AWAKENING - Dare to be DEEP

A few days ago, we celebrated the anniversary of Aindra prabhu. His appearance would prove to bring about the birth, or re-birth of our good fortune. It was his 70th avirbhava tithi. 

He has been on my mind, I frequently associate with his vani, his conversations, his lectures, kirtans etc. Instinctually I searched him out on google one day. What I found hit me like a thunderbolt, a knife through the  heart:

Aindra Das, Vocalist. 

Do we say Abhaya Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami, chemist or business man? Bimala Prasad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, astronomer? Can a vocalist awaken the consciousness of the jiva? So many vocalists are there. Any competent musician can imitate his melodies, his singing. Can they awaken sleeping jivas to embrace the path of bhakti? He was so much more, he still is. I would have been somewhat satisfied if the caption was "transcendentalist" but really it should say Vaisnava saint.

“He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die 

When thou art living still in sound! 

The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try 

To spread the holy name around!”

Of course he was a musical genius, spontaneously embracing the raga system and composing in raga or misra raga almost exclusively for the ultimate pleasure of Radha Syamasundar. However, he was a lot more than that. Almost thirteen years after his departure, his words and chanting are still changing hearts. 

This is our Aindra Prabhu. 

He dared to be different without ever deviating from Srila Prabhupada's instructions... and so can we. It is not about an upper cloth which is neither white nor saffron, or socks, not about the portable harmonium, it is about the consciousness. 

He dared to go deep in his bhakti, so can we. Everything is available in Prabhupada's books. While we chant "I have so many anarthas, anarthas, anarthas...." he chanted Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, lakhs of holy names, daily. The holy name can give you prema, focusing on our anarthas is likely to bring us to nirvisesa vada, as stated by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. 

Meditating on anartha nivritti is not necessary. Giving up gross anarthas, four regulative principles is the equivalent of becoming human. Let's move on from there, other attachments will fall away as we chant regularly with open heart and mind, expecting miracles. Let us dare, have the courage to find out more and more about the Blue Cowherd Boy who steals yogurt, clothes and hearts. Let us dare to desire to serve the Goswamis of Vrndavan in their service to the Divine Couple. Let us develop a higher taste. Aindra Prabhu did, so can we. Srila Prabhupada gave us the recipe for success but we disregard his books favouring popular dictums and giving up on ourselves daily. "I am not so advanced, you know." And why not? what are we doing about it? No one is going to step out of our comfort zone for us, no one is going to chant that extra round for us. Let's assume our responsibility, make this birth our last birth as a conditioned soul, let's make our guru proud. Spontaneous devotional service is Srila Prabhupada's legacy, our inheritance, our privilege. It is our duty to guru to grow this spontaneous love through service.  

sei gopī-bhāvāmṛte yāṅra lobha haya
veda-dharma-loka tyaji’ se kṛṣṇe bhajaya

“One who is attracted by that ecstatic love of the gopīs does not care about popular opinion or the regulative principles of Vedic life. Rather, he completely surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa and renders service unto Him. CC Madhya 8.220

‘aṅghri-padma-sudhā’ya kahe ‘kṛṣṇa-saṅgānanda’
vidhi-mārge nā pāiye vraje kṛṣṇa-candra

“The word ‘aṅghri-padma-sudhā’ means ‘associating intimately with Kṛṣṇa.’   One can attain such perfection only by spontaneous love of God. One cannot obtain Kṛṣṇa in Goloka Vṛndāvana simply by serving the Lord according to regulative principles. CC Madhya 8.226

Let's dare to be DEEP in our bhakti, not because we are qualified but because we owe it to Srila Prabhupada. We want to gain qualification, taste, desire for Radha Krishna Prema. 

Aindra Prabhu ki Jaya!!!

More next time, as I slowly and happily take one step at a time towards Radha and Krishna's Love and pray for the mercy of the vaisnavas without whose mercy I am lost.

Begging to remain the servant of your servants.