a Mayapur Academy update...

Haribol!

we get to hear from Bala Nitai on this post...so far, he's completed Brahminical Culture & Ethics, Tulasi care and worship and is in week #2 of his cooking class.  The Mantras class is ongoing throughout the entire course...check it out!

Mayapur Academy is in full swing.  The first class this year was Brahminical Culture and Ethics. After 2 weeks of nectar from HG Adi-Purusha prabhu, the class has finished. It was a great class and nice touch to have it first this year. Since brahminical culture forms a foundation to arcana, it is nice to get equipped with knowledge and understanding of braminical qualities.  Of course one cannot get the full understanding of all the various aspects of a brahmana in 2 weeks, we did get the essence.  I will try to summarize the class:

A brahmana being a broadminded, liberal person has the understanding of how to properly manage priorities. Everyone has different propensities and thus has their priorities arranged differently. Varnasrama dharma has the brahmanas as the head because they know how to set proper priorities. He is giving guidance to all the varnas or social positions. Intellegence means to understand the hierarchy of of priorities. they are listed as: 

1. Suddha-bhakti (pure devotional service)
2. Bhakti (devotional service)
3. Yoga
4. Civilized cultured behavior
5. Survival

An example is given: The scriptures say that you should honor your mother and father. Some parents are not so happy when a child takes to devotional service and tells them to give it up. But we understand that devotional service is the highest responsibility. So what to do? A brahmana will know well that he must respect and honor his parents but at the same time doesn’t neglect to perform his duties to God, Krishna. 

Throughout Kartik we observed a criticism fast both in mind and words; from people and things. This was an exercise to illustrate how a brahmana views others. It is in regards to the past-time involving Daksa and Lord Siva: SB 4.4.12....in regards to proper vision of others. Their are 3 aspects of greatness as revealed by the scriptures:

• mahat(great)- a brahmana sees good and bad in others
• mahattara(greater)- focuses on the good only
• mahattama(greatest)- finds good in a pile of bad

Then there are persons like Daksa that find faults in the faultless.

While varnasrama helps in organizing society into classes according to individual nature, so their natural tendencies can be used to serve God, it is not compulsory to have to develop pure devotional service. It can however aid in the development of devotional service. When people are engaged in activity according to their nature they are happy.  When people are happy they can serve in better consciousness. However material life means happiness and distress, one can't avoid either. We must learn to tolerate the distress and be grateful to the Lord for both.

So a brahmana see both sides-good and bad, at least the potential. 

He is shanti- peaceful, tolerant.

When we find a fault in others we should look at ourself in order to see where this fault is in me, thinking, if I can see it in others then it may be in me. This often happens that we see our own faults in others. To control the tendency to criticize others is an important part of brahminical culture. We shouldn't turn a blind eye, since we see both good and bad but we focus on the good. When we do this we actually take on the good qualities of others. If we focus on the bad, we develop the bad qualities.

A brahmana has a clear vision of his goals. A part of brahminical culture is to understand what are we doing, why and for whom are we doing it for.

A brahmana knows who we are-spirit souls, our duty in service to Krishna, why-for His pleasure. what are our goals to Guru, Gauranga and Krishna.

All philosophical ideas have three items to discuss: God-Krishna-the Supreme Lord, the living entity-jiva-the soul and matter-prakriti-3 modes of material nature. All three are inter related. God and the jiva, the soul are both doers. The jiva is a responsible doer, were as God is the source of all ability to perform activity and he fulfills the desires of the living entity, the jiva. The jiva is not independent, the Lord is.  So the jiva has a responsibility to perform activity in proper consciousness or he will entangle himself in karmic reaction.  Thus a brahmana knows the laws of nature and engages himself and others in the devotional service of the Lord, thus cutting the ties of material entanglement. See Bhagavad-gita for more details.

Krishna, God is not partial to anyone and thus rewards the living entity according to his activity. It is said in the commentaries of the Acharyas that if one realizes one think the doors to the spiritual world are open.  This is that Krishna is fair and just, not partial.  We often will blame Krishna for our difficulties, problems, etc.… We must become grateful for the purification as stated in Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.8 My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, all the while patiently suffering the reactions of his past misdeeds and offering You respectful obeisances with his heart, words and body, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim. When things happen we should not see it as Krishna’s unjustly giving me difficulties, Why is this happening to me, I chant my round, I worship you every day, I go to church…..and so on….this blaming Krishna, God is a deep rooted envy in the heart that keeps us distant for spiritual upliftment.  Keep a conscious inner eye on this and you will see the subtle or gross manifestation of this disease in the heart…..

A brahaman has many qualities and a devotee should cultivate such qualities in order to perform better service to Krishna.  SB 1.2.20 purport states: So one cannot be a devotee unless one at least qualifies as a brāhmaṇa. The qualities of a brahaman are given in this purport to CC Madhya 20.59:

This verse is spoken by Prahlāda Mahārāja in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 7.9.10). A brāhmaṇa is supposed to be qualified with twelve qualities. As stated in the Mahābhārata:

dharmaś ca satyaṁ ca damas tapaś ca

amātsaryaṁ hrīs titikṣānasūyā

yajñaś ca dānaṁ ca dhṛtiḥ śrutaṁ ca

vratāni vai dvādaśa brāhmaṇasya

“A brāhmaṇa must be perfectly religious. He must be truthful, and he must be able to control his senses. He must execute severe austerities, and he must be detached, humble and tolerant. He must not envy anyone, and he must be expert in performing sacrifices and giving whatever he has in charity. He must be fixed in devotional service and expert in the knowledge of the Vedas. These are the twelve qualifications for a brāhmaṇa.” The Bhagavad-gītā (BG 18.42) describes the brahminical qualities in this way:

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca

jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness—these are the natural qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.” In the Muktāphala-ṭīkā, it is said:

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣānty-ārjava-viraktayaḥ

jñāna-vijñāna-santoṣāḥ satyāstikye dvi-ṣaḍ guṇāḥ

“Mental equilibrium, sense control, austerity, cleanliness, tolerance, simplicity, detachment, theoretical and practical knowledge, satisfaction, truthfulness and firm faith in the Vedas are the twelve qualities of a brāhmaṇa.”

Very nice verse too….

There are various ways one can cultivate brahminical qualities.  One potent way is to appreciate them on others. Finding mercy by thanking Krishna for all circumstances that come to you.  It is important to remember that the goal of life is not to develop qualities but to please Krishna. The qualities are meant to increase our bhakti to give pleasure to Krishna. Its not what we are doing in bhakti but how we perform it-the goal and the process must be bhakti or it is mixed not pure. The qualities mentioned above are how we are performing bhakti....trinad api....our biggest mistake in Krishna consciousness is we leave out consciousness. leave out goals, aspirations, aims....sadhana means over and over, repetition-not external brahmanas are responsible to remind others of this. but they must also keep this in the for front of there sadhana....what are we doing? why are we doing it? who are we doing it for? Careful to not become mechenical, especially as a pujari, since theres a lot of procedure and repetitive aspects to Deity worship. 

As a brahmana, one has six main activities:

1. study
2. teaching
3. sacrifice
4. engage others in sacrifice
5. charity
6. accepting charity

Spirit is energetic not static. One major cause of depression is mental stagnance. If one is feeling morose or depressed serve others. Don't fight the mind but direct it towards Krishna through prayer, festivals, extra japa, keeping your goals in the focus.  The consciousness of- daso'ham will give great relief, when we except that we are a servant, a position that no one can take from me. We don't have to be some one great, we just have to except that we are a servant of Krishna. This consciousness give relief from mental distress. The mind is by default critical, laments, hankers, complains....we have to turn our attention away from the minds demands for material enjoyment and fix it on Krishna. The easiest method is chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Brahminical qualities help to enhance our devotional service, but to cultivate them without bhakti or in other words separately then this isn't pure bhakti. One should cultivate the qualities of a brahmana- humility, tolerance, cleanliness, forgiveness, knowledge, wisdom, austerity, self control, truthfulness, religious.....they are how we perform our bhakti. But realize that we have not power to develop these qualities, they are given by the mercy of Guru and Krishna.  Srila Prabhupada states that we should act as everything depends on me; pray like everything depends on Krishna. We require 2 things: endeavor and the mercy of Krishna. We must show Krishna we are willing to try, to endeavor, active initiative. We should always be offering our acts to Krishna, praying and sharing with Him, trying to do our best to act in Krishna consciousness.

Our position a servant, our action is bhakti, devotion, the nine processes. What makes devotional service pure devotional service? Pure devotional service is the path and the goal as well. As the path we accept pure devotional service as our sadhana. There's 5 characteristics of bhakti. 3 are core- they make bhakti bhakti. 2 are secondary-they make bhakti suddha-bhakti, pure devotional service. 

1. anusilanam-9 processes of bhakti- the heart of bhakti
2. Krishna- the object of your worship. Krishna refers to Himself, expansions, devotees and energies.
3. Anukulyena- the heart of hearts, most important aspect-INTENT to please Krishna. Even demons perform different aspects of the 9 processes. Kamsa was one example. It is explained how he was always thinking of Krishna. But it wasn't favorable. When we focus our attention on the intent to please Krishna, it is more powerful than focus on being pure. When we engage in service to please Krishna we actually feel the greatest happiness. Because it is now longer about me, but about pleasing Krishna. It is a subtle, difficult but necessary shift of consciousness. This intent to please Krishna through our service makes bhakti, or service effective.

The following two are decorations on the heart of bhakti that make it shine. 

1. Anyabhilasita-sunyam- you decide now that there is no other ultimate goal in my life but Krishsna bhakti. When we make our goal Krishna bhakti we are moving towards pure bhakti.  Even though the mind has so many other desires, our intention is to please Krishna, our goal is Krishna bhakti.
2. Jnana-karmady-anauritam- process is Krishna bhakti now. We don't put any other process in front of bhakti, no other activity. SB 11.30.27 & BG 7.28

Pure devotional service consists of giving up the desire to control and enjoy the results of our service. Often it can be noticed that through our prayer we are actually counseling Krishna what is best for us. We have an attachment to being a certain way, engaging in a particular service, identifying our selves in a particular way....and when we attempt to surrender these desires of control and enjoyment block the process of surrender. In other words since we continue to hold on to these desires we block the process of surrender. We desire peace and happiness. BG 5.29 mentions 3 aspects that gives peace: when we recognize that Krishna is the supreme controller, supreme enjoyer and the well wishing friend to all. When we want to take this position we can't be peaceful. This is Krishna's position not ours. But we often want to take this position, analyze your intentions when you pray and engage in service. The mind is a tricky and devious rascal, always trying to divert our attention away for our real goal. Constant practice and determination, relaying  on the mercy of The Lord and endeavoring with confidence, that if we follow the instructions of the spiritual masters with the intent to please Krishna we will me successful.

This is a brief summery, so much more was talked about. The course was so wonderful! Mayapur Academy is a wonderful program. 

We have been working on learning mantras for Deity worship. There will be 3 sections. We just covered the Mangal-carana, prayers to the spiritual masters and a few preliminary prayers before worship. 

Tulasi class was nice and informative.

I am currently in Cooking. The aspect I was most looking forward to was canceled due to the devotee not being in Mayapur-sweet making. He is an artist and makes the most amazing sweets...so I hear...when he comes back i will try to coordinate a time to visit the sweet kitchen and help out. I did my cooking assessment. Raja-bhoga offering consisting of rice, dal, 2 subjis, 6 chapatis, chutney and a drink. savories and sweet were extra credit. Damodar Pandit prabhu is the teacher, a good cook from Australia's New Govardhan farm. He said it was a nice offering....He has brought the lead Raja-bhoga cook for the Deities here in Mayapur to show some things. Sri Sri Radha-Madhava get 16-18 subjis every day for raja-bhoga....very nice prasadam. We visit the gurukula run by Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami Maharaja tomorrow. He instructs the children in traditional vedic standard of cooking and traditional Bengali cooking. They cooked the feast on Srila Prabhupada's disapearance day. It was really nice. 

Dressing and turbans starts on monday, very exited.

Hare Krishna!

your servant

bala nitai das

Welcoming ceremony for Mayapur Academy 2013-14 students

yay daddy! 

frantically getting his offering together for his cooking final

"ok, take the picture, I'm in a hurry!"