| Wednesday, December 15th - Tuesday, December 21st, 2010 |
This Week
Fri., December 10th - Fri.,17th His Holiness Prahladananda Swami visits (full schedule below) Thursday, December 16th: Gita Jayanti - The Advent of the Bhagavad Gita Moksada Ekadasi (fast from grains and beans). Break the fast the following morning between 9:08 - 10:43 Upcoming Friday, December 31st - New Year 24 Hour Kirtan |
| | | | | | | | | From Srila Prabhupada: The spirit of Bhagavad-gita is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita itself. It is just like this. If we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the particular direction mentioned on the label of the medicine. We cannot take the particular medicine according to our own direction or by the direction of a friend, but we have to take the medicine under the direction given on the label of the bottle and as directed by the physician. Similarly, the Bhagavad-gita also should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker Himself. The speaker of the Bhagavad-gita is Lord Sri Krsna. He is mentioned in every page of the Bhagavad-gita as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. Of course, "bhagavan" is sometimes designated to any powerful person or any powerful demigod, but here bhagavan is certainly designated to Sri Krsna, a great personality, but at the same time we must know that Lord Sri Krsna, as He is confirmed by all the acaryas...In India there were many authoritative scholars and acaryas, I mean, authorities of the Vedic knowledge. All of them, including Sankaracarya, has accepted Sri Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord Himself has also established Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gita. He is accepted so in the Brahma-samhita and all Puranas, especially in the Bhagavata Purana, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28]. So therefore we should take Bhagavad-gita as it is directed by the Personality of Godhead Himself. -- "Intro 1 to Bhagavad Gita," First tape recording done by Srila Prabhupada himself, February 19th, 1966 |
| | | | | | Gunagrahi das Goswami - Pointing the Finger In early February, we were having kirtan in the house of a devotee who was very sick with cancer (he has been making a remarkable recovery since then!). Although we had been chanting there every night for two weeks, this evening was different: the internal potency took over, and we all began dancing in great happiness. In the room there were various large photos of deities and paintings of Krsna and Lord Caitanya. At one point, the kirtan became so ecstatic that these divine personalities all seemed to be dancing along with us. Each and every devotee in the room was bright faced and smiling, and we all wanted the chanting to go on forever. Even though I had been participating with thousands of devotees in the wonderful kirtans in temple room, this one stood out amongst the rest. Amidst all this bliss I was reminded of a quote from Srila Prabhupada:
"How can any place be changed into Vaikuntha, or Goloka Vrndavana? By the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. Devotees are so powerful that by chanting the holy name of God they make the all-powerful Supreme Lord descend, along with His personal abode. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings, "One day while performing devotional practices I saw my house transformed into Goloka Vrndavana."
One never knows when kirtans will evolve as they did the night we were together in the home of that devotee. But our philosophy does make it clear that there are certain specific ingredients that can indeed bring one's chanting to the level that it reached. The following can help us understand this further:
In the mundane world, within the music medium, the classical style is usually considered the highest form of expression. In that mode, no individual voice is prominent, everyone is singing and/or playing in harmony, and every element comes together for the beauty of the overall piece. If we add Radha and Krsna as the focal point of such harmonic expression, the above would be a perfect description of the atmosphere in Vrndavana. It also characterizes the type of kirtan which one devotee named trnad api kirtan, where all the participants join together in a very humble mood, just as Lord Caitanya describes the humility of grass in His Siksastakam.
The nature of grass is that one never notices just one blade on a lawn, what to speak of pointing out the loveliness of that blade to anyone. But you do, however, see the grass in its entirety and can very much appreciate it in that way. Similarly, all the devotees involved in a trnad api kirtan - the mrdanga players, the singers, the dancers, the kartals players - are in the mood of service to the name. And just as grass is very beautiful as a whole with each individual blade serving the effect, so each member of the kirtan comes together with the others to make a beautiful offering to Krsna. Without anyone's unique contribution or relish taken away, the purpose of that offering is perfectly served.
Srila Jiva Goswami, writing on Nama Tattva in his Bhakti Sandharba, gives the following explanation on how we can have access to such blissfull chanting: "Devotion in the form of kirtan is unlimitedly merciful to those who are devoid of false prestige."
Another interesting analogy comes to mind regarding the essence of ecstatic kirtan: when you put the right amount of salt in a preparation there is nothing that makes the dish more tasty. But nobody says, "Wow, that was really great salt!" The salt is distinct and important, just like each jiva soul, but the true significance and perfection of both the salt and the jiva lies in serving the whole. So during kirtan, the more we can manifest this pure service attitude, the more extraordinary the effect of the holy name will be, and the more we will identify with the mood of Rupa Goswami when he says, "I do not know how much nectar the two syllables "Krs-na" have produced. When the holy name of Krsna 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." (CC, Antya 1.99).
Read the rest of the article His Holiness Gunagrahi das Goswami joined ISKCON in Buffalo, NY, in November of 1969 and was initiated by His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1971. He accepted the order of Sannyas in 1983. In 1997, he accepted leadership responsibilities in Argentina and Uruguay, and presently oversees those countries as Zonal Secretary. He travels widely in North and South America to counsel, teach, and present Krishna Consciousness. He is based at the ISKCON temple in Buenos Aires. |
| Thursday, December 16th: Gita Jayanti
We will be celebrating Krishna's speaking of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna on Thursday, December 16th by reciting all 700 verses of the Gita. Devotees are asked to come forward and lead the chanting of one chapter. If you are interested in reading a chapter, please contact Nityananda Chandra at 214-669-3369. The Gita recitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. and continue until approximately 7:00 p.m. Afterwards, there will be an arati to the Gita, followed by a Bhagavad Gita class given by His Holiness Prahladananda Swami. Everyone is invited to attend all or part of the program. |
His Holiness Prahladananda Swami Visits Dallas Wednesday, December 15th
7:30 a.m. Srimad Bhagavatam Class
7:00 p.m. Bhagavad Gita Class
Thursday, December 16th
7:30 a.m. Srimad Bhagavatam Class
7:00 p.m. Bhagavad Gita Class (after Gita recitation) |
Female Volunteers Requested Due to a sprained ligament and other health issues, Mother Sucharya devi dasi is in need of several female volunteers to help her with light chores around her house. Any volunteer would only need to help out for 1 hour once a week. Please call her at 214-828-1108 if you are interested in helping. |
Aussie Anzac Cookies Famous Aussie cookies that are quick to bake. Makes 24. 1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup coconut
½ cup butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 300°. Combine the oats, flour, sugar, and coconut in a bowl and mix well. Melt the butter and syrup together in a small saucepan. Boil the water in another small saucepan. Sprinkle the soda into the boiling water and add this to the melted butter and syrup. It will froth up. Add this foamy mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Place tablespoonfuls of the mixture on 2 large buttered trays. Bake in the upper half of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Allow the cookies to cool a little on the trays before removing. Serve when cool |
| Contact Information | Main Temple phone: 214-827-6330, Congregation Services: 214-827-6330 x 216
Email for general questions and information
To schedule a tour, home or school program: Nityananda Chandra 214-669-3369, or email him
To place an item in next week's bulletin, please send it by Monday each week |
| | December Feast Sponsorships
5th Bhimani Family 12th Tungudu Family
19th | In Memory of Vidagda Madhava Prabhu |
26th 2 sponsorships available |
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call 214 454 5267 214 827 6330 x 216 |
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