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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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