A Newsletter from His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami

December 2011 A Newsletter from His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami Therefore cleanliness is required. Apavitrah pavitro va. 1 Cleanliness is Godliness But... Apavitrah pavitro va sarvavastham gato ‘pi vah. If by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada one takes to Krsna consciousness and follows the rules and 2 Obstacles to Humility regulations, then automatically he becomes clean, inside and outside. Automatically. Apavitrah pavitro va. What for we by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami are accepting initiation? In any condition, in any condition 2 Devotee Spotlight: we shall be purified by chanting Hare Krsna, ceto-darpana- His Grace Advaita Acarya dasa marjanam if we chant really. 4 A Stronger Taste For the Holy Name Lecture on SB 1.16.26-30 -- Hawaii, January 23, 1974 by His Holiness Candramauli Swami Cleanliness is Godliness by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada O the devotee must be clean, inside and outside, both. Outside cleaning by taking Sbath with oil or soap or soda, and inside, materially, there will be no unclean things, stool, unnecessary stool. That means one must evacuate every morning and evening, If we we eat more, we will have to evacuate twice. But if we eat less, then one evacuation is sufficient. It is said, yogi, bhogi, rogi. Yogi means spiritually advanced, and bhogi means materialist, and rogi means diseased. It is a common saying. A yogi evacuates only once. That is yogi. And bhogi, because he eats more, he evacuates twice. And one who evacuates more than twice, he’s rogi, diseased. Yogi, bhogi, rogi. So everything has got routine work. Saucam. So you’ll feel healthy. If you have evacuated nicely, you have washed inside and outside, taken your bath, you’ll always feel refreshed. And unless you feel refreshed, you cannot very nicely chant Hare Krsna mantra or serve Krsna. Lord Caitanya Cleaning the Gundica Temple 1 next 8 Obstacles to Humility a person to be secure. Our insecurities force us to react because by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami of our lack of balance or strength. Any slight disturbance will cause more instability. For example, when you lack proper balance, the harsh words of another person will naturally e need to examine the many disturb you. However, when you have sufficient stability, obstacles that sabotage the the same words will seem irrelevant and will not cause an development of genuine overreaction or unnecessary disturbance. In Washington D.C., Whumility. The list of interferences we have a martial arts institute. When one masters certain arts includes false pride, false ego, fear, of defense, one does not need to respond to every situation envy, lust, anger, illusion, greed and because of a personal awareness of one’s power. The person even insecurity. As we analyze this list, has the fearlessness to wait until the last minute to respond. we can immediately understand the When we are strong and fixed in our devotional service, we negative consequences of such traits. can naturally access humility because we will not feel any For instance, when someone suffers from false pride and insecurity from the maya in the environment or from anyone feels excessively important, they will not be able to access else. Humility can also help us appreciate our connection to deep humility. This sense of self-importance places the mind our origin. Although the living entity is insignificant, the soul at the forefront, and this will lead one to accept the various is still part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. concoctions dictated by the mind and intelligence. How can In a secular situation, a person may not have much money, but we act humbly with the mind in control? False ego also results if their mother or father has wealth, they can feel some sense in a situation similar to pride. Fear blocks humility because of well-being. Although they may not have much capital, their it leads to survival consciousness. Someone who fears the parents can make resources available, freeing them from any environment, accepting it as precarious and dangerous, cannot sense of insecurity. be humble. Instead, their mood will become combative and Most importantly, humility involves a genuine loving aggressive. Envy impedes humility because it causes one to heart and loving sentiments. From this discussion, we can see feel hostile towards another individual in the environment. the great complexity of real humility. We will simply feel disturbed by the qualities or possessions of another person. Enviousness, selfishness, self-centeredness, Devotee Spotlight: Advaita Acarya dasa pride, false ego, doubt, envy, greed and illusion are a few of the attributes or personality traits that completely block the expression of humility. Unfortunately, people who have these How and where did you join traits constantly feel intense fear, pride or insecurity. Humility the International Society for helps to ground us. Krsna Consciousness? After acknowledging these misconceptions about humility along with the various obstacles, we can better Honestly, I can only speak understand that genuine humility is not a lack in substance about the time when, where, or the result of weakness. Our present day environment and how I met the devotees. Since then, I have just been causes us to think in this way due to the belief that successful trying to join the Hare Krsna movement. It is like my personal individuals achieve greatness through their expertise in safeguard—beginner’s mind that gives me an ongoing fresh manipulation and exploitation. Society often views righteous perspective on things. or humble individuals as irrelevant or even as failures since Some years back in Split, Croatia, on my way to they may not maintain a position of dominance. However, college, I saw a poster of Maha-Visnu half-submerged in even the Judeo-Christian perspective accepts that the meek water with information regarding a Vedic cultural program. shall inherit the earth. All the various religious traditions of Being a student of Art and Art History, I was always attracted the world emphasize submissiveness, meekness and humility. to hearing about historically remote cultures and civilizations. Humility has many positive sides and qualities. If we feel I was just about to turn twenty. The program was at the some insufficiency in our service, instead of resorting to low Museum of Revolution and it blew my mind on many levels. I self-esteem, we can simply see others in a higher position than can still taste that simply wonderful in my memory core—the ourselves. Humility also gives us an eagerness to learn. When incense and sound vibration—like in a transcendental bubble. we are free of the egocentricity of thinking that we know I remember Sacinandana Maharaja (who traveled that part everything, we can then become humble and ready to receive. of the world very often) speaking about different levels of Furthermore, we can relinquish our claim to proprietorship by consciousness: ana-moya, prana-moya, jana-moya, vijnana- recognizing that all of our qualities come from God and by moya, and ananda-moya. Very impressive. I was hooked but I learning to properly use them in His service. Humility allows didn’t respond until some months later when I came to our 2 next 8 little Hare Krsna center at the Mitnicka address and met arrangement, met Kalpa Vriksha prabhu and shared with him upwith local devotees: Narasimha Vapu prabhu, Mahojvalam about an aspiring devotee in Croatia. Very soon I received prabhu, Manjulali mataji, and others. They showed me how package from Kalpa Vriksha prabhu with a few Spiritual to chant and nourished me so well that I was able to continue Warrior books (what a brother he is!). As I was reading them, my studies and practice Krsna consciousness at my own pace I took the liberty to write a thank you letter to Maharaja. He (meaning very slow). responded and that was the beginning of our correspondence. In That chapter is very long and the war was breaking up. one of his letters, he invited me to help with one of his projects For the next four to five years, I was searching and naturally in Pennsylvania—Gita Nagari. I debated considering all the had ups and downs in my own personal catharsis along with prospects I had so far. Without endeavoring, many things just my downtown “karmi” friends with whom I shared time and spontaneously started unfolding in the direction of B.T. Swami’s enthusiasm for different things liberation related during those desire. war years. I did not officially “join” any temple yet due to I was on the way and landed in Washington D.C. just my studies but I was involved in many ways and my heart a few days before B.T. Swami’s Vyasa-puja in February, 1999. was there intensely praying to Srila Prabhupada to send me Bhakti Tirtha Swami arrived from London just a few days after, his representative who will take me back to him and back to and there I was, welcoming him with a garland at the airport, Krsna. along with Mother Jambavati. He was quite surprised to see Gradually I was working my way towards sixteen that I made it—very happy. I answered, “By the mercy/desire of rounds and I liked chanting. For some reason, I liked to pure devotees, anything is possible.” He smiled. The next day chant and I had that thing with Visnujana Swami from we were all on the way to Gita Nagari. It was raining. the beginning—some kind of attraction to that particular devotional mood and stories about Maharaja. As socialism What are your current services and what services enthuse was falling apart, I eventually graduated (as a teacher of Art you the most in your spiritual life? and Art Restoration) and spent twelve months in the army— that was mandatory for all.

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