To: tamoharadasa@yahoo.ca
Sent: Wed, July 7, 2010 10:21:38 AM
Subject: How I Revived My Krishna Consciousness
Prabhuji,
I am Anirudh a 33 Year Old Brahmachari from Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya.I am attaching my experience as to how i was initiated into the hare krishna mahamantra by Srila Prabhupada. Hope u enjoy reading it.
Anirudh
new Delhi
India
How I revived my Krishna Consciousness & was initiated into The Hare Krishna
Mahamantra.
By Bhakta Anirudh C R [New Delhi, India]
The Following events happened with me since the Month of October 2006.
1] A Book Named “Some Guidelines towards The Goal Supreme/Inner Life”
Written by Swami Gokulananda, a Monk of the Ramakrishna Mission Order
Landed in my house from Some Junk Heap of a Neighbour. In this book, the
Significance of Mantra Diksha by a bonafide Guru and Japa Sadhana was given so
much importance that I visited The Ramakrishna Mission Order in New Delhi. Coincidentally,
The Author Swami Gokulananda was the Secretary of The Delhi
Branch. He clarified that he was not in a position to give Mantra Diksha and Diksha
could be given only by the president & Vice President of the Math who visited the
Delhi branch once in a year and one had to read the Philosophy and Pass the
examination of the Order before one was initiated. Hence I registered my name and
purchased the necessary books of the order and came home.
2] For the Last 20 Years I was in possession of a book named Japa Yoga, written by
Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh whose reference H H Bhakti Vikas Swami
[ISKCON Guru] has given in his Book “Brahmacharya In Krishna Consciousness”
in which the entire process of Japa Yoga the various mantras etc has been given
according to one’s Ishta Devata. For Many Years, I tried to chant certain mantras
like Om Namo Narayana[ Being a Sri Vaishnava], Om Sri Krishnaya namah, Even
Hare Krishna Mahamantra etc but found that after a while I could not concentrate
on the mantra nor keep up the chanting. After this I Ran a Search on the Internet,
because the name of the Press that had printed Swami Sivananda’s Book intrigued
me which is: The Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy Press, Shivananda nagar,
Rishikesh. This Search[http://www.sivanandaonline.org & dlshq.org] resulted in
Free PDF Book Downloads of Swami Sivananda’s Works on various branches of
Yoga like Karma, Kriya, Raja Yoga, Jnana & Bhakti Yoga Etc. Till date Swami
Sivananda has Written Over 635 Books from 1936-1964. His Life History is a Treat
To Be read & Cherished Like Srila Prabhupada’s.
The Search also yielded, Information about, a 2 Months Residential, Basic Yoga
Vedanta course conducted at the above academy at Sivananda ashram rishikesh for
which I instantly downloaded the application form and prospectus and applied
immediately for the May-June 2007 course. This was in January 2007. In the
Application Form Submitted, a 500 page letter had to be enclosed to The Registrar
of the Academy Stating my Spiritual Back grounds, Future actions and purpose
of doing the Course, for which I quoted that I had read over 100 Times Bhagavad
Gita “As It Is” written by His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
From 1995[ I was 18 years old then] and had completely obtained disillusionment
from Materialistic Life, Being Liberated in the Impersonal Conception of the truth
very well knowing that one’s own body is not one’s and that I planned on
continuing my work further of Computer Hardware & Networking and Remain a
Single celibate{I am One Till This Day] and serve my parents in their old age.
My Admission to the course was confirmed by the Academy & I was very Jubilant
as the course involved study of Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Upanishads,
Yoga Asanas, Karma Yoga etc and moreover it was Free For 2 Months[Three
Meals a Day & boarding Lodging] at a splendid place Like Rishikesh.
In Between From February 2007 to March 2007 end, I was listening to Certain
Audio discourses of Spiritual Guru’s On World Space satellite Radio, where one
Guru Named Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Founder of Isha Foundation
[http://www.ishafoundation.org] Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu State, India was talking
about Spirituality as a Science & by taking to Kriya yoga how he had attained
Enlightenment and His talks were very logical akin to Buddhists. The Same
Enlightenment I myself, had achieved by simply reading Srila Prabhupada’s
Bhagavad Gita As It Is with Lord Krishna Enlightening me from within acting as a
“caitya guru”.
He was giving accurate descriptions of how one can find one’s guru, the symptoms,
etc which were all very logical & seemed genuine and moreover he had a
mesmerizing voice. He was saying that whatever he had attained had come to him
by Sadhana and not by any Scriptural Reading, He has till date not read The
Bhagavad Gita nor does he accept Lord Sri Krishna As The Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
Sadhguru is a Saiva-Saktha akin To Shoonyavadi’s from Rudra Sampradaya & has
erected a 13.5’ Dhyanalinga, The Only Siva Linga for Meditative Purposes in the
Whole world which has all the seven chakras Activated akin to Human Body and
Locked to prevent energy Dissipation for the next 5000 years. Details can be had
from http://www.dhyanalinga.org.
I decided to give Sadhguru a shot as he did not seem to be a bogus Guru and since
he was offering something more than what Bhagavad Gita Offered, even though my
faith in Bhagavad Gita was intact then & further enhanced now, I enrolled for his
basic program 28th March-03rd April 2007[ Donation Rs 1500/- With Sunday
Lunch after initiation] called the 7 day inner engineering program as He was laying
to much emphasis on experiencing the truth 1st hand than reading it from Scripture.
This 7 Day program is held in almost all major parts of the India & also In the USA.
The Program went off good with Sadhguru’s Trained Teachers imparting an
Ancient Kriya Yoga process called Shambhavi Mahamudra & Sadhguru himself
initiating us into The Shambhavi via Video conferencing. This is a 21 Minute a Day
Practice which is aimed at reducing Stress Strain and reduce Sleep Quota To Just 4
Hours a day and has to be done twice for the 1st forty days and there after once
everyday.
This I completed successfully, as it involves simple yoga asana’s and breathing
Techniques. Before the Program Concluded, I was introduced to the Other Higher
Programs, of Isha Foundation named Bhava Spandana where one is transported to
explosive states of meditativeness, and those who had done this program were very
much vouching for it. This BSP was scheduled in June 2007 at the Isha Yoga
Centre, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. However as I was already admitted to
Sivananda Ashram Course I could not go.
I did the above only as a preliminary before leaving for Sivananda ashram on the
April 30th 2007. The Basic Yoga Vedanta course went of Splendidly at the
Sivananda Ashram as It is a True Forest Academy on top of a Hill, with Splendid
view of The Ganges flowing down. I returned home successfully having Shed 10
Kgs Weight, due to the heat of summer and the stress of the course. After returning
everyday I was checking the website of Isha foundation if the next Bhava Spandana
Program for gents In English was scheduled or not and finally on 30th July 2007
learnt that, The BSP In English For Gents was scheduled From 01st Sept 2007-04th
Sept 2007. As it was Guru Pooja Day I paid the donation for the BSP [Rs 750/-for 4
days with Food & Boarding at The Ashram]. Tickets were Booked on the Train and
all was done.
I reached the Ashram at Coimbatore, & had 1st Hand Darshan of Lord Siva’s
Dhyanalinga and felt tremendous energy coming from it. Sadhguru says that those
who come in the sphere of the DL cannot escape the sowing of the spiritual seed
of liberation and this was true. This is a nice place to visit with a 30 feet
underground teertha kunda which has a copper tank with 660 kgs floating mercury
linga. One can take bath before actually having a Darshan of The Dhyanalinga. I
having read Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is nearly 100 times and myself
being a Sri Vaishnava was a little afraid of Lord Siva being a Krishna Bhakta!
The Bhava Spandana Program Started on the 1st Sept 2007 and I would not have
experienced such a nonsensical program, a pure agony for 3 days, A Pure Death
Experience, Doing Siva Tandavam, Awakening kundalini Shakti & Allied
nonsense. On the Last day the 4th Sept 2007, before the program was to end, I
had the experience of my life as I was able to experience each & every participant in
the program as myself and before closing we all danced happily to the tune of
Sweet Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. However The Intense Physical Activity took its
toll and I fell sick and returned to Delhi in an absolutely horrible state. I was in
hospital for the next 15 days. continued...
Comments
program and how a person like Sadhguru who himself had not read the Gita, could
have created something so stupid and painful. Had I met Sadhguru There & then I
would have thrown my Shoes at His Face, such was my bodily condition.
As I was contemplating on this over Lunch in a hotel, a poor boy came and asked
me to buy him food, I could have said no but something told me otherwise and I
asked him to have whatever he wanted. He only had One Dosa and I paid the bill
and before I could speak to the boy, the Boy had Vanished! It Seems Krishna was
testing me.
I came home & was surfing Madhu pandita’s Site Krishna.org when suddenly the
realization dawned on me that my spiritual process had indeed started in 1995 from
Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita “As It Is” & that I was in vain running after
everyone else other than Srila Prabhupada. I had Just Travelled 5500 Kms to Hear
Hare Krishna Maha Mantra which I could have done so at any ISKCON Temple. I
now recollected how in 1995, I was a disgruntled youth not able to Join College due
to Very Low Marks In 12th class and contemplating on Suicide & it was Srila
Prabhupada’s Book that had saved the day for me then and in all these 12 years I
had forgotten everything being so much engrossed in my work, in my motorcycle,
in my computer etc.
I immediately decided to visit the ISKCON Temple of Delhi. This was 27th Sept
2007. I first saw the Vedic Expo and then when I went inside the temple hall and
saw the beautiful Deities of Sri Sri Radhaparthasarathi, I was stunned by the beauty
and my whole body shivered. This was indeed the real Brahman of the Upanishads.
In all these years, Lord Krishna had acted as My Caitya Guru, without the external
spiritual Master and had so mercifully withdrawn The Illusionary energy over me.
I immediately surrendered To Their Lord Ships in Full Intelligence and for the 1st
time attended the Evening Tulasi & Gaura aarti. Also attended Bhagavad Gita Class
and Took Life Membership of ISKCON then and their and for the 1st time bought
tulasi mala & japa bag and started doing Japa and Started Devotional Service at
Home.
In the History of the temple since 1998, I have visited it only twice in 2004 & 2007,
but never have visited their Lord Ships Altars, being just content on purchasing,
Bhagavad Gita from the book shop and returning even though I visit Nehru
place computer market which is just behind the temple almost twice a week.
But this still did not solve the problem as to why I had attended The Bhava
Spandana Program of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev? I was so hooked to the temple that
I forgot all about Isha etc. In April 2008 when I read the book The Spiritual Master
& The Disciple Obtained with the Life Membership, I was stunned to realize that
the purpose of Bhava Spandana Program was to awaken my Krishna
Consciousness, to the transcendental sound vibration & I already had been initiated
into the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra on the 4th Sept 2007, which was Sri Krishna
Janmashtami day and had started doing Japa of 16 rounds from 27th Sept 2007.
Being a Sri Vaishnava, I had already been invested, with the sacred thread, at the
age of 10 years and had been following the 4 regulative principles by themselves
even without my knowing. After becoming aware of the rules for the last 2 years,
Tea, Coffee, Onion, Garlic have also been given up.
The Above process proves that whatever has been stated in the Sampradaya Sun in
the Past, That No formal initiation diksha ceremony is required and that one only
needs to be awakened to the Transcendental Sound Vibration in order to get the
seed of devotion planted in his heart by the mercy of The Spiritual Master is Correct
& true 100%.
Lord Krishna was both testing me if I would reject him & accept Sadhguru as
god[in the whole of his ashram no other photo not even of Lord Siva except that of
himself] & he also knew that I would not be willing to surrender myself to any
guru other than sadhguru due to intellects. As I have studied sanskrit till class 12th
in school, self study and understanding Gita, Bhagavatam have never been difficult
for me.
At the same time, Lord Sri Krishna knew, a Guru like Sadhguru who makes fun of
Krishna[ Words of Sadhguru in his book “Encounter The Enlightened”: “If a man
like Krishna were to appear, and walk amongst us now, he would make all our lives
a pure misery. Your mother would want to dance with him, your sister would want
to chase & play with him. So such a man would be stoned and persecuted and not
worshipped now. It was because all this happened 5000 years ago, you can worship
him as god. If he appeared now you wouldn’t. So your worship is false!] and then
asks people to dance to Hare Krishna Maha Mantra would only invoke Bhakti
within me and therefore he sent me.
Sadhguru has emphasized that as long as one is in Society he/she has to have the
correct mix of all 4 Yoga’s Karma, Kriya, Jnana, Bhakti in order to move towards
mukti and the Job of The Live Guru is to mix the Right cocktail otherwise there is
no punch. Pure Jnana & Bhakti can be done under the Guidance of Guru Only for
full time Sadhakas.
Please note the Timing of my Initiation also! After I finished the course at
Sivananda Ashram! In all these years, I never new who Mayavadi’s were nor their
philosophy even though I had read about it so many times in the Bhagavad Gita
“As It Is”. But now I know and hence avoid them. However Sivananda Ashram is
not a 100% Mayavadi as the founder emphasized Bhakti[He was called Sankirtan
Samrat In Early 1930’s] more than Jnana & stressed On Yoga of synthesis. Even
now Morning Aarti for Lord Krishna in Vishwanath Temple is held at 0600 hrs
daily at Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India & Mahamantra Chanting
happens 24 hrs a day. This is about 2 Kms from Madhuban Rishikesh Run by
Kirtananda Disciple Bhakti Pada Maharaj.
So Srila Prabhupada is my Vartma Pradarsaksha/1st shiksha Guru, Swami
Sivananda The second shiksha[Elevating] guru, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev The Sole
& Only Diksha Guru. I first do Guru Pooja of Sadhguru Then Srila Prabhupada &
Then Swami Sivananda. So No Contradiction! Ultimately As Srila Prabhupada has
said that the 1st Siksha Guru Later on Becomes the Diksha Guru of the Disciple is
100% Correct.
Please Note the Achintya Bheda Abheda Philosophy In my Guru’s also. Since
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Revived my Forgotten Krishna Consciousness &
Showed me who my actual Guru was he is in once sense my Guru. But in other
sense he is not my guru as he simply took me to Srila Prabhupada. Now Srila
Prabhupada takes me Back To Lord Krishna.
The words of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, “You cannot choose your guru, you just
deepen the longing to know, The Guru will choose you”. This is completely true
in my own case both Siksha as well as Diksha Guru.
Since there is no question of Marriage for me & as I have very deep appreciation for
Lord Chaitanya’s sublime philosophy that he has given us & even now I sometimes
contemplate of taking Brahmacharya & Sanyaasa from his Sampradaya but
Srila Prabhupada & Lord Chaitanya themselves have rejected this and said that it is
better to be in one’s own position than take Sanyasa in Kali Yuga.[Recent Article
posted on Sampradaya Sun]
The Next Option for me is to Take Brahmacharya & Sanyasa from sadhguru but
this process would risk losing my individuality which I do not want. Taking
Brahmacharya & Sanyasa from ISKCON is ruled out due to known factors.
Regrettably, I came to know about the Sad State of Prabhupada’s ISKCON & its
past In July 2009 before Sri Krishna Janmashtami, after seeing Caitanya Dasa’s
Blog [http://www.harekrishnadiary.blogspot.com] and further links. Here also I
was saved by Lord Krishna & Prabhupada Since I learnt this after purchasing my
new laptop in which, I am typing this. Since My 1st Visit to ISKCON Delhi, I
myself could see that no inmate of the temple was truly following the 4 regulative
principles sincerely[I am not boasting about my being a Uttama Adhikari, I am not!]
and all were just passing time in the temple. Till date it seems that the Zonal
Acharya regime is continuing in the temple! I have not associated myself with
anybody in the temple and neither will In the Future even though I purchase Srila
Prabhupada’s Books In Advance and Distribute Them. It was Krishna’s Plan to
keep me engrossed in Maya [Motorcycle, Internet, Work, computer] deliberately to
avoid the ISKCON Delhi Temple in all these years from 1995- 2006, as other wise I
also would have wasted my youth In the Service of Bogus Guru’s. Much damage
had happened during this time in ISKCON.
I thank everyone on this Site in exposing ISKCON’s evils and the GBC corruption
for the benefit of others. But it seems there is not going to be any respite for any
one. I would advise everyone to simply follow Krishna Consciousness at Home and
Blend all the 4 Yoga’s for their own growth like I am doing even though I fully
agree that Sankirtan and Bhakti is The easiest and the most effective.
Anybody wanting to communicate with me can send me an e-mail at
Zaysen2001@rediffmail.com & I shall respond within 24 hrs.
Hare Krishna!
Anirudh C R
I have received your story and read it with much interest. Being born in Canada of nonVedic parents and Christian meat eating upbringing, my slate was more or less clean when coming into contact with Srila Prabhupada via the sankirtana movement. This was at age 16, and I decided to join them right away, but had to wait until age 18. My point is that our non-Indian culture is devoid of the intricacies and fineries of spiritual life such as you your good self imbibed at an early age. The only detailed involvement I have is with the principles and service lifestyle of a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, with very littlein terms of ideas from outside our immediate sampradaya. So it was relatively easy to take up spiritual life for most of us, in that there was no question of who was a bonafide Vaisnava guru, clearly Srila Prabhupada was everything we could ask for, so no trying this or that was needed. Just see how Sri Krsna is very very kind to the fallen souls. We were delivered from a sure path to hell. In your case, you had a broad familiarity with spiritual principles from a variety of sources, and so your advancement is more involved with a variety of teachers. In our day, there was only Prabhupada for us.
You have displayed sincerity and a willingness to undergo austerities for the sake of Krsna consciousness, as well as a fine attention to details of sadhana etc. This is typical of the brahmanas, and attests to the power of the varna-ashrama system to create a class of spiritually-minded persons, persons familiar with what is right and wrong based upon a knowledge of sastra.
Your observation that Krsna has saved you from the bogus persons is very correct. I also am much despairng over the temporary mess that ISKCON became compared to the unity of purpose and simple purity which we aspired for and enjoyed in large part while Srila Prabhupada was still with us. As you can imagine, we western-born discpiles had quite a different set of conditioning to overcome. Many of us were addicted to naive personal theisms, such as Judaism or Christianity, even Muslims joined, but yet these religions also were exclusively monotheistic, and so we took naturally to the worship of the Supreme Persons, impersonalims seeming too empty to capture us for long. Though we lacked in sophisitaction of knowledge, our simple faith due to the apparent glory of Srila Prabhupada saved us from maya. We had a simple faith, and only over time did we absorb basic principles and also details of sattvic culture and Vaisnava behavior.
I consider myself in this life to be a demon disciple; born inauspiciously to meat eating parents etc. But even the demons can sometimes become devotees of Vishnu ! This is all by the mercy of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is the greatest of mystic power; to take souls back to Godhead, and makes it known that there is no qualification for receiving this mercy except Krsna's sanction, through mercy of Sri Caitanya, and given this, even fools can become devotees. Witness a world wide movemwent of devotees in all the countries of the world. So, our special qualification as disciples of Srila Prabhupada is the endeavors we were allowed to do to spread Krsna culture. I suspect that the Lord arranged for us to help Prabhupada by our surrendered lives.
You are an intelligent and honest person and devotee. You are 100% correct, you have been initiated for real by accepting Srila Prabhupada's teachings and taking them as your main guidance in life. A simple wholesome life with lots of chanting and sankirtana is best, I dare to say. In fact, you will find that by doing sankirtana you advance very much by getting the grace of Lord Nityananda and Lord Caitanya. If you have not already done so, please read the histories of Mahaprabhu such as Caitanya Caritamrta , Caitanya Bhagavata, Caitanya Mangala, etc. the better to fix you up as servant of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The experiences of Vaisnava devotional sentiments is much enhanced by receivng Their divine mercy. And that we want; Krsna prema.
I am honored by your thoughtfulness in writing to me. I am certain that I have been a Desi is previous lifes, and feel much kinship to you and your approach to life's issues. But now let us finish this business, and while still embodied here, do our utmost to serve the pure devotees and the Lord's lotus feet, as according to our individual talents and capacity.
If I may, I would like to post your story at a website called Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON? It will draw some little flak, in that involement with persons who in our naivete we may think to be influenced by nirvisesa sunyavadi is a no-no for Iskcon devotees, but at the same time it will be good for them to see how Krsna has guided you, and how your approach to spirtual life has been most serious and committed, and that you are fully devoted to this and chanting the maha mantra. https://puredevoteeseva.ning.com/
There is so much we can discuss! Thank you. I hope we shall hear more from you soon, Prabhu Ji. My respectful obeisances.
Your servant
Tamoharadasa v. (ACBSP), MSc.
PS A story from Delhi
We had just arrived at Vrndavana after travellng from Sridhama Mayapura aboard a Mercedes bus which Hansadutta Swami had bought along with a contingent of German devotees. In previous years, I had served on a farm community in West Virginia, Swami Kirtananada's new vrndavana. The lifestyle there was very austere and we were malnourisehed. I contracted pneomonia in the lungs, but it had not yet fully manifest.
I travelled alone from Vrndavana to Kuruksetra for a soalr eclipse, and also to Haridvara. Fever caught me, and arriving back in Delhi, and not knowing the city at all, I asked the driver of taxi to take me to the Ganga. I had one smallish suitcase which I carried.
I found myself weak and ill, and eventually unable to go on. In surrender, i recalled Lord's instructions that He will protect, and I had no option really but to pray for mercy. Immediately a young rikcshaw wala came from across the street to me, chanting Rama Rama. He had seen me, and Krsna directed him. He loaded me on his rickshaw, and took me to a small temple in old Delhi, where we were placed before Radha Krsna Deities! He brought me orange juice, which helped me recover some strength, then took me to his humble apartment with his parents, where i spent the night. They did everything to treat me with respect and love. I regret now that I failed to acquire his name and address, as he spoke no English at all, and I no Hindi. I only wish I could have this information to thank them and try to help them somehow in return.
Your land is very blessed, even the most uneducated and simple people understand a depth of spirtual things. Thank you. Hare Krsna.
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From: C R ANIRUDH