Swami Mukund Hariji and Asim Krsna Das ~ Shyam Das with Maharaj Prathameshji

  

My favorite photo of Swami Mukund Hariji Maharaj

¸. *ღ☆¸.•°*♥ JAI SRI KRISHNA! ¸. *ღ☆¸.•°*♥

                   Dr. Asim Krsna Dasji  in Vrindavan     

     Dr. Asim Krishna Das was born as Alan A. Shapiro on a Thursday, July 6,1944 in New York City, of a very very Jewish family! He said he was still in collage when he got drafted, and dodged it by moving to Canada and even had a Canadian Pass Port!  Then he went for some time to Paris, learned fluent French (as he later did Hindi and Sanskrit). He travelled through Europe and I have written earlier in my blog about how he came into India in 1969, as a tourist and at an Ashram in Bhatinda, Punjab,was directed to go and meet Sri Krishna in Vrindavan by Sankirtana Samrat Swami Mukunda Hari!

    Once in Sri Vrindavan he took as his Guru Swami Bon Maharaj, Bhakti Hridaya Bon Tridandi Swami, Gaudiya Math, founder of the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, Vrindavana. He also translated into English the work of Rupa Goswami's Sanskrit classic, Bhakti-Rasamrit-Sindhu.

    The very 1st day I came into Vrindavan in 1971, I passed by and saw Asim, shaved head, smiling and wearing a doti and Tulsi mala etc., so he had already been initiated by then. I only later met him in the company of Sripad Babaji, that same year.  By that time he was a serious student of Sanskrit, but there was always much tapsya whenever in the company of Baba Sripadji!  He was in this state of Bhakti-tapsya, or Prem inspired Vairagya,  full of bhava and moving with Babaji in all of Vraj Bhoomi, mostly in Sri Vrindavan for years. One of his greatest friends, whom he shared much in common with was Shyam Das, and they were sometimes together in the company of the great Lineage Holder of the  Pushti Marg, Prathameshji Maharaj. Here with Asim and Radha Dasi is where I first met Shyam Dasji and had a very wonderful darshan of Maharajji. I remember that Asim and Shyam Das would suddenly start speaking with each other in French!! It was the chaurasi kos somewhere in Govardhan in tents!!
    When President Carter, promised to give entrance to all draft dodgers,  Asim's parents prevailed on him to came back to the USA to complete his undergraduate degree at the City College of New York. 

Radha Dasi and I saw him off at the Delhi Airport wearing his doti as usual!

   While studying he also drove a taxi in Manhattan during the night with Sri Bankey Bihari's photo up in front of him. After graduating to get entrance back into India and his beloved Vrindavan, he entered Columbia Univ. and started his Doctorate. Subject: Shalagram! He said he chose this subject because all the other Vaishnava subjects for dissertation had already been done at Columbia!! 

   Once back in Vrindavan I met him among all his books and he laughed and said I used to be a poor 

Bhakta here, and now that I have this scholarship they pay me to live here! He often visited Nepal for his research on Shalagrams.  It was a fascinating subject as he spoke of it, and would show shaligrams and explain the intricate beauty and details of each one. 

    So, around 1992 Asim Krishna Das received his PhD in Sanskrit at Columbia University. In Vrindavan he was Assistant Director of the Research Center at Sri Chaitanya Sampraday.  

     Here he supervised the creation of a bibliograph of sources on the history of Vraj, the poet saints of Vraj, for the Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts, New Delhi. He said it was amazing, that 

the more they searched throughout Vraj villages, the more old manuscripts and paintings were discovered! He also worked with the Vijayanagara Research Project for 5 yrs. translating the Pampamahatmya. This, too he totally enjoyed. Dr.Asim Krishna Das and Sri Shyam Das remained best friends all their life of Supreme Bhakti Bhava. 

   Sri Sri Prathameshji Maharaj and Sri Shyam Dasji¸. 
               
        *ღ☆¸.•°*♥ JAI SRI KRISHNA! ¸. *ღ☆¸.•°*♥

Milan Goswami speaking at The Shyamdas Foundation Retreat

Young Mother Teresa and the signed photo ~*~

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. 

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you.

      Be honest anyway. 

   If you find happiness, people may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.

        Do good anyway. 

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway."

~ Mother Teresa

          

             ~*~               

*ღ☆¸.•°*Sharir Maharaj*ღ☆¸.•°*

 Meher Baba’s Meeting with Sharir Baba

On November 16th, Baba left Satara for Meherazad. The next day, he left on a mast tour to Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by Eruch, Pendu, Nilu and Baidul. Eruch was driving the car. There were unusually late rains, and at one place, the car had to be ferried from one bank of a stream to the other. The journey continued night and day. At one spot, they learned of a very high Hindu mast named Sharir Baba, who was staying at the residence of the Maharajah of Chhatarpur. The mast, however, was to leave the place at 3:00 P.M. that day and it was already 1:00 P.M.
Baba was very anxious to contact this mast, as he had never worked with him before. They drove at breakneck speed on the rough roads through towns and villages, covering 128 miles in two hours – and reached Chhatarpur exactly at 3:00 P.M. The mast was very old and would drink his own urine. Boxes of rotting sweetmeats and other such things were strewn in his room. A strong stench hung in the air, but the old mast would not allow anyone to clean the place.
Baba was delighted with the contact and remarked, "Our journey of hundreds of miles has been worth it!" Baba was to have been gone for two weeks. But on November 21st, because the men mandali and he were both exhausted, he canceled the rest of the tour to Uttar Pradesh and returned to Meherazad, where he intended to rest for a few days.

(Source: Bhau Kalchuri, Last Mast Journey,  Lord Meher, Vol. 15, p. 5126)


It is fascinating for me to come across this story of  Meher Babaji meeting Sharir Maharaj.
I have only heard Baba Shripadji mention him with greatest reverence, love and awe!
As well as Swami Jnanananda Giri, who spoke of Maharaj ji in great detail in his own autobiography:
Transcendent Journey. So much so that hearing the above description and the name of Chhatarpur I am sure  it is this same amazing Sharir Maharaj ji in both cases. Perhaps in the future we may write more regarding this marvelous and uniquely highly realized saint of Chhatarpur, Sharir Maharaj ji

                                                        *ღ☆¸.•°**ღ☆¸.•°*\
          .

Paramahansa Vishuddhanandaji's Teachings

Here are presented some of Param Babaji's Teachings and Instructions:

1. Perform the Kriya (religious commandment) given by the Guru regularly and implicitly according to his instructions and all shall be well. The grace of God is bound to descend on you in due time.

2. Give up self-praise and talking ill of others completely. These traits are very harmful. Never waste time in these.

3. When tragedies and ill-times overtake you, increase your mantra-japa, both in terms of time and number.

4. Never trust anybody in a hurry. Test him thoroughly first, else you will be duped.

5. Every bit and particle of this world is against your interest. You are your only friend and well-wisher. So depend on your own efforts and do not look up to others for help as they are likely to fail you in your times of need and distress.

6. During your Sadhana (spiritual endeavour) constancy and regularity in practice are of prime importance. Reading of scriptures is only dry intellectual gymnastics. Dramatised Bhakti is also not Bhakti in the real sense. True Jnan and real Bhakti are very prestigious and difficult-to-attain stages in spiritual advancement. These develop automatically one after the other, only after constant and regular austere spiritual practice over a long period.

7. To depend solely on the grace of God is not an act of wisdom. Grace is no doubt very sublime and is also being showered upon us by Mahashakti all the time. Without it there is no hope of our advancement towards salvation either. But this grace can only be attained through constant practice of Yogic Kriya which can lead to the attainment of even the unattainable.

8. Do not let anything ever worry you. ''I (your Guru) am always there with you.'' After performing your Kriya properly for some time, you will yourself realize the truth of my statement. I shall see that all your legitimate wishes are fulfilled and you are never in want.

9. To bring a mood of calm repose in the mind before you start your meditation first invite the following thought: ''The world was there before I was born and it will be there even after I am gone. So, nothing really depends on me, hence why should I be in a state of tension? It is only with calm consciousness that I can help myself and help others. The Divine remains calm despite all the turmoils in the world. It is the Divine spark in me, present as my soul, that sustains me. Let me concentrate on that. Let me get a few moments of leave from the demands of my body, from the desires of my life and from the restlessness of mind and enter into my soul - my true Self. Let peace and calm sustain me.''

10. I am aware of each and every thing that you do, so never try to deceive me by telling lies.

11. Electrical energy gets accumulated particularly in the fore-finger of the right hand, which should not therefore be used for rubbing teeth or pointing out the direction, else it leads to unneccessary waste of the accumulated electrical energy.

12. Spiritual progress depends upon the loftiness of character. Never hurt anybody's feelings. Keep your senses under control and follow the truth in body, mind and speech. Keep unswerving faith in the Guru and be patient, compassionate and forgiving.

13. Dear Son, all your happiness or suffering is a result of your earlier deeds. Do not add further to these. Give up doing bad and unholy deeds now at least, so that you do not create new sins, the consequences of which you will have to suffer in future.

14. You develop interest in the Kriya through constant practice, so much so that in due course of time you will not be able to give it up even if you will want to. In the beginning, you will have to force yourself to sit for your Kriya, but later you will start feeling greatly perturbed whenever you are not able to do so. The Guru can only advise you, explain to you and demonstrate the technique to you but the actual performance will have to be done by you and you alone. So, for your own benefit, get down to the practice of Kriya wholeheartedly and arduously; only talking will not help. Once you get firmly established in the practice of Kriya, you will not be able to leave it thereafter.

15. Through the practice of Kriya, keep meditating upon the 'Mother' in your heart all the time; the Mother who is the source of all Creation, directly perceptible. Mother who cannot otherwise be achieved even through Yoga and is superior even to 'Brahma' and is the reality behind the psychological manifestation of the Supreme Emotion. Instead of getting influenced by external emotions, always keep your mind in communion with the Mother. Once you are able to stay in that state, there is nothing further to be done.

16. While you are in the physical body, you cannot but be doing one thing or other. Then why not engage yourself in the pursuit of such an act as will absolve your all binding actions for all time. At the exact moments of sunrise and sunset, sit down for your Kriya daily without fail. Even if your mind is not steady, do not bother about it. Learn to depend solely on your Guru, then no demon will be able to do any harm to you � be certain about it.

17. My disciples will not be born again and thus will not have to undergo the sufferings in a mother's womb again. My elder Gurudeva Shri Bhriguramji Paramahansadeva has created an abode for them where they shall all reside, after their death in this world.

18. The first requirement for spiritual advancement is character which must be kept unblemished and next come light meals and less sleep. As you progress in your Kriya the last two come by themselves. Peace and tranquility is the natural outcome of spiritual practice.

19. You acquire riches and property as a result of your past actions. What is ordained in your destiny, that much you will certainly get. But even so it is not wise to sit back aboslutely inactive. You must make all efforts to procure them.

20. Every thing is within your very self. Only it has become overladen with dirt and filth as an outcome of undesirable tendencies and associations of previous lives. Once you are able to get rid of that covering, you will be able to see and recognize your real self. Just as you cannot see your face in a mirror covered with dirt and to do so you have to clean the mirror by rubbing, wiping and washing, so also once you keep rubbing off the dirt of the mind through the constant repetition of the Guru-given-mantra, the mind will become purified in due course and then you will be able to see your real self once again. The aforesaid 'rubbing, wiping and washing of the mind' is really the Yogabhyas Karma viz the incessant friction between the mantra and the mind through constant repetition of the former. Get up early in the morning at about 3.30 or 4.00 a.m. and try to do your Kriya upto sunrise for two to three hours at one stretch and so also in the evening, daily. In the evening start about half an hour before sunset and continue for an hour and a half beyond it. Besides this, make it a habit to mentally repeat the mantra at all other times also while you are working with your hands etc. in the course of your job. Do not waste your time on other useless things. Your japa should co-ordinate with the rhythm of exhalation and inhalation of breath called Ajapa Jap.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dhyan of Kundlini

Swami Sacinandanji and Sri Shyam Dasji ~Govardhana~

This was taken with wonderful Sacinandan Swamiji and dear Shyam Dasji at Jutipura, Govardhan, Nov. 2009. It was an amazing Bhakti week of Hari Katha, Kirtana, and Ras Lila! Full of Hari Ecstasy!!

Full of Graceful Hari bliss, he spreads intense Love for God in the Divine forms of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna!! Ah ho!! ~*~*~*~*~*~

~*~ WITH THE SAINTS ~*~ This video is on Radheshwari's Channel in youtube.

Mata Narvada Puriji's Maha Samadhi ~Basant Panchmi~ Feb.4,2014

On Feb.20,2013 I was sitting with Mata Narvada Puriji,(German) outside her small simple room on the top of Santoshpuri Ashrama near the flowing Gangaji at Septha Rishi. There was a flood of Light around her and an aura of bliss! The only other German lady-sadhu I had met was Uma, a disciple of Swami Shivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh,and she was living in a wonderful cave up in the mountains there. And like the last time I was totally blown-away, over-whelmed. Maybe it was her calm beauty and great simplicity,totally centered, or her charming, friendly way she spoke that reached straight in to capture the heart. Mataji Narvada Puri had come to India in the early 70's at the age of 24 yrs. Her life is an inspiration,a testimony of vairag, detachment, and perfect devotion to the Guru.

"Holy waters, holy places, holy people can give you liberation in one moment. It is possible! Commonly called a "miracle": to remove the veil of ignorance, to clear impurities stored up for generations. Arrival in Banaras and the next day you got enlightened! Not forever, but enough to change life and work until eternity to regain and establish the bliss."*

"The Shiva temple by the roadside solved the search for the right place. You just came back home, you go straight up to the holy shrine. The doors are still closed. You don't ask who is inside. You sit by the wall and your heart starts singing,flying high, knocking at the paradise unknown. No question, your innocence is back, you don't mind winning the prize. The time was right, the light could be recognized. Shiv!"* ... "The eternal smile of hope goes on. Now Shiva has become everything and everywhere. You can touch Him in the wall, love Him in the wind, listen to Him in the drums of the snake tamers. You can geet up without losing Him. You know now with whom you are dancing..."* Feb.5,2014 Mataji Narvada Puri'S Samadhi sanskaras were done on this day at her Ashrama, Santoshpuri, and she was entered next to her Baba's Samadhi (near to where she stands in this photo!)

"The little garden place of your life will blossom again to create flowers of love to fade away while leaving a seed of indestructible devotion. With eyes open, you have passed away long ago." * * The quotes here are all from Mataji Narvada Puri's book: 'Tears of Bliss'.

With Baba Ram Dasji in Maui

This was my third meeting with the amazingly beautiful Baba Ram Dasji after many years. On this perfect day in Maui. His lovely house was to be found in the North-West part of the island. And though we had an address there is something about the house that one recognized it on sight. Maybe it is the calm peacefulness and all that bliss! Surely enough, Dasi Ma was expecting us and immediately came to the door and invited us inside. And Baba Ram Dasji was also there with a most radiant smile, warm and welcoming. One just stood awhile and took in that wonderful moment of fullness and mutual recognition. It was like being finally face to face with Love itself! I offered him my gift from India, the Tibetan 'Yak Wool' shawl that he joyfully accepted. We then followed him into the spacious sitting room, that was also a shrine and full of light. Calmly he began speaking with us, sweetly inquiring and interested, listening to all our replies with a deep mood of underlying joy. And there appeared a most beautiful, and complete, rainbow right over his head that ended into the ocean itself, seemingly, since there were big windows behind him. It was most astonishing and inspiring!

He spoke of many things,of the beauty of life and the trails of ageing. He said that when he had become so ill, after his stroke and the paralysis,he spoke to Baba Neemkaroliji, and asked him why all this had happened to him. He said, "You promised me 'Grace'. What is this?" He answered, "This is the 'Grace' that you are in this most difficult state and yet you are in bliss and in my presence. That you have accepted all things in your life, this is 'Grace'!

This beautiful man of 82 yrs. now, gently shared with us many blessings. All his words fell on our ears like pure 'Grace'. He spoke of the rolls everyone plays in life, and how all of it was ever leading us towards a final goal, towards a sublime state of Pure Grace, where we can realize our actual True Self and find That One as our own Ultimate Being. How all of life is for this purpose of finding Oneself in This Very Moment,The Now,and staying finely tuned to the Presence as Present. " I am Infinite!", he said as if in a reverie, as if in an abstracted state of momentary absorption. And there spread a sublime state of bliss through all of us present there with him.

Then Ram Dass told us that his Guru once came close to him and said, "Love everyone!" and he came closer and repeated it. And then he came right up to him, face to face and again slowly and clearly said,"Love everyone! I'm telling you to love everybody in the world that's all!" "So, I'm a Democrat, and I put George Bush there." and he pointed to his shrine right in front of us, where his Guru, Neemkaroli Baba's photo was prominent among others. And he showed us that now there is the photo of the Head of the Senate placed there instead of Bush. And he continued,"So, I go,'Hello Anandamayi Ma!,Awe! Nityananda! and I said, 'Hello George!' And I said that I have to see his soul. All I'm doing is reacting to his incarnation. And then I felt sorry for his soul, that has got a lousy incarnation!! As I took leave of this most beautiful soul I said,"You are pure joy." He said, "I surrender to Him." About 'Darshan' he said, "You know this is interesting, in India I learned that you don't see the Guru, the Guru sees you. See, you stand there and wait, you put effort behind." I said," I didn't wait though, I came running to India, looking all around. But when you see that person it's as if you can't find on your own, but it's there." And he said, "Yeah, it's there."

BE HERE NOW BE HERE NOW BE HERE NOW BE HERE NOW BE HERE

BE HERE NOW BE HERE NOW BE HERE NOW BE HERE NOW BE HERE

What about Krishna's Flute? ♫*•*¨¨*•♫•♫ ♫*•*¨¨*•♫•♫

" To awaken their divine attachment
Hari entered Vrindavan playing His flute.
The Svanminis sang about the song of His flute
Whoever is attached to His attributes 
Ends up attached to Him."

"Separation is Krishna in the heart.
Union is Krishna in the world."
       ......
"They are His divine powers,
His shaktis,
They abide in the glades of Vrindavan
For His sheer enjoyment."

"Their love is to be emulated."
       ......  
"What is profound does not appear before all.
This lila is not openly revealed
because ras only flourishes in concealment."

"The Svaminis are intimate with Gopal.
And experience Him through every door of perception."
      .....
"The call of Shri Krishna's flute
Kindles in those women
Who live around the hills and waters of Braja
The spiritual conjugal mood.
         .....
"There are others who are nearby but cannot hear.
Lila is replete with purpose and Krishna
Awakens only those whose time has come.
Others simply will not respond to His calling."

"It is a Lila-Invitation.
Is Overwhelming!!"
                                ..............

               These are excerpts from ~

                     "Venu-Gita"
             (The Song of the Flute)

             presented by Shyamdas


Published by the International Pushthimargiya Vaishnav Parishad (U.K.)
#12 Old Oak Rd., London W37HL.


                       ★ • .　　♡　　　★　　 　　 　 • .　♡ • .　★　　　
                    •♥•´¯*!|!*¯`•♥•´¯*!|!*¯`•♥•¯*!|!*¯`•♥•´*!|!*¯

Bhai Sahib Lakshvir Singhji ~ Muztar Nabhawi ~ *ღ☆¸.•°*♥

                                             Beloved Bhai Sahib Lakshvir Singhji
                                                   Dec.25,1918 ~ Feb.14,2008

       Here is a note I made during study of the Persian language 
with the mystic poet-saint 'Muztar' of Nabha.
He is Bhai Sahib Lakshvir Singhji and lived at his home,
'Vir Nivas', in the beautiful Chail forest of Himanchal Pradesh.
      I had first met him in the early 70's when he came to Saproon,
Solan to meet Sant Gulab Singhji, his dear friend, who joyfully rose up
from the lunch table to embrace him. Bhai Sahibji was a very
beautiful and impressive man of around 50 years at that time, he wore a
khakhi color salvar-kameez with a small warm cap and draped himself
with a woolen shawl. He was astonishing with his own Urdu and Persian
Poetry (and English), all present there were totally swept away in the
timeless ecstasy of the graceful company of the meeting of these
two beloved masters!
       Later I was to accompany Santjeo in a friends jeep as we
rode up the mountains to the gorgeous Christmas tree forest
of Chail to visit Bhai Sahibji. The spiritual mood of the Love of
God, the Bhava, pervading his wonderful home is beyond words
to describe! Only I can still feel it today, along with his constant
presence. At that time, there with Santji, I remember how we sat
in the rose garden that Summer day, refreshed by cool sharbat
served by his sons as Bhai Sahibji's own Persian self written books
were brought out and shared with us. This was a kind of engrossing
hospitality I have never known before! The love, beauty, charm and
joy spread in all directions from these two saints!
       In the years to come I was often to visit this wonderful inspiring
saint and his loving family. He had 10 sons, and said that he actually
had to pray that the next child be a girl! No wonder that people
used to hear about him and come asking his advice on how to have
a son! And though it sounds odd, he actually did tell them several
things on the subject and they attained their purpose.
       Outside in the front garden he had built a single room mandir (temple),
up a few steps and one can walk completely around it on the small
veranda that has an absolutely magnificent view of  the sunrise over the
distant mountain ranges appearing like waves in the ocean!  Here he
entered daily, after bath, at the crack of dawn. this was done
on a very regular basis with the most extreme love for God. And he
would come out from the mandir after the Arti, having offered the
morning food and everything to God. At this time any guest or family
member was also welcome to join. We still smell the fragrance of the
unique morning meal, it was a special roti cooked over a wood fire!
The food was always happily brought upstairs and served smilingly by one of the boys, always with music and wonderful conversation. Meals ever ended in our laughter from the charm and whit of Bhai Sahib's stories.

        By around 4:00 pm we would be called from our rest for tea in the garden and from this beautiful tradition we all would have a unique walk in the fairyland forest where Bhai Sahibji would reveal many secrets of the great Himalayas and the saints of this area.
       When one visited for longer stays it was usually in the evenings after a light dinner that we would sit in the grand room upstairs and he would share with me tales of Sufi Mystics and the secrets of  the lovers of God.
It was here that tears of grace would flow in an ecstasy beyond words and the heart would leap up with the soul to be merged with him into a space beyond time itself!!
         The years have passed in such a grand friendship and reverence, I can only hope that there is the time and opportunity to be able to share the tales and this magnificent grace as it should be in time to come.

                                                                 *ღ☆¸.•°*♥

                           1994 more...unforgetable times with Lord's Beloveds!

                                                                   *ღ☆¸.•°*♥

Sri Radha Dasi's Letter

                                                                                                          Vrindavan,
                                                                                                          15 Dec. 1979
                                                                 "Shri Hari"

My dear Radheshwari,
                                                             Jai Sri Radhey!

            Thank you for your letter which came some days ago now. Ellen continues to be sick - though recovering slowly - and Baba comes and goes with his urgent works. So I am kept busy and don't get round to reply to all the letters that come as soon as I should. No other reason that I didn't write sooner.

            I'm sorry if you misunderstood me and thought that I was testing you in any way. No, I asked you the question seriously- as a serious inquiry from a serious sadhaka. I had been noticing over the last couple of years that so many of those who were with us before also in search of That seem to have thrown away the quest and settled for mediocrity instead. Up to the time I wrote you last I had again heard about another couple of friends falling away. So my mind was very occupied with this situation and I was wanting to understand the reason, to find some explanation why those who had seemed so sincere, so dedicated, could yet change their minds. Perhaps because of my deep feeling, my words might have sounded to direct to you, but believe me, they were as much directed to myself if not more so. In fact when I wrote you, I told Ellen who was sitting here that I had just written a letter to myself.  After that, I even had second thoughts about posting it!

          Anyway, concerning my enquiry which I think was also called for since who knows that the next to go may not be myself, I came to certain conclusions.  Firstly, that it's very hard to give up the desire for sense gratification; in most cases of my friends, I think this has been the basic reason. Secondly, in some who even seemed a little more advanced in their inquiry of Truth and sadhana, it has been due to a basic error in judgement that they have felt the need for no further sadhana.  And that error arises from their having caught a glimpse of the universality of the soul.  However, instead of the jivatma identifying itself with the Paramatma, they have identified with the lower aspect of their nature and thus been deceived into thinking that the free reign of the desires is the highest reality.  that is why I kept thinking about Krishna's dissertation on various aspects of sadhana even after Arjuna had enjoyed the divine vision.  It seemed to me that there is a very important idea behind this; that the vision in itself is not enough unless we can incorporate it in our consciousness in the right way.  Sadhana prepares the mind and intelligence for this.  Again I remember the story of Indra and Virochana ( I think that was the name of the demon chief) who went to Brahma to enquire the highest Truth.  He told them 'Brahmasmi' was the highest. Virochana was content to look in the mirror and to understand that what he found reflected there was the Supreme Brahman; and Indra too would have been content with this answer had his wife not sent him again and again back to Brahma to do sadhana and to learn, after long, long years and repeated failures that Brahman is not the body, not the mind, not the intellect, but something even more than consciousness itself though it may be reflected through the purified consciousness.  It means, as the Sufis say, "Go still further!"

      You said, why should I be worried about falling into a material life?  Now you might understand. Since I have seen it happen so many times in the last year or so, I am always aware that I might be the next to deceive myself if I don't understand the causes clearly. Of course, I always feel there is a certain amount of Grace with me but I believe if I also don't make some effort to deserve this grace, rather to be worthy of it, it might be withdrawn from me any time.  Then certainly, there is no chance of experiencing that Ocean of Bliss.. 

        As far as the ego goes,you said you would, for one, be sorry to see it go.  Actually I don't think it really disintegrates until death and even then, if we look at reality at the perspective of its always manifesting itself, we must accept reincarnation.  This means that even in death the ego does not disintegrate but continues to exist in subtle form until it remanifests itself in an appropriate body.  So there is not much chance of my losing the ego so soon it seems!  Still, from what I have learned through the words of the saints, the ego must be reconstituted.  The ego of a saint is not the same as that of an ordinary man.  And I am sure that until that time when we are truly reborn as devotees through the sacrifices of love, all our worship is not really worth much.  I sincerely feel that it is only when the ego has been totally transformed that true worship begins.  Until then, we are just imitating the outward forms of worship - not altogether useless in itself since it is by this means that we should be purified; but still, not altogether meaningful either.

        Anyway, perhaps I should not burden you with all these thoughts though it would seem to me that it is the exchange of such views that is the true reason for having any friends on this path.  In a way, I have even come to see that friendship too is a kind of illusion since we all ultimately have to face death alone and even our friends cannot protect us then. Still, it is a sweet illusion and even sometimes too, a great solace, a great awakening, and even the great sacrifice on Love's alter.

        My pranams to Santji and Swamiji if he is there too.
...

                                                                                       With all love in Him as ever,
                                                                                                   Radha Dasi
       

Sri Shunya Babaji, Emanual Sorensen ~ Viking Spirit!

                                                ... here with the cosmic dog, Sri Cho Chu Wuji!

      Sri Shunya Babaji, Sunyata Emanuel Sorensen, this is his story told to me,
over the years of his visits to us in Chandigarh in the 70's. That he was a Viking
child, of Denmark, born on Oct. 27, 1890, raised on a small farm. Little was
said about his childhood but sometimes came out in jests. And there were days
of joyous ease spent in silence near him in THAT divine consciousness.
He was always in a friendly mood and would happily answer any questions.
So one day he told of how he came to India. He said, "Before coming to
India I was a gardener communicating with plants and trees on a big estate in
England. I used to see Gurudev Tagore, the new guest there, walking alone in
the early morning before dawn.Both of us enjoying the silence we never spoke
until just near the end of his stay. He said to me, 'Why don't you come to India
and teach silence to the Indians!' So, we became friends and I begin to think of
coming to India. By the time I had reached India and Shantiniketan a year or
so later, Tagore was not there! So,I began to travel around India, alone~all one.
    I was to meet him later and he introduced me to Nehru, and the sister.
There I was a guest when I was offered some land to live on, 'The Immortal
Garden of Emptiness', at Kalimat. So, this house in the hills above Almora was
built by ones gathering all the stones from around there only! When people
ask how one lives there without electricity, I tell them that I live like the birds.
When the sun is out I come out and when it gets dark I go to bed. And there
is the dog, Sri Cho Chu Wuji!"
    After some time a friend of his, Paul Brunton, arranged for a trip to meet
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi in Tiruvannamalai Ashram. This was his
"most significant spiritual encounter." He was to make three others trips there
also!
    One day Paul told Sunyata that Bhagavan Sri Ramana had referred to him
as a 'Janam Siddha', a born Mystic!
    He said," I used to sit daily in the back and just observe everything,
especially the Bhagavan Maharishi himself. And one day suddenly, out of the
pure akasha and living Silence, there sounded upon Emmanuel (his preferred
name for himself) these five words ‘We are always aware, Sunyata!’ So, you
see this is where the name came from and initiation and mantra!"

               "It is not what I say, but what 'I am' that sometimes gets across! "

         "You see, if God did not exist
                 then the whole business would have to be invented!"
                                                                            "Wu!"

Mataji Sri Narvada Puri 2013

Beloved Shyam Dasjeo 1953 ~ 2013

"Hari lila unfolds in so many directions,
we can only bow to the quarters
and this is something that we all
have to deal with, the pains and joys
of wearing the outfits of life
that change from moment to moment
all according to the whim of Hari.
such a lila it is, full of abundance
what else could I want in life."
                      
                        Shyamdas
                 (From a message just recently written)
       
                                       ~*~*~*~

So it is that those Blessed souls that once leave this world
for the next, are thereby even closer to us,
since now there is no-Body between us!!
Dear Shyam dasjeo, our time together was too short, 
yet we can feel your special Krsna Bliss
and Hari Intoxication now even more than ever!!
Ah Ho!!

                                                             " Jai Sri Krsna!"

                                                             Together in Gokul Dham  1996

 

                                                Shyamdasji during the 70's in India

               with his beloved Guru, His Holiness Shri Goswami Prathameshji

                     With His Holiness Shri Goswami Gokulanandaji

                                     And with his Guru's grandson,
                                              His Holiness Sri Goswami Milan Babaji


                                                             .ི̓үྀ .¸¸.•☀ღ.¸'¸ི♥ྀ☼

                                                                                
                                                            .ི̓үྀ .¸¸.•☀ღ.¸'¸ི♥ྀ☼

Swami Mukund Hariji Maharaj and Sri Asim Krishna Dasji

    
      Swami Mukund Hari Maharajji is one of the first Saints I met with Baba
Sripadji when I came to Vrindavan, in 1971 and I stayed in his Ashrama,
Sri Hari Nikunj. Totally Delightful and full of Loving kindness was he.
Radha Dasi, Asim Krsna Das and I would often have tea with him in the
afternoon and he would make us laugh with his stories and questions!!
Once on a Christmas Eve he asked us to sing Christmas Carols for him and
we did to his joy, and specially, ours! He was always full of bliss and blessings
whenever I met him!!
     It was a little later that I was to attend his amazing Kirtanas in Delhi and
Chandigarh where hundreds joined, and I came to then understand why he
was known in India by the title of 'Sankirtan Samrat'.
     Years later Asim K Das told me how he first met Swamiji. He said coming
to India then was a traveling adventure for him only and  when he came across
the border into Bhatinda, for some reason further traveling was restricted and
he had to spend some unexpected time there. So he asked the crowd of people
around him, "What is there to do here in your city?" They said there is nothing
entertaining and special to do here and all shook their heads. Then one man
spoke up and said,  "We do have something special here, we have a saint!"
And Asim said, "Oh, that's amazing! The only saints we have in the West are
dead saints!!  Please take me to see him just now!"
      At the end of that first meeting of Asim with Swamiji, after the evening
kirtana, and when all was ended in the wonderful nights at the Bhatinda
Ashrama; Swamiji gave Asim a note and said, " Now, when you go around
seeing India, see also this wonderful person in a place called Vrindavan."
There was written an address and Asim, from New York City, did go there
to meet Sri Krsna and ended spending most the rest of his life at the beloved
feet of the Lord. "Hare Bol!"

             Sri Asim Krishna Das with Baba Sripadji at Vraj Acadamy in Vrindavan