SLOKA OF THE WEEK:

Upadesamrta, Text Three
utsahan niscayad dhairyat
tat-tat-karma-pravartanat
sanga-tyagat sato vrtteh
sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati

utsahat — by enthusiasm; niscayat — by confidence; dhairyat — by patience; tat-tat-karma — various activities favorable for devotional service; pravartanat — by performing; sanga-tyagat — by giving up the association of nondevotees; satah — of the great previous acaryas; vrtteh — by following in the footsteps; sadbhih — by these six; bhaktih — devotional service; prasidhyati — advances or becomes successful.

Translation

There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic, (2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles [such as sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam – hearing, chanting and remembering Krsna], (5) abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous acaryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada in The Nectar of Instruction give us this list in conjunction with this sloka;
The nine processes of devotional service are as follows: 1. Hearing the name and glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead  2. Chanting His glories  3. Remembering the Lord  4. Serving the Lord’s feet  5. Worshiping the Deity  6. Offering obeisances unto the Lord  7. Acting as the Lord’s servant  8. Making friends with the Lord  9. Surrendering oneself fully to the Lord.

These photo were taken at ISKCON Portland on April 16, 2014. H.H. Romapada Swami presided over the Initation Ceremony.

Here is a recording of his talk that day.

How to be a Friend

SLOKA OF THE WEEK:

Upadesamrta, Text Four
daditi pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam

TRANSLATION

Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.

JOURNAL:

Every morning my mind wanders during the first round of japa. This morning it landed first on the thought of friends I had to touch base with. Next it went to this blog and how I didn't want to do the reading involved with the next chapter of "Teachings of Queen Kunti". Then the above sloka came to mind, I decided to write on it and things quieted down up there so I could concentrate on the names of Krishna.

After my japa, while looking for a picture to use here, I ran across the above photo on my "local temple's" web site (http://www.iskconportland.com/iskconpdx/chant.php ). I knew then that this was the topic I was suppose to write about. You see, the photo not only shows a devotee smiling and reaching out to his friend but, in the foreground on mrdanga, is my friend that I met on sankirtan.

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With the rule of thumb; if it's good for a devotee, it's good for the rest of the humans, the above sloka shows us the steps to being the best of friends.

1) Give and accept gifts that mean something. If you find someone you want to be friends with look for a small need they might have and try to fill it.

2) Share your problems and success's with each other. Remember, this is step two, not step one.

3) Feed each other! Inviting someone over to your home for dinner is a sign of friendship that shows your desire to be transparent with your friend at an intimate level.

When I first met the mrdanga player in the photo there were two devotees and myself standing on a busy downtown street corner. I had come for sankirtan and they were thinking that they should sell books instead. Then this devotee came walking up with with his drum and it was decided in favor of sankirtan. Happy, I asked him if he minded me playing a shaker with him since no one else had brought an instrument. He said it would be great and thanked me for joining them.

When we took a short break he asked me how far I lived from the temple and, when I told him, he sympathized. When we finished up he invited me to dinner at the temple and I gave a donation and thanked them all for a great evening.

And that's how it worked for me. I don't remember the devotee's name but I will always think of him as my friend.

All glories to the devotees! Hari Bol!

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 6 Text 44
purvabhyasena tenaiva
hriyate hy avaso 'pi sah
jijnasur api yogasya
sabda-brahmativarta te

purva--previous; abhyasena--by practice; tena--by that; eva--certainly; hriyate--is attracted; hi--surely; avasah--automatical ly; api--also; sah--he; jijnasuh--inquisiti ve; api--even; yogasya--about yoga; sabda-brahma- -ritualistic principles of scriptures; ativartate-- transcends.

TRANSLATION

By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attracted to the yogic principles-- even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures.

JOURNAL:

The prakrta-sahajiyas generally chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, yet they are attached to women, money and intoxication. Although such persons may chant the holy names of the Lord, they are not yet properly purified.
Nectar of Instruction - Page 46

This is the passage that reminds me how most of my life has gone. The only thing that has ever worked for me while trying to break old addictions is japa. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Nothing else seems to calm me.

At the end of his purport to the above sloka Srila Prabhupada writes; Unless, therefore, one is purified, one cannot take to the principles of Krsna consciousness or become engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krsna.

There is a lot of food for thought here. I chant in hopes that someday I will be pure enough to chant.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 6 Text 2
yam sannyasam iti prahur
yogam tam viddhi pandava
na hy asannyasta-sankalpo
yogi bhavati kascana

yam--what; sannyasam--renuncia tion; iti--thus; prahuh--they say; yogam--linking with the Supreme; tam--that; viddhi--you must know; pandava--O son of Pandu; na--never; hi--certainly; asannyasta-- without giving up; sankalpah--desire for self-satisfaction; yogi--a mystic transcendentalist; bhavati--becomes; kascana--anyone.

TRANSLATION

What is called renunciation you should know to be the same as yoga, or linking oneself with the Supreme, O son of Pandu, for one can never become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification.

JOURNAL:

This morning, just before the Srimad Bhagavatam class in L.A., Mahatanna devi dasi gave me the spiritual name of Slokasitii Prabhu. She gave it to me on-line as a joke but I like it! It seems to be a combination of my two web site's titles, Sitting Properly and Sloka Asitis. If this is so it would mean "sitting with the verses", although the word sitii may have its own meaning in Hindi.

In The Nectar of Instruction, verse four, it is stated; Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasāda and offering prasāda are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another. The name feels like a gift and I feel honored to have it given to me. Joke or no joke.