Shukasari

It was really spiritually uplifting when Darren ( see the previous post ) always chants Haribolo each time I chanted to him. Now I decided to try this on another student. I started saying Haribolo to Jason some time back. Each time I chant Haribolo, he reciprocates. And the best part no matter how many times I chant Haribolo, Jason would repeat it. The other day I was teaching his sister. And I was telling her (like all typical teacher does), "Do you understand?" Jason who happened to be in the room said, "No I don't understand. I only understand Haribolo." Of course I was a bit taken aback. But not entirely shocked. Somehow an impression has been made into this little boy's heart. And I did not even chant Haribolo to him first. This time he initiated it. The Lord's name is truly great. (O yes, his sister just laughed at her brother Jason. And she chanted Haribolo as well)

There are times when I try to think of ways to somehow get my students to chant the holy names. One sure way to get them all ears is to tell them ghost stories. But this is no ordinary ghost story. It involves Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, who was a little boy at that time. It's the story of the temple ghost, where Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur chanted the whole night and delivered the ghost at the abandoned temple. This is how I got Darren, my 9 year old student to chant, "Haribolo!" At first I told him to raise both his arms and jump while chanting "Haribolo!" He did just that. So now, each time I chant "Haribolo!" Darren would also jump with upraised arms and chant "Haribolo!!" Sometimes even "Radhe Radhe!" The power of the holy name is simply unimaginable. Darren has no Indian or Vedic cultural background. He is an innocent child that simply listened to his teacher to chant. Most importantly wit...

(This story was related by Srimati Uma didi on Nityananda Prabhu's Appearance Day on 28th January 2010) Once there was a businessman. He loaded his donkey with rice, sugar and other foodstuffs and headed towards a hill. Soon it was almost evening. The business found a spot to rest. Before doing so he took out his ropes and bound each donkeys'legs to another. The next day the businessman went along his journey. He was already 30 miles away from the place he rested the previous night. Just then he remembered he left his ropes and it is quite impossible for him to get it back. Soon it will be night. He was worried his donkeys may wander away. At that moment a sadhu (holy man) came by. The holy man asked, "O sir, why do you look so worried?" The businessman said, "I forgot to bring the ropes to bind my donkeys. Now they may wander off!" "O don't worry. Just make hand gestures that you are binding your donkeys. And they will not move from there, ...

Party politics are everywhere. The other day I read the Bhagavad-gita verse 2 and 3 which only affirmed that such a thing has always existed. Here Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja explains that when Duryodhana saw the military phalanx arranged by the Pandavas, he got very disturbed. He asked his teacher Dronacarya about the matter. Dronacarya has taught the Kurus and the Pandavas, including the son of Maharaja Drupada who would end up killing Dronacarya. Although the big commander in chief Dronacarya and Grandfather Bhismadeva knew that the Kurus were wrong in waging a war against the Pandavas, still they sided with them. This was because they were obligated to the Kurus. The Kurus was maintaining them with financial support and so on. In the same way, sometimes they are so much party politics which would make one to take sides. Even though they know what they are doing is wrong. It is the “comfort zone” that they want to relish without taking into consideration of their own actions....

Today is the appearance day of my most worship able Srila Gurudeva. On this day, Sri Guru will worship Srila Vyasadeva and the entire guru-parampara. A bona fide guru never takes worship from his disciples. Instead He offers it to Krsna, Srimati Radhika and the entire guru-parampara. Below is an excerpt of the meaning of Vyasa-puja given by my Srila Gurudeva in Hawaii. "It is the custom in our Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya that any acarya who is widely spreading Krsna consciousness in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Rupa Gosvami under the guidance of Sri Krsna Dvaipayana Vyasadeva will worship Srila Vyasadeva and the guru-parampara on his birthday. This worship is called Guru-puja and also Vyasa-puja. We have seen how our Gurudeva and his god-brothers used to very humbly celebrate their Vyasa-puja. This occasion is not meant for taking puja, worship, from disciples. On his birthday the acarya worships his guru and guru-parampara – Srila Vyasadeva, Sri Krsna, Srima...

(Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja is the senior god-brother and intimate friend of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. He is also one of the senior most disciples of Srila Bhakti-prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, the sannyasa guru of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.) Today is the appearance day of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja. I am remembering how Srila Maharaja once told me, "Always remember Krsna!" After which he started to laugh and proceeded to his room. On this day I am praying that by His Divine Grace's mercy I would be able to always remember Krsna. O Maharaja, may you always sprinkle a drop of your mercy on someone as fallen as me.

There are times when I feel I cannot preach to someone, especially if they are little children of a totally different ethnic background. Well, it is hard enough to preach to adults, what more to children. I’ve known Rachel for over a year now. She’s only 11 years old. Rachel is always curious why I am a vegetarian. So one day she needed help with her school work and the computer was needed at that time. Being her private tutor, I helped her get the information she wanted. Then she asked whether I have a blog. That’s when I started to introduce to her my Srila Gurudeva. She was fascinated. She said, "O your Guru is sooo cute!" Then she looked at the pictures of Sri RadhaKrsna and found them adorable. Finally she looked at the pictures of Giriraja. She acclaimed, “O so sweeet!” Then when she saw a picture of Srila Gurudeva surrounded by many devotees with upraised arms, she asked, “What are they doing?” I said, “Haribol! Haribol!” Immediately Rachel raised her arms and started ...