asa[e] free will. cutting tree; deity worship, practical standard
Hare Krishna Guru Maharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
We just came back from India last week.
HpS/ASA - AgtSP! Paoho. We were contemplating your travels and your return. Of course, we had some news.
The birthday celebrations of both children - Dhaasharathi and Chandranana went really well. (HPS Blog). The ayushomam ceremony also went well with around 200 - 300 friends and relatives attending.
One of our friends gifted us a baby Radha Rani. We already have a Gopal deity (Vishaka's from before our wedding, worshipped as Radha Raman) which we were worshipping. Now we are worshipping them together. We are doing daily abishek with water and dressing them. We are also doing full morning program. We also have Paramananda Gaura Nitai (You named them Guru Maharaj). Is this enough or do we have to do something more for the Radha Krishna deities Guru Maharaj? Please guide us on what to do.
HpS - Sounds great to us. We remember a very ancient deity worship workshop that jananivasa das or panchanghri das did in mayapura with about 10 or us. he said that mother yasoda is taking care of most of the deity worship. we are helping.
he said that these are the prioritie:
- love
- cleanliness
- punctuality
- rituals and paraphernalia
From what we have heard from Prabhupada, bathing the deity can be very simple: two hands and one mouth. ring the bell with one hand, chant, govinda jaya jaya, and hare krsna with the mouth and pour the water with your other hand.
incense, lamp, flower, fragrnce/oil, bhoga!!
😃
We are reading the 10th canto during our FMP and are currently in chapter 41. I had a question from chapter 37, Guru Maharaj. In this chapter, Narada Muni lists all the things that are going to happen in the future including the Mahabharata war. How can Narada muni know whats going to happen in the future? Does this mean the people engaged in these predictions dont have free will? How can we understand this, Guru Maharaj?
HpS - A man is walking down the road and he sees a simple fellow sitting on a dead branch of a tall tree cutting off the branch for fire wood. unfortunately the cutter is about 15 feet up and sitting with the cutting work going on the part of the branch between him and the tree.
the man on the ground says, "Hey, be careful, you are going to fall down and hurt youself!". The cutter says leave me alone, go to MacDonalds and throughs some wood at him". The passer by says, "O.K. do what you want to do!". and walks off.
the cutter continues and the branch breaks {picture attached}, falls down cracks his head, comes back to consciousness five minutes later with a big headaches and says, "That man was a great mystic. he could see the future!"
some times we can see that things are very fixed.
other times we can see that they at 50% fixed.
O.K.??? 🙂
We are planning to visit Murfreesboro while you are visiting Guru Maharaj. We will probably come for Radhastami since that is on a Sunday. We are also visiting ISV from September 12th to 21st for the Vyasa Puja of HG Vaisesika Maharaj. Vishaka has taken shelter from Maharaj and is awaiting initiation. Please bless her Guru Maharaj to serve Prabhupada's mission to the best of her abilities.
HPS - Hare Krsna! Please stay in touch to coordinate your visit!!! I took first initiation in the same letter from Srila Prabhupada as Vaisesika Das took second.
Many years of friendship and common work.
I think Srinath told you about this Guru Maharaj, but we are currently working on building the ASA Archive/Encyclopedia website and it's coming along nicely. We will update you and give you a demo once its a bit further along Guru Maharaj.
HpS/ASA - Tom Brown's encyclopedia view of life.
Your humble servant
Sri Rama Krishna Das
HpS - Our full respects to family and Yatra. Thank you always for the cellular.
