December 2013

A Newsletter from His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami

1 The Cause of Falldown by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 2 Help Peers Rather Than Criticize by His Holiness B.T. Swami 3 Memories of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami by Jambavati dasi 4 Devotee Spotlight: Jayananda dasa
Hes... Any devotee whos actually advanced, he feels like that. Just like great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton, he used to say that I have simply collected a few grains of sand in the ocean of knowledge. Yes. He used to say. And actually, that is the fact. Everything is unlimited. So nobody should be proud falsely that he has become a great devotee. Everyone should be very humble. If one thinks that he has become very advanced in devotion, then that is very dangerous. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, guru more murkha dekhi karila sana: (CC Adi 7.71) My spiritual master saw Me a great fool. Therefore he has chastised Me, that Dont try to read the Vedanta. Chant Hare Krishna. He presented Himself like that. Is Caitanya Mahaprabhu murkha? But that is the conception, advanced devotee. They never think that they are very highly advanced devotees. What is advanced devotee? What devotion we can offer to Krishna? Hes unlimited. Hes kindly accepting our little service. Thats all. Dont be proud of becoming a great devotee. That is the cause of falldown.

The

Cause of Falldown

by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

hat is the sign of devotee: appreciation (of) the activities of devotee. This appreciation means a devotee who is actually freed from all contamination, he does not nd any fault with other devotee. That is the sign. He does not think himself that he is bigger devotee or greater devotee than others. He thinks himself as the lowest of all. As Caitanya-caritamrita author, Kaviraja Gosvami, says, purisera kita haite mui se lagistha: (CC Adi 5.205) I am lower than the insect within the stool. Jagai-madhai haite se mui papistha: I am greater sinner than Jagai and Madhai. Mora nama yei laya tara punya ksaya: Anyone who takes my name, immediately, all the result of his pious activities becomes vanquished. Lecture Nectar of Devotion, Vrindavana November 11, 1972 Hes placing like that. Because it is not imitation or bluff.
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Help Peers Rather Than Criticize

by His Holiness B.T. Swami

e nd in the purport of the Nectar of Instruction, text six, Even if a devotee sometimes seems to be engaged in abominable activities, he should be considered a sadhu, a saintly person, because his actual identity is that of one engaged in the loving service of the Lord. In other words, he is not to be considered an ordinary human being. We sometimes get angry at a person for being dirty, even though that person may be in the shower getting clean. The point is that yes, there is some dirt, but such person is becoming clean by taking a shower. Should we then throw them out or consider them to be useless, treating them like an outcaste or getting angry? When a devotee behaves like a non-devotee, becomes angry at an authority or the authority gets angry at the devotee in an excessive way, it can easily result in aparadha. Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter to Vrinda devi on October 14, 1971, I have noted your several complaints against the devotees but it would be better to set the example rather than to criticize the defects of the devotees. We should always remember that we recruit members from people in general. It is not expected that every one of our members should be immediately to the standard qualication. The best thing for you is to set the example by your personal behavior and try to reform the others, not by criticizing but by friendly behavior. Its easy to criticize. The real challenge for us is to help improve the situation by helping in some way, especially by setting a good example ourselves. Lord Nityananda made it very clear that in this age we dont kill the Jagais and Madhais (icons of immorality), but rather we attempt to make them devoteeswe help improve their qualities and character. This will show others the potency of Krishna consciousness. Haridasa Thakura could have belittled the prostitute who tried to seduce him by saying, How can you possibly approach me? I am a sadhu. He could have cursed her and cursed all the generations connected with her, or cursed her to get leprosy. Although she came with ill intent, he raised her consciousness. There are dozens and dozens of examples in our literature which clearly show that we are not supposed to attack only the
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inuence of Maya, but we must attempt to upgrade and improve an unfortunate situation. It is one thing to attack and then to get into a tit for tat mentality or combative pattern. Our position is to not waste energy in trying to put down, defeat, or combat others because it wastes energy. Even if we are successful in defeating materialistic ideas, we have wasted valuable time in combat. Sometimes people know they are going to lose an argument, but they want to slow things down. They want to hurt us, and since they dont care if they lose, they want to inict as much damage as they can. Some people will unleash an onslaught of revenge, hatred, and enmity just to create suffering. This happens in the legal system also. There are times when people harass others through excessive litigation even though they know they will eventually lose, because they want the opposing parties to suffer and struggle. This is a dangerous aspect of Mayas tactics: to try to get Vaisnavas distracted from their actual mission. The result is that when the devotees try to go about the real business of distributing the mercy of Lord Caitanya, they have less enthusiasm, less energy, less resources, and less eagerness. This is Mayas espionage: Maya enters into the environment wherever there is devotion. She seeks out those who are the carriers of devotion and inuences them to become enemies or to attack each other. Anyone can criticize. We may criticize any leader, any authority, or criticize any devotee, but how much do we step forward to help, how much do we try to set the example of Krishna consciousness. If one does not immediately leave upon hearing the Lord or the Lords devotees blasphemed, he falls down from devotional service. That means that vaisnava-aparadha is so heavy, that even if we are not committing offenses, but remain in an environment that permits them, our creepers will gradually weaken. We may not be criticizing devotees, but if others are engaging in such criticism, by constantly hearing such criticism our devotion will be weakened. If someone repeatedly tells you about their problems with another Vaisnava, you have to let them know that you dont want to hear it: Prabhu, is there anything good about that person? Prabhu, how can we help this person? We should put a stop to that critical type of conversation. It does not mean that we are being arrogant; rather, we are obligated to protect our devotional creepers. Prabhu, what can we do to help? Get them to reect, or let them know that please, dont drop all of this on me because I do not want to have my devotional experience shortened or limited.
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Memories of His Holiness B.T. Swami

by Jambavati dasi
t was approximately 1996 or 1997 at the Institute House in Harwood, MD, which was newly built by Madhvacarya and Kunti. At any rate, Maharaja was getting ready to go away to a speaking engagement. Aja was his driver. For some reason, I got this bright idea that, as he was leaving, I would blanket the sidewalk with ower petals in his path as he was walking to the car. So the moment came. As I gauged the time that he would come down the stairs, I rushed out ahead of him. After he put his shoes on and stepped outside, I was already there on the sidewalk dropping ower petals just ahead of him. About midway on his way to the car, he looked at me and said, Oh Jambavati, stop messing up the yard. Im sure he realized that, with my neophyte mentality, I was simply show bottling in terms of my adoration. I was making a show of my reverence and my mood was that of guru worship and not at all appropriate for the time, place, and circumstance. I never, ever did that again. Afterwards, I think the only time I showered petals was during guru-puja when it was appropriate.

Devotee Spotlight: Jayananda dasa

How did you join the International Society for Krishna Consciousness? In my college days in the mid90s, I developed an interest in paranormal and extra-terrestrial phenomena, while also being inquisitive about Eastern spirituality. Even though I grew up in a church-going Greek Orthodox family in a small city, attended private Christian schools, and was even an altar boy, I lost interest in religious matters later in my teenage years. This along with not having any prominent spiritual role models who resonated in my life, I more or less considered myself an agnostic. However, after meeting a somewhat spiritually-oriented girlfriend right
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before returning from DC to continue college after a few years hiatus, my path was revealed for the better. This girlfriend was my vartma-pradarsaka-guru, or teacher who rst gave me information and inclination towards spiritual life in the context of Krishna consciousness. I recall early in our relationship that we were having a conversation over a phone call and she inquired about my beliefs. I responded that I considered myself more or less an agnostic. This response concerned her and she responded that in order for us to develop a deeper relationship, shed have to be with someone who had spiritual inclinations. After that call, I was motivated through attachment to her to make the rst serious prayer that I can recall. I essentially prayed something like, God, if You actually exist, if you are real and it is in my best interest to surrender and serve you, then I will do so fully. And that was that She later explained more to me about the Hare Krishnas and her involvement with devotees in the past. I was open to it, but not that much proactively interested. However, some time later, while walking down the street at my university, a plain looking kid inquired if I was interested in Eastern philosophy. I replied something to the extent that I was open to it and he then presented me a Science of Self-Realization for which I gave a donation. Upon showing the book to my girlfriend, she said that this is Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement that she mentioned to me on occasion before. In the time to come, she showed me a box full of books which included Bhagavad-Gita and many small BBT books. In time, I became absorbed in reading them and gradually gained a little taste and faith. There was no temple in the city I was living nor practicing devotees, but I had the books and she even gave me her chanting beads. Once I moved to the Washington D.C. area after college, I was able to have regular association with devotees and go to the temple often. How did you meet your spiritual master? I was introduced to Bhakti Tirtha Swami at a weekend program in suburban Maryland via my thengirlfriends devotee associate with whom she connected me. I consider him a vartma-pradarsaka-guru as well. While this girlfriend introduced me to Krishna consciousness, he cultivated my interest and supported me through the time I received initiation and thereafter. It was he who brought me to the program and arranged for me to meet with Bhakti Tirtha Swami in person. Prior to this, I had listened to some of his lecture recordings and perhaps read an earlier book of his.

 What are your current services and what services enthuse you the most in your spiritual life? My primary service is serving as the North American Minister for the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry. Serving under His Grace Nrsimha Kavaca prabhu (Global Minister), we both offer full-time service for Deity worship related matters within ISKCON. Aside from this, I have been residing in Mayapur for around ve months a year for the last few years serving as an administrator of the Mayapur Academy along with cofacilitating a couple units of our yearly course that begins in Karttika and nishes on Nityananda Trayodasi. Secondly, I am one of the currently active members of HariNama Pressthe publisher of Bhakti Tirtha Swamis books. I particularly work with the website aspects and eBooks. Additionally, I have more recently been involved with the editing, layout, and printing of our last book publication entitled Surrender: The Key to Eternal Life. Lastly, there is a GBC-related project that I offer some contribution towards for getting the ISKCON Law Book content better organized and reformatted into a digital le for easier accessing and searching. All these services have different aspects that enthuse me. The Deity Worship Ministry seva inspires me to continually learn and share with others a primary anga of devotional service that Srila Prabhupada established and emphasized for ISKCON. The Hari-Nama Press service is gratifying because it is a direct service to my spiritual master. The ISKCON Lawbook service, while being a relatively small project, is fullling because it will make a small contribution toward having more informed members of ISKCON. How have you been able to apply the instructions of your spiritual master to your own life? I cannot say that I have successfully accomplished this. I can say that during and after his passing in 2005, I became more appreciative of what he has offered to me and many others in the service of Srila Prabhupada. As a result, I have attempted to further dedicate myself to the process, for both my own ultimate benet, as well to hopefully become able to assist others. I feel quite guilty that I wasnt a sufcient disciple prior to him leaving the planet, and thus this gives me some impetus to attempt to grow internally so that I may better please him now. Better late than never as they say How do you see Krishna manifesting His mercy in your life? Is there a personal event where this has been evident? While I was in Vrindavan during Karttika 2009, I prayed that, while I was thankful for the nancial situation that my employment offered, I requested that it all be taken
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away if there was an alternative route that Krishna deemed more benecial for me. Upon returning to my job in the USA, I and some others on my team were unexpectedly dismissed shortly thereafter. Since then, I have had the fortune of thus far being able to offer fulltime direct service to ISKCON and spending half my time in Sridhama Mayapur. While there are usually nancial challenges (real or perceived) from time to time for most of us, after having a taste for always being engaged with more direct service and having more opportunity for association with devotees, I cant hardly consider going back to a life where so much of my time and energy was dedicated to mundane business in the association of many non-devotees. What do you see as the most signicant obstacle facing the expansion of the Hare Krishna movement? How do you feel that devotees can tackle this obstacle? We are our own most signicant obstacle in the expansion of the Hare Krishna movement. However, it will expand one way or another according to Lord Caitanyas sweet will. We simply have the great fortune for an opportunity to get the credit and glory of being an instrument. While external resistance may be there, the biggest trick of Maya is to create schisms within devotee relationships and groups within ISKCON. As weve seen, this creates havoc. The solution is that we recognize this and perform acts that will purify our own hearts. Most of us need to work on ourselves rst and foremost. How can we offer something of sufcient quality and quantity if we dont possess it ourselves?
Copyright 2011 Hari-Nama Press All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or other wise, without prior written consent of the publisher. Hari-Nama Press gratefully acknowledges the BBT for the use of verses, purports and photos from Srila Prabhupadas books. All such material are Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. Designed by Tamal Krsna dasa Edited by Lila Katha devi dasi Photo of Bhakti Tirtha Swami: 2005 Lawson Knight/ Laksmivan dasa ACBSP