pilgrim notes 26.03.11 - 21.05.11

Good morning Mother Earth. How are you today ? Just thought I would give you a short progress report on your planet. What with war and pollution , corruption and crime, things are not good but we are working on it. There are great souls here , gentle and enlightened, working tirelessly to free our minds and soften our hearts , teaching us the ways of divine love so that love rules instead of fear . Thank you for being so tolerant,so patient. We are hopeful. Hare Krishna

-----When Your mercy rain will fall my dear Lord I cannot say -
that is Your sweet will

but without that sweet mercy rain
my heart is dry
withered
lifeless

so I can but wait patiently
for Your tender touch
lifting my spirit
restoring my soul
Hare Krishna
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Like a ship with no mast
I ' m lost without You

like a pilgrim with no pilgrimage
there 's no meaning without You

like a traveller with no map
where to go without You ?

like a man with no soul
there 's no life without You

Hare Krishna
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Thinking about the word "gentleman "....a man who is gentle.
"The hallmark of the truly wise is their gentleness and enlightenment , and especially, their ability to see equally the high-born , refined intellectuals and the low-born , unclean beggars as well as to love even the animals, seeing them all as dear to Me. " Bhagavad-gita Ch.5.18
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" Having realized one s identity in relationship to the Supreme Truth one naturally becomes fully self-satisfied and blissful. Never grieving over anything , never hankering for anything , one begins to see all living beings with love and in this way one gradually achieves the platform of unalloyed pure devotional love for Me. " Bhagavad - gita Ch.18.54. Hare Krishna ----
My dear spiritual master , my life and soul , I find myself imprisoned within this material body in the region of calamities called the material world. Despite this unnatural condition still I am inclined to trying to enjoy this place which Srila Bhaktisiddhanta described as no place for a gentleman. But you have kindly descended here from Sri Vrindavana dham , the indescribably beautiful abode of Divine Love , to free me from the spell of illusion , awakening me to my real spiritual identity and eternal occupation , that of eternal loving servant of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna . Without your divine grace I would have no hope of rescue from this ocean of birth and death. So how can I repay you dear Guruji ? It is not possible. Nevertheless I am requesting you to give my life meaning and somehow or other kindly engage me in your loving service and that of your dear devotees. Radhe Radhe
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So here I am on this giant ball spinning through space in this vast universe.For the first time , some 30 years ago, by the grace of Sri Guru , I heard of another universe , Vaikuntha , where all the planets are self- luminous amd where life is eternal. Neither do crime, pollution ,war, famine, corruption or any of the other miseries of this world exist there. How is that possible? Simply because everyone there is madly in love with the Supreme Divine Couple Sri Sri Radha and Krishna and eternally engaged in Their ecstatic loving service. Thats the one and only qualification for becoming a permanent resident there. May we all drown in that ocean of Divine Love , Krishna-prema by the grace of Sri Guru. Jaya Radhe
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Sometimes in trying to feel the presence of the divine , to connect with Guru and Krishna , I am feeling I have to accomplish great things , make some grand show of devotion to attract Their attention ,to please them . But time and again I feel that divine presence in doing the simple , everyday things , the acts of kindness , the caring contact with everyday people - the shop attendant , the delivery man , the beggar ,the garbage collector - somehow trying to remind them of Krishna. I am again remembering the words of Lord Jesus " He who serves the least of mem ,serves me. " Humility is indeed the key to the spiritual world. Radhe Radhe
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" To your hearts content " - such a nice expression . A contented heart , a rare thing these days in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy - but still possible as Shrila Prabhupada reminds us in his lovely commentary on the Vibhavari Sesa morning prayers , saying that Sri Krishna is prema-niketana , the reservoir of all pleasure."If we want actually blissful life then we shall draw it from the reservoir of all pleasure , Krishna. Ananda - vardhana - that pleasure will increase.......spiritual pleasure , if you want to draw it from the reservoir of all pleasure , Krishna , then it will increase. Your pleasure potency will increase and you will get more and more pleasure....there is no limit. " Hare Krishna
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O Mahaprabhu, Gaur Nataraj ,Great Golden Dancer , showering the universe with sweet Love Divine , let me be like You are , like soothing ,cool nectar flowing freely into the hearts of the sad and lonely. Jaya Nimai jaya Nitai
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So beautiful how Sri Sacinandana Gaurahari gives His love and mercy to the rejected , the outcasts , the helpless ,the most wretched , those whom society wants to ignore and forget - He remembers them , He comforts them , gives them shelter , gives them dignity , gives them self -respect , gives them the treasure of Krishna-prema , takes them home.Who can be more compassionate , more kind ? Jaya Sacinandana Gaurahari.SHREE GAURANGA JAYA GAURANGA GAUR GAURANGA NAAM , SHREE GAURANGA JAYA GAURANGA GAUR GAURANGA NAAM -----
In my mind are so many unwelcome visitors like lamentation ,hankering ,lust ,anger ,greed ,fear , envy and many more of their nasty associates. So my dear Sri Krishna , my dear strong-armed friend , I am requesting You please to kindly take up Your rightful position on the fort of my mind and evict these troublesome invaders forever. Hare Krishna
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In the desert the thirsty animal runs after the mirage of water , never finding water , never having its thirst quenched - but on it goes chasing and chasing the mirage , this false attraction , meeting only with frustration, exhaustion . Only if it can find the true attraction , actual water , will its thirst be quenched. Similarly in the Bhagavad-gita Sri Krishna instructs us on the importance of "..carefully guarding the consciousness against exploitative motivations and false attractions " - the false attractions of material life - things that appear to be desirable, to be able to give us real pleasure and satisfaction but , like the mirage , offer only the illusion , not the real thing.
So what then is the true attraction ? Interesting that Sri Krishna s name means All-attractive - so there is the clue to finding the true attraction , that which will not deceive , disappoint - to finding that which will truly quench the souls thirst - namely awakening our eternal loving relationship with Sri Krishna , prema-niketana , the Reservoir of Divine Love. Hare Krishna
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My dear Lord Krishna , nearest and dearest friend , please may I be like like the cakora bird who drinks only the pure water of the falling rain. May I similarly realize that You alone are eternal comfort for my soul. Hare Krishna

with best wishes Andrew Freedman - Ananda Vardhana dasa
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SONGS FROM ANANDA VARDHAN
http://rhythmmusicstore.com/music/5556/Ananda-Vardhan/Time-Stands-Still
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