On the 20th of July, I flew from Kishiniev/Moldova to Vilnius/Lithuania to attend the Baltic Summer Festival which is always a nectarean event. This year it was graced by the presence of HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami, HH Ananda Vardhana Swami, Madhavananda Prabhu and his wife, Srutakirti Prabhu and his wife and Navina Nirada Prabhu as main guest speakers, and Sarvatma Prabhu and his wife, Sistakrit and Ojasvi Prabhus as main kirtaneers. Over 6 days around 400 devotees attended, swimming in the nectarean ocean of bliss while absorbing themselves in various kathas during the day and diving into blissful kirtans in the evenings.
Besides giving two seminar sessions on the topic of "Meeting Death With Joy" and one morning class, I spent every day all day at my book table reaching out and connecting with devotees - well known faces and new ones alike - giving personal guidance and distributing lots of copies of my books. The new book "The Vanaprastha Ashrama - Meeting Death With Joy" was especially popular and flew out like hot cakes.... My source of bliss and deep satisfaction....!
Besides giving two seminar sessions on the topic of "Meeting Death With Joy" and one morning class, I spent every day all day at my book table reaching out and connecting with devotees - well known faces and new ones alike - giving personal guidance and distributing lots of copies of my books. The new book "The Vanaprastha Ashrama - Meeting Death With Joy" was especially popular and flew out like hot cakes.... My source of bliss and deep satisfaction....!
We may sometimes hear devotees say, “I am not afraid of death – I am afraid of the pain that comes along with it.” We are afraid of having to tolerate such excruciating agony. Pain is experienced on the platform of the mind and is factually not connected with the soul. The pain is felt in a certain part of the body, and the senses report the unpleasant perception to the mind, registering it as pain.
Interestingly, by intensely concentrating the mind on a higher objective, we can overcome the level of pain experienced on a lower level of the mind. For example, I remember my teenage days when I was the goalkeeper in a handball team. Once, in the middle of an exciting game, I broke my left little finger. Since I was wearing gloves, I couldn’t see my finger bent to the side at a 90-degree angle, but I certainly felt the bone cracking with violent force. Since it was an important match against a team from another city, my mind was fully absorbed and focused on winning it, which we ultimately did. And with such a focused mind, I did not feel any pain whatsoever. So, I continued playing for another half an hour, with this terribly broken finger; my mind was much too focused otherwise to feel anything.
Only when the match was over and I had taken off the gloves, did I see my fractured and bent finger; and that’s when the pain hit. Oh, then it was extremely painful! Similarly, in a war for example, a heavily injured person may still be able to walk for miles, even while carrying an injured friend over his shoulder, with his mind fixed on survival. Another possible scenario is where a mother seeing her child in a life-threatening situation heroically overcomes all kinds of challenges to save her child. In such extreme situations, all kinds of powers can manifest with the mind overcoming pain. These experiences illustrate how one can cross beyond the level of pain when the mind is intensely absorbed in a higher aim.
This fact leads us to the understanding of death being Krishna’s test for us; a test on our ability to intensely absorb our mind in remembering Him alone. Therefore, death as a rule is a very bewildering and painful experience. Krishna tests us to see how attached we are to the bodily platform of life, which immediately distracts us by pain; not allowing us to transcend the platform of the mind by intensely focusing on remembering Him alone. If a handball match can give us sufficient absorption to cross beyond the level of pain, we will also hopefully overcome the experience of pain through our intense remembrance of the Lord in loving devotion at the moment of death.
In just sickness or in pain, very often do we find ourselves groaning, “I feel so bad! I can’t chant my rounds today.” What then, to speak of the moment when facing death? Whenever we experience great pain and suffering, we should welcome it as a great opportunity to practise absorbing ourselves more seriously in remembering the Lord, calling on Him in helplessness and desperation while chanting the maha-mantra. Allowing ourselves to remain trapped on the level of the mind will not help us transcend it at the moment
of death.
Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja set a wonderful example of leaving this world in fearlessness, with his mind fully absorbed in remembering Krishna. During the last six weeks of Maharaja’s life, Srila Radhanath Maharaja stayed at his side, giving him his association, accompanying him on this final journey. He recounts episodes and realisations from his time with Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja in a captivating 5-hour Sunday-feast lecture given at Radha Gopinath Mandir in Chowpatty.
Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja was surrounded by a small circle of confidential care-givers and Maharaja. Every day, both Maharajas would dive deep into Mahaprabhu’s pastimes by reading and discussing the Chaitanya-charitamrita together and holding evening kirtans. Enjoying the uplifting association of his godbrother, Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja became so blissful and ecstatic that at one point, he exclaimed: “We are not reading the Chaitanya-charitamrita, we are entering Mahaprabhu’s pastimes! Life cannot become better than this! Under no circumstances would I want to exchange my present situation for another – even if you would offer me thousands of dollars!”
Due to his intense absorption, he factually transcended the bodily platform and reached such a joyful state of mind, even though his body was in a rapidly deteriorating condition. In this regard, Srila Prabhupada expresses an interesting point in his purport to the Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila 4.186):
"An intense lover of Krishna does not care for any number of material discomforts, scarcity, impediments or unhappiness. It is said that when one sees apparent unhappiness or distress in a perfect Vaishnava, it is not at all unhappiness for him; rather, it is transcendental bliss."
A sincere devotee uses the external calamity to hold tightly to the shelter of Krishna, Who immediately reciprocates by revealing Himself more tangibly to His dear devotee. This in turn allows His faithful devotee to experience ever-increasing joy, even though externally suffering in a miserable condition.
This cannot be understood by an onlooker with mundane vision. Witnessing the joyful state Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja was in, the doctors were in utter bewilderment. How was it possible for a person facing the last stage of cancer – with one leg already amputated and the spine infested with tumours – to be so blissful? From a material point of view, Maharaja was undergoing intense suffering, the nerves of his emaciated body pressing onto his bones and causing excruciating pain. Nevertheless, Maharaja was not affected by his external situation; he had gone beyond the level of pain by his intense absorption in Krishna, experiencing transcendental bliss.
When facing such a condition, others would take a high dose of morphine and all kinds of painkillers to enter a sedated and drowsy state, but he did not take any of these things. His painkillers were Krishna katha and the holy name, which transported him to a transcendental level of experience. However, we need the help and association of advanced devotees; by ourselves, it is very difficult to reach such a deep level of intense absorption. Throughout our entire life we need uplifting association, and especially during this last phase of life, when we face the most challenging test. By the power of the mind absorbed in Krishna, we can be transported to the level of transcendental experience.
On the 30th of July I flew to Paris/France...
Your servant, Devaki dd
Please visit www.theholynameretreat.net
www.therootsofspiritualculture.net
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforspiritualculture/
Interestingly, by intensely concentrating the mind on a higher objective, we can overcome the level of pain experienced on a lower level of the mind. For example, I remember my teenage days when I was the goalkeeper in a handball team. Once, in the middle of an exciting game, I broke my left little finger. Since I was wearing gloves, I couldn’t see my finger bent to the side at a 90-degree angle, but I certainly felt the bone cracking with violent force. Since it was an important match against a team from another city, my mind was fully absorbed and focused on winning it, which we ultimately did. And with such a focused mind, I did not feel any pain whatsoever. So, I continued playing for another half an hour, with this terribly broken finger; my mind was much too focused otherwise to feel anything.
Only when the match was over and I had taken off the gloves, did I see my fractured and bent finger; and that’s when the pain hit. Oh, then it was extremely painful! Similarly, in a war for example, a heavily injured person may still be able to walk for miles, even while carrying an injured friend over his shoulder, with his mind fixed on survival. Another possible scenario is where a mother seeing her child in a life-threatening situation heroically overcomes all kinds of challenges to save her child. In such extreme situations, all kinds of powers can manifest with the mind overcoming pain. These experiences illustrate how one can cross beyond the level of pain when the mind is intensely absorbed in a higher aim.
This fact leads us to the understanding of death being Krishna’s test for us; a test on our ability to intensely absorb our mind in remembering Him alone. Therefore, death as a rule is a very bewildering and painful experience. Krishna tests us to see how attached we are to the bodily platform of life, which immediately distracts us by pain; not allowing us to transcend the platform of the mind by intensely focusing on remembering Him alone. If a handball match can give us sufficient absorption to cross beyond the level of pain, we will also hopefully overcome the experience of pain through our intense remembrance of the Lord in loving devotion at the moment of death.
In just sickness or in pain, very often do we find ourselves groaning, “I feel so bad! I can’t chant my rounds today.” What then, to speak of the moment when facing death? Whenever we experience great pain and suffering, we should welcome it as a great opportunity to practise absorbing ourselves more seriously in remembering the Lord, calling on Him in helplessness and desperation while chanting the maha-mantra. Allowing ourselves to remain trapped on the level of the mind will not help us transcend it at the moment
of death.
Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja set a wonderful example of leaving this world in fearlessness, with his mind fully absorbed in remembering Krishna. During the last six weeks of Maharaja’s life, Srila Radhanath Maharaja stayed at his side, giving him his association, accompanying him on this final journey. He recounts episodes and realisations from his time with Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja in a captivating 5-hour Sunday-feast lecture given at Radha Gopinath Mandir in Chowpatty.
Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja was surrounded by a small circle of confidential care-givers and Maharaja. Every day, both Maharajas would dive deep into Mahaprabhu’s pastimes by reading and discussing the Chaitanya-charitamrita together and holding evening kirtans. Enjoying the uplifting association of his godbrother, Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja became so blissful and ecstatic that at one point, he exclaimed: “We are not reading the Chaitanya-charitamrita, we are entering Mahaprabhu’s pastimes! Life cannot become better than this! Under no circumstances would I want to exchange my present situation for another – even if you would offer me thousands of dollars!”
Due to his intense absorption, he factually transcended the bodily platform and reached such a joyful state of mind, even though his body was in a rapidly deteriorating condition. In this regard, Srila Prabhupada expresses an interesting point in his purport to the Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila 4.186):
"An intense lover of Krishna does not care for any number of material discomforts, scarcity, impediments or unhappiness. It is said that when one sees apparent unhappiness or distress in a perfect Vaishnava, it is not at all unhappiness for him; rather, it is transcendental bliss."
A sincere devotee uses the external calamity to hold tightly to the shelter of Krishna, Who immediately reciprocates by revealing Himself more tangibly to His dear devotee. This in turn allows His faithful devotee to experience ever-increasing joy, even though externally suffering in a miserable condition.
This cannot be understood by an onlooker with mundane vision. Witnessing the joyful state Srila Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja was in, the doctors were in utter bewilderment. How was it possible for a person facing the last stage of cancer – with one leg already amputated and the spine infested with tumours – to be so blissful? From a material point of view, Maharaja was undergoing intense suffering, the nerves of his emaciated body pressing onto his bones and causing excruciating pain. Nevertheless, Maharaja was not affected by his external situation; he had gone beyond the level of pain by his intense absorption in Krishna, experiencing transcendental bliss.
When facing such a condition, others would take a high dose of morphine and all kinds of painkillers to enter a sedated and drowsy state, but he did not take any of these things. His painkillers were Krishna katha and the holy name, which transported him to a transcendental level of experience. However, we need the help and association of advanced devotees; by ourselves, it is very difficult to reach such a deep level of intense absorption. Throughout our entire life we need uplifting association, and especially during this last phase of life, when we face the most challenging test. By the power of the mind absorbed in Krishna, we can be transported to the level of transcendental experience.
On the 30th of July I flew to Paris/France...
Your servant, Devaki dd
Please visit www.theholynameretreat.net
www.therootsofspiritualculture.net
https://www.facebook.com/instituteforspiritualculture/
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