August Insights

Jai Guru Dev to everyone as we move into the wonderful month of August. June and July were two extremely busy months as they saw the culmination of months of planning. We officially opened our new Temple in Johannesburg, had Sri Swami Vishwananda visit us here in South Africa doing various prayers and giving Darshan and we experienced a almost unbelievably amazing Guru Purnima dedicated to Mahavatar Kriya Babaji. Moving forward into the rest of the year as spring slowly creeps its way into our lives we continue with the uplifting and enlightening movement of love and God Realisation.

This month sees some wonderful events taking place at the Temple: we have Krishna Janmastami (a celebration of the appearance of Lord Krishna) on the 14th August, Atma Kriya Course on the 15th and 16th August, Om Healing every Sunday of the month, Satsang on Thursday evenings and Abishek to Lord Narasimha every Saturday morning.

As this is the month to celebrate Lord Krishna we decided to change the format a bit. Below are two extracts that are most beautiful and enlightening in their words and power. The first narration was spoken by Sri Krishna to His close friend Uddhava. They are some of the most beautiful words every recorded and are a guide and marker for attaining liberation in this life time…

- Hear me, O Uddhava, as I tell you the secret of spiritual enlightenment....

- In each and every age Satsanga is the supreme means of salvation....

- The gopis who tended the cows and kept me company in childhood, the wives of the brahmins of Vrindavana, and countless others.

- None of these studied the scriptures, and they never served the great saints, or observed any vows or austerities. Yet through their association with me or with saints, sages and my devotees, they attained liberation.

- The gopis who tended the cows, even the cows, antelopes, serpents and trees, all reached ecstatic union with the One through satsanga....

- When I was taken away from Vrindavana with my brother Balarama, the gopis, because of their love for me were bereft of joy.

- The days and nights with me in Vrindavana passed like moments, but the days and nights of my absence seemed like years.

- With their minds fixed on me, with all their thoughts revolving around me, they were no longer conscious of relatives and friends, they were not even aware of their own bodies, much less of this world or the next.


- Like Yogies in a deeply meditative state, they merged their consciousness with mine, just as the waters of many rivers merge with the ocean.

- These were women uneducated in scriptural law, they did not know my true nature or their own.They simply desired my presence, they longed for me as their beloved.


- Yet through the power of satsanga with me they attained that state of consciousness in which they merged with the supreme Brahman.

- You should do likewise, beloved Uddhava. Give up all injunctions and prohibitions,All that you have heard or may hear related to scriptural do's and don'ts.

- Take shelter in your heart, there seek the Self. Do this with complete devotion and freed from all fear you too will surely merge with me.

From the Uddhava Gita 7.1,5-15
(Bhagavata Purana XI.7.1,5-15)


The Last piece for this month is a beautiful Sanskrit poem that talks about the glories of Lord Hari’s name

Shri Kevalastakam
An Anonymous sanskrit Poem

(1)

madhuram madhurebhyo ‘pi
mangalebhyo ‘pi mangalam
pavanam pavanebhyo ‘pi
harer namaiva kevalam

1) More sweet than all other sweet things; more auspicious than all other auspicious things; the greatest purifier of all purifying things—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything.

(2)

abrahma-stamba-paryantam
sarvam maya-mayam jagat
satyam satyam puna satyam
harer namaiva kevalam

2) The entire universe, from exalted Brahma down to the lowly clump of grass, is a product of the illusory energy of the supreme Lord. The only thing that is reality, reality, again I say reality—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything

(3)

sa guru sa pita capi
sa mata bandhavo ‘pi sa
siksayec cet sada smartum
harer namaiva kevalam

3) That person is a true preceptor, or a true father, a true mother, and a true friend also only if they teach one to always remember—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything.

(4)

nihsvase nahi visvasa
kada ruddho bhavisyati
kirtaniya mato balyad
harer namaiva kevalam

4) There is no certainty when the last breath will come and put an abrupt halt to all one’s material plans; therefore it is wise to always practice chanting from very childhood—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything.

(5)

hari sada vaset tatra
yatra bhagavata jana
gayanti bhakti-bhavena
harer namaiva kevalam

5) Lord Hari eternally dwells in that place where truly exalted, spiritually advanced souls sing in the mood of pure devotion—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything.

(6)aho duhkham maha-duhkham
duhkhad duhkhataram yata
kacartham vismrtam ratna-
harer namaiva kevalam

6) Aho! What a sorrow, what a great sorrow! More painful than any other misery in the world! Mistaking it as a mere piece of glass, the people have forgotten this jewel—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything.

(7)diyatam diyatam karno
niyatam niyatam vaca
giyatam giyatam nityam
harer namaiva kevalam

7) It should be heard again and again with one’s ears; It should be uttered over and over with one’s voice; It should be perpetually sung and sung anew—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything.

(8)

trni-krtya jagat sarvam
rajate sakalopari
cid-ananda-mayam suddham
harer-namaiva kevalam

8) It makes the entire universe seem insignificant as a blade of grass; it splendrously reigns supreme over all; it is full of eternally conscious divine ecstasy; it is supremely pure—The holy name of Sri Hari alone is everything.


Lots of Love

Dhanam Jay

Is it easier being a Christian, Muslim or Hindu???

The reason I ask this question is Christians and Muslims have one God really to believe in. Christians have God and well Jesus made it clear that he was the son of God. Even if you think that Jesus is God then that leaves you with still one prospect as Jesus and God are basically one and the same. The same with the Muslims they have Allah and it is clear for them that Allah is the Supreme. Hindu’s on the other hand well the options to choose from are vast and many. Each scripture can be taken and used to justify whatever aspect you decide to follow to be the Supreme and the pinnacle. Throughout History people have taken a verse or couple of versus to say that the one I follow is the Supreme. Is that a justification for their ego or is that to help others find the path to salvation.

This is not however isolated to just the Hindu’s as all religions do the same and propagate that if one does follow this aspect or that aspect you are damned or not going anywhere. Has all this justification bred judgement that because I follow x or y I am better than you.

Surely that goes against what God actually had in mind for us from the beginning. Unity and Love and an understanding that we are all one, an understanding that if I judge my fellow human I am in fact judging myself and God for that matter.

It would be wonderful for someone to send down a memo from God that said you know what, I finally reached my dear Lord Hari and low and behold everyone from all beliefs was with Him. I was so expecting that one or the other group would be sitting outside His fence because they believed in someone else but wow it would seem that They are all His Aspects are all the Supreme.

Eclipse 6th August 2009

So in the space of 2 months the world will experience 3 eclipses. What is the significance of these eclipses, should we avoid looking at them and what should / can we do to negate any effects if there are any?

Today the 22nd July the 21st century’s longest solar eclipse occurred. It mainly occurred over India, Pakistan and Asia at about 5:58am (Pakistan time) and ended approximately five hours later at 11:12am when it began when the moon blocked out the sun.

From a media report, ISLAMABAD: The longest full solar eclipse of this century will blot out the sun today (Wednesday) as it passes over Pakistan and other countries.What is a solar eclipse? A solar eclipse occurs when the moon’s orbit moves between the Earth and the Sun so that the Sun is fully or partially obstructed.

The short space of time that sees the three eclipses is significant as the last time this occurred major change happened in society. The phenomenon is said to have occurred just before the 1st and second world war. Tracing it back there is evidence that it occurred before other such major events in history.

Should you avoid looking at the eclipse and going outside while it is taking place…. YES!!
To negate any affects of the eclipse you should meditate on the 6th August to neutralize any affects it has.

See the 3rd of the eclipses has a purpose and if we trace back to what occurred just after the last one world war 2 we can see that it has a duality to it. What is the duality?
The third eclipse is here to deal with the negativity of the world in which we live. If you stay inside and mediate during or on the 6th the eclipse shall relieve you of your negativity. However as the world in which we live is a duality if you go and look at the eclipse you will be burdened with negativity.

So please try your hardest to avoid looking at or being outside during the eclipse on the 6th August.
The next one on the 6th will happen at the times below: IST is Indian standard time.

4.37 hrs IST in the early morning and ends at 7.49 hrs IST

If you need to convert IST to your time click on the link below and you can then make choose your country and city to see the time difference.

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/personal.html?cities=176,1661,269,168,136,179,106

Words to live by

Here are some beautiful words that we all should digest and learn to live ;-)))

July Insights

What is love and what is light? Could it be that they are the one and the same. When one feels complete love pure unconditional love, one feels light one see’s light. When we speak of moving towards the light we speak of moving towards the love. We know deep inside that this is the way forward that it is the only way. The sense of pure love drives us and motivates us. It pushes us to accomplish more than we are capable of as it acts as the catalyst to breaking our own created boundaries and fears.

Be that which you seek. Be pure love and you shall find pure love. One must first be and then doing will be second nature. Be the love that you seek and then you will start doing everything with love which in turn will lead to having pure love. Having more pure love than you can ever imagine or have been lead to think you can imagine. Can you imagine having more pure love than you can imagine. For most of us that thought is almost way out of our comprehension. But an ounce of being pure love can lead to a ton of doing pure love and that in turn shall lead to an excess of more than 10 tons of having pure love. Be, Do, Have the principle to life. Most often than not we have it reversed. Have, Do, Be. We think that if we have more love we can do more and finally be more love. However one must be love first and not have love. By being you are that which you seek. You are that which you strive day in and day out to remember. Be, Do Have….. Be, Do, Have…… Could it be that simple in life?

Yes it is but being love is harder for us as humans as we have been conditioned this way. We must throw all we know out the window and empty our closet that we have in the mind. This will free you to make the process simple and easy. So if you are destined to be pure love someday then why should that moment not be now. You must empty your mind of previous conditioning for that moment of clarity to take place.

In moving to the heart we free ourselves of so much and yet we connect ourselves to so much more. We free ourselves of negativity and connect ourselves to infinity. A peace and purity inside of you that once tasted even in the smallest quantity will surely give you the understanding and power to complete the journey now and forever.

Sri Swami Vishwananda PT 3

As the week roles on by now after our dear beloved Swami has left, we can only look back at beauty that we all got to enjoy. Lord Narasimha standing in his new home looks amazing. He radiates as the name of the temple suggests. The Maha Jwala Narasimha Temple. What a blessing to be able to go and serve Him on a regular basis. What an honour to be able to go and sit in front of Him and sing His glories.

Darshan was so beautiful and everyone who entered the temple even if they were not smiling came out beaming from ear to ear. A first timer to a Darshan and meeting Swami was awestruck at just how much her heart had been touched. The usual comment of it felt like he was talking to me during his speech resonated from her.

Luckily enough we can plan for our next visit and what a new years it will be. We also will be lucky enough to have Swami with us 3 time next year jai jai jai.

May the love in everyone’s heart continue to flow and spread like wild fire through SA and the world.