actions which are done without anybody noticing it, without even this playing upon your mind, 'I have done this, I have done that. I have given this or I have given that.' That action, Bhagavan said that this is true renunciation. 'I am not renouncing so that everybody can remember me I have renounced million just like that.' " - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016</i><br />
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In chapter 18, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga (path of liberation through renunciation), Arjuna makes his final questions to Krishna. They all point to one direction - clarifying the route to Moksha, total realisation. After discussing many topics, Krishna gives particular emphasis to three paths leading to Moksha. Karma Yoga, Jyaana Yoga, and most importantly and most emphasised by Bhagavan, Bhakti Yoga.<br />
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Krishna then concludes his own teachings and summaries them for Arjuna, giving specific instructions in relation to what He wishes his disciple to do with these teachings he has received. By the end of the chapter, Arjuna has completely transformed, and with his ignorance and disillusionment dispelled, Arjuna is now ready to fight in the Mahabharat War.<br />
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<i>"When that bliss awakes itself, all is transformed and all is purified. That bliss becomes eternal. Bhagavan is talking about the supreme bliss itself, Satchitananda. This eternal joy, it’s not a joy which comes today and tomorrow it's not here. It doesn’t depend on anybody. The ones who dwell into that sattvic state, they are always absorbed in that blissful state. It is like when you walk towards Realisation, when you are doing your sadhana, you have to have this joy of doing one’s sadhana. </i><br />
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<i>Those God-realised souls, those devotees which are longing for the Love of God, they should continuously focus upon that love. More they concentrate upon this love, they will go through the nine steps of devotion where all the five kinds of bhav will awake. One’s qualities, happiness, all this will awake itself. When one attains that true happiness, this happiness is also projected in all directions. This happiness purifies all. This happiness enlightens all. They become themselves an example of the Divine Love. They become themselves without any worry, without any effort. Things happen automatically through them.</i><br />
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<i>You see, often people who encounter you, because you are centred into this divine quality, you know, because you chant the Name of God, sometimes people will like to be with you. It’s not that they want something from you, but just by being in your presence they feel happy. Just by being near to you they feel the sense of calmness. </i><br />
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<i>So, this is the reflection of true happiness in the devotees. They radiate this deep longing, yearning, around them and people find great joy and peace to be among you. They don’t want anything from you, but you are in a constant giving state. Whatever you are giving is not through material, is not through things, but it is through your vibration, through your divine connection with God. Through your absorption in that Love of God, you become a source which is continuously shining and giving. This is sattvic happiness inside of you. And here Bhagavan Krishna said, 'My devotee has this happiness.' " </i><i> - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016</i><br />
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Towards the end of the commentary, Paramahamsa Vishwananda explained that verse 66 (ch.18) is the most important verse in the whole Shreemad Bhagavad Gita ("Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone. I will deliver you from all sin and evil, do not grieve" - Lord Krishna):<br />
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<i>"This is the most important verse in the whole Gita. This is the most important phrase which our Sampradaya holds dear to. This is the main teaching of the Sri Sampradaya. 'Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone.' There is only one dharma and that dharma is to surrender to the Feet of the Lord.</i><br />
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<i>Here Bhagavan Krishna Himself reminds Arjuna, 'You don’t need to concentrate on any rules. Once you are surrendered, those who are truly surrendered, those minds which are fully absorbed in the surrender to the Feet of the Master, for them all the rules are gone. All the regulations are gone, because that abandonment itself, the letting go of every concept and taking refuge at the Feet of the Lord will awaken the Supreme Realisation.</i><br />
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<i>And Bhagavan Krishna Himself said, 'I am the Supreme Lord. It is Me Myself who has been incarnated in all the forms. I am that Supreme Personality. I am the one which is behind everything. There is no one else than Me and if you surrender to Me, you will be non-attached to anything.'</i><br />
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<i>That’s the dharma. That’s the supreme dharma of all creation itself. Every living entity in this whole universe has only one aim: to attain the Lord, to eternally dwell with Him, to attain to that awareness, to awaken that realisation that Lord Krishna is the greatest well-wisher, the guardian and the supporter of all. </i><br />
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<i>One should not worry, one should not grieve, one should only have pure love inside of oneself. One should build this relationship to the Lord, attain Him with deep reverence. Whatever you do, your mind should always be absorbed in the Divine Form. Whatever you do, know that He is the closest of all and whatever you do in life, you have only this as dharma: surrender with love to Him." </i><i> - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016</i><br />
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The course ended in the evening, and afterwards there was an extremely rocking kirtan. From the front of the tent to the back, everyone was dancing and singing the Divine Names. The course had certainly been a great success. Throughout the entire course, Paramahamsa Vishwananda had been making the teachings simple to understand, showing that the spiritual path is not as complicated as one may think it to be. Swamiji ended the commentary with these closing words:<br />
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<i>"We pray that Lord Krishna awakes this love inside of you, that you grow in your devotion and love to Him. This is the only thing that He asks: love and devotion. How you do that? Surrendering the mind, chant the Name with devotion, and love Him. </i><i>Jai Gurudev!"</i><i> - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 23 August 2016</i><br />
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Thank you for following the blog for these last 8 days as we covered the Bhagavad Gita Course with Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda. Jai Gurudev!<br />
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During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new <i>Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations</i> book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html">http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-27415598591028524852016-08-23T16:48:00.000+02:002016-08-23T16:56:33.764+02:00Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For a week now, Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda has been giving discourse on the Bhagavad Gita, and the time has gone by fast. Each day, Swamiji has delivered on average around 10 hours of commentary and on Day 7, Paramahamsa Vishwananda covered chapters 15, 16, and 17</div>
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Chapter 15 is called, "Purushottama Yoga" (the yoga of how to attain the Supreme). In this chapter, Lord Krishna introduces a topic that is beyond Prakriti and the Purusha - Ishvara, the Purushottama. The Supreme Deity, which Krishna identifies as Himself, lies beyond even the Soul and is the origin of all things. This chapter speaks of the unity that can be attained with this Supreme Lord.</div>
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<i>"When one lets the soul take control of one’s life, one realises that it is God which is the controller of everything. Actually, it’s like you are driving, He is a driver. You are sitting in a car and He is the driver. He is driving you everywhere. So here, you see, when He (Krishna) chose to become the charioteer, it was not just for fun, as if He said, “Okay, I don’t have some job to do, but if I fight this fight, I will win.” He said, “No, I will not fight.” You see? That’s why He chose to be the charioteer, to show that He is the one which governs everything in this entire universe and that we are eternally connected to Him, whether you want it or you don’t want it. His energy excels all energies, destructible energy and indestructible energy. So everything is Him. So, He is beyond that. He is the source of that energy itself. He is the source of all the forms of energies, all vibrations. </i></div>
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<i>That absolute pure reality, those who attain that supreme reality, perceive the unity in all. One becomes everything. One realises that one is with everything around. There is no separation. In this aspect there is no evil, there is no good. There is only the supreme calmness, tranquillity. There is this supreme bliss. There is the supreme peace. There is only the cosmic vibration vibrating everywhere. One pierces the barrier of understanding, hearing. One hears only the cosmic sound behind all the sounds, which is OM Namo Narayanaya. That’s why all the sages said, 'Chant OM Namo Narayanaya,' because this is the cosmic sound. </i></div>
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<i>Whenever you chant it, this is the sound which is beyond all sounds which you can perceive. That’s why the yogis have made it easy. Bhagavan had given and revealed that secret of OM Namo Narayanaya. The sages said, 'If you want peace, chant continuously OM Namo Narayanaya.' And let that vibration vibrate everywhere because this is the supreme vibration itself." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 22 August 2016</i></div>
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Chapter 16 is called, Daivaasurasampad Vibhaaga Yoga (the yoga of discrimination between the good qualities and the negative qualities). In this chapter, Lord Krishna explains the godly qualities that a God-Realised soul has. Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna how one can recognise somebody who is God-Realised, who has Divine qualities and how you would realise those who have demonic qualities, evil qualities inside of them. Here it's not in somebody else, it's inside of each person. </div>
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<i>"Bhagavan said there is certain practice how to purify yourself, how to cleanse yourself and if you want to follow, the Divine will make its way, will make things happen in such a way that you will be brought upon that. But the first step is that you have to want it. If you don’t want, it doesn’t come to you. But if you make that first step of wanting to change, that wanting to change itself will open a new world itself for you. </i></div>
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<i>Here Bhagavan said nobody is lost. Here on Earth there are always open chances for everybody. Whoever is born here, especially for the people of evil tendencies, tamasic quality people, God will always remind them. He will always remind them, but the choice is theirs. That choice He can’t force anybody. He will be a constant reminder. Same, as you are a constant reminder for so many people, so many people which are pointing fingers towards you, criticising you, judging you, saying all kinds of evil against you. But this is the reminder of God to them also.</i></div>
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<i>Bhagavan will always remind them of His presence, of His power, of His Love. He will always help them, but the choice will be only theirs. So, you are an inspiration to others to crave for the Divine, but they have to walk that path, they have to walk that path of perfection by themselves. They have to walk that path of liberation by themselves." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 22 August 2016</i></div>
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Chapter 17 is called, "Shraddhaatraya Vibhaaga Yoga" (the yoga of distinction between the three types of faith). In this chapter, Lord Krishna touches upon several different themes, focusing mainly on the analysis of different aspects of life; including what we eat, our actions, or performing sacrifice (worshipping the Lord); in relation to the three gunas - sattva, rajas, and tamas. </div>
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<i>"One who does charity, helping of people, with the true sense of serving, not for a show, but from the heart, those who give and forget about it don’t expect any gratification or ‘thank you’. They do it because they feel this is their duty to serve and they feel great joy in serving. They feel elevated in serving, not because they want something in return. Here the real sense of service, service doesn’t mean that, you know, you are paid or expecting something in return. No. Service, 'seva' stands freely. You are doing it for the Lord, you are doing it for God, you are doing it out of love without any expectation. Because whatever you do out of love is without any expecting something in return.</i></div>
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<i>'But those who think and do something, that’s not true charity, that’s not true service, that plays as a burden on the mind.' So, here Bhagavan is saying, that mind should be free when you serve. When you are doing service, when you are doing seva, you have to have a mind which is calm and enjoy that seva. Let that joy of service arise through you. When you have that joy of service inside of you, that arises from the sattvic quality. So, serve without expecting." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 22 August 2016</i></div>
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Overall, Day 7 was an intense day of commentary, as Paramahamsa Vishwananda had finished chapter 17 at 1:00 a.m., an hour after midnight. The week has gone by quick, and with one more day and one more chapter, it's exciting to see how the spiritual Master will conclude his epic commentary that captures the essence of the Shreemad Bhagavad Gita. Jai Gurudev!</div>
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During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new <i>Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations</i> book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html">http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-57807938856919564882016-08-22T20:08:00.001+02:002016-08-22T20:20:28.106+02:00Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"At night when you are sleeping, if you have just one minute, close your eyes and say ‘thank you’ to God. Say, 'God, thank you for the day which you have given me. Thank you for all experiences which you have given me. You are always with me and I surrender that day to your Lotus Feet.' So simple. And with deep trust close your eyes, imagine the Feet of the Lord, you are putting everything to His Feet." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016</i><br />
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Day 6 of the Bhagavad Gita course was a particularly significant day, as it was on this day that Paramahamsa Vishwananda covered chapter 12, "Bhakti Yoga," - the path of devotion. In addition to chapter 12, Paramahamsa Vishwananda also gave commentary on chapter 13 and 14.<br />
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<u>Chapter 12</u><br />
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After Arjuna had seen the Cosmic form of Krishna, and heard the profound teachings, he wants to know which is the best path: the path of devotion or the path of wisdom. Arjuna is asking if it is better to approach the Lord as an impersonal God, or as the personal deity. Krishna explains in the chapter of Bhakti Yoga, the various qualities a true devotee possesses, and how these qualities make one dear to Him.<br />
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<i>“ 'My devotees know that it is Me who calls them, because throughout lives they have been centred in Me and in each life they always progress upon reaching Me alone. Nothing can shake them.' Those which are surrendered into that love, Bhagavan Krishna is saying, 'They belong to Me and they are dear to Me. From wherever they are, I go and get them. They have been mine, they are mine and they will always be mine, even if they are caught in the play of the daily routine, even if they are caught in the play of the mundane activities outside, I shall awake within their heart that love. I shall remind them from where they come from and I shall remind them their goal. Such devotees who have this in mind automatically come to Me.' </i><br />
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<i>That sattvic bhav, this longing for spiritual life is not something which happens just like this. It’s not a coincidence. Because you belong to Him, because you are dear to Him, that’s why this awakes inside of you." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016</i><br />
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Paramahamsa Vishwananda continued to deepen his commentary on Bhakti Yoga in a very practical way, by explaining how to become a dear devotee of the Lord:</div>
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<i>"Let every expression of your daily life become a prayer, not only when you sit and meditate, not only when you sit and pray, but every obligation of your life. Even if you are sitting and talking, let it be a prayer. Even if you are joking, let it be a prayer. You are dancing, let it be a prayer. You are eating, let it be a prayer. You are working, and so on. Let all what you do with the senses, let all what you do with your mind transform into prayer onto the altar of the Lord. </i><br />
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<i>And that...how you will do it? I don’t say that every time you will be able to remember God at 24 hours continuously, you will not be aware of it, but time to time think of Him, chant. Even if one time you say ‘Sri Krishnaya Namaha’, even if it is one time ‘OM Namo Narayanaya’, it’s enough." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016</i><br />
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In chapter 13, "Kshetrakshetrajna Vibhaaga Yoga (difference between Kshetra – Field – and Kshetrajna –Knower of the Field)", Krishna begins to introduce new topics of discussion (Sankhya philosophy). The most prominent of this discussion is, "What is the difference between Prakriti (Kshetra) and the Purusha (Kshetrajna). Arjuna wants to understand his own nature and where he stands in relation to God and His creation. He asks question such as, "What is the body? What is the soul?" Paramahamsa Vishwananda explains in his commentary these various topics and how one can come to live in this world, and yet, not be of this world:<br />
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<i>"Here Bhagavan Krishna is saying that this world is like an office. You come here to do your Karma Yoga, Karma Bhumi, then you have to go back home. You don’t belong to this world. You are not from this world. You belong to the world of the Supreme. You belong to Him. That’s why we call Him Beloved, Beloved Lord. Because the soul always longs to be, the lover always longs to be with the beloved. Your soul is an eternal lover of God, and as a lover it always longs to be with the Beloved." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016</i><br />
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<i>"Those who are wise know that behind everything is only the Lord. Whatever He does, that is for the right cause and it is only Him which is seated in the core of your heart. So that heart is very unique. That heart is very special. The heart is a manifestation of God itself. It is from that heart that you feel love. It is from that heart that you meet Him. It is in that heart that you speak with Him. It is in that heart that you have your union with Him. I’m not talking about the physical heart right now. I am talking about your heart chakra, the cosmic heart inside this body." -</i><i>Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016</i><br />
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In chapter 14, Lord Krishna continues to teach Arjuna the Sankhya Yoga philosophy, and it is in this chapter that Lord Krishna focuses on the three gunas (the controlling principles or 'tendencies' of the mind, body, and consciousness): Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Lord Krishna explains that these gunas pervade all of Prakriti, the material manifestation, and together they form the nature of the creation.<br />
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Paramahamsa Vishwananda mentioned that the most important verse in chapter 14 is the final verse, Verse 26: "He also who loves and strives after Me with an undeviating love and adoration, passes beyond the three gunas and he too is prepared for becoming the Brahman." In regards to this quote from Lord Krishna, Paramahamsa Vishwananda said:<br />
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<i>"It is Him, the Lord which is giving Himself to His devotee. You see, the devotees think always that they are surrendering to the Master. In reality, no, it is the opposite. It’s the Master which is surrendering to the devotee so that they can raise the devotee to their level." -Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 21 August 2016</i><br />
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Day 6 of the Gita course was a day that continued to deepen each participants understanding of the spiritual path more and more. But as Paramahamsa Vishwananda has reminded, it's up to each person to put the teachings into practice. May we all surrender to the Master and continuously chant the Divine Names!<br />
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Jai Gurudev.<br />
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During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new <i>Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations</i> book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html">http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-75355218862609448152016-08-21T20:47:00.001+02:002016-08-21T20:47:06.393+02:00Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"Those minds which are focused on the Lord, those minds which are focused on loving God fully, which are absorbed into that love, whenever they sit in meditation they perceive God within their heart.</i></div>
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<i>'Those who don’t judge anybody, those who know that I am the source of everyone and everything, those who protect the weak, those who protect the innocent animals, they come to Me and I make them dear to Me. I reveal Myself through the love. I transform that love into bliss where eternally they perceive Me, feel Me, enjoy My presence.' " - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 20 August 2016</i></div>
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The fifth day of the Bhagavad Gita course focused on the glory of God. During this day, Paramahamsa Vishwananda gave commentary on both chapter 10 and chapter 11, the chapters in which Lord Krishna begins to reveal to Arjuna the greatness of the Lord and His Cosmic manifestation. <div>
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Chapter 10 of the Bhagavad Gita is called "Vibhuti Yoga," (the Yoga of Manifestation - the Divine Glories). In this chapter as in chapters 7 and 9, Krishna delves further into His divine nature as the ruler of the cosmos. Teaching that through a loving relationship, one can attain His grace. Arjuna also asks Krishna how can one recognise Him in the world. In response to Arjuna's longing, the second half of the chapter sees Krishna give a series of poetic descriptions of His glory (vibhuti) showing how He can be known. </div>
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<i>" 'Among worship I am Japa.' Here again Bhagavan is saying what is the best prayer you can do: is to chant His Name. The act of chanting itself is Bhagavan. That’s why earlier I was saying, you know, when you are initiated in the Divine Name, already the Lord is with you. </i></div>
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<i>When you are chanting, you are thinking of Him. Wherever you go, each breathe that you are taking in with His Name, it is Him near to you. Here Bhagavan is saying this Mantra Kriya itself is a greatest sacrifice. It is through that chanting of the Divine Name that one will perceive Him. It is through that offering in the simplicity, how simple it is, just by chanting the Name, because the act of chanting it is Himself. That’s why He said that Japam is the greatest worship. </i></div>
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<i>So among worship, among all the prayers and rituals, chanting of the Divine Name is the ultimate, because that act of chanting, that act of worship, it is Himself. So when you chant, the mind becomes totally peaceful, totally relaxed. By chanting the Divine Name your mind excels and rises to the highest order, the highest state bliss." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 20 August 2016</i></div>
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In chapter 11, after hearing in detail the vibhuti's (glories) of the Lord, Arjuna's longing grows even more intense. As a result, Arjuna wants to see the 'avyakta murthi' that hides behind creation. This is the climax of the Gita, where Arjuna sees directly the cosmic form of Krishna, the cosmic form of the Supreme. </div>
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Upon seeing this cosmic form, the Vishwa Swaroop, which Lord Krishna reveals to Arjuna, he goes into a state of shock. The sight of the Lord creates confusion and fear for Arjuna, as it is beyond anything which he could have ever imagined.</div>
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<i>"You see, inside your mind you create a certain vision of God, but that’s not the reality, that’s not God. You create a limitation of God, a God which you feel cool about, which you can feel, 'Okay, I like Him like that.' It’s true. The whole world, people think like that. </i><i>Everybody talks about God, but they are talking about a God that they can relate themselves to. Everyone creates an image of God which we feel comfortable with. And when we feel comfortable with it, then we build our own little heaven about that God. Then we put ourselves in a bubble and say, 'That’s it! My God is better than all the others!' </i></div>
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<i>So you build a certain image and you close yourself in that image, but when the reality really hits you, that bubble explodes. Then you are faced to the reality, 'Aaah!' You long for God, you long for that image which is inside of you, but when the Supreme Lord Himself is showing you that, 'That reality which you have created in your mind, I am foremost, much more stronger than that, more mightier than that', you will be shocked. Because this is beyond your control. This is the little God that you have created in your mind, it is under your control, but the Supreme is not, that Reality is not. That’s what is happening with Arjuna right now." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 20 August 2016</i></div>
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Day 5 of the Bhagavad Gita course reminded each of the participants, that in reality, God is a mystery to us, but it is through the grace of the Guru which He can be revealed. Just as Lord Krishna had blessed Arjuna with the vision of the Lord, so too is the role of the Guru for each disciple/devotee. It is up to each one to purify the mind through the chanting of the Divine Names, and to trust that the Satguru knows when to reveal the Ultimate Reality that governs all of creation. Jai Gurudev! </div>
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<i>"Devotee do everything in a state of love, and when one is in that state of love, there is no place of judgement in their heart or in their mind. 'Remember Me in whatever you are doing and offer up to Me all results of your actions. Know that I am the Supreme Lord Himself and I am the object, I am the Ultimate Soul.' Constantly remember, chant, reflect, contemplate, meditate on the Divine Name, meditate on the Glory of the Lord, meditate on His Leela that He has performed. Meditate on the virtue that He has placed inside of our heart. Like that you will rise and have inner peace, inner satisfaction, the Lord Himself will reveal Himself within yourself. He will give you the inner vision of Him." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 20 August 2016</i></div>
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During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new <i>Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations</i> book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html">http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-47467023743637752852016-08-20T20:35:00.000+02:002016-08-20T20:35:05.033+02:00Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"You see, only by chanting, nothing else. So easy. You see how easy is spirituality? How easy is to realise the Self? Not difficult at all. All this is only in the Name of the Lord: OM Namo Narayanaya." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016 </i></div>
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<br />The fourth day of the Bhagavad Gita course was characterized by Paramahamsa Vishwananda's simplistic explanations of Lord Krishna's words. By covering both chapter 8 and chapter 9 swiftly, the night had ended at the "early" hour of 21:30. Through out the day, Paramahamsa Vishwananda explained and reminded about how easy the spiritual path can be for the one who is sincerely devoted to the Lord.<div>
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Chapter 8 is entitled, Akshara Brahma Yoga, and it is in this chapter that Lord Krishna explains to Arjuna how one can attain God at the time of death. Teaching that it is a real devotee who is able to fix their mind upon the Lord in the last moment of life. Arjuna in response to this statement seeks to know more. </div>
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<i>"When one transcends that limitation of matter, when one stops dwelling on petty things, the Lord starts revealing the truth to them, and that truth is revealed within one’s heart. In other religion we say the communion of the Holy Spirit. That spirit which is inside of you, you know, in Christianity they say communion of the Holy Spirit, don’t think a bird will come and sit on your head and make a nest on your head. No. A dove will not fly on your head, but that communion happens within the heart, the communion between your soul and the Supersoul, the soul of all souls. You utilise the mind, purify the mind to access the heart, no? So when the mind unites with the heart, something else comes out. </i></div>
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<i>When you utilise the intellect, when the mind is purified to become intellect, that intellect is entering the heart. What awakes is the consciousness, the consciousness of the soul. Then the soul reveals itself. So that consciousness lies within the soul, then it reveals. When the consciousness is purified, it reveals the soul, but when that soul is purified, it reveals the Supersoul, the Supreme Soul. That’s what Revelations stands for. Those who are fully absorbed into that divine bliss, the Lord reveals Himself." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016</i></div>
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Time and time again, Lord Krishna is telling Arjuna in chapter 8 to have a single-minded focus on Him. Paramahamsa Vishwananda explains this part of the Gita in very practical way:</div>
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<i>"Here Bhagavan is becoming a greatest therapist Himself, you know, the therapist for the soul. In that form of therapist He is giving the greatest therapy. And that therapy which He is giving He says, 'Give me your mind! Surrender that mind to me!' You know, therapist would tell you to do so many things, no? </i></div>
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<i>Here He is also doing the same thing and as a great therapist He is saying, “Let your mind be focused upon me. Don’t stuck in the daily routine, don’t enslave yourself in that unreality, chant my name. Easy, you don’t need to do anything: Let your mind be upon me and chant my name. Simple! </i><i>Two things only I want you to do. You do only these two things, I promise you that you will be eternally happy, you will achieve that bliss, you will have eternal peace, only with these two things. Give me your mind. You don’t know how to handle your mind, I know how to handle that mind. Once you have given me that mind, chant.' </i></div>
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<i>So the giving of that mind means studying the scriptures. Go deeper into that knowledge. Feed the mind with the right things, transform that mind which is negative into light." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016</i></div>
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Chapter 9 of the Shreemad Bhagavad Gita is called, "Raajavidyaa Raajaguhya Yoga", the king-knowledge, the king-secret. In chapter 9, Krishna expands further on the themes that were found in chapter 7, upon the nature of His divinity and how to approach Him with true Bhakti. Lord Krishna explains that He is present in the entire creation and He is the Supreme Lord Himself and continues to say that for bhakta who is surrendered to Him, they will attain His Grace. </div>
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<i>"Here the Supreme Lord Himself is asking, you know, He is like begging. 'I am asking you to do that. Be devoted to Me, not for My sake. It is for your sake. Focus your mind on Me, not because I want your mind, but because you want it. You want peace of mind. You want peace of mind? This is the way to have peace of mind. Worship Me, serve Me, engage your mind in this manner, regard Me as the Supreme goal. Know that I am the Ultimate goal. Know that I am God Himself. I am this Brahman which the Veda is proclaiming. It is Me who has given this Veda, this, knowledge. Awake, let your heart dwell on Me. Without any doubt, if your mind is on Me, your heart is on Me, your body is serving Me, you will attain Me.' </i></div>
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<i>Here Bhagavan is saying this is the only Supreme path to perfection. Surrender is the only path to perfection, to peace and true happiness, a mind under control, free from vain attachment. Make your meditation, make life itself, whatever you do, a meditation upon the Lord. Those who transcend the body, mind and intellect they will eternally and supremely live with Him, live eternally in that bliss." </i><i>- Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016</i></div>
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Day 4 ended with the last verse of chapter 9: "Focus your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, offer worship to Me, bow down to Me. Engaging your mind in this manner and regarding Me as the Supreme Goal, you will come to Me." - Lord Krishna (ch. 9 v. 34) Paramahamsa Vishwananda ended the night by specifically saying something quite special about this verse and chapter:</div>
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<i>Meditate on this last verse and this last chapter because it’s one of the most beautiful chapters. Absorb it. If you concentrate only on this chapter, this love and devotion will grow inside of you. - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 19 August 2016</i></div>
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During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new <i>Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations</i> book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html">http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-76599464141270156472016-08-19T18:59:00.002+02:002016-08-19T18:59:25.218+02:00Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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During the third day of the Bhagavad Gita course, Paramahamsa Vishwananda gave commentary on a total of four chapters. The chapters included were chapter 4 through chapter 7.<br />
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Chapter 4 is called, "Jyaana Vibhaaga Yoga." In the previous chapter, Karma Yoga, Lord Krishna had instructed Arjuna that he needed to do his duty and go beyond the senses and mind. In chapter 4, Lord Krishna goes deeper into the knowledge of how to perform one's action, teaching Arjuna about which kind of awareness one should have while practicing Karma Yoga. By combining Jyaana Yoga with Karma Yoga, Sri Krishna essentially teaches that one should not only be detached from the fruit of their actions, but they should also have the awareness of the Divine at all times.<br />
<br /><i>"Do your duty and be free from that. By not doing their duty and renouncing everything, running away from one’s duty will not give you peace of mind, because your mind will still be attached to that. There is also this beautiful story where two friends were walking. They were going to listen to the Bhagwat Katha (Bhagavad Gita discourse). So, as they were walking to the Bhagwat Katha, they were passing by a brothel. One of them found his girlfriend. So the girlfriend said, “Come here.” He went. So the other one went to the Bhagwat. </i><div>
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<i>The one which went with his girlfriend, all the time his mind was in the Bhagwat. Inside of him he was continuously thinking of Krishna. Whereas, the other one who went to the Bhagwat, all the time he was sitting in the Bhagwat, he was listening, was just pretending to listen. His mind was not there. His mind was in the brothel. So who is truly renouncing here? That’s what Bhagavan is saying, you see? Renouncement is that mind state. Do your action, do what you have to do, but let that mind be focused on the Divine." - Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, 18 August 2016</i><div>
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In chapter 5, Karma Sannyaasa Yoga, and chapter 6, Dhyaana Yoga, Krishna continues instructing Arjuna into the ways of Yoga, the ways to attain unity with the Divine. In chapter 5, Krishna reiterates that the path of action is best for Arjuna and that it is through this yoga that the mind gets purified to meditate on the Lord. In chapter 6, Sri Krishna begins to explain how one should meditate on the Lord and how one can control the mind. During chapter 6, Paramahamsa Vishwanada also mentioned the importance of the spiritual community, the spiritual family: </div>
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<i>"Find your spiritual family, your spiritual path. That’s what Bhagavan Krishna is saying here right now, “Your true family is not the blood family. The blood family, you have been born into that blood family so that the karma that you have with your blood family, with that souls, they are away. Either they help you to advance spiritually or they keep you away. But once that knowledge, once that urge, that longing, awakens, you must find shelter at the Feet of a Master. You have to find shelter at the Feet, in the Grace of the Master and the Master’s family becomes your family. So that is the spiritual family." - Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, 18 August 2016</i></div>
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Leading up to chapter 7, Jyaana Vijnanna Yoga, Lord Krishna had explained the eternal, indestructible nature of the soul. By explaining to Arjuna how to act in the world through Karma Yoga, and how one should control the mind, Krishna now begins in chapter 7 to describe Himself as a personal deity, and how he can be attained through Bhakti. In the commentary of this chapter, Paramahamsa Vishwananda mentions the importance of surrender to attain the Grace of the Lord:</div>
<i><br />“Due to the attachment which these three gunas have created, you remain under the control of maya. But there is one way to awaken. There is only one way, and that way is to surrender to Me. Those who approach Me, those who take shelter under Me, those who have the true knowledge which I am giving, they are free from the cycle of the three gunas. Because as I am not touched by maya, so My devotees who surrender to Me are free. Maya stopped controlling them. Those who chant My Name, those who by any means try to control their mind, and those who are fully absorbed in My service, forgetting themselves completely, those who think only on Me, they are My devotees and they cross beyond the gunas. </i></div>
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<i>The gunas don’t have any effect on them, because they become as Me. I start to shine upon them, they start to reflect my Divine qualities, My Cosmic qualities, and where My Cosmic qualities are shining, maya doesn’t have power upon.” Here Bhagavan is saying, “I control that. Even if it appears that maya controls everything, but I am the Lord of maya, I control her.”- </i><i>Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, 18 August 2016</i></div>
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All in all, day 3 of the Bhagavad Gita course had shown to be another extensive day filled with the wisdom, love and grace of Paramahamsa Vishwananda. Swamiji constantly is giving us wisdom which is deeper than our mind could ever imagine. These words, when reflected upon and taken sincerely, can change the journey of one's soul to the Divine as they are infused with the Grace of a being who is ever-immersed into that Divine Consciousness we call God. Jai Gurudev!</div>
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During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html">http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-45922697708707574562016-08-18T21:32:00.001+02:002016-08-18T21:32:09.043+02:00Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrB0fYUrzhyzmfZnURjNHUX5xOJ8u5YtEWvkT59o1c-OlifnhgaPa8fXSr_MocBCQzrfRmNgv55EwA39DRHrbDrg2vKHcTlTJrj4FrE3B7CiFX15A4IOpYFEto_EwkwzpX9gyPopvLTsC/s1600/Blogg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrB0fYUrzhyzmfZnURjNHUX5xOJ8u5YtEWvkT59o1c-OlifnhgaPa8fXSr_MocBCQzrfRmNgv55EwA39DRHrbDrg2vKHcTlTJrj4FrE3B7CiFX15A4IOpYFEto_EwkwzpX9gyPopvLTsC/s400/Blogg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Fall not from the virility of a fighter and a hero, O Paartha! It does not befit you. Shake off this paltry faint-heartedness and arise, O scourge of your enemy! - Lord Krishna, Shreemad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2 Verse 3</i></div>
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The second day of the Bhagavad Gita course picked up right where it had left off. Paramahamsa Vishwananda started his commentary in the middle of chapter 2, the chapter where Lord Krishna begins to reveal the Knowledge of the Self. On the previous day we had seen that Arjuna experiences a 'dejected' state, a state in which he is reluctant to fight in the Mahabharat War. Lord Krishna listened to his words patiently and Arjuna, in an utter state of confusion, asked his dear friend for help. </div>
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<i>"Long for the Grace of the Lord, long for
Him, don’t let yourself be spelled by Maya. Because for those who are centered
into the Lord, Maya doesn’t have any grip upon them. Those who are fully
centered, you know, the yogis, they are free. They go everywhere. They are
eternal. They radiate their peace, their freedom, their true happiness. </i></div>
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<i>Without
any expectation they radiate this freely to all, and they become a lantern to
those who are seated in darkness. They become a guidance to those who sit in
darkness so that they can also start shining their light. And this is the work
of a devotee, the work of a bhakta; once they have tasted that sweetness of the
Love of God, once they are strong enough, they should help others find that light." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 2016 August 17</i></div>
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What makes chapter 2 unique among all the other chapters is that, at this moment, Krishna takes the role of the Guru. Up until this point, Arjuna had only viewed Krishna as his friend, his cousin. But now, Krishna has taken this role of the Guru and is explaining to Arjuna in what attitude one should perform his duty, and how to be unattached to the fruits of action. Chapter 2 is often seen as a summary of the entire <i>Gita</i> itself. </div>
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<i>"Concentrate your mind. How to make the mind stable? He (Krishna) is giving, He is saying, “Fix your mind upon me!” He didn’t say fix it in the
void or in the emptiness. He said, “Look, I am here in front of you. I have a
form. I am not just a concept. I am visible. Focus upon Me. Bring that mind to My feet.” This is how a sadhak and bhakta, a devotee, should have their mind
focused on the Feet of the Master. They should see their Guru sitting inside of
them. They should not let the mind run around. Whatever they are
doing they should do, but with the awareness that they are never alone. Guru
and God is always with you. And when you sit in your meditation, you should
perceive that Guru and God is seated inside of you." <o:p></o:p>- Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 2016 August 17</i></div>
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Swamiji finished his commentary on chapter 2 at about midday, and soon began the commentary of chapter 3, 'Karma Yoga' (the Yoga of Action). In chapter 3, Arjuna expresses that he doesn't know what he should do: should he fight or should he not fight? Lord Krishna goes into depth about Karma Yoga by explaining that one's action should be a service to others, and that even the realised souls perform action. By explaining the primary cause of desire, Lord Krishna instructs in chapter 3, that one should perform Karma Yoga until these desires are transformed and one realises the knowledge of the Self.</div>
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<i><span lang="EN-GB">"You
are structured because of your physical embodiment in this world.
You have the sense organ as communicator with the outside world. You dwell in
this outside world, you do everything with the outside world. So, you
use the senses. That’s why here, it’s said that supreme are the senses, because
this is directly...this is what you use more. But the mind is superior to the
senses. The mind controls the senses and the senses control the body. So the
mind is superior to the senses. Each one is important and each one has
their own part which they play in the game of the Self. So, when you see the
body, the senses, from the senses to the mind, from the mind to the intellect,
from the intellect to the heart, from the heart to the consciousness, from the
consciousness to the Self, from the Self to the Higher Self, from the Higher
Self to the Divine Self. This is the reverse state what you go through. So, controlling step by step, you will rise."<o:p></o:p></span> - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 2016 August 17</i></div>
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The night ended nearly at midnight, just like the previous discourse had done. Paramahamsa Vishwananda had asked the participants if they wanted the commentary to continue on or if they wanted to wait for the next day. With a response of silence, a mutual agreement had been made that it had been a long day and a lot of wisdom to take in, but for the Master, he was still full of energy and ready to give more. The second day came to a close with a kirtan and arati to Thakurji. Jai Gurudev!</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
During the Gita course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new <i>Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: Verses and Translations</i> book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the <i>Bhagavad Gita</i> with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about specific sections, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html">http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-86068783046253909902016-08-17T16:55:00.001+02:002016-08-17T18:04:30.163+02:00Bhagavad Gita Course 2016: Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The beginning of the <i>Bhagavad Gita</i> course with Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda set the tone for the days to come. Participants took their seats at 10:00 in the morning, and waited for the arrival of the spiritual master. After the singing of bhajans, Swamiji arrived and the course officially began.</div>
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<i>"When you come to the Master, you have to come as an empty vessel so that you can be filled. That mind must be emptied to receive. You have to have this willingness to change to have the full benefit. Don’t think what you are losing, think what you are gaining. Because if you start already to think what you are losing, you will never get anything. Because on the spiritual path you may lose everything outside, but in reality you are gaining everything, more than somebody which have some things. </i><br />
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<i>So here Arjuna is losing everything. He is sitting and crying, “What am I losing?”, forgetting that he is standing next – he is sitting next to the Supreme Lord Himself. But to whom else he would go? He is the only friend. He is the only true friend who really cares for you, no one else! Guru and God is the only one which cares for you. The rest are just a drama, a drama which you put on. </i></div>
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<i>Here Bhagavan Krishna is revealing that drama to Arjuna, “These are all drama, nothing else is real.” All these relationships that you put. What kind of ‘ship’? Friendship, relationship, what ‘ship’ else there is? Eh? Which ship you go in? Eh? Allship. Worship, partnership. Eh? Mothership, fathership, so all that kinds of ships will drown. So don’t enter this kind of ship. Only ship that you have to enter is Guruship. So in that boat you are safe." </i><i>- Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 16 August 2016</i></div>
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On the first day of the course, Paramahamsa Vishwananda briefly summarised each of the 18 chapters and gave an in-depth foreshadow of the material to be covered. By providing the context of the <i>Mahabharat</i> and how this glorious conversation between Arjuna and Lord Krishna came to be, Swamiji started the course by giving an encapsulating introduction to the circumstances regarding the <i>Gita</i> itself. <br />
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<i>"After the Kurukshetra war, one person was in a hurry to see the war, you know. So he arrived there, looked around, didn’t see anything, empty field, you know. Kurukshetra nothing can grow, even till today. He looked left – right, looking in the waste desert land, said, “There was a war here?” Holding the ground with his hand, trying to see all these thousands warriors, you know, have been killed, all this blood has been shed, but the land is dry completely, desert. He started wondering, “Am I in the wrong place or what happened? Is it an illusion? Is it Krishna have made everything disappear?” </i></div>
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<i>At that moment the sage appeared to him and said, “No my dear, you are in the right movie, not wrong one, but how you see it, what you perceive about it, that’s different.” Then he asked the question, “How the war happened?” The sage said, “Yes, it is still happening.” He said, “How?” Then the sage touched him and brought him to a different spheres, not outside of him, but inside of him. Then he perceived his inner struggle. He perceived this battle. Kurukshetra is this field, no? So he experienced this inner battle between the mind and the heart. So which one will win? Those who surrender, who have taken shelter to the Feet of Krishna, they will be victorious no matter what. Even if this world, even if this universe itself is annihilated, but those who surrender to Him will always be victorious. This is His promise in the Gita." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 16 August 2016</i></div>
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After Paramahamsa Vishwananda had done a summary on each chapter and spoke about the context surrounding the situation, Swamiji spent the latter half of the night giving commentary on Chapter 1 and almost half of Chapter 2. By the end of the night, it was nearly midnight, making the first day extensive and plentiful.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">"Those who dwell only on the outside, even if they look for happiness, their happiness will always jump from one thing to the other. They will never have this inner satisfaction. But those – because the outside reality will never give one this satisfaction which you are looking for. The Kauravas stand for this outside reality which is looking, fighting, always want something, but it’s all material, it’s all external which brings superficial joy, joy for a very short time and misery for a longer time. Fully satisfied is the soul which has attained and realized the relationship with God. And this is where one finds real satisfaction, not just a superficial satisfaction, but eternal satisfaction, you know, which is forever, permanent. So due to for the sake of this satisfaction Bhagavan Krishna said, “Move from that reality which your mind understands to a different reality who you truly are." - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, 16 August 2016</span></div>
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Jai Gurudev!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
During the <i>Gita</i> course, a great resource for many of the participants has been the new <i>Shreemad Bhagavad Gita:</i> <i>Verses and Translations </i>book. This book contains the Sanskrit verses of the <i>Bhagavad Gita</i> with their English translations. Also included are short excerpts from Paramahamsa Vishwananda about the specific section, a Mahabharat Family Tree, and a Sanskrit Pronunciation guide. You can learn more about this resourceful book by visiting: <a href="http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html">http://www.bhaktievent.de/magento/index.php/books/sri-swami-vishwananda/shreemad-bhagavad-gita-verses-and-translations.html</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-32510427174585213022016-08-12T16:49:00.001+02:002016-08-18T14:11:08.198+02:00A Promise for Paramahamsa Vishwananda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-GB">“Whenever there is the fading of the
dharma, like nowadays, and the uprising of unrighteousness, then I bring Myself
forth into birth.” – Lord Krishna, <i>Shreemad
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4 Verse 7<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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When Lord Krishna delivered the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, He was living in a time when adharma (unrighteousness) had been on the rise. Demons like Kamsa had been wreaking havoc, and royal dynasties like the Kuru lineage had been corrupted by immoral inheritors. Hence, Sri Krishna vanquished the demons and guided the Pandavas to victory in the glorious Mahabharat War. <br />
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Nowadays, we are also living in a time that is saturated with adharma. The inner demons within people manifest themselves in acts of violence, cruelty, and other negative actions. One of the issues that Paramahamsa Vishwananda constantly voices out against is the brutality towards animals.</div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">For those who follow Swamiji on twitter, you
have seen the reality of how animals are treated when they are raised solely
for human consumption. The state of this industry is shocking to say the least.
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<span lang="EN-GB">Recently during Gurupurnima, Paramahamsa
Vishwananda shortly addressed this topic and had one request for the devotees
present which can extend to all devotees and people worldwide. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>Transcription from Gurupurnima 19 July 2016<br /><br />SV: Jai Gurudev everyone! If I ask you one thing, would you give it to me? <br /><br />Audience: Yes. <br /><br />SV: Do you promise? <br /><br />Audience: Yes!<br /><br />SV: Are you sure?<br /><br /> Audience: Yes! <br /><br />SV: How many of you do promise that? And the rest? [laughing]<br /><br />The ‘one thing’ I would like from you is that you spread vegetarianism; spread the message that people should not kill animals. Do you promise me that? <br /><br />Audience: Yes!<br /><br /> SV: Good!<br /><br />Audience: [clapping] Hari Bol!<br /><br />SV: For the satisfaction of their own tongue, human beings are supporting the brutality towards animals. It’s really miserable to see. If you want peace, firstly we have to change the mind, right? And to change the mind is not an easy thing, but we can make it easy by controlling the senses. Like Bhagavan Krishna says in the Gita, if you want to control the mind, you start by controlling the senses. So start putting sattvic food inside of yourself and encourage people to become vegetarian. Like that, this change will be reflected upon the mind. </i><br />
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<i>What you put inside of you, it also reacts very deeply on the mind. So, much of the brutality in this world is also due to what we consume. Whereas, people who are vegetarian don’t have such aggressiveness inside of them. They are more serene and calm. Here you can see clearly how one can change the state of mind, and how one can change the way one thinks, for a better world, for a world with peace and love. Therefore, whoever is not vegetarian yet, please become a vegetarian. I guess all of you are, true?!<br /><br />Audience: Yes.<br /><br />SV: Good. Now, you have made a promise to me, right?<br /><br />Audience: Yes!<br /><br />SV: I hope I don’t need to come after you and poke you. Well, Mother Nature will do that work for me. It’s better if you do it by yourself, because if She does it, She has Her own ways. Maya Devi is very powerful. All of you know about that, eh? So don’t let Her come after you. Due to this promise you have just made to me, change! You will see that all goodness will come to you. </i><br />
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<i>The blessing of Mother Nature will flow to you and, together with that, the Grace and blessing of Giridhariji, because He is the great protector of animals. Many times, the Lord has taken the form of an animal, isn’t it? Tonight we have seen Devi Rani, Bhavani and Shen presenting a dance performance about the manifestations of Maha Vishnu: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, and Narasimha. They were all animals.<br /><br />Your body is a temple where the Lord Himself resides with all His splendour and all His love. So let’s remind everybody of this sacredness and keep the body healthy.<br /><br />So that’s the ‘one thing’ I ask you. That’s it. Nothing else.<br /><br />Jai Gurudev!</i><br />
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By being a vegetarian/vegan and advocating the adoption of a meatless diet, one immediately helps the world to heal and positively transform. The benefits for oneself and the world as a whole is impressive. Here are some facts (references below):<br />
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In a 2006 report, the United Nations said raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined.<sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1</span></sup><br />
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Estimates of the water required to produce a kilo of beef vary, from 13,000 liters <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; vertical-align: super;">2</span> up to 100,000 liters.<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; vertical-align: super;">3</span> Whichever figure you use, the damage is plain when you consider that the water required to produce a kilo of wheat is somewhere between 1,000-2,000 litres.</div>
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Several studies show that a plant-based diet increases the body’s metabolism, causing the body to burn calories up to 16% faster than the body would on a meat-based diet for at least the first 3 hours after meals.<sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">4</span></sup><br />
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Large studies in England and Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters.<sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;">5-7</span></sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">May all the devotees of Paramahamsa Sri
Swami Vishwananda spread vegetarianism and veganism to help uplift the
Earth and its people. Jai Gurudev!</span></div>
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"For the deliverance of the good, for the destruction of the evil-doers, for the enthroning of the right, I am born from age to age." - Lord Krishna, <i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Shreemad Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4 Verse 7</span></i></div>
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References</div>
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<span style="color: #999999;">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Livestock a major threat to environment,” United Nations FAO Newsroom, Nov. 29, 2006:http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html<br />2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Food and Agriculture Organisation. 22nd March 2007. FAO urges action to cope with<br />increasing water scarcity. Rome. http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000520/index.Html(link is external)<br />3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Pimental, D., Houser, J., Preiss, E., White, O., Fang, O., Mesnick, L., Barsky, T., Tariche, J.S. and Alpert, S. 1997. Water Resources: Agriculture, the Environment, and Society. Bioscience. 47 (2), 97-106.<br />4.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Saunders, Kerrie K. 2003. The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention. New York, NY: Lantern Books<br />5.Thorogood M, Mann J, Appleby P, McPherson K. Risk of death from cancer and ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. Br Med J. 1994;308:1667-1670.<br />6. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R, Eilber U. Mortality patterns of German vegetarians after 11 years of follow-up. Epidemiology. 1992;3:395-401.<br />7. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R. Dietary and lifestyle determinants of mortality among German vegetarians. Int J Epidemiol. 1993;22:228-236.<br />Facts and References found at: https://www.downtoearth.org/go-veggie/environment/top-10-reasons and http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/vegetarian-foods-powerful-for-health</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-23246290894113898212016-07-28T11:19:00.000+02:002016-07-28T11:19:04.926+02:00New Sri Kripeshwarnath temple - the heart of hearts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">Be one of the 312 angels who make it happen</span><br />
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Dear friends and family of Guruji</div>
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As you may be aware of, one of the main priorities for Guruji (Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda) is the creation of a new big temple at his main ashram Shree Peetha Nilaya.<br />
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The temple is named <b>Sri Kripeshwarnath</b>, which means “Grace of God” (kripa & ishwara), who is the ruler (nath) of this world. It reminds us, that God is ultimately behind everything and that his Love will undoubtedly conquer the world. He constantly pours out his Grace. Yet how the Grace manifests in our lives, depends on how we respond to God's ever loving presence, and what space we chose to give it. That's one of the reasons temples are important in our lives. They help us come in touch with God's Grace.</div>
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Be in the heart of hearts</h3>
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Guruji’s mission Bhakti Marga is in his heart, it’s what he’s come here to do: </div>
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To open the hearts of humanity. Shree Peetha Nilaya as the main ashram is the heart of his worldwide mission. </div>
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<b>The Sri Kripeshwarnath temple is in turn the heart of his main ashram. </b>So by enabling this new temple to come into being, you are placing your name and your Love quite literally into the heart of hearts, for good. </div>
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Sri Kripeshwarnath will benefit countless seekers from around the world who will visit Shree Peetha Nilaya over the coming years, decades and centuries. This sacred place will play a significant role in bringing about the transformation in the world that is so badly needed.</div>
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Whilst the current temple can hold around 100 visitors, the new temple will provide 4-5x the space. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ram Navami April 2016. Guruji chose the construction site of the future temple as the location for the ceremony</span></div>
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312 heartfelt pledges </h3>
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Often Guruji is emphasizing, that a temple is for everyone, and it can only happen if many helping hands and hearts want it and work together. For that reason we reached out to you all during Shivaratri 2016 with a special program called 300 (12), where the opportunity is presented to make a special pledge. </div>
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The “300” campaign is looking for 300 angel devotees who give 100 eur per month over a period of 12 months. The “12” campaign is where 12 angels give 30’000 eur over the period of 12 months.</div>
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Many of you responded, and we are delighted to let you know that already 83 have pledged for the “300” program, that’s more than 25%, and 8 have pledged for the “12” program - more than 65%! </div>
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This is a great start in a short period of time, and we thank you wholeheartedly. Still, to reach our goal, we need more of you to join this effort.</div>
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The goal: Opening in Summer 2017</h3>
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The renovation of the current Darshan building consists of the three phases, of which the first phase is the most important: building the new temple. You can see monthly updates on the construction at our website - <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/fundraising">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/fundraising</a>.<br />
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It is located in the basement (former swimming pool) and construction works commenced half a year ago. Based on the assessment of our architects we need 800’000 euros to complete the works for the temple. Our goal is to open it in summer 2017. </div>
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We’ve collected over 270’000 euros thus far. For us to reach the needed 800’000 euros, our “army” of 312 angels who are determined to make the special pledge needs to grow further. As a sign of your connection to the temple and to Guruji, and in turn of his connection to you, your name (and if you want that of your family members) will be engraved on the future Sri Kripeshwarnath altar (see video on <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/fundraising">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/fundraising</a>). You can also join forces and build teams whereby several people together make one pledge. Some of you have already done that - it’s another beautiful way to support this initiative.</div>
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Recently as Guruji exited the current temple and saw how many people had to stay outside due to its limited size, he said:<b> <i>"There are so many people, we really need the new temple. If we had it, you could all fit in."</i></b></div>
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It’s not the master who needs us, it’s us who need him, his Love and Grace. This temple is for us and humanity, and it’s us who have to want to make it happen. By giving a part of ourselves, we show to God and Guru that we really want him to be present in our lives. So let’s do this!<br />
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Altogether Bhakti Marga is active in more than 40 countries. On average this means less than 10 individuals in each country. If you feel you can be one of these angels who are building this temple for humanity’s sake, simply send an email to <a href="mailto:fundraising@bhaktimarga.org">fundraising@bhaktimarga.org</a> with the subject line “300” (or “12”), and we will provide you with instructions of how to make your contribution. We look forward to hearing from you.</div>
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Many thanks!</div>
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For more information and latest news about the new temple, visit our fundraising page: <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/fundraising">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/fundraising</a></div>
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Much Love<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Swami VishwaKurunandhanananda</span></div>
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Bhakti Marga Fundraising - +49 178 320 48 01 – fundraising@bhaktimarga.org</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” </span></div>
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Matthew 6:21</div>
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Swami Kurunandhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09930808539592841449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-2930128444345211072016-07-04T14:38:00.001+02:002016-07-04T14:38:51.098+02:00Paramahamsa Vishwananda blesses Bhakti Marga UK Ashram<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Directly a day after receiving the Bharat Gaurava Award, Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda blessed the site for the Bhakti Marga UK ashram. The blessing of the ashram and its surrounding area came in the form of Guru Puja, Abishekam, and a special yagna dedicated to Lakshmi-Narasimha, all with the presence of the living Master. <div>
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Paramahamsa Vishwananda also announced that the presiding deity for the ashram's temple will be Mohini Devi, the female-form of Narayana. Lord Narayana had taken this form during the Churning of the Milky Ocean to ensure that the devas received the Amrit of immortality, and that the demons would not consume any. </div>
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During the Shreemad Bhagavatam course in 2015, Paramahamsa Vishwananda told the story wonderfully about Mohini Devi which we would like to share with you now. This is a direct excerpt from the book, <i>The Essence of Shreemad Bhagavatam by Paramahamsa Vishwananda</i>: </div>
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<b>The Story of Mohini Devi</b></div>
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<i>"…at that moment, they
saw in front of them a beautiful lady, even more beautiful than Maha Lakshmi.
She was Mohini Devi. The demons were mesmerised by Her beauty. As soon as they
saw Her, they stopped fighting, and they even forgot about the Amrit. That’s the
power of temptation. Like when you say, “Come, sing the Name of the Lord! Come,
pray to God in order to attain Him! Come, I will give you the Love of God!”
Then, you put a beauty there. People would say, “I’ll take that one.” If you
put a million there, most people would say, “God can wait till I die. After I
die I’ll see. Now let’s enjoy what is here.” But how would you see Him when you
die? You would not see Him. You have to start seeing Him now! If you don’t see
the reality now, you will never see it. </i></div>
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<i>Mohini was standing there very elegant
in Her incomparable beauty, but the devas knew that She was the Lord’s Maya.
Then Mohini said, “Listen my dear ones, give me this pot of Amrit. I shall give
both of you the nectar.” The demons could not say ‘no’ to Her. The mesmerised
demons told Her, “Take it, my dear.” Next, Mohini instructed them, “Sit in two
lines, here the demigods and there the demons. I will pass by all of you, and I
will give each one of you your share.” Mohini started dancing because She knew
the mind of the demons, how stupid they were. They would be attracted to that
beauty which does not last for long time. That’s why the Lord took that aspect.
If He had appeared as Narayana in front of them, they would have not paid any
notice. </i></div>
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<i>The Lord said to Himself, “These fools.” He knew their weaknesses.
Everybody has their own weakness and the Lord knows them all. So Mohini took
the pot of Amrit and started serving them. First, She went to the devas. She
poured the amrit on their hands, and the devas drank it. Then She moved to the
demons side, changed the Amrit by Her power, and gave them normal water to
drink. Like that, the devas were getting the Amrit, but not the demons. At that
time, the demons didn’t notice anything, because they were busy looking at Her
beauty. They were staring at Her in such a way that they could not see that She
was changing the Amrit into water for them. </i></div>
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<i>Among the demons was one by the
name of Rahu. He saw that when the devas drank the Amrit they were full of
energy, but there was not such a visible change in the demons. So Rahu quietly
slipped into the line of the demigods. He got the Amrit but as he was swallowed
it, Surya (the Sun) and Chandra (the Moon) noticed that he was not one of the
demigods. At that moment they raised their voices to say, “Mohini, this is not
a demigod, he is a demon!” Mohini turned immediately and She became Maha Vishnu
again. Then, He threw His Sudarshana Chakra and beheaded Rahu. </i></div>
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<i>Due to the
nectar that he had drunk, the head became immortal. Bhagavan sent his head up
into the sky, and ever since then, Rahu has been known as the eighth planet,
one of the planets that brings darkness into your life. It is said that it is
Rahu that covers the Sun and the Moon on eclipse days to take revenge on them. The
demigods were very happy and praised the Lord, whereas the demons lost all
faith in God, because due to their selfishness, they lost the opportunity to
receive the Amrit. Whatever the demigods were doing, they were always praising
God and they were always offering everything to the Lord...</i><i>" - Paramahamsa Vishwananda, Essence of Shreemad Bhagavatam</i></div>
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Since the presiding deity to be installed and inaugurated at the ashram is Mohini Devi, one can be reassured that the divine qualities of each spiritual seeker will be well taken care of, just as Mohini Devi had taken care of the welfare of the devas. Check out some more pictures from Swamiji's visit to the ashram by following this link to the Bhkati Marga Flickr page: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bhaktimarga/albums">https://www.flickr.com/photos/bhaktimarga/albums</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-20935099272323588712016-07-04T13:01:00.001+02:002016-07-04T22:27:53.900+02:00Paramahamsa Vishwananda receives Bharat Gaurav Award at the House of Parliament<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwQvpAzHl3MLZ-QkIFlzp1DtwzYg8z4Zx8brlMxZi-uBFZ6er0CFfhMLBvXwVgSEqmaAjrVnzmBbrn44yc1LpJniykscfCk6_3HlKK1zJbKAC2BY8MCB3WQzzateds-H3gzU9b65mMRjE/s1600/_Q2A9020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwQvpAzHl3MLZ-QkIFlzp1DtwzYg8z4Zx8brlMxZi-uBFZ6er0CFfhMLBvXwVgSEqmaAjrVnzmBbrn44yc1LpJniykscfCk6_3HlKK1zJbKAC2BY8MCB3WQzzateds-H3gzU9b65mMRjE/s400/_Q2A9020.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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On Saturday, July 2nd, 2016, Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda was presented in the House of Parliament, the Bharat Gaurav Lifetime Achievement Award. Though never expecting this honour, Paramahamsa Vishwananda accepted this award tweeting out, "Receiving the Gaurav Award in the House of Parliament but #Love need no recognition, it's unconditional." Honoured to receive the award, Paramahamsa Vishwananda graciously spent time talking with the organisers of the award, including a dinner later with devotees and other guests. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTu7tbc-bRWjuDRAJVtJTGD2kTFHGn1R83XmaoF4XQc64UiBCB5uDEdMkQqPQF0FaY1T4Hen4Tlmta1jZLUuqjHRS-4f0s5mlIMG4iqlzSC-8XVfaFp_40oUS2zOCyEwX_QeN1FG22Wnm/s1600/Guruji+one.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTu7tbc-bRWjuDRAJVtJTGD2kTFHGn1R83XmaoF4XQc64UiBCB5uDEdMkQqPQF0FaY1T4Hen4Tlmta1jZLUuqjHRS-4f0s5mlIMG4iqlzSC-8XVfaFp_40oUS2zOCyEwX_QeN1FG22Wnm/s400/Guruji+one.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWG-V6zH4_oh9XsvrPMwMNsMeAXRUWCq5xG0MxLoJbXIPFlr2eujufFmZxCwC32pcjS3anmgROcjj-Ffw_f5wRB9PxpimOk-PST4Hkl2EKl7gW9WA2XtpdM15x8109soW5bRi3YzQa89MJ/s1600/Guruji+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWG-V6zH4_oh9XsvrPMwMNsMeAXRUWCq5xG0MxLoJbXIPFlr2eujufFmZxCwC32pcjS3anmgROcjj-Ffw_f5wRB9PxpimOk-PST4Hkl2EKl7gW9WA2XtpdM15x8109soW5bRi3YzQa89MJ/s400/Guruji+Pic.jpg" width="381" /></a></div>
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( The prior two pictures of the award ceremony </div>
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are from Swamiji's personalTwitter account</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/vishwananda">https://twitter.com/vishwananda</a>)</div>
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<b>So what is the Bharat Gaurav Award?</b></div>
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As mentioned on the Bharat Gaurav Award website, (<a href="http://www.bharatgaurav.in/">http://www.bharatgaurav.in/</a>), the Bharat Gaurav Award is a prestigious award given to a few selected people from all over the world who have achieved a landmark, or a great feat, in their working area. For Paramahamsa Vishwananda, it is apparent that he has received the award for all the work that he has done through Bhakti Marga. By guiding thousands of spiritual seekers, opening up temples worldwide, giving out various sadhanas to attain unity with the Divine, and so much more, Swamiji's life has been an immeasurable blessing for the planet and its people. </div>
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During Paramahamsa Vishwananda's visit to the House of Parliament, he was accompanied by devotees, who were thrilled to see Swamiji being publicly recognised for the incredible service that he renders to the world.<br />
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All in all, the visit and award ceremony at the House of Parliament was a great success filled with smiles, gratitude, and the grace of the Guru. To see Paramahamsa Vishwananda honoured in such a public setting is not only inspiring but also motivating for each of us to continue and help grow his mission, Bhakti Marga, to the greater heights it is destined to reach. As Paramahamsa Vishwananda often teaches, it is not only about receiving Love, but it is important what we do with it once it has been received. For us to support Swamiji and his mission the most, we must share the Love that he is always giving, and become living examples of his universal teachings. That is how we can all give the greatest recognition to Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda.<br />
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Jai Gurudev!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-69141177746836829562016-06-04T17:01:00.000+02:002016-06-13T00:41:22.151+02:00Dr. Satya Narayana Das Babaji visits Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda <div style="text-align: center;">
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Guruji’s dear friend from Vrindavan, Dr. Satya Narayana Dasa Babaji, arrived yesterday for a short visit to Shree Peetha Nilaya on his way to a tour in Poland and Lithuania. Satya Narayana Das is a world renowned scholar on Vedic scriptures and philosophy, and co-founder and director of the Jiva institute of Vedic Studies in Vrindavan.<br />
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Director of the Jiva institute of Vedic Studies, Satya Narayana Dasa has been visiting SPN from year one (2008), and has supported Guruji’s mission in many ways. This has been especially true over the past few years in Vrindavan, where Bhakti Marga has built an ashram near his home, the Jiva Institute. <a href="http://www.jiva.org/">http://www.jiva.org/</a><br />
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Guruji and Satya Narayandas visited the BM Academy Teacher Training in the afternoon, where Babaji gave a satsang to the teacher trainees about Vedanta (Hindu philosophy), and about the philosophies of the different sampradayas (spiritual lineages within Vaishnavism).<br />
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Later on, after evening prayers, Guruji and Babaji visited the temple and sang bhajans with devotees. Guruji sang bhajans for Radhe, and Babaji sang the Gopi Gita with everyone, before the temple closed for the night with an arati.<br />
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Livestream video from Periscope during the visit</div>
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Here some pictures and a blog article about Satya Narayan Das, and some past visits to Shree Peetha Nilaya President of India Honors Babaji Satyanarayan Dasa<br />
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<a href="http://www.chakra.org/2012articles/2012-12-01.html">http://www.chakra.org/2012articles/2012-12-01.html</a><br />
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Flickr album of his visit in 2009: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bhaktimarga/sets/72157620444476952/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/bhaktimarga/sets/72157620444476952/</a><br />
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Visit to SPN in 2012: <br />
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<a href="http://swamivishwananda-info.blogspot.de/2012/08/satsang-with-dr-satya-narayana-dasa.html">http://swamivishwananda-info.blogspot.de/2012/08/satsang-with-dr-satya-narayana-dasa.html</a></div>
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Jai Gurudev, we wanted to remind everyone that in December there will be an amazing pilgrimage coming up with Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda in South India. Swamiji (and possibly you) will be visiting some of the most auspicious temples and pilgrimage sights for all Vaishnavas, many of which are nearly impossible to have granted access without the presence of Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda. If you are interested in going, you can learn more about the pilgrimage by clicking on this link: <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016</a></div>
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(Registration closes on June 31st, so it's important to reserve your spot soon)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15265118599927936353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-54206967057526828052016-05-11T15:08:00.001+02:002016-05-11T15:08:41.813+02:00Following the Master: Vrindavan & Jaipur Day 6-7 Conclusion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day 6 of the pilgrimage was a very special day as it was Akshaya Tritiya, as well as, the main bathing day for the Kumbh Mela happening in Ujjain.<br />
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During the day we celebrated our own version of the Kumbh Mela by taking a dip in Radha Kund and doing puja to Govardhan. The Govardhan Hill has immense spiritual importance among the devotees of Lord Krishna. After Krishna protected the inhabitants of Vraj from the wrath of Indra, He counselled them to worship Govardhan Hill, for which they did through Puja and a Parikrama around the hill.<br />
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In the evening we celebrated Akshyay Tritiya by visiting the Banke Bihari temple. Akshyay means something that does not perish, or in more simple words, you do not suffer any loss on account of it. All the acts performed on this day become perennial in nature. The ancient wisdom teaches us to give, to donate for a noble cause, and to look for the divine blessing on this day.<br />
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On this day it is common for everyone to visit the Prince of Vrindavan, Sri Banke Bihari Ji. It is only on this day throughout the year that devotees get a chance to see and admire the beauty of His feet. As sung by exalted and divine devotee, Saint Surdas: this is by the grace of Darshan and Dhyan (meditation) of the Lotus Feet of Lord that all impossible things become possible in the world. The lame can cross high mountains, the blind can see each and every thing, the deaf can hear, the dumb can speak and the poor can become rich and powerful so as to be honoured to move with Chhatra (ceremonial umbrella, generally used in grand processions).<br />
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Sri Swami Vishwananda and the group visited the Banke Bihari temple in the evening for Darshan. It was extremely crowded and there was a lot of pushing happening, but everyone in the group was lucky enough to get a glimpse of the murti. The evening Darshan of the Lord carried an even bigger blessing as he was only wearing a dhoti (loincloth) around his waist. It is called the Sarvang Darshan – Darshan of the whole body of Shri Banke Bihari Ji. It was definitely the most action packed day of the pilgrimage. <br />
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As day 6 was filled with events, day 7 was more relaxed and a fitting end to the pilgrimage. The participants were given an opportunity to spend some personal time with Swamiji as well as go shopping before concluding the pilgrimage. The day ended as we celebrated Sri Ramanajua Acharya’s 999 birthday and wished Swamiji farewell to the airport. As with every pilgrimage with Sri Swami Vishwananda and Bhakti Marga, it was filled with external and internal experiences that can only be had by the grace of the Master, by "following the Master" wherever He may lead you.<br />
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Thank you for following our blog series during Swamiji's pilgrimage, if you yourself are interested in getting the whole experience of such a pilgrimage, then check out the pilgrimage in South India coming up (Registration ends June 1st): <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-33934716057666917592016-05-09T19:56:00.001+02:002016-05-09T19:56:18.034+02:00Following the Master: Vrindavan & Jaipur Day 4-5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Day four of the pilgrimage proved to be the longest and most exciting day thus far. After doing abishekam to Sri Swami Vishwananda’s personal deity, Giridhari, we made our way back to Vrindavan. Even though the trip from Jaipur to Vrindavan is only "five hours long", it took us over 13 hours to get back. Along the way, we made plenty of stops to visit different saints and temples, and each stop was an amazing experience in and of itself.<br />
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One of the stops included a very beautiful ashram directly outside of Jaipur. The venerated saint of the ashram would have darshan of Hanuman and Lord Ram on a regular basis. Even though the saint had passed away, the disciples continued to keep the ashram alive with puja and kirtan everyday.<br />
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The main highlight of the day was the visit to the Madan Mohan temple in Karoli. Karoli is about 182 kilometers southeast of Jaipur and about 100 kilometers southwest of Vrindavan. It is a small town and home of the amazing Madan Mohan Temple. Madan Mohan means “one who can even enchant Cupid.” In the temple, there are three altars. Madan Mohan stands on the centre altar, with Sri Radha on his left and Lalita Devi on his right.<br />
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The deity of Madan Mohana, also known as Madana Gopala, was first discovered by Advaita Acharya, a disciple of Chaityana Mahaprabhu. It was installed at a place overlooking the river Yamuna by Srila Sanatana Goswami and it was the very first temple to be built in Vrindavan after the long years of abandonment. The original deity of Madan Mohan was taken to Karoli in Rajasthan for safety during the attack on Vrindavan by Aurangzeb.<br />
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After visiting many saints and temples, we arrived in Vrindavan at 3:00 a.m. in the morning. Everyone was extremely tired from the long journey.<br />
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The fifth day of the pilgrimage had a late start since most people got some well-needed rest after the long journey the day before. The majority of the morning was spent getting situated in the rooms and performing the abishekam to Giridhari (Swami’s personal deity).<br />
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Later in the day, we traveled with Guruji to various temples around Vrindavan. The highlights being the Banke Bihari temple and the Radharaman temple. In previous blogs, these temples have been talked about quite a lot, but just to say briefly, that these are the temples that truly capture the experience of Vrindavan, as they are a must to visit. Not only that, but it is also interesting to note that the Banke Bihari temple is Guruji's favorite temple.<br />
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All in all, the fifth day was very relaxed since we had gathered the necessary rest after the long journey the day before. But even though the fifth day was down time for the group, the locals were busy preparing for the upcoming Akshyay Tritiya, a very special holiday in Vrindavan.<br />
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If you'd also like to attend a pilgrimage in India, check out the pilgrimage in South India coming up with Sri Swami Vishwananda. Registration ends June 1st: <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-56878708711626707832016-05-07T16:27:00.002+02:002016-05-07T16:27:32.292+02:00Following the Master: Vrindavan & Jaipur Day 2-3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The second and third day in Jaipur started off with abishekam to Guruji’s personal deity, Giridhari, as well as to two Radha Krishna murtis. These deities are called "Radha Madhav" and are from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself who gave them to Khanja Bhagavan Das, one of his companions.<br />
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Through out the second and third day, the group had some time to go shopping in India, and find deals and interesting spiritual items for sale at the local shops. Because the weather is very hot out, most temples typically don't open until later in the evening, giving the group some extra leisure time.<br />
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On the second night specifically, we visited the Gopinath Temple. The Gopinath Temple reminds one of the colourful Indian culture and the rich music associated with it. Not only that, but to be here with our Guruji, in the presence of a living master, the blessings are felt tremendously and the atmosphere is too special to truly explain.<br />
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The next night we spent visiting the Radha Vinod Lal temple which was installed by Lokanath Goswami. Lokanath Goswami was the first devotee sent to Vrindavan by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. One of Lokanath's notable disciples is, Narottama Dasa Thakur, who became well-known as a great poet and composer who had written many moving Vaishnava songs.<br />
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Another temple we visited was the Radha Damodar temple which was established by Jiva Goswami in the year 1542 C.E. The deities themselves had actually been discovered by Rupa Goswami, who later gave them to his dear disciple and nephew – Jiva Goswami for service and worship. Though due to the terror of the Muslim king Aurengzeb, the Sri Radha Damodar deities were shifted to Jaipur. Till now there is a discussion if the original deities are still in Jaipur, or if they were brought back to Vrindavan.<br />
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The third night concluded with a satsang from Guruji as he shared with us the glory of Krishna, and what it means to truly have Love for God. The last two days were full of grace and tomorrow we wake up early to go back to Vrindavan, and (of course) along the way, we will be visiting a few temples. Jai Gurudev!<br />
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If you'd also like to attend a pilgrimage in India, check out the pilgrimage in South India coming up with Sri Swami Vishwananda. Registration ends June 1st: <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-80676448064304107652016-05-06T15:43:00.001+02:002016-05-06T15:43:16.756+02:00Following the Master: Vrindavan & Jaipur Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After the completion of the Atma Kriya Yoga retreat, we left very early in the morning on 4 May 2016 to Jaipur for the next part of the pilgrimage. The plan is to spend four days in the holy city of Jaipur visiting the famous temples of the city.<br />
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The trip from Vrindavan to Jaipur was approximately 5 hours (taking into account Indian traffic), the time was spent singing bhajans and of course, periodically stopping to have a chai tea. After arriving in Jaipur, the group went directly to the airport to welcome Sri Swami Vishwananda, as he was flying into India from Frankfurt, Germany. After a quick lunch we set out for our first visit to the temples of Jaipur.<br />
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The first temple we visited in Jaipur was the Govind Dev Ji temple. It is the most well known temple in Jaipur, and thousands people visit it daily. The murti in the temple is of Krishna, and the story of it goes back thousands of years.<br />
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Sri Krishna ́s grandson Vajranabha had three deities carved according the descriptions of Krishna. When they were finished, it is said that Govinda Dev had the same face as Krishna. The murti was then installed in Vrindavan and opened for devotees to worship.<br />
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In the 16th century, Vrindavan was abandoned and only deep forests remained there. It was the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that brought the discovery of this Sri Krishna deity in Vrindavan. Then, during the years of the fanatical Muslim attacks on the hHndu temples, the deity was taken away and hidden in Jaipur.<br />
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After having Darshan of Govind Dev Ji, the entire pilgrimage group started to sing kirtan at the temple. We ended up staying at the temple for nearly two hours. As many people were drawn to the large western group and kirtan, Guruji in his humility gave time to many of the curious onlookers and blessed each one that came to him.<br />
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On Day 2, the group starts early with temple visits, and also a satsang with Guruji - stay tuned.<br />
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If you'd also like to attend a pilgrimage in India, check out the pilgrimage in South India coming up with Sri Swami Vishwananda. Registration ends June 1st: <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-73371682317968628042016-05-04T16:28:00.000+02:002016-05-04T16:44:13.007+02:00Following the Master: Vrindavan & Jaipur 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are excited to cover the next “Following the Master” series from Jaipur and Vrindavan. It’s our hope that you will join us on this journey over the next week as we write about the cities, the temples, and most importantly, the experiences of traveling in India with Sri Swami Vishwananda.<br />
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The pilgrimage to Jaipur and Vrindavan started on April 30th with the first ever Atma Kriya Yoga retreat in India. It was an exciting and intense past few days as the retreat concluded on May 3rd, in Vrindavan with the pilgrimage participants preparing to set off on the next part of the journey to Jaipur.<br />
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Below you can find an overview of what the participants did over the past few days.<br />
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30 April - Atma Kriya Yoga satsang and evening visit to Banke Bihari Temple and Radha Raman Temple<br />
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1 May - Atma Kriya Yoga informational sessions / OM Chanting / AKY group practice / kirtan / meditation on the banks of Yamuna river<br />
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2 May - Japa walk / AKY group practice at Nidhivan / AKY informational sessions / kirtan<br />
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3 May - AKY group practice in Orinda Kund / Atma Kriya Yoga informational sessions / kirtan<br />
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The Atma Kriya Yoga techniques given by Sri Swami Vishwananda is one of the most powerful yoga practices ever given to mankind. For the participants to have the opportunity to awaken Love through the practice of AKY in the holy places sanctified by Lord Krishna, is a truly unique opportunity.<br />
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<i>Atma Kriya Yoga and Vrindavan. Love and love. And what is Guruji? Love. Which path does Guruji show to us? Just Love.</i><br />
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<i>We have had an amazing AKY Retreat these three days. As Guruji says, Atma Kriya Yoga means to be aware of God in all your actions in your life. And Vrindavan is a unique place to help to do that connection, to help the sadhaks to begin to feel AKY in their daily lives, not only as techniques, but as a way of life.</i><br />
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<i>Guruji always reminds us of the importance of the sangha, the importance of being together to pray, to sing, to do AKY… The importance of being candles of light for others, of sharing what he gives to us. These retreats are part of this, and a special moment to help the participants to become more aware of the precious gift that we have with Atma Kriya Yoga. And if Atma Kriya Yoga is the nine forms of bhakti, there’s no better place than the heart of love and devotion to infuse that in the lucky sadhaks.</i><br />
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<i>As everything is with Guruji, AKY is not about theory, it’s about experience. It’s about your personal experience with God. Having Rishi Tulsidasananda with us and the whole of Vrindavan at our disposal, the real AKY has begun to shine through the hearts of the participants.</i> - Swamini Prabhaavati, Spain<br />
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<i>There aren’t enough words to describe what one can feel when arriving at Brindavan. One things for sure, it makes a big difference in your heart!</i><br />
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<i>These three days of Atma Kriya Yoga retreat enlightened us in such a way that it will be remembered and felt in our hearts for aeons.</i><br />
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<i>Just to pinpoint some of the highlights, we were fortunate enough to walk where Krishna walked, meditate and do our kriya where Radha danced, pay our respects to Banke Bihari and Madan Mohan, feel our bare feet in sacred soil. Reading about these stories in books like “Inspirations” is one thing, but living it where they really happened is no less than magic.</i><br />
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<i>Rich Tulsidasananda lectured about AKY in a way that few can. His love and bhakti for Gurudev and Tulsi Devi has such dimensions that spread to all of us so beautifully that it could only be completely felt in front of Mother herself in Orinda Kund, where she dwells. A lifetime experience is to dive into the sacred waters of the Kund of Orinda Devi. Sitar shared his complete joy of our beloved sadhana making us craving to do more and more every day. </i>- Gaura Das, Portugal<br />
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After concluding an amazing past few days of going deeper into Atma Kriya Yoga, we set off on a new journey as we travel to the Holy city of Jaipur, India to begin the second phase of the pilgrimage with Sri Swami Vishwananda. Stay tuned!<br />
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If you'd also like to attend a pilgrimage in India, check out the pilgrimage in South India coming up with Sri Swami Vishwananda. Registration ends June 1st: <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/southindia2016</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-89241330287223907112016-04-08T12:44:00.001+02:002016-04-08T12:44:23.353+02:00INSPIRATIONS: an App by Bhakti Marga<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jai Gurudev!<br />
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We are excited to announce the official launch of the <i>"INSPIRATIONS"</i> app by Bhakti Marga (see link at bottom of blog for download). The<i> INSPIRATIONS </i>app sends an individual selected quote each day to your mobile device to inspire your life and spiritual path. With over 400 selected quotes from the teachings of Sri Swami Vishwananda, this app not only serves as an 'Inspiration' for you every day, but it is also a resource of Swamiji's Divine wisdom.<br />
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By searching through the many transcriptions of Swamiji's commentaries and satsangs, a conscious selection of these quotes has been made to provide the perfect insights for different aspects of spirituality and day-to-day living. The tech team has served behind-the-scenes to design the app to be both resourceful and simple; and more updates are on the way! Each individual quote you receive is your "Inspiration" for the day that you can read and reflect upon. The quotes can also be easily shared with friends and family on various social media platforms.To supplement the quotes, we have also organised the quotes by "themes" and included a practical glossary.<br />
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The concept behind the 'themes' section is that the app isn't only for someone to receive a quote each day, but rather, we wanted the app to have multi-functionality. Now, when someone wants to find a quote from Swamiji about a certain topic, they can go onto the 'themes' section of the app and find a quote pertaining to the subject desired. Just to give you a bit more of an idea, some of the topics include, "purification," "surrender," "happiness/joy", "karma", "meditation", and "Yoga."<br />
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The glossary is another feature that makes sure each and every quote is given its proper context. Oftentimes it can be difficult to find a distinct definition for Sanskrit words and other terms in Hinduism. The glossary is a tool that one can use for both the app and Hindu words in general. <br />
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Download the app for free at: <a href="https://www.bhaktimarga.org/inspirations">https://www.bhaktimarga.org/inspirations</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-63824968746872083812016-03-19T09:44:00.003+01:002016-03-19T09:44:45.808+01:00The Initiation of Swamini VishwaNireeshwariLakshmiPriya MataWe would like to introduce you to the newest Swamini in the Bhakti Marga family: Swamini VishwaNireeshwariLakshmiPriya Mata.<br />
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Swamini NireeshwariLakshmiPriya Mata will be responsible for the country of Canada.<br />
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We sat down with Swamini NireeshwariLakshmiPriya Mata and asked her to share her story with us.<br />
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<u>How did she meet Guruji?</u><br />
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Swamini NireeshwariLakshmiPriya Mata met Guruji in 2015, in Shree Peetha Nilaya - only one year ago.<br />
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When Phoenix (Swamini's past name) came to Shree Peetha Nilaya for the first time, she said she didn't know who Guruji was, didn't know that she needed a guru. She was coming to the ashram with more than 3 decades of walking down a spiritual path - one that had led her through Catholicism, Sikhism, Islam, and Zen Buddhism. "There were many paths, but to me, these were all like many fingers on one hand." She had prayed to God with all her heart, since she was a child, that He should let her be on her spiritual path.<br />
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One day in 2015, she went to pray, to ask God to let her be on her spiritual path. She felt like there was a shift needed, that her life was not enough about her spiritual relationship the way it had been going. She had been working in Toronto and pursuing spiritual practices as before, but it felt stagnant - something needed to change, but what, she wasn't sure.<br />
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A few days later, a friend of hers was talking with her, and brought up that she had heard about an ashram in Germany, where there was a master named, Sri Swami Vishwananda. This was the right opportunity, at the right moment.<br />
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She made the journey across the Atlantic, and almost as soon as she arrived, she was jumping into learning about all that Sri Swami Vishwananda and Bhakti Marga could share. She heard about the OM Chanting and Atma Kriya Yoga practices from the residents of the ashram, and started practising them as soon as she could.<br />
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Two days after arriving at SPN, Guruji came back from his travels. That evening, he started singing bhajans in the temple, and even though Phoenix didn't understand what bhajans were, or what the words meant, it felt right - this was the spirituality that she'd been longing for.<br />
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Swamini said, looking back on that moment, "He saw how hungry I was. I was starving for spiritual food. I devoured that food! I had been waiting for 37 years. When I got the chance, I started it right away."<br />
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<u>Swamini's initiation</u><br />
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The two weeks leading up to Phoenix's initiation as a swamini was a whirlwind of activity. She started the journey with the two week long Atma Kriya Yoga teacher training, which is known for being an intense process of learning both what to teach and how to teach the highest sadhana on the planet. Phoenix was enjoying the training very much, but at five days in, she was feeling overwhelmed. There was too much to do!<br />
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She went to his picture and said a prayer: that she would become the teacher that he wants, that she would surrender whatever happens to him, that she would walk his path. "I offered everything to him, and I said, 'I just want to please you!' I offered everything back to him, so he could deliver the message."<br />
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The next day, the AKY teacher-trainees each gave practice speeches. After Phoenix's presentation, people were impressed. One teacher trainer said to her, "Phoenix, you were the queen of the room."<br />
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Swamini spoke of her 'walk' with Guruji as being a similar pattern: she acts on her desire for God, for spirituality - showing up to do the work with a heart full of enthusiasm. She prays, and surrenders the work to God and Guru before it ever begins, that it's clear to herself that she walks in with no expectations. Then, the work is done, through grace - and it's often done with greater impact than anyone imagined it would be.<br />
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At the end of the AKY teacher training is a three-day initiation to become an Atma Kriya Yoga teacher. The day after the AKY Teacher Training ended was Shivaratri, and there was still much more to train. In those few days, Phoenix had long training sessions with many of the swamis: in puja practices, in the topics taught by the Bhakti Marga Academy, and more.<br />
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When Shivaratri came around, Phoenix had been told by the Shree Peetha Nilaya swamis that she was going to be initiated as a swamini, and had brought a suitcase of orange clothes for the initiation, according to their instructions. However, in her habit of keeping no expectations, even during Shivaratri, until the last moment, she kept the suitcase of orange robes locked in a room - not even wanting to look at them until Guruji initiated her, in case she would create an attitude of expectancy.<br />
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And the initiation did happen.<br />
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Two swaminis were with her to perform the ritual abishekam during the heavy snowfall of Shivaratri's celebrations. Before they began, Guruji appeared and instructed them to, "Hurry up, do it fast. I don't want her cold" before going back to the Shivaratri prayers.<br />
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When asked about how she'll spread Guruji's mission in Canada, Swamini NireeshwariLakshmiPriya Mata said, "I'm not concerned about how I'm going to do Canada. He's going to do it for me. I just call him in to do the job. The path is not my path. God is calling us on his path. Offer everything. It's not about running around. It's not about working for a paycheck. It's like Krishna told Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, 'Offer everything to Me.' You'll see what happens."<br />
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After Shivaratri, Swamini NireeshwariLakshmiPriya Mata flew back to Canada and to Connecticut in the USA, to join Guruji in the beginning of his trip to the States, to initiate two temples. She said that on the flight back, everyone was coming forward to speak with her, to ask her about who she was, why she was dressed in orange robes, and to ask about the special quality that she was radiating. "People are very attracted to Guruji's light in me."<br />
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"When people ask how I am now, I tell them I'm blissfully full. I'm not happy - happiness comes from the outside. It can go up and down, so I'm not happy. I'm blissful. And I'm not half. Not a quarter. I'm full of this bliss. That's why I tell them I'm blissfully full."<br />
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Ram Navami is coming up shortly! For more information follow the link: <a href="http://www.bhaktimarga.org/events/event/ram-navami">http://www.bhaktimarga.org/events/event/ram-navami</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-50242856382941887962016-03-18T10:14:00.003+01:002016-03-18T10:15:33.903+01:00Stories from the Mauritius Pilgrimage We'll wrap up the coverage of Guruji's trip to Mauritius with a few stories from the trip. One story is about the story of a great bhakta named Dhanajara, which Guruji told many times in his tour around the island. In a following blog post, we'll share the story of a hike that we went on during the trip, and how through Guruji's grace, we were able to escape a heavy tropical rain to enjoy a wonderfully sunny hike. We'll share the translation of the arati that Guruji sings every day in his puja to his personal deities. This arati was written by Mirabai, and gives a beautiful insight into the love relationship that we both seek and enjoy on the bhakti path. We'll also share the story of a 'chance' meeting with a Hindu bhakta at a temple, which was very moving - a simple experience, but full of love - just the type that Mirabai sang about in the Mane Chakhar Rakho Ji arati.<br />
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The Story of Dhanajara and Raja Thakur<br />
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Guruji told the story of the child bhakta Dhanajara multiple times throughout the trip, at many of the darshans and satsangs.<br />
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PART ONE: RAJA THAKUR<br />
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Dhanajara was a young boy of around 4 years old, who lived in a village in India. His village guru was a sadhu, who he observed doing puja to a saligram shila - Mahavishnu in the form of a stone.<br />
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Guruji performing puja to two saligram shilas and to Giridhari at Ganga Talao, Mauritius </div>
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Dhanajara asked the sadhu if he could have a saligram. The sadhu offered him a choice: either he could have "Raja Thakur" - which in reality was a normal stone the sadhu picked up, which people kicked down the street every day - or Dhanajara could have "normal" Thakur - which, unknown to the boy, was actually a proper saligram.<br />
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Here is Guruji's talk: <br />
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The sadhu said to choose which one he wanted. Dhanajara knew that "Raja" is something more special. He said, "I want the Raja one!" The sadhu took it and gave it to the boy. Dhanajara was extremely happy. He didn't know whether it was a stone or a saligram. He hugged the stone, and he was so happy that he was crying - tears were flowing from his eyes. He rushed to his mom and said, "Look! Guruji has given me this saligram!" Of course, his mother saw that this was a stone, so not to displease him, she said, "Okay." She was just laughing at him. <br />
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He asked his mom, "Please give me all the puja utensils. I want to pray to the saligram the same way that Guruji has been doing." Not to offend him, she said, "Ok. Listen, I don't have anything right now, but I'll give it to you. Tomorrow morning I will go to the market and buy it." That night Dhana held that stone. He was crying. Time to time he would wake up and he would cry. He was so eager, waiting for when morning would come, when he would go to the market and buy the utensils. <br />
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When morning arrived, he rushed to his mom, and said "When are you going to the market to buy?" The mother said to him, "Listen my child, to pray to Thakurji, you have to do one thing. You can't take things from others. You can't take things from somebody else, but you have to take it from yourself. You have to provide everything by yourself." <br />
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Then he was determined. He heard what his mother had said. He was determined to serve Thakurji. So, what he did, he gathered some flowers and some leaves. He didn't even know what is Tulsi leaves, so he gathered normal leaves everywhere, flowers which were available. For the chandan - the sandalwood paste - he took a brick from the house, because he saw that Gurudev was using some red paste. He took the brick from the house, and crushed it, and put water into it. Of course brick is made with earth, so when you rub it, it becomes red. Same as chandan. So, he was very happy to have flowers and the chandan, and for an incense stick, he took normal wood. He didn't take agarbhati, nothing. He just took normal wood. That's what he gathered. So, happily, with joy, he collected the bread from his breakfast, and the jaggeri - some sugar, candy - which his mom had given him. He collected for his prayer. He took some water, to wash the stone. <br />
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For him, it was a saligram shila. For him, it was Krishna. And he was calling him Raja Thakur - the King of all Thakurs. He prayed. He washed the saligram shila. He offered the flowers, and the leaves. He offered the stick as an incense stick. He offered the chandan. Of course, for him, it was chandan. For him, it was an incense stick. It was Tulsi. And also, for him, it was. For Thakurji, it also was. Mind you, here there was just a stone. <br />
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Then he offered the bread, and he offered the sugar. As Gurudev had shown him, he did the same. He closed the curtain, because when you offer bhog, to Bhagavan, you close the curtain afterwards, you know? We say that Bhagavan doesn't eat, no? But Bhagavan comes and eats. If you offer, purely, like Sabari had offered to Ramji, He will come and eat. So he didn't know any mantras. He didn't know anything. He didn't even know who Bhagavan is. So, he offered in the way he saw, from Guru Maharaj. He was waiting that Thakur would eat the food. <br />
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What he would do: he would draw on the curtain. He would look. Peep inside: "Oh, He has not eaten." He would wait. So, you see: because of his devotion, that stone, which was a normal stone, which everybody was kicking on the street while walking. All the animals were passing by, and their feet were kicking it! But through his devotion, through his selfless devotion inside of him - single-pointed devotion, and also in the trust that he had in his Gurudev, Bhagavan Himself manifested into that. Bhagavan doesn't manifest just like that, you know? He wants that one is completely surrendered. <br />
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To be completely surrendered, what He does? He waits. He hides Himself. The same way He did with the gopis. He called the gopis, and told them, "Come, come, come!", then after, He said, "Why have you come? Go, go, go!" First He says "Come," then He says "Go!". What happens during that time, you know, is what emerges from inside. The more you wait, the more the fruit is sweeter. The quicker you get something, the more quickly you lose it. It comes, and goes. But when you know how to handle certain things, it stays for a longer time. It stays forever. <br />
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So here, Dhana was waiting. When will Thakur eat? The mom called him. He said "No, no, no, I'm waiting for Thakur to finish His food. When Thakur finishes his food, then I will eat." Here, we will sit, and think, "When will Swamiji finish? I want to go home, and eat. I have cooked food nicely." <br />
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Here, Dhana was sitting, on and on, thinking of when Thakur would eat, and Thakur was looking at him wondering, saying, "We will see how long can you wait for Me? How long can you long for Me? I have been waiting for you for many lives. Not only one life. You know only one life." Here Thakurji said, "To get this devotion, to remember that, I've been waiting for that moment since many lives. You have come so many times here! I long for your devotion. I long to be in your presence!" So He made him also wait. <br />
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Dhana started crying and crying, saying "Thakur, what have I done? I don't know any mantra, anything. That's why You're not eating!" Of course, you see, there's a limit, to everything. There's also a limit to where the Lord can't see the bhakta suffer. How can He see a 4-years old kid suffer? <br />
<br />
So, He manifested Himself. He started eating the bread and the sugar. You know, when you eat, it makes some sound. Especially when you're eating sugar candy, what happens? You have to break the candy. It makes sound. So in the same way, when Dhana heard that Thakurji is eating, he opened the curtain, and to his amazement, he was face-to-face with Krishna. He could not hold himself. He just started crying. Krishna, when He looked at him, He smiled, and when He saw Dhana crying out of love for Him, He also started crying. <br />
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Like that, Dhana, everyday, served Krishna, his Thakur. For him, "Thakur" and "Bhagavan", all these names were just his friend. He didn't know any difference. He didn't know that Bhagavan is the one that you stand in front and pray to. And he didn't know that this Krishna is the same Bhagavan who created the whole universe, who has created the whole world. He didn't know about that. For him, he loved Krishna. He loved Him with all his heart, you know? And day by day, his love grew more and more. That bhakti grew more and more inside of him. <br />
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-------------------------- <br />
<br />
So, time passes. Dhana grew up. Of course, he started to learn. He learned that Bhagavan Krishna, which he called his friend before, is the supreme Lord Himself. He is the supreme Lord of the universe Himself. He is Bhagavan. He loved Krishna dearly, but the mood inside of him began to change. He started looking at Krishna. <br />
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You see, before, he used to feed Krishna like the gopas, 5,000 years back in Vrindavan. How were they? Did they have any restrictions on how they loved Krishna? No, they loved Him dearly, but they didn't pray to Him. Even inside of them they know that He is Bhagavan, He is the supreme Lord Himself, but yet, they love Him as a friend. Here, the Lord also reciprocates that love, as a friend. That's why they could carry Him. They could play with Him. They could tease Him. They could beat Him, they could feed Him. They could tell Him everything. <br />
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If that relationship would not be there, do you think they would be able to do that? No, they would not be able to do that. What would they do? "Bhagavan, Agya Dijiye: give me orders that can I do for you!" But Bhagavan didn't manifest Himself just to give agya - He didn't manifest Himself just to order people. He has manifested Himself to remind you of His Love - how much He loves you, and how much you must love Him. It's not just 'come and sit and pray'. No. You should love Him! And know, that He loves you! He always reciprocates the Love. <br />
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The more you love Him, the more He loves you. Love Him until you can't love more than that. Then let Him do. He can love you much much more. You, as a human, because of the mind, because of this body, one is limited. But Bhagavan is not limited. He is unlimited. His Love is also unlimited. You can love Him to your maximum. <br />
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Like Dhana. He loved Him dearly, as a friend. He didn't know who Bhagavan is, until that bhav changed. Then, he started serving Bhagavan, he carried on serving the deity, the saligram, the same way, but Bhagavan would appear to him, and quickly would disappear. After some time he started wondering why. <br />
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Why was He different before? Why was it great joy before? It's like when you start your spiritual path, you know? At the beginning, you take deep resolution to move forward. And then, in the middle, you start (in Creole) carot caroter [the enthusiasm that we had goes away]. Same thing with Dhana. This enthusiasm he had inside of him was not the same as before. <br />
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Before he was eating and he was feeding Thakur. And this time, it changed. Before, he didn't know. He had bhakti, he had this pure devotion - innocent. Now it was filled with jyaan - knowledge. Due to that knowledge - it is important to have knowledge, don't get me wrong - but knowledge without bhakti is useless. If knowledge really would lead you to God-realisation, every knowledgeable people would have realised themselves by now. <br />
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Why are realisations less? There are not so many people who have realised themselves. Why are there so many wise people? You know, many people can sit on an asan and talk, no? Many people can stand there and talk to a stadium of people. It doesn't mean that they are realised. If they don't have this bhakti, if they don't live this bhakti themselves, they are not realised. <br />
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So, Dhana was simple, but then, when he had this knowledge that his is not his friend - he knows that He is Bhagavan Himself, the supreme Lord - what happened? His bhav changed, and he could not feel him. He had to put Him there, and do the prayer. That's what he would do. But before, he would feed him. <br />
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He started feeling very deeply sad. He would cry regularly, remembering the relationship that he had with Raja Thakur. So of course, the merciful Lord could not bear seeing him crying like that. He appeared in his dream and said to him, "My dear, I have never left you, but now that you have realised that I am Bhagavan, that bhav inside of you" - you know, when we come here, in front of the temple, what do we do? We pray, no? <br />
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Dhana was crying. Bhagavan appeared in his dream and said to him, "Listen, now, you have grown up. If you want to achieve back again this relationship, this feeling that we had, go to Kashi. There is Ramananda Acharya. Go and get advice from him."<br />
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You see, Bhagavan was very dear to him. They had a very close relationship, but yet, when jyaan had entered the mind, one gets corrupted. Very often, people are so wise, but they become so arrogant of their knowledge. That knowledge will die with you. <br />
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You can be very wise. When you die, do you carry the knowledge with you? No! You don't carry it with you. Next life, you will have to study again, no? But, spiritual knowledge - receiving from a true Guru - that you will carry always with you, because it's not external only, but it's also internal. Everything else will give you outer satisfaction, but spiritual knowledge gives you inner satisfaction. And this inner satisfaction is very important. Spiritual knowledge gives you this inner satisfaction, and reveals your relationship with God. But devoid of bhakti, this is not possible. You can chant how many mantras you want. You can do any kind of yoga you want. It always stays mechanical, only. <br />
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Dhana went to Kashi, receiving the jyaan, the knowledge, from his Guru Maharaj, Ramananda Acharya. After he received that, he came back home, and this time he understood. He understood that we can love Him differently. We can have different relationships to Him - He is Bhagavan, no? And He has placed inside of each one, certain seeds. In the heart of each person, the Lord has planted different seeds, different forms of awakening, of how to awaken to reach Him. Otherwise, your atma is just sleeping. It has been sleeping. <br />
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Chaitanya, in the 1500's, said, jeev jago. He said, "Awake, o soul! Don't sleep!" If you keep sleeping, it will still sleep. Life after life you will sleep. And this eternal sleep doesn't finish! But when you choose to wake up, when you surrender to Him, then you choose to wake up. Then you are awake. <br />
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That's the inner awakening. The inner awakening is not something outside. It's something inside. Inner! The word itself says, inner awakening! So it is something from deep inside which is dormant, which is awakening, which is coming out, which surfaces itself. And that, kripa. That's His grace. Whenever He sends the Guru. <br />
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When you are ready, He sends you to the Guru. It is His grace, His kripa, that He wants you to fully attain Him. He wants you to fully realise. Not partially, but fully. But you don't know about that, what is fully realised - what is fully attaining Him. You know only a little bit, what your mind can perceive you, that wall which you have created, thinking that, "Yes, I want this. That's it." Once you've got it? "Merci bon Dieu! Bye bye!" <br />
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When Bhagavan hugged Dhana, he was filled with the same love again. He was filled with the same bhav that he used to have before. Only under the guidance of a real Guru. Now, the question will arise, "Who is a real Guru? Who is not a real Guru?" The real Guru is the one who can give you Bhagavan. He can give you that feeling. He can awaken this longing inside of you, to long for God more and more. Because the Guru is here for you - not for himself. <br />
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He wants you to achieve the highest state. That's why he has left his place, why he has come again on earth. Otherwise, why would the Guru come here? This Love that he feels for Bhagavan, he wants you also to feel the same! That's why choosing one's guru is very important. Because not all gurus can lead you there. There are many lokas - many devalokas, no? But the Ultimate, only the true Satguru can give it to you.<br />
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PART TWO: THE APPEARANCE OF SAUJAHA<br />
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Guruji told the second part of the story the next day, at a darshan he gave in Marcellement: <br />
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Bhagat Dhana Ji<br />
[Krishna told Dhana to] learn from him [Ramananda Acharya] what is a guru, and learn from him which quality Bhagavan has - which aishwarya Bhagavan has - and come back. Once he had gotten that knowledge, he knew. He came back to Krishna, his friend was never so happy, his friend had come back. <br />
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But yet, still, due to that ignorance, of knowing that there's a difference between God and you, that friendship destroyed. He tried his best to please Krishna, but it was not possible. There was always a distance between them, and that distance, Krishna was longing for it - Krishna was not longing for the distance, Krishna was longing for the service. <br />
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You see, service is not one way. Very often we say, "Yes, we have longing to serve the Guru." It's true, you have to serve the Guru, but the Guru Himself is serving you. It's not only one way. It's two ways. Guru Maharaj is uplifting you towards God realization, towards God consciousness. And for you to be serving the Guru means that you are purifying yourself. You are removing all the ignorance from you, so that you can be ready to receive what Maharajji is giving to you. <br />
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So, here, Bhagavan also, longing the same way, for this relationship with Dhana. But Dhana: deep inside he was very happy, but yet, he could not be friendly with Krishna. <br />
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So what he did? One day, the father of Dhana called him, and said, "Listen, you have this field I am giving you." He said "Yes," Dhana had his house and his duty, and he has also his field to look after. If he didn't look after the field, he would not have anything to eat. <br />
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So Dhana started working in the field. As he started working in the field, he was sowing some seeds, and some sadhus were passing by. They came to him, and said, "Dhana, we are very hungry. Can you please give us some food?" The food which was available at that time was just the grain which he was sowing. He took the grain, he boiled it, cooked it, and gave it to the sadhus. <br />
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In the other side, Krishna was wondering, "How can I make him serve Me, the same way I was serving him?" What Krishna did, inside of Dhana, He awakened the feeling, "Ah, I can't look after this big field by myself. I need somebody to look after it." Having this inner feeling that he had to have somebody to look after the field, Krishna disguised Himself as Saujaha. <br />
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Saujaha came. He said, "You are looking for somebody to look after your field?" "Yes, yes, I am looking for somebody to look after the field." He said, "Here I am. I will look after your field, but with one condition: you give me one-third of the crops." One-third of the crops is a lot of things, no? "One-third is too much! I will give you one-quarter." Saujaha said "No, I want one-third, nothing else." <br />
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This is very important to understand. You see, in our tradition - in the Hindu tradition - whatever you receive as income, normally is divided into three parts. One part you look after your family. One part, you do seva with it. Another part, you should use it for the society. I am sure nobody will really follow that, because if you follow that, and say "I myself don't have enough, then how would I follow that?" Here, Dhana also is saying the same thing, "I don't have enough. I don't give you one-third, I give you only one-quarter." He said, "No, I don't accept one-quarter, I accept only one-third." That's what is written in the Shastras. Finally, Dhana said, "Ok, I will give you one-third." <br />
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Then, Saujaha, Krishna in disguise, said, "I want also that you serve me breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Dhana said, "Ah, you want me to serve you the same way you are serving me?!" He said "Yes. Look, if I had a wife, it would be easy, but I don't have a wife. If I leave your field to go and cook three times a day, what would happen? Animals would come and eat it." So Dhana said, "Fine, I will bring you breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Saujaha said, "Ah, but with one condition you can bring it - that we can eat together." <br />
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Krishna made him serve Him, and when Dhana would bring the breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they would have great joy together, eating together. <br />
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So one day, Dhana needed to go somewhere, and he needed to bring the breakfast in the early morning. So he brought the breakfast in the early morning, thinking that Saujaha is still sleeping. He saw the clothes and the blanket there. So he went inside quietly, not to disturb him. He lifted the quilt to say to him, "Look, I brought the breakfast. Have it." <br />
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To his amazement, what was in Saujaha's place was Krishna. Krishna was lying, covered with a blanket. When Krishna realised that Dhana is here, He changed again His aspect into Saujaha. <br />
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Of course, now that He had been discovered, there is no way back. Dhana, at the same time he was very happy, he was very angry. Krishna wanted to see that anger also inside of him, because you can be angry with your friend only when your friend is dear to you! If your friend is not dear to you, why would you get angry? Then, you use nice words. Flattery. <br />
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So, Krishna was discovered. Dhana was so happy, that he had gotten back this bhav inside of him, that it was his friend. This is what Guru Maharaj gives you, once you surrender on your spiritual path. The Guru, in a touch, can give you everything, IF you are ready. If you are not ready, why would the Guru give you? Then he has to work on you! Then, step by step, he will purify you. <br />
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He will purify from outside. He will purify you from inside! Sometimes it will be very difficult, due to your mindset, how it is. Your mind always expects and expects and expects how it has to be YOUR way. You want to hear what YOU want to hear! You want the Guru to tell you, "Yes, it's like this. Yes, it's like that." If the Guru tells you, just like this, that's not a Guru. Then, you have to be careful, that he's just flattering you, to please your mind. No. The Guru has to destroy that mind! If the Guru tells you something which is against your self, don't shut the Guru. Accept it.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-16977288075940989302016-03-11T20:57:00.001+01:002016-03-12T01:32:16.857+01:00Maha Shivaratri 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Maha Shivaratri is the time of year when we come together to honour the greatest bhakta of them all, Lord Shiva. From the sounds of the Damaru drum, to the shouting of "Hara Hara Mahadev", the night was filled with devotion towards the Ultimate Destroyer, Shankar. As mentioned in previous posts, Lord Shiva is a symbol for the destruction of our ego and pride, but it's not only this destruction that we commemorate. On Maha Shivaratri, we offer our gratitude to Lord Shiva for the great blessings and sacrifices that He has given and undergone for the sake of humanity. One such case was when Shiva saved the devas and asuras during the Churning of the Milky Ocean from the deadly poison, "Halahala." It is for Lord Shiva's sacrifice of Love, among many other reasons, that we celebrate Maha Shivaratri.<br />
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The morning prayers began at the early hour of 5:00 a.m. By worshiping the Guru first, the devotional Guru puja set the tone for the offerings to come. Upon Sri Swami Vishwananda's arrival, the Kalash puja had already begun and it wasn't long until Swamiji began to pour water over the Mrityum Bageshwar lingam and his personal deity, Giridhariji. Simultaneously, there was a yagna conducted by the Bhakti Marga Swami's taking place. After the yagna had concluded and Guruji had finished his first part of the abishkeham, everyone was able to offer both water and a bilva leaf to the lingam and Giridhari. The morning ended with the singing of the Lingashtakam and prayers to Lord Shiva, ensuring that the night to come would be a success. </div>
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The evening celebrations kicked off with a powerful start. The Shiva bhajans were rocking and the devotees stood up to dance. With the singing of "Bam Bam Bhole! Bam Bam Bhole!" amidst the chanting of "Swaha" during the yagna, the energy quickly elevated.<br />
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The prayers only intensified when Sri Swami Vishwananda arrived. Throughout the entire night, Swamiji would make offerings to the Shiva Lingam and sing bhajans dedicated to Mahadev. In between all of this, each person was able to continue to make the auspicious offerings to the Mrityum Bageshwar lingam.<br />
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The last puja was the grandest of all. As Lord Shiva is easily pleased with the smallest of offerings, one can only imagine how pleased Mahadev could have been with the plentiful plates of prasad. The kitchen team truly did a remarkable job. The prasad itself was constructed as Shiva Lingams and a design of Shiva's trishul. And when the ceremony was over, the taste matched the presentation, and though the Lord truly only cares about the Love which is offered, Mahadev was probably also pleased with the service of the culinary skill.<br />
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Towards the early morning, the fighting of sleep was victorious by most, and the final offerings approached. The amount of vibhuti that Swamiji offered to Lord Shiva was remarkable. Mounds and mounds were poured over the lingam. When the concluding prayers had finished, Guruji spoke shortly about the night of celebration and gave a guided meditation for Mother Earth. Here's a small excerpt from what was spoken: </div>
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<i>You see, the blessing that you received, you know, like I said, the upliftment that you received today, other days you don’t receive that. That’s why this day is considered very auspicious. Yesterday [at the Shiva lecture] you heard them talking about Lord Shiva. So, you know who Bhagavan Shankar is and you know how important it is to have His blessing, and to have Ma Bhagavati Jagadambe’s blessing also, because they open the door for Giridhari to reveal Himself. Giridhariji is very shy. (Well, before He reveals Himself He is shy; after He reveals Himself He is not that shy anymore.) But until you reach that point of knocking at His door, you need Lord Shiva’s blessing. That’s why you see after the Mahabharat war that Bhagavan Krishna Himself said to the Pandavas, “Take refuge to the Feet of Lord Shankar. Go and do penance and when He comes, when He appears to you, then you know that all that you have done has been forgiven.” Here Bhagavan Krishna Himself said it, you know. </i><br />
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<i>So, you have received lots of blessings. This world, Mother Earth, now needs your prayer, you know. I will ask of you just two minutes. I know you are very tired, and you are thinking about going to sleep. Even now if I tell you to close your eyes and think of Mother Earth, you will fall asleep. So I will just ask you for two minutes of your time. Let’s pray for peace. You know, we said, “Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu” earlier. Let’s pray for each of your countries, for each of your families and so on. But let’s pray for Mother Earth in general that there is peace in this world. Because if there is no peace, you can’t really concentrate on Bhagavan, true? When there is peace, then it’s easy. - Sri Swami Vishwananda</i><br />
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Thanks for reading our blog. If you didn't make it to Maha Shivaratri, check out Ram Navami which is taking place April 15, 2016. Follow the link for more information: <a href="http://www.bhaktimarga.org/events/event/ram-navami">http://www.bhaktimarga.org/events/event/ram-navami</a><br />
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To see more photos from Maha Shivaratri 2016, check out our flickr page: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bhaktimarga/albums/72157665433500502">https://www.flickr.com/photos/bhaktimarga/albums/72157665433500502</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2322312292034815971.post-19628605303106483402016-03-06T22:02:00.001+01:002016-03-06T22:02:29.281+01:00The Twelve Jyotirlingams (Part 3 of 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Trimbakeshwar<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The
Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlingam is located in the district of Nashik, India. The
lingam itself resides underground and has three faces that represent Brahma,
Vishnu, and Shiva. Hence, the name “Trimbakeshwar” translates to, “Three Lords.”
Among the legends of Trimbakeshwar, there is the story of Sage Gautama, the sage who had inevitably been involved with the killing of a cow. In order to be cleansed of this sin, the Rishis advised Sage Gautama to do penance to Lord Shiva. By praying to Lord Shiva, he asked Mahadev to send Mother Ganga to his hermitage so that his soul and ashram may be purified. Lord Shiva was touched by Gautama's sincerity and devotion, and thus, Lord Shiva sent him the Godavari river, which is often referred to as the "Ganges of the South." After Lord Shiva's appearance to Sage Gautama, the Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlingam was manifested. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Mallikarjuna</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The Mallikarjuna Jyotir Lingam is located in the Andhra Pradesh region of South India. As narrated in the Shiva Puran, Lord Ganesha had won the race around the world over His brother Kartikeya, by encircling Shiva and Parvati. Hence, Ganesha was granted marriage first. As Kartikeya was upset at His defeat, He traveled to the Kraunch Mountain where Shiva and Parvati both followed Him. Upon Shiva and Parvati’s arrival, Kartikeya left the mountain, but Shiva and Parvati stayed. It was at this spot that Lord Shiva eventually took the form of the Jyotirlingam known as, “Mallikarjuna.”</div>
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<b><br />Grishneshwar </b><br />
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On the mountain Devagiri, there lived a brahmin named Brahmavetta Sudharm, and his wife, Sudeha. Because the married couple could not bear any children, Sudeha convinced her sister, Ghushma, to also marry Sudharm. By worshipping 101 Shiva Lingams formed from the Earth, and offering them into a nearby lake every day, Gushma soon begot a baby boy. Overtime though, Sudeha had become jealous of her sister and out of her jealousy, she killed Ghushma’s son and threw his body into the lake. The next day when Ghushma offered the 101 Shiva Lingams into the lake, Lord Shiva manifested Himself and revealed to her what happened to her son. Ghushma asked Mahadev to pardon her sister and to always remain near Devagiri. Lord Shiva granted her request and manifested Himself as the Grishneshwar Jyotirlingam. The lake also came to be known as, “Shivalaya.”<br />
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<b>Bhimashankar</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The legend goes that a demon by the name of Bhima had enslaved a devotee of Shiva named, “Kamrupeshwar.” When Kamrupeshwar wouldn’t worship Bhima as his Lord, the demon took a sword to strike a Shiva Lingam. Lord Shiva manifested Himself and went to war with Bhima. When the fight had gone on long enough, Lord Shiva incinerated Bhima to ashes. At the request of the sages and Gods, Lord Shiva manifested Himself as the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Shiva stands for the mind. Shiva is Gyaneshwara. Another form of Shiva is Dakshinamurti. Dakshinamurti is the one which gives knowledge. The Guru is a form of Dakshinamurti which gives knowledge. But what is knowledge? Not the knowledge to fill up the mind. In the path of bhakti you have to have certain knowledge of certain things, but yet, you have to discharge, to put aside even that knowledge. Because the knowledge of the Self, Brahma Jyaan, is beyond the knowledge of the mind.” - Sri Swami Vishwananda<br /><br />The beginning ceremonies for Maha Shivaratri is less than 24 hours away! If you plan on visiting Shree Peetha Nilaya for Maha Shivaratri and still need to register, click on the link here: <a href="http://www.bhaktimarga.org/events/event/maha-shivaratri">http://www.bhaktimarga.org/events/event/maha-shivaratri</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com