Indradyumna_Swami

“The Land Down Under” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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“The Land Down Under” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami is now in Australia, visiting the beautiful New Govardhana temple community there.

To describe the visit so far, Indradyumna Swami wrote in a Facebook post:

I am visiting one of ISKCON’s most successful projects, New Govardhan, a rural community of devotees in New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1979 and set on 850 acres of land, the project is home to 1,000 devotees. Next weekend they will host the famous Sacred Sounds Kirtan Retreat.

He gave a Srimad-Bhagavatam class and he will also be leading kirtan during the upcoming kirtan retreat there. He is traveling with his beloved Giriraja, Nrsimha, and Siva lingam, which has been worshipped since the year 1635:

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For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

Indradyumna_Swami

“We have to die before we die” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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“We have to die before we die” – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami went to the original Chir Ghat last week, on the shore of the Yamuna River, and offered obeisances at the tree where Krishna hung up the clothes of the Gopis. While there, Indradyumna Swami spoke on how there is nothing material in the relationship between Krishna and the Gopis. The Gopis have completely transcendental bodies, as does the Lord. Indradyumna Swami reminded us about how Srila Prabhupada says lust is like iron and love is like gold. The pastimes of Krishna with His devotees are completely pure and indicate very deep loving exchanges.

Interestingly, there is a Chir Ghat in Vrindavan town also, but Indradyumna Swami noted that Srila Jiva Goswami says that this place is the original Chir Ghat/tree. He also noted that Srila Jiva Goswami writes that we must give up all material identity and all material attachments, any attraction to this world. We have to come before the Lord with a pure spiritual desire to serve Krishna. He quoted His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja saying, “We have to die before we die,” which means we have to give up our material identity completely to awaken our spiritual identity.

To encapsulate this visit, Indradyumna Swami wrote in a Facebook post:

Today we were blessed to visit the original Chir Ghat, where Lord Krsna stole the clothes of the gopis. There we embraced the same tree that Krsna sat in 5,000 years ago. Nearby we took darshan of the goddess Katyayani, whom the gopis prayed to get Krsna as their husband. The whole experience was very deep and mystical and was enhanced by the extraordinary beauty of the Vrindavan countryside.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

Pick Yourself up Nine Times – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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Pick Yourself up Nine Times – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami went to several holy places in Vrindavan connected to the pastimes of Lord Brahma. While at Brahma Kunda in Vrindavan, he mentioned that Lord Brahma is important in our sampradaya, because he is the original guru in our sampradaya, having been enlightened by Krishna (who is, of course, the actual original Guru). Indradyumna Swami went on to mention that Lord Brahma’s prayers, the Bramha-samhita are essential for understanding Krishna Consciousness. In fact, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta recommended that we read or sing them every day. Everything is contained in them.

He said that these prayers of the Brahma-samhita were composed after Lord Bramha realized his mistake in stealing Krsna’s cowherd boyfriends, cows, and calves. Brahma came to this particular spot and cried in remorse here and his tears filled the kunda. While it’s dry in the warmer seasons, in the monsoon season, the kunda fills up with water.

Indradyumna Swami explained that sometimes devotees make mistakes. Sometimes due to conditioning or weakness, devotees fall down but our philosophy is that they are to be forgiven. An acquaintance of his who is an imam in the Muslim tradition said that it’s understood in their religion that if you fall down eight times, you pick yourself up nine times. Of course, you must want to rectify yourself and want to be situated properly on the path of Krishna Consciousness. So remorse is the first step. Then, comes asking for forgiveness from the Lord, the Vaisnavas, and Guru and being committed to not making the mistake again.

To encapsulate this and other travels, Indradyumna Swami wrote in a Facebook post:

Today we visited a number of places related to the Brahma Vimohana Lila in which Lord Brahma steals Krsna’s cowherd boyfriends and cows. We took darshan of an ancient tree the boys took prasadam under, the exact place where Brahma stole the boys and cows, the cave he hid them in and the kunda where his tears of remorse filled up as a lake. Quite an adventure for one day!

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.

Bhayagaon

The Village of Fear – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

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The Village of Fear – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

His Holiness Indradyumna Swami has been continuing his search for new and different holy places in Vrindavan to take the devotees during the upcoming Kartik Parikrama 2019. He most recently visited the “Village of Fear.”

Today, he wrote in a Facebook post to commemorate visiting Bhayagaon:

Today we visited Bhayagaon, the village of fear. The fear refers to when Nanda Maharaja bathed too early one morning in the nearby Yamuna river and was arrested by the servants of Varuna. He became fearful but was soon saved by Krsna. Bhayagaon is also where Jiva Goswami, having once displeased Srila Rupa Goswami, was ostracized by Rupa and lived in a cave for sometime performing numerous austerities and chanting the holy names. Eventually, Rupa Goswami lovingly accepted him back. We spent a lot time in the cave meditating on the many instructions to be learned from the pastime.

Indradyumna Swami mentioned that we can learn a lot from the pastime that took place between Srila Rupa and Jiva Goswamis. If we make a mistake, he said, we should feel remorse, try to purify ourselves, ask for forgiveness and wait for that forgiveness to be bestowed upon us and then go on with our devotional service as Jiva Goswami did.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit the Swami’s facebook page and his lecture site at Narottam. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find many kirtans and classes from the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, his recent Russian tour, etc.