Author: Purushottam Nitai Das

Gaura Purnima: The most merciful day

Purushottam Nitai Das March 27, 2013

Along with Holi, which fills our life with various shades of colour, today is also the auspicious day of Gaura Purnima. Gaura Purnima is the birth anniversary of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Chiatanya Mahaprabhu appeared in this world around 500 years ago in Mayapur, West Bengal. Kali – yuga, the present age in which we are living, is widely known to be filled with inauspicious phenomenon but very few know that this age has one great benediction. In kali – yuga water of the rivers may dry but the mercy of the Lord will always flow incessantly and abundantly. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu incarnated with the sole motive of distributing the mercy of the Lord to all. Anyone having even a slightest desire to experience the love of God immediately grabs the attention of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Before Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s appearance people were discriminated on various grounds. Some Brahmins in order to maintain their superiority in the society had shamelessly started discriminating people based on their caste and creed. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu strongly condemned such mindset and gave a clarion call that every individual irrespective of caste, creed, gender or wealth have equal right to practice devotional life. This is why among the followers of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were Haridasa Thakur, a great Vaishnava saint who was born in a Muslim family, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya (a brahmin priest of Jagannath Puri & great Sanskrit scholar), Maharaja Prataparudra, the king of Jagannatha Puri and many millions.

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave a very simple formula to practice devotion; He recommended the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra – Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. If we regularly chant this Mahamntra then our heart will get cleansed of all unwanted desires and soon we will experience the presence of God within our heart. Today is the most merciful day, so let us pray to Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to shower His mercy upon us and help us to tread the path of devotion.

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Are we chewing the same tasteless stuff again?

Purushottam Nitai Das March 6, 2013
Imagine someone gives us two buckets – one empty and the other filled with water. Now we are asked to pour water from the filled bucket to the empty bucket and once the bucket gets filled up then again we have to pour water back into the first bucket. If suppose we are told to do this for entire day then how would we feel? And if for an entire year or for decades? We would definitely become insane. Shock therapy and psychological counseling would be required to make us forget the boring and senseless activities in which we were engaged.
Our present life is no better than that. We are doing the same monotonous work since our birth. Everyday we get up, brush our teeth, bathe, eat breakfast, don clothes, run to school, college or work place, take lunch, sip tea, munch snacks, come back to house, watch TV, eat dinner and sleep. Again the next day we do the same thing. This we have been doing for several years thinking that a day will come when everything will become perfect in my life and we will be happy. But still we are waiting for that perfect happy moment.
Our activities are summed up in Srimad Bhagavatam – punah punas carvita – carvananam (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.30) i.e. chewing the chewed. There is no taste in chewing the same chewed chewing gum again. Similarly, we should not get too engrossed in repeating the same mundane activities again and again. Instead we should focus on something which will always give a new experience. Absorbing ourselves in chanting the holy names of the Lord like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra gives such experience. Revered Vaisnava saint Srila Rupa Goswami says, “I do not know how much nectar the two syllables ‘Krish-na’ have produced. When the holy name of Krishna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 1.99)
 
So, let us try to bring newness in our life by chanting the names of Krishna and allow our heart to dance with joy.

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Why we like movies?

Purushottam Nitai Das March 1, 2013
Because it takes us away from the real world! We may disagree with this harsh reality but the fact on which every one of us will agree is that none of us are fully satisfied with our present life. Movies take us to the fantasy world, where we instantly identify ourselves with the hero. Movies help us to achieve all those things which we were never able to accomplish in our real life. There we sing, we dance, we romance, we fight and we perform several extraordinary deeds. There we are glorified, loved and praised by all. Sadly the fantasy world does not last forever.  But whenever we get an opportunity to be unreal we immediately grab it. Day dreaming, taking refuge of alcohols and other sedatives are the other options availed to run away from the real world.

However there is no use in running away from the truth. Instead of fretting and fantasizing let us understand the nature of this world. Let us try to understand – Who we are? What is this world? What is the purpose of our life? In fact simply eating, sleeping, working, raising children, increasing bank balance could not be our life’s purpose. Even animals can enjoy such life. We are spiritual beings, currently suffering in this material world which is termed as dukhalayam asasvatam (Bhagavad Gita 8.15), an abode of miseries, and the purpose of our life is to return back to the spiritual world. The human life which we have got should be used to cross the mighty ocean of material discomforts. Let us understand the real problem of this real world and endeavour to get out of it as soon as possible.

 

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How he felt while dying?

Purushottam Nitai Das February 28, 2013

What he would have eaten the night before or whether he was able to even eat something? What he might be feeling? How he would have reacted on seeing the noose? How much pain he would have experienced during his last moments? The recent hanging of the terrorists in India may have been celebrated by some and condemned by others – let us not get into the ethical aspect of death sentence. But one thing which everyone discussed and thought about was as how these people would have reacted during their last moments.

We feel for the person who is about to die and this is the human nature. But do we ever think that one day we too will be passively waiting for the inevitable death.  The hangman’s noose is already prepared, the death sentence is already declared. The only solace is that we have not been told about the timeline.

Every moment we move one inch closer to the hangman’s noose. But we hardly think about it. When Yaksha asked Yudhishthira that what is the most surprising thing in this world then Yudhishthira replied, “Everyone sees others are dying everyday but they never think that one day they too would die.” Thinking about this inevitable reality does not imply pessimism. A student needs to constantly remind himself that he has to appear in the final exam and so he should study sincerely. Similarly being cognizant of the fact that one day we have to embrace death makes us serious about our life. Awareness of Janma (birth), mrtyu (death), jara (old age), vyadhi (disease), the 4 primary cause of suffering, is termed as true knowledge in Bhagavad – Gita (13.9).

When we introspect that one day we will lose everything forever – father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbours, relatives, bank balance, house, job, degrees – we become very sober. We realize the temporary nature of this world. We then endeavour to search for something which is not temporary, not flickering and not painful. Thus our journey for self realization begins. 

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The unnatural interference

Purushottam Nitai Das February 27, 2013

·         Meteor shower injures hundreds in Russia.

·         Blizzard hits US, normal life disturbed

·         Tsunami kills thousands

·         Earthquake ravages the city

·         An unknown fever kills people

These are not so uncommon news for us.  Nature can stun us any time.  Weather forecast cannot guarantee if tomorrow it will rain or the day will be sunny.

These phenomenons indicate following:

1.       We are not the controllers of nature.

2.       There is no guarantee to our security.

3.       And the scriptures declaration that this world is duhkhalayam asasvatam, an abode of miseries, is indeed true.

With our material intelligence we won’t be able to understand and overpower the nature. Our unnatural desire to be the controllers of the nature will always be frustrated.  We presume that the nature acts independently and all the visible phenomenon occurs due to some random chance theory. Our presumption is presumptuous.  Bhagavad – Gita spoken thousands of years ago by Krishna clearly establishes that the material nature is not independent but is one of the energy of the Lord and it acts under his direction – “This material nature, which is one of My energies, is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, producing all moving and non-moving beings (Bhagavad – Gita 9.10).”

Our exploitative mentality & unnatural interference with the nature is the primary cause of natural calamities. So instead of us trying to manipulate the nature, if we live as per the laws of nature then nature’s unwarranted onslaught will not torment us.

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Whether we like it or not, someone is digging our grave meticulously

Purushottam Nitai Das February 20, 2013
Do we remember what we did on 20th Feb 2003 or 20thFeb 1997? What did we eat on that day? Whether the food had taste or was it tasteless? Were we happy or distressed? At what time did we get up? What exactly we did at 11a.m.? None of us would remember and more importantly would not care to remember. Similarly, what we are doing today will lose significance after 10 years; this day will become history. The years will keep on passing, we will complete our college education, will retire from our job. Slowly we will become less important to the society. Our needs and desires will not have much relevance to the younger generation during that time. We may not even be able to enjoy our life with our accumulated wealth because physically we may be worn out and our senses will not cooperate with our enjoying mentality. And then a day will come when only our picture will hang in the house and after few years that picture will also be removed. We will be completely forgotten, all our traces from this will be completely erased. This is the truth.

In Bhagavad – Gita 11.32 Krishna says to Arjuna “Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds, and I have come here to destroy all people.”

That is the harsh reality of this world, whether we like it or not. While we are engaged in satisfying our material desires there is someone who is also digging our grave meticulously. Because he knows that one day we are going to be buried there.

Does it not behove us to think about our life more seriously, contemplate on what we are doing, why we are doing and most importantly what is the purpose of our life?

 

 

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Son of a maidservant, becomes Lord’s exalted devotee

Purushottam Nitai Das February 18, 2013
In his previous life, he was the son of a maidservant. He had no educational qualification and neither had any riches. Once he got the opportunity to serve the sages for few months. He associated with these great devotees of the Lord, heard from them about the Supreme Personality of Godhead earnestly and even ate the remnants of the food left by them. Just by associating with these sages he developed immense taste for practicing devotional life. The son of the maidservant in his next life became Narada Muni, an emblem of devotional life and devotional service. Narada Muni, a crest jewel among the devotees, has played a very vital role in preaching the message of the Lord for several generations.  His intense devotion, his enthusiasm, his charm has captivated all.

Narada Muni’s life demonstrates that to advance in spiritual life we need to seek association of the advanced devotees of the Lord. Those devotees who are incessantly chanting the names of Krishna, who only speaks about Krishna and topics related to Krishna and whose life is dovetailed as per Krishna’s instructions given in the scriptures can bring us closer to God. If an iron rod is kept in the fire then in due course of time it acquires the qualities of fire and become fiery. Similarly association of advanced devotees burn all our sins and impregnates our heart with love for Krishna.

 

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No rejection, all are qualified

Purushottam Nitai Das February 17, 2013
We would be plainly asked to “get lost” if we try to seek admission in an institute or apply for a job if we do not possess the requisite qualifications. Many of us would have had the unpleasant experience of being ejected out for want of prerequisite degrees or due to lack of vacancy and the deep pain which accompanies the rejection.

But there is an institute where there is no rejection, there is no restriction on the number of seats and there are no prerequisites. Rich, poor, beautiful, ugly, men, women, young, old, Indians, non – Indian, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Sikhs – all are treated equally, there is no discrimination. And this is “engaging in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna”. Srila Prabhupada explains, “.. advancement in spiritual life does not depend on any kind of previous education or qualification.” Even a sinner who would have committed grievous deeds in the past but if he is repentant then he can also be a part of this wonderful process. Jagai and Madhai, the two felons, who were the symbol of terror and brutality, were accepted by Lord Chaitanya when they regretted their sinful life and agreed to take shelter of the Lord. Once anyone connects to the process then he easily achieves purity. Srila Prabhupada attests this, “The method itself is so pure that by simply engaging in it one becomes pure.”

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A small gaffe and a deer’s life

Purushottam Nitai Das February 15, 2013
Our consciousness is imbued by the activities in which we indulge throughout our life. The people with whom we associate, the book which we read, the type of food which we savor, the places which we frequent –all these plays a role in shaping our consciousness. If we believe in living a carefree life, hardly ever bothering about the consequences then future would be bleak for us. However if we are serious about our salvation then we ought to dovetail our activities in accordance with scriptural injunctions. While practicing devotional life we need to be extremely careful because if we allow our senses to deviate even minutely then the result may be too dangerous for us. Bhagavad – Gita (2.67) warns us “As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence”.

Srimad – Bhagavatam narrates the story of a great king, Bharata, who was marching very confidently and diligently on the path of self realization. Seers, sages and citizens extolled the devotion of King Bharata. He retired timely from his family life to spend more time in practicing Krishna Consciousness. But he committed a mistake, initially it seemed to be a trivial one, but this one gaffe usurped his devotional life. He got attached to a baby deer and instead of meditating on the Lord he started being too much conscious of the animal. As a result when he was about to leave his body he remembered the deer and not the Lord. Now Krishna declares in Bhagavad – Gita (8.6), “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.” So, in his next life King Bharata became a deer. So while treading the path of bhakti we need to be extra careful lest we get caught up in the sights and sounds of this material world. Our entire senses should be utilized only for remembering Krishna and for nothing else.

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He is such a dear friend, let us not neglect him

Purushottam Nitai Das February 14, 2013
Sometimes a child becomes too adamant and wants to run away from house to be all alone. But his concerned mother does not leave him alone. She hides and keeps a vigil to ensure that nothing wrong happens to his little kid. Similarly when we rebel against the Lord in the spiritual world and decide to leave him to lead an independent life then Lord reluctantly allows us to have our way. However he is too concerned about our well – being, so he accompanies us in this material world.

As a Paramatma, he always resides within our heart. Srila Prabhupada explains that there are two kinds of soul – the minute particle soul (anu – atma) and the Supersoul (vibhu – atma): (Bhagavad – Gita purport 2.20). Katha Upanisad (1.2.20) explains: “Both the Supersoul [Paramatma] and the atomic soul [jivatma] are situated on the same tree of the body within the same heart of the living being, and only one who has become free from all material desires as well as lamentations can, by the grace of the Supreme, understand the glories of the soul.

In this world the Supersoul (Paramatma) does not interfere with our free will and allows us to have our own way but through various means he reminds us that this world is not our real home and we should immediately return back to our original home which is the spiritual world. He sometimes descends personally as Lord Krishna & Lord Rama to call us back and at other times through scriptures and his devotees he remind us of our original home which we have abandoned. He is our closest, oldest and true friend who always thinks of our happiness.  When we leave this body and enter into a new body based on our own karma then he again accompanies us. He is always with us whether we are in a human body, a fish body, a dog body, a bird’s body etc. He never abandons us. 

In this world we face so many difficulties but due to our insatiable material desires and ego we refuse to turn towards God.  Lord as Paramatma is residing within our heart and is eagerly waiting for our loving reciprocation. Once we turn towards him then all our miseries will vanish just as darkness disappears the moment the sun appears.

 

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