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Shikshashtakam1. The six-pronged

flame of Kirtan-yajna

Overview Antya of Antya Lila: More reflections than instructionsThe Lord lives on through his ecstatic instructions 1-5: Sambandha 6: PrayojanaAll 8 texts: Abhidheya

 

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Shikshashtakam1. The six-pronged

flame of Kirtan-yajna

Overview 1-5: Vaidhi Bhakti 6: Raganuga Bhakti7: Bhava Bhakti8: Raganuga Bhakti

 

ceto darpana marjanam The mind as a window The mind as a TV screen The mind as a mirror Cit (Cons. as feature of the

soul) vs Citta (Embodied cons.)

 

ceto darpana marjanam The mind that is clean is

serene Gita 06.27 Clean mind like pure water –

free from impurities: desires other than the desire to serve Krishna

 

kairava candrika vitaranam

White lotus blossoms in moonlight Lotus: Our cons. Holy name: Moonlight Blossomed lotus: Krishna cons

kairava candrika vitaranam

Blossoming of cons.: Progress in selflessness from self-absorption to Krishna-absorption

Vidya vadhu jivanamVidya – Krishna’s internal potency – enlivened in our heart by the presence of her LordGita 10.10

Anandambudhi vardhanam

Ocean of Lord Hari’s glories is ever-expandingLet me dive into this and be free from the desert of material existence

Purnamrita Gita 18.38: Initial nectar, eventual poisonGita 18.37: Initial poison, eventual nectarPure holy name: Just nectar

Holy Name = Krishna. How?

Varnavada: Power in letters eg formula, Vedic mantras

Sphotavada: Power in meaning eg. Proverb, Puranic lila

Krishna’s omnipotence

Holy Name = Krishna. How?

Ontological reality Our subjective

realization Eg Deity

Scriptural promises Extraordinary demonstrations of

mercy are meant to inspire us to follow the standard process for getting mercy, not excuses for avoiding the standard process

Humility Gita 13.8-12 p: “to not be anxious to

have the satisfaction of being honored by others”

To not let our ego interfere with our purpose

To accept honor, but to not expect honor

Humility Self-pity is not humility; it is

negative self-absorption, whereas humility is the launching pad to freedom from self-absorption

The cure for pride is not suppression of talent, but purification of intent

Humility Self-pity is not humility; it is

negative self-absorption, whereas humility is the launching pad to freedom from self-absorption

Focus on Krishna’s greatness, not one’s own smallness

Tolerance “One’s greatness is estimated

by the ability to tolerate provoking situations”

Tolerance means to call off our war with reality

Tolerance Not passivity, but ability to keep

small things small and focus on big things. Eg Gita 2.14 vs 11.33

If we let everything that happens matter, we don’t let what matters happen

Karma, Jnana, bhaktiKarma romanticizes the worldJnana demonizes the worldBhakti utilizes the world

CommittmentAversion to commitment is not detachmentSadhana-bhakti is not about attachment & detachment, but about commitment

Conscience & guilt Conscience is the dog that

barks when the thief of sin comes to steal our bhakti

The bark of conscience is guilt

Don’t let the spikes stay We may not be able to avoid

falling down, but we can avoid staying fallen

Bhakti: Endeavor & Prayer Karma & Jnana: Endeavor is

primary Bhakti: Grace is primary

Endeavor Prabhupada, “If we are not

determined, even the Supreme Personality of Godhead can’t help us.”

Let determination be an expression of devotion, not of willpower

Endeavor In bhakti, our strengths can be

our weaknesses, and our weaknesses can be our strengths

We may win against temptation and not go close to Krishna; or we may lose and go close to Krishna

Mercy We are unqualified, but we

are never disqualified Our endeavor doesn’t

generate mercy, but it attracts mercy

Krishna is impartially partial

Partial – he favors his devotees

Impartial – he opens the doors of devotion to everyone

Sentiments vs sentimentality

Sentiments: ornaments of life Rama-Lakshmana dialogue Sentimentality: sentiments are

the only deciders of our actions and level

Sentiments vs sentimentality

Let reason direct emotion Let emotion animate reason Reason w/o emotion:

Impersonalism Emotion w/o reason: Sahajiyaism

Sentiments vs sentimentality

Krishna Maya

Materialists Detached Attached

Sahajiyas Attached Attached

Impersonlists Detached Detached

Bhaktas Attached Detached

Sentiments vs sentimentality

Opposite of sentimentality is judgmentality eg. Unfeeling imposition of standards on others

Be transcendental – not sentimental or judgmental

Sentiments vs sentimentality

Spiritual emotion is the fruit of purification

Sentimentality is sentiments without purification and often with impure consequences

Love in separation Krishna consciousness sadhana –

feeling the presence of Krishna in his absence

What we miss reflects what we value

Start with whatever uddipana works at our stage

Love in separation For materialists, Krishna has no

value without the world. Eg Duryodhana

For devotees, the world has no value without Krishna eg Arjuna

Love in separation Material memories are

automatically preserved; devotional memories need to conscientiously preserved

Separation is to love what wind is to fire

Love in separation Purification means to change

our default definition of happiness

Our desires are not just linear, they are also triangular

Unconditional love Love with reciprocation Love without

reciprocation Love with (apparent)

rejection

Exalted levels of love Love with reciprocation Love without

reciprocation Love with (apparent)

rejection

Love increases through opposition

Baby elephant shackled – realizes its strength internally and expresses it externally on pulling

Similarly, love realized & expressed in the presence of opposition

Parakiya bhava Krishna reciprocates in his own

way – returns to Vrindavana and re-unites with the gopis

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