Sri Manah-Siksa Seminar @ NJP 08-10 November
New Jagannath Puri (Phoenix)
Your Week Ahead at New Jagannath Puri Temple
Venue: New Jagannath Puri Hall
Times: 07:00pm - 8:30pm
Dates: 8th, 9th and 10th November 2016
Below are some of the details of the Sri Manah-siksa seminar.
Sri Manah-siksa
This
is a 2016 edition produced by Padma, Inc. and compiled by Urmila Devi Dasi. It
includes commentaries by Jayadvaita Swami, Sivarama Swami, Sacinandana Swami,
Bhaktivijnana Goswami and Urmila Devi Dasi.
The seekers of truth, with great hope, embark on the path of spiritual
enlightenment. Their hearts fill with affection for guides and teachers, associates
on the journey, and self-realized souls. Their aim becomes pure love of God,
without even attraction for enjoying divine opulences. But the path has traps
and tricksters. There is a thief who appears to be an eye-catching amorous
partner, and a hungry tigress who lures with discussions of eternal light and
peace. A jewel of love enables the seekers to recognize and avoid those, but
will they succumb to the gang of robbers with strong ropes before they swim
through the ocean of love and drink the radiant nectar that opens the door to
perfection?
Many treatises on spiritual life seem to make everything seem so easy—a simple
formula for instant success if one is just sincere enough. Other books cater to
the hopeful who keep failing and want formulas of reassurance. Yet other
authors speak to the disappointed to condemn spiritual realization as a myth,
which cheaters propagate for personal gain. In contrast, Splendid Instructions
to the Mind (Manah-shiksha) is at once both hopefully inspiring and blatantly
honest. To read it well entails an authentic appraisal of the state of one’s
heart and mind, an experience of recognition and acceptance that is at once
sweet and sour, comforting and uncompromising. To read it well entails
receiving many glowing gifts to triumph over our lower nature and reveal our
true spiritual essence, so that all struggles and illusion become a distant
dream.
Manah-shiksha helps us make sure our compass is set to the right direction, and
our heart is attuned to the mood of the spiritual world. It allows us to
recognize the increasingly subtle thieves and traps on the path, and employ
counteracting measures, finally showing us how the fully illuminated and humble
soul enters into loving perfection.
In this book, we learn about affection and attachment so we can gain genuine
love of ourselves and others. Through respect and integrity, we escape the
pitfalls of arrogance and deceit. These verses are a complete step-by-step
guidebook on the inner, esoteric path of spontaneous love for God. Raghunatha
Dasa Gosvami liberally used metaphor, poetry, and literary ornaments to unlock
our full potential. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has instructed, “Shri Manah-shiksha
has laid down a systematic procedure for one to enter into and become absorbed
in the pastimes of Shri Shri Radha-Krishna; one should follow it without
guile.”
In volume two, each of Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami’s verses is followed by
commentary by Bhaktivinoda Thakura—both prose and song. This edition is the
first time his song commentary has been published in English. The verses and
Bhaktivinoda’s commentaries are richly illustrated with over a hundred drawings
by various international artists.
Additionally, this volume contains commentaries by contemporary senior
practitioners of bhakti yoga from around the globe: Jayadvaita Swami, Shivarama
Swami, Shacinandana Swami, Bhaktivijnana Goswami, and Urmila Devi Dasi. Their
extensive commentaries delight and entertain while inspiring and clarifying.
They easily enable the modern reader to put this classic book into practice in
today’s world.
Saturday, 12 November
Hare Krishna Dear Devotees and Well wishers,
Kindly accept this as a personal invite:
The next Monthly Sankirtan will take place in Tongaat on 12 November 2016 @ 10h00am. Highlights of the program will be Harinam, Food for Life and Book distribution. All are welcome. For enquiries, please contact the NJP Office: 031-5076559
Kartik Festival - 16 October to Monday 14 November
The most auspicious Kartik Festival, Lamp offerings every evening at 7pm.
If you would like to sponsor the daily prasadam, please contact His Grace Atcyutananda das on 031-5076559. Cost of the daily cooking is R508.
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We look forward to your kind association and pray that this finds you all well and in the best of spirits.
Please chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare | Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare - and be happy!