{"id":181,"date":"2009-02-22T21:02:01","date_gmt":"2009-02-22T21:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/?p=181"},"modified":"2013-12-04T16:11:54","modified_gmt":"2013-12-04T16:11:54","slug":"vaisnava-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/vaisnava-relationships\/","title":{"rendered":"Vaisnava Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mayapur-February 22, 2009-Vaisnava Relationships<\/span><\/p>\n

As philosophical personalists, it important to translate that understanding
\ninto practical action and feelings. That is a challenge for various reasons
\nas we are accustomed to elevated philosophy (which sometimes results in a
\ndisconnect with the other aspects of our being), rituals, and management
\npriorities (all of us have management priorities whether we are managing our
\nlives, our families, the movement, etc,).<\/span><\/p>\n

In our dealings on the GBC we make decisions that will affect the lives of
\nindividuals, in terms of their service, their ashramas, the facilities we
\nallot them, the supervision we place them under, etc. It is interesting that
\nsometimes we reach important decisions without meeting face to face with the
\nindividual. Unfortunately second hand feedback or email exchanges often
\nsuffice.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is no substitute for face to face meetings as we know most
\ncommunication is non-verbal.<\/span><\/p>\n

We must also be careful of diagnosing someone. We are all complex beings
\nthat can not be adequately described by a label.<\/span><\/p>\n

Krishna will be most pleased when we relate to each other in deep personal
\nways. We should not avoid philosophy though as this will lead to
\nsentimentalism, but we should strike a balance between the head and the
\nheart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days ago Jayapataka Maharaj arrived in Mayapur. With great difficulty
\n(due to his state of health) he made his way to Mayapur from Mumbai (where
\nhe is being treated). He came here to see the devotees who have arrived for
\nthe festival, especially to see his Godbrothers. The austerity that he is
\nundertaking to come here (considering his state of health) is amazing and he
\nis doing this just out of love for the devotees. It is overwhelming to think
\nof this.<\/span><\/p>\n

We were informed that he would arrive around 5 PM on the 20th of February.
\nAt that time we were engaged in our GBC meetings. When the announcement came
\nthat he would be arriving at the front gate, I jumped up and told the
\nchairman of the meeting that we must all go down to the front gate to greet
\nhim. The chairman stated that everyone should stay and we as a group would
\ngo to see him later. I objected to this stating that the etiquette stated
\nthat one should greet an honored Vaisnava at the door (gate) when he arrives
\nparticularly when he has gone through what Jayapataka Maharaja had gone
\nthrough. The chair finally said to me, ok since you are so excited you can
\ngo.<\/span><\/p>\n

I ran down to the front gate, pushing my way through the hordes of devotees
\nand almost getting crushed in the process till I reached the edge of the
\ncrowd on the road. Jayapataka Maharaja had not yet arrived though and was
\nstill at the Jagannatha temple a distance of about 2 km from our temple. I
\nalso saw Radhanatha Maharaja and Kavicandra Maharaja there as well as my
\nfriend Revati Raman the temple president of Tirupati. They were all happy to
\nsee me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then interestingly enough, within 5 minutes the rest of the GBC members came
\ndown. It seems that they were affected by my agitation! I embraced the
\nchairman expressing how happy I was to see him there.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amongst the devotees waiting in the street there was not only a mood of
\nanticipation but there was a tangible (so tangible you could almost touch
\nit) mood of Vaisnava love for each other as well as for Jayapataka Maharaja.
\nOne could experience the spiritual ecstacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Jayapataka Maharaja’s car finally came (slowly as to not jar him in his
\nsensitive state), I rushed up to the car, he put down the window, and I took
\nhis hands telling him how happy I was so see him. Others quickly did the
\nsame. He was visibly touched and had tears coming from his eyes. The
\nexchanges were quick as we were surrounded by thousands of enthusiastic
\ndevotees who were pushing and shoving at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n

After greeting him, I grabbed Madhusevita Prabhu, another friend of mine and
\nwe ran to the temple to greet him when he arrived to take darshan of Radha
\nMadhava.<\/span><\/p>\n

That day of greeting him was one of the highlights of my life and had the
\neffect of softening my hard heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next day, Jayapataka Maharaja surprised us by coming to the GBC meeting
\nfor \u00bd hour. Many of the members expressed their affection publically for
\nMaharaja. I spent some time with him as he was being pushed back (in a wheel
\nchair) to the elevator. He remarked that my letter to him that he received
\nsometime ago. One of his servants remarked to me that they were also crying
\nwhen they received the letter.
\n===================================
\nHere is a copy of that letter:<\/span><\/p>\n

“My dear Jayapataka Maharaja,<\/span><\/p>\n

Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have been praying intensely to my Deities every day for your health.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is essential that you get well as quickly as possible. I am saying this
\nnot only out of concern for our movement, but also for my own reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I came to the hospital and saw you in the intensive care unit, I had a
\nnumber of realizations about you and Prabhupada’s great love for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whenever I have been with you I have observed such an outpouring of love
\nfrom your heart not only towards myself and other devotees but towards every
\nother living entity that you come in contact with.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I remember how you would greet me with such joy and affection, I am
\nbrought to tears. It is too painful for me to contemplate not having those
\ninteractions with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

The compassion you radiate is evidence of your connection with Lord Caitanya
\nand Lord Nityananda.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda’s mercy is shinning through you,
\nyou are able draw others to Their lotus feet like a strong magnet attracting
\npieces of iron.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am begging you to remain with us for many many more years. We need your
\nassociation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your servant,
\nBir Krishna das Goswami
\n=========================
\nHe even asked me to come by later for a laugh therapy session (which I am
\ntrained in but is really controversial in our movement). I plan on doing
\nthis with him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jayapataka Maharaja was in tears seeing the love his Godbrothers had for
\nhim. This will accelerate his cure.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is Krishna consciousness, and what we should hanker for continually.
\nLoving exchanges between Vaisnavas, between Vaisnavas and Krishna, and
\nbetween Vaisnavas and all living entities is the goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mayapur-February 22, 2009-Vaisnava Relationships As philosophical personalists, it important to translate that understanding into practical action and feelings. That is a challenge for various reasons as we are accustomed to elevated philosophy (which sometimes results in a disconnect with the other aspects of our being), rituals, and management priorities (all of us have management priorities read more>><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,3],"tags":[20,17,13,52,35,31,54,53],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11939,"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181\/revisions\/11939"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atourcity.com\/bkgoswami.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}