August 10, 2013 Sadhu-Sanga — Bhakti Vijnana Muni Maharaja read from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita.

Topic: The Exquisite Pastimes of Lord Chaitanya’s Devotees

Here is the recording of the August 3, 2013 sadhu-sanga.

• Kalidasa exchanges obeisances with Jhadu Thakura and his wife. Then, due to his low caste, Jadhu Thakura offers to send prasadam for Kalidasa to a brahmana‘s family. Kalidasa counters by asking to take the dust of Jadhu Thakura’s feet upon his head. Kalidasa quotes from sastra stating that a pure devotee is very dear to the Lord even if born in a family of dog-eaters. Jadhu Thakura confirms this truth but says that such statements do not apply to him, because he considers himself to have no devotion to Krsna. Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami explains that such a response is entirely appropriate for an advanced devotee. Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada then expands on this idea with several more scriptural references.
• After bidding farewell to Kalidasa, Jhadu Thakura returned home leaving the marks of his feet in many places. Kalidasa then smeared this dust all over his body. Then he hid near Jadhu Thakura’s house until he obtained an opportunity to lick the leaves discarded by Jadhu Thakura’s wife.
• Then we learn how Kalidasa was able to drink the water after Lord Chaitanya washed his feet at the Jagannath temple, even though such was forbidden by the Lord. This mercy was extended by the Lord because He recognized that Kalidasa had full faith in Vaisnavas. After making His obeisances to Lord Nrsimhadev and Lord Jagannatha, Mahaprabhu returned home to eat his lunch. There Kalidasa obtained an opportunity to eat the Lord’s remnants as well.
• Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja Goswami then explains that the dust of the feet of a devotee, the water that has washed the feet of a devotee, and the remnants of food left by a devotee are spiritually three very powerful substances. By keeping faith in and rendering service to these three, one attains the supreme goal of ecstatic love for Krsna.
• We then read of the pastime concerning Sivananda Sena’s seven-year-old son who would not chant the Holy Names, but who was able to compose a beautiful poem glorifying Lord Krsna.
• After spending four months with Mahaprabhu, the Lord ordered the devotees to return to Bengal. After that He returned to His chief engagement—expressing ecstatic love for Lord Krsna. Throughout the entire day and night, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu directly relished Krsna’s beauty, fragrance and taste as if He were touching Krsna hand-to-hand.
• We then conclude with the Lord’s pastime where he asked the doorkeeper of the Jagannatha temple to show Krsna to Him. Sripad Puri Maharaja expands on this lila explaining that the pure devotee is like the doorkeeper to our hearts who has the power to reveal Krsna to us.
• Sripad Muni Maharaja relates that Sripad Sridhar Swami, the bonafide commentator of Srimad Bhagavatam, was given the title Bhaktira Raksaka, or Guardian of Devotion, by Srila Jiva Goswami. Seeing that same function in Srila Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thakura gave him the same name because Srila Guru Maharaja, the founder of the SCS Math, was also empowered to serve as the Guardian of Devotion.
• Sripad Puri Maharaja relates that Srila Guru Maharaja did not like for the devotees to make commentary on Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, especially the Antya Lila. Such highly transcendental topics should be read with the intent to serve the order of Guru and remember only. He then states that a truly learned person must also be humble. Humility implies that one sees everything with equanimity. One who does not recognize the One Spirit that inhabits all beings is covered in ignorance despite his education. This is the original basis for the Vedic civilization, not the present-day caste system which has abused so many. He then concludes that human life is meant for cultivation of higher spiritual values, not for sense gratification.

August 7, 2013 Sadhu-Sanga — Sripad Bhakti Niskama Shanta Maharaja read from the Srimad Bhagavatam

Topic: The Lord is the Supreme Controller of the Senses

Here is the recording of the August 7, 2013 sadhu-sanga.

• The Lord is a person (nara) and the transcendental water created from the Supreme Person is called naara. Because the Lord lies upon that water, He is called Naaraayana.
• The material world and the conditioned living entities exist only by the mercy of the Lord. The living entities are completely dependent on the energy of the Lord, and all their scientific improvements will be crushed into dust when the Lord desires.
• From the Bhagavad-Gita 9.7: “At the end of each millennium the creative forces, namely the material nature and the living entities who struggle in the material nature, all merge together into the transcendental body of the Lord, and again when the Lord desires to manifest them, all of them are again displayed by the Lord.”
• Thus, everything in he cosmos is an emanation from the Lord (Maha-Vishnu), and nothing is different from Him. But, since all these energies have specific functions and displays, they are simultaneously different from the Lord.
• Differing from the conditioned living entities, the liberated living entities are unconditionally surrendered souls. They are not subject to the conditions of creation and annihilation.
• As the fountainhead of the living force, sense energy, mental force, and bodily strength are all generated within the transcendental body of the manifesting Maha-Vishnu. When this total energy is moving, all other living entities move. When the total energy stops endeavoring, all other living entities stop sensual activities.
• The desire for sense perception exists within the Supreme. Therefore, the Supreme Cause is not impersonal or without desire. Therefore, such desires can then take place within the individual persons. The relationships arising between adhibutam (the forms of material bodies), adhidaivam (the controlling deity), and adhyatmam (the living entity), as well as the gradual development of the different senses are briefly explained. In summary, the living entities see when the Lord sees, they hear when the Lord hears. The living entity can do nothing independently.
• The living entity who claims to be the lord of his senses is under the stringent control of the external energy, thus there is no question of liberation from the illusory clutches of maya. Having been captivated by the external energy, such deluded beings “have completely forgotten the Supreme Lord Visnu, and have taken it for granted that this life, as presently manifested under the conditions of material nature, is all-in-all for enjoying the highest amount of sense gratification. But such a wrong conception of life cannot give anyone the desired peace of mind….” Man can attain the highest perfection of life by worshiping the Supreme Lord and by performing sacrifice for the sake of the Supreme Lord Vishnu, who is all-pervading and by whose control every living being acquires his desired facilities, according to his personal propensity.

August 3, 2013 Sadhu-Sanga — Bhakti Vijnan Muni Maharaja read from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita.

Topic: Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sees Krsna by the Yamuna River

Here is the recording of the August 3, 2013 sadhu-sanga.

• Seeing the transcendental beauty of Lord Krsna playing His flute by the Yamuna River, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu fell unconscious. All the devotees, headed by Swarupa Damodara Goswami, gathered round the Lord, and by a concerted effort, brought Him back to consciousness.
• Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, followed by Ramananda Raya, began to recite many slokas which describe the transcendental beauty of Lord Krsna. Then Swarupa Damodara was asked to sing a verse from the Gita-Govinda. His singing induced the Lord to dance again and again, manifesting all the symptoms of ecstatic love.
• The devotees all gathered round and began to chant in unison. Ramananda Raya then fanned the Lord to dissipate His fatigue. Then all the devotees took the Lord to the beach where they bathed Him before taking Him home and feeding Him lunch.
• We then continue with Chapter Sixteen which begins with the activities of Kalidasa, a very advanced devotee who managed to eat the remnants of every Vaisnava in Bengal. Kalidasa would present first-class eatables to each Vaisnava, even those from sudra families, and then beg for the remnants. If he did not receive any, he would hide until he had the opportunity to lick the discarded leaves.
• In response to a question, Sripad Puri Maharaja then explains that many high topics are described in the scriptures so that we may have faith and then he briefly explains why faith is so necessary in our lives.
• Sripad Muni Maharaja then relates the profound difference between engaging in material activities for the sake of sense enjoyment versus engaging in similar activities under the direction of the Vaisnavas for the devotional service of the Lord. In the later case, the mind becomes a servant of the soul.

July 31, 2013 Sadhu-Sanga — Sripad Bhakti Niskama Shanta Maharaja read from the Srimad Bhagavatam

Topic: The Supreme Source of the Cosmic Manifestation

Here is the recording of the July 31, 2013 sadhu-sanga.