Lifestyle of a Monk in New York City (Part 2)

Click here to head over to Tattva Magazine for Part 2 of my piece "Lifestyle of a Monk in New York City"

Radha, The Feminine Nature of God

From my good friend and fellow monk Gadadhara Pandit Dasa at the Huffington Post

Millions will gather today, in India and around the world, to offer prayers, worship, and devotional songs glorifying the appearance of the Divine mother, Radha (Radharani). Radha descended from the spiritual realm shortly after Krishna, approximately 5,000 years ago. She took birth in the small village known as Barsana, which is about 28 miles from Mathura, the birth place of Krishna.

The word Radha comes from the Sanskrit verbal rootradh, which means to worship, and the word rani, which means queen. Radharani can be literally translated to mean "the queen of worship." In some texts, she is described as "the supreme goddess who is worshipable by everyone. She is the protector of all, and she is the mother of the entire universe."

The answer to the question that has been on everyone's mind for millennia is, YES and NO. The question is: Is God a Man? God is not just male, and according to some Vedic scriptures, God has both masculine and feminine expansions. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna provides a sneak preview into these feminine traits.

"Among women I am fame, fortune, fine speech, memory, intelligence, steadfastness and patience."

However, in some of the more esoteric texts such as the Puranas and the Chaitanya-Caritamrita, it explains that the complete manifestation of God includes his feminine counterpart, Radha. They are inconceivably one and different, as Krishna expanded himself into two for the purpose of exchanging love. There's a beautiful description in the Chaitanya-Caritamrita which gives us a window into the connection between Radha and Krishna.

"Radha is the full power, and Lord Kṛṣṇa is the possessor of full power. The two are not different, as evidenced by the revealed scriptures. They are indeed the same, just as musk and its scent are inseparable, or as fire and its heat are non-different. Thus Rādhā and Kṛiṣhṇa are one, yet they have taken two forms to enjoy the mellows of pastimes."

This concept is not an easy one to grasp. If God is full and complete, why does he need to expand himself to exchange love? The next question we can ask is why does God need to do anything? God has a personality which indicates that he has preferences. Perhaps this need to expand for the purpose of exchanging love speaks of the importance love plays in the lives of all individuals.

Our desire to love and be loved comes from God. For the most part, no one wants to be alone, at least not permanently. The thing everyone is chasing after is love. We all want to know that there are people out there that love us. Simultaneously, we hanker to be able to give our love to others.

There is another passage in the Caitanya-Caritamrita that describes Radha's qualities and love for Krishna.

"Radharani's body, mind, and words are steeped in love for Krishna ... The body of Radharani is a veritable transformation of love of Godhead. Even Krishna can't understand the strength of Radha's love which overwhelms Him. Her transcendental body is complete with unparalleled spiritual qualities. Even Lord Kṛiṣhṇa Himself cannot reach the limit of the transcendental qualities of Radharani."

These are some of Radha's prominent qualities:

1. Radha is adolescent and always freshly youthful. 
2. Radharani is very sweet and most charming to look at.
3. Radha's face is smiling and ever blissful.
4. Radharani is the most exceptional singer and veena player.
5. Radha's words are charming and pleasing.
6. Radha is exceptionally humble.
7. Radha is the embodiment of mercy and compassion.
8. Radha possesses Mahabhava, the highest sentiment of love.
9. Radha always keeps Krishna under Her control. Krishna submissively obeys Radha's command

These topics of divine and spiritual love between Radha and Krishna will always remain a mystery as long as we remain on the material platform. Love on the spiritual platform is devoid of selfishness. The needs and interests on the other take precedence over one's own needs. The kind of love that comes closest to spiritual love is the love exhibited by a mother towards her child. It's full of sacrifice and is completely selfless; it is without expectation.

The feeling of love is derived from the service itself. The child is limited in its capacity to reciprocate the mother's love. Even if it increases its demands, the mother keeps on giving. Most of us can only imagine a relationship where the reciprocation of love and service is completely selfless and without expectation. It's the kind of love our hearts hanker for.

The path of bhakti or devotional service prepares one's heart and consciousness -- by eradicating selfishness and incorporating selflessness -- to understand and experience that divine love which exists between Radha and Krishna.

This is a wonderful day to meditate and reflect on the beautiful selfless qualities of Radharani and pray that we can to some degree follow in her footsteps.

 

Follow Gadadhara Pandit Dasa on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nycpandit

 

The Bhagavad Gita And The Value of Vulnerability

The latest article from my good friend, fellow monk, and Bhakti Center (Manhattan) president and CEO Ramnath Subramanian (Rasanath Dasa) on the Huffington Post

"Always state a strength as a weakness if you are asked about your weakness!" stated Shannon Iorio as she guided me through my mock interviews. "No one wants to hear about your weaknesses!" Shannon was my career mentor at Cornell University's business school, and she had just procured three investment banking job offers for me.

Incidentally, during my very first banking interview, my interviewer handed me a sheet of paper, which stated,

"Investment Banking is a business where thieves and pimps run freely on the corridors and the few good men die the death of a dog!"

In big, bold letters at the bottom it said, "THERE IS ALSO A NEGATIVE SIDE!" With a stern look, my interviewer asked me my first interview question, "Which one of the three are you?"

The message was written on the wall. I was walking into an environment where failure, weakness and honesty were treated as disease. The gravity of the challenge only became evident in the very first week of my new profession after I landed one of the offers Shannon had set up for me. The intensity of success-orientation, the sense of image consciousness, and the drive to be the best filled every nook and corner at work.

In that environment where every junior associate's performance is closely monitored and quickly labeled, I had my first major stumble. I was the only one in my class of 74 associates to fail my first major financial services examination -- the Series 7.

As I walked out of 100 Williams Street that evening, it was a sinking feeling. I waited until all my classmates had walked out -- not wanting to be with any of them. A deep sense of personal failure and the fear of being labeled as incompetent clouded my mind. I was extremely worried about losing the positive regard of my colleagues right at the start of new career.

I was thinking to myself, "I will just say I passed! No one will know anyways!" Determined to save my face at all cost and rationalizing it very well, I made the decision to "cook the books".

That evening, I spent time alone looking inside myself in a way that I never did before. There was an extreme uneasiness to sit and watch my feelings. For the first time, I encountered the fact that in my headlong rush to achieve, I had become a master at repression and a compulsive achievement machine.

I had so long invested in an image that I carefully preserved to convince others and myself about my capabilities. Behind an armor of achievements, I experienced the pain of my own vulnerability.

I realized that I lived in a culture that discouraged vulnerability. Vulnerability is usually associated with weakness -- something that I could be rejected or exploited for. In this culture, I have grossly and subtly ingested the notion that I should not have any weakness -- so much so that when I came in touch with my natural human limitations, it was painfully embarrassing. My idealized self-image was fractured. I realized that in the pursuit to keep the image alive I had invested in an image to gain positive acceptance from others.

As I entered the office the next morning, an excited bunch of associates and analysts were talking about the exam just next to my cubicle. One of the analysts, Matt Fiorello, asked, "How did it go, Ram?" I gathered all my courage and said that I failed. There was silence and I felt the pain run through every pore of my body.

Nobody knew what to say. A few consolations floated and the crowd dispersed. As I sat on my seat, I experienced a state of true grounding -- as if I had let go of a huge load. There was acceptance of my own vulnerability and a simple, lighthearted joy in that acceptance -- a relief that I did not have to live with an image.

Later that evening, Matt stopped by my desk. "I cannot believe you spoke the truth so easily", he said. "No excuses. I feel very inspired. Thank you for being so trustworthy". I was pleasantly surprised and grateful.

That evening, I experienced a deep sense of freedom. I realized how I had unconsciously become a prisoner of my own image. I realized that true personal development needs an honest and compassionate acknowledgment of our human limitations and a proper space to socialize them. We need to accept ourselves before others can accept us as we are. That acknowledgment can prove to be an invaluable guardian against the self-deception mechanisms of the ego.

Otherwise, we become desensitized to our authentic self and begin to package ourselves simply to attract favorable attention. "How do I come across?" becomes the name of the game. Even amongst "friends", it becomes difficult to take off the mask due to the fear of rejection.

The slick, smooth surface conceals the emotional neediness to be accepted as we are. In such a stifling environment, true personal development does not happen. We remain slaves of an image without grounding in who we truly are.

This very lesson is conveyed at the onset of the Bhagavad Gita, India's classic on yoga and spiritual wisdom, where prince Arjuna provides a remarkable example of vulnerability. Arjuna was a veteran of many battles and had never lost a single combat. His acts of prowess, courage and intelligence were world-famous. Yet, Arjuna faced a situation where he had to fight his own kinsmen.

His courage was tested and he broke down in front of his dear friend Krishna, expressing his distraught situation. In a matter of moments, Arjuna turned from a mighty warrior into a weakling, right in front of his opponents. In that exhibition of weakness, Arjuna exhibited great courage. It is that honest expression of weakness that set the stage for timeless wisdom to be spoken. Consequently, he received the strength and inspiration to confront his inner doubts and overcome them.

The same can happen in our lives if we take the courage to be vulnerable; when we learn to walk through the door of fear that has kept us prisoners to our idealized self-image. We can wake up to our authentic potential and experience the sense of freedom. It can also help us better understand and be compassionate to another's needs.

A Humble Request For MacBook Charity

Hello dear readers!

I have a humble and charitable request. I am looking to upgrade from my trusty yet somewhat limited Samsung N110 netbook to a 11-inch Macbook Pro ($1199)

Being an aspiring brahmacari, of course, I ask for your help. The reasons for this upgrade are twofold: the college outreach (cooking classes, Gita courses) at New York University and Columbia University that I am a part of would be facilitated by this upgrade, especially in the matter of being able to show videos and do other multimedia presentations, which are difficult with my little netbook.

Secondly, I would also like to upgrade to a Macbook Pro so that the files for my writing and teaching seva would have a more stable and usable device for storage and usage.

There is also the whole aesthetic factor-to be honest! But that's secondary.

So I humble beg for any help donation-wise, and also if you are looking to unload a used Macbook (no more than 2 years old), I will also gladly take it off your hands as well.

Any donation will be eagerly remunerated by yours truly in terms of any kind of service you may request, to the best of my ability and facility.

Thank you very much! Any inquiries can be directed to me, Chris Fici, at nvclub108@gmail.com

The Birth of Krishna: When God Came To Earth

It's Krishna's birthday! Here's a new article on the whole experience from my good friend and fellow monk Gadadhara Pandit Dasa at the Huffington Post

Krishna means "all-attractive" and avatar means "descent of the divine." Today is Krishna Janmastami, the birth or descent of Krishna, the god worshipped by millions of Hindus around the world. Krishna appeared on this earth, at midnight, approximately 5,000 years ago in Mathura, located in Northern India, 91 miles south of New Delhi.

Krishna is God as never seen before. He wore many hats: child, friend, servant, romantic lover, cowherd boy and killer of demons. For someone coming from a Western paradigm and even for some Hindus, Krishna can easily be passed off as a mythological figure created by a fiction writer for the purpose of entertainment.

However, hundreds of millions of people will perform severe fasts, engage in extended rituals and worship, recite extensively his activities and also the verses of the Bhagavad Gita for the purpose of remembering him and his activities on this day and throughout the year.

Krishna is the speaker of the Bhagavad Gita ("the song of God"), which is considered by many Hindus as the most prominent, referenced and commented-on scriptural text in all of India. The Gita serves as the guidebook for many Hindus and non-Hindus on how to live a life of devotion to God, while also cultivating a healthy detachment from the things of this world. In the past and even in the present, plaintiffs and defendants have sworn on the Gita in the courts of law in India.

Krishna's life has become the subject matter of textbooks in Hinduism classes in many universities and the subject of debate amongst philosophers and theologians. Those who are unfamiliar with his life and activities are befuddled by Krishna, while the devotees rejoice upon hearing and reading the wonderful stories of his life.

One of the most endearing qualities demonstrated by Krishna during his earthly manifestation was his willingness to relate to his devotees in multiple capacities. Even though he is the supreme deity according to the Gita and some of the Puranas, he always experiences great joy in the service of his devotees.

In the role of a child, he would carry the shoes of his father. Similar to Jesus washing the feet of his 12 disciples during the last supper, Krishna, with great joy, washed the feet of great saintly persons. The most prominent act of service demonstrated by Krishna was immediately after he spoke the Gita, when he drove Arjuna's chariot around like a humble chauffeur. The entire time, he obeyed, like a servant, every order of Arjuna.

These descriptions of Krishna's activities can be very difficult to comprehend, especially if one is used to the notion of God being the supreme father who is angry, jealous and eager to punish those who don't follow his law. There are descriptions that better fit Krishna: He's a poet, a singer, a dancer, he likes to serve, and all one has to do is look at a sunset, sunrise or any of the other wonders of nature and it becomes easy to understand the creative and artistic side of Krishna.

What I found especially intriguing about Krishna was the description given in an ancient Hindu text, the Brahma Samhita: "He has an eternal blissful spiritual body ... He is a person possessing the beauty of a blooming youth..." God is not an old man with a long white beard. I found this to be a very refreshing idea! If God is old, that means he falls under the influence of time and is subject to decay and possibly even death. Here he's described as an eternally youthful person beyond time and space.

It's not possible for us, with our limited and inaccurate sense perception and logic, to comprehend the nature, quality and personhood of Krishna. Hindu scriptures and sages explain that one needs to qualify oneself to understand God. Purifying one's senses, mind, consciousness and soul is the prerequisite for gaining access to this knowledge.

For example, before studying calculus, one needs to qualify one's self by studying arithmetic, algebra and geometry. Otherwise, more advanced subjects won't make any sense. Qualities of pride, envy, greed, anger and selfish desire must be purged as they cloud the ego.

Simultaneously, humility, nonviolence, forgiveness and tolerance need to be implemented into our character as they bring clarity into our lives. Without an endeavor to fulfill these prerequisites, God will only remain a theoretical concept.

Getting to know Krishna is a lot like getting to know anyone, as it requires time and commitment. Krishna explains in the Gita that he doesn't need anything nor does he want anything, but one who renders service to him becomes his friend. All-in-all, even though He's the supreme creator and the cause of all causes, he's looking to engage in a loving reciprocal relationship with those who are interested and he promises that it will be a two-way street where he's willing to do his part.

Follow Gadadhara Pandit Dasa on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nycpandit