VRINDAVAN EXPERIENCE - HUMBLING yet ENLIVENING

Our Yatra to Vrindavan has just ended. Leaving the physical boundary of Vrindavan but praying to carry Vrindavan within my heart always and everywhere. Coming to Vrindavan was a very humbling yet enlivening experience. Humbling because I realize my smallness and weakness is comprehending this great holy abode which is non-different than the Lord. I realize that getting to see Vrindavan is one thing but, getting to actually "see" Vrindavan is all together on another platform. That vision of Vrindavan is given only to devotees whose hearts are freed from all desires to enjoy this world independent of God.

As Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung in a celebrated song, "viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha habe mana, kabe hama herābo sri-brandaban": “When my mind will be purified after leaving the contamination of material sense enjoyment, I shall be able to visit Vṛndāvana."

The greatness of Sri Vrindavan Dham humbles one but the sweetness of this land, enlivens and satisfies one. That sweetness permeates every aspect of Sri Vrindavan. The breeze, the land, the dust, the trees, the grass, the waters, the stones, the animals, the birds, the local Vrajbasis, the Lila-sthalis; everything about Vrindavan is sweet and fully spiritual. Even though there is some austerities while living here but, one can simultaneously feel the sweetness of this land. There is a kind of joy and satisfaction one experiences here that is unexplainable yet tangible and true.

I don't feel like leaving Sri Vrindavan but I also know that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to gain inspiration here and go back to our own places of service and carry out our services with Vrindavan in our hearts. And thus be instrumental in replicating Sri Vrindavan Dham wherever we are. Our parampara is the parampara of vipralambha-seva, service in separation. Thus we serve in separation from Vrindavan so that the next time Srimati Radharani calls us to Vrindavan we can experience Vrindavan on a deeper level.

- Achyut Gopal Das

Comments

THE SPEAKING RIVER

Rivers are considered lifelines of humanity. They not only nourish us physically but also emotionally and spiritually. No wonder, our culture has rightly given them status as mother's. Imagine, if rivers could speak, what message they would like to give us. Here are few lessons that we can learn from them. In fact if we remain in the mood of submissive students of life, there is so much we can learn even from "so called" inanimate objects. Many of these lessons are from Radhanath Maharaj's memoir - 'The Journey Home'. Lesson 1 - MAGIC OF SETTING GOALS The river is so desperate, so determined, so focused to reach the sea that nothing can stop it. It goes over, under or around all impediments. It never gives up. It has learnt the art of overcoming all obstacles. In fact it is said that, obstacles are those things that you see when you loose focus of your goals . The river teaches us that the first and most important key to overcome obstacles in lif...

BORN INTELLIGENT

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” - Albert Einstein One time a young man approached a psychologist and told him that he considers himself unintelligent and foolish. The psychologist asked him the reason for him feeling so. He replied "It's because I don't have anything to say when my colleagues in office discuss sports. I feel like a total fool in front of them." The psychologist smiled and asked him, "Do you care about sports? Is it your area of interest?" The man said, "No, not at all." That's exactly what the psychologist wanted to hear. He told him, "You see, it's not that you are not intelligent - it's only that you are not good in the knowledge of sports because it's not your area of interest. And, when you are around your colleagues who have a lot to say on sports, you feel like you are unintelligent. The only ...

FINDING RELEVANCE IN TIMES OF IRRELEVANCE

"The world will value us as long as we are valid. As soon as we become invalid, the world stops valuing us." In the epic of Mahabharata, one of the most important and powerful leaders was Bhismadev. As long as he was active, fit and fine, everyone came to him for consultation and dependent on his performance, skill and valour but as soon as he became incapacitated and incapable of performing and delivering results being fatally wounded by the arrows of Arjuna, he sort of became irrelevant. No one depended on him, no one came to him for consultation. One who was visited by everyone and was the center of attraction, now hardly got visitors and became sidelined. The most crucial war of Kurukshetra continued on without Bhismadev, the most critical person. Life is such that everyone has to become outdated and irrelevant at some point or the other. No one, however powerful he or she may be can be in the limelight forever. History ultimately shows that how ever...

The Wisdom Park

Search This Blog