Saturday, August 11, 2012

H. H. Acharya Prabhakar Mishra merges in Krishna on Janmashtami 2012

[caption id="attachment_894" align="aligncenter" width="304"] मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद् यतति सिद्धये॥                                                यतिताम अपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन् माम् वेति तत्त्वतः॥[/caption]

Beloved disciples and friends,

Today is Krishna Janmashtami and I wish each one of you love and light of divine in your heart.

Krishna Janmaashtami is very special day for Vaishnavaites and equally so for everyone who is chanting mahamantra ""ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय" or the Gaudiya chaitanya mahamantra "हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे | हरे राम हरे राम, राम राम हरे हरे ||" popularized by AC Bhakti Vedanta Srila prabhupada ji, founder of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). And why not it be so? After all this day is the reminder of the master words "यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवतिभारत, अभ्युथानम अधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम". For sure He comes.. He appears to create a balance between good and evil on this plane of life.

Not many know that Srila Prabhupada ji who was earlier known as Abhay Charan Dey (this is from where his AC of his name comes) spent good six years with Acharya Prabhakar Mishra in Jhansi (during 1951-56) learning about Srimad Bhagawatam. In that sense Acharya Prabhakar Mishra was vidya-guru of Prabhupada ji. On the other hand it was Sri Bhakti Vedant ji (AC Dey) who pestered Dr. Prabhakar Mishra to assume the name Acharya Prabhakar Mishra as indeed he was Acharya - Sanskritacharya, Ayurvedacharya and also jyotishacharya. At the end of it all before Bhakti Vedanta ji left Jhansi, he declared that Acharya Prabhakar Mishra is his first disciple and Dr. Prabhakar Mishra in all humility accepted the honour.

There was a great long association between these two great souls. They at many occasions worked together and spent good times watching ISKCON grow. Even the Vrindavan ISKCON temple was inaugurated in benign presence of Achrya Prabhakar Mishra (who was invited by Bhakti-vedanta ji)... There is so much to tell about their association and I will definitely do that later.

Today, 10th August 2012 is also important because today Yugpurush Acharya Prabhakar Mishra has chosen to merged his consciousness the divine. Today he reaches - Krishna's loka, and what could be a better day than this - Krishna Janmashtami. I am sure he knew that his Guru is there to welcome him there. Bhakti Vedanta ji once danced like mad and Acharya Prabhakar Mishra was witness to it. I know today also he is  witness to the similar divinely ecstatic dance of his Guru in that realm!

After my father, Pt. Murli Dhar Mishra ji whom I called babuji throughout my life, it was Acharya Prabhakar Mishra in whom I found a fatherly figure for myself. I requested Acharyaji to allow me to call him babuji and he, out of his compassion agreed to my whim. I learned a lot through Acharya ji's words. Goswami Tulsidas ji has rightly said that "बिनु सत्संग बिबेक न होई, राम कृपा बिनु सुलभ न सोई|". I count myself really lucky and favourite of divine to have gotten so much love and care from many saints and Acharya ji is one of them. I remember, me and my disciple friend Swami Mohan Siddhant would spend hours in his company and Babuji will would not tire showering his love and affection. He will go on sharing his past experiences, comments on religious scriptures and how Sanatan Dharma is THE religion and many more. I can not stop but cherish all those love and light filled moments throughout my life. It was Babuji's insistence that I accepted the post of president for Delhi state in World Religious Parliament. I attended to many functions. He would always invite me personally. The last event was his honor at ISKCON auditorium, Delhi on assuming the Jagadguru Shankaracharya seat of Indraprastha peetha.

When my father Pt. Murli Dhar Mishra ji chose to leave this worldly plane I still remember sending out that weird sounding sms to all my friends which read "With mixed feelings I wish to inform you that today at 4:00 PM my beloved father taught me his last lesson of life to me that "life is not permanent" it was really moment of mixed feeling and today once again I am finding me in the same situation. The memories give me reasons to feel joy and pride in being Acharya ji's favourite and to have received so much of his love and guidance but the NOW moments teases me and says "You are no more going to listen to Babuji's authoritative voice again. You are here in Mumbai and will not get to bid him final farewell.."

I still remember Acharya ji saying to me one day "अरे  भाई  अज्ञातदर्शन जी  (he would always suffix "ji" in my name) मैंने  आप  को  विश्व गुरु  बनाने  का  निर्णय  ले  लिया  है . पर  भाई  ये  उचित  समय  आने  पर  होगा " and I said "बाबूजी , आप  का  आशीर्वाद  पर्याप्त  है मेरे लिए|" Today, I know his blessings are with me..

May his soul rest in peace and his wise words keep guiding those who earnestly desire so..

- Acharya Agyaatdarshan Anand Nath

N.B. - H.H. Acharya Prabhakar Mishra's last rites will be performed at 11:00 AM, 11th August 2012 at Nigam Bodh Ghaat, New Delhi. I personally request each one of you (who are in Delhi and nearby) to attend to this on behalf of Sacred Association.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Guru Saakshaat Parabrahm

[caption id="attachment_69" align="aligncenter" width="225"] || Let your Guru be your Guiding Principle ||[/caption]

Hi AD,
My guru is sadhguru Jaggi vasudev. My Guru said that the Year 2012 is going to be very condusive for spiritual growth.
Not Only sadhguru many others also told. And some of them said that many people will be enlightened whose consciousness is high and may people will perish whose consciousness is low. I want to know ur perspective on this perishing and mass awakening Business. Is it true that many people will get enlightened and what can i do to get my share for sure(:P).
Thank you sir.                    - Mahendhar

 

Beloved Mahendhar,

If your Guru (JV) says - it is so (for you), I don't see any reason to doubt it. If he is saying so, he must be saying so with a motive even if that happening is not sure. Not sure what prompts you to seek approval or reconfirmation from anyone else on His statement.

Without getting in to the debate of whether 2012 will be an year of reward (although half of that is already almost getting over and not much change has been around!) and punishment, let me try answering your second part of question. To get one's share of divine love and light (this year or in years to come) a spiritual seeker,

- Must get aligned to a Guru or Master and
- Should sincerely practice as suggested by Master
- Have complete faith in his Master's words

It is alright to have discussions in real and virtual world on topics which concern/bother you but never to cross-check or obtain second opinion on your Guru's words. If you call someone Guru then treat him like a Guru or else you can always drop your Guru and move on. There is nothing wrong in moving on but before you do so, ensure by virtue of introspection and self-evaluation that you did everything what your Master suggested, gave your 100% to his methods for sufficiently long periods of time. Patience is important. All great sages have praised patience and faith above all. Sai of Shirdi gave so much importance to these two qualities that every temple dedicated to His holiness flashes these two words right at the entrance.

People feel Gurus and Masters want this blind faith for themselves - that is not true. Unless a disciple is able to rest his complete faith in his guru, he remains doubtful and thus slackness creeps in in his attitude. And halfhearted efforts or doubtful attitude is never congenial for spiritual transformation.

If water boils at 100 degree Celsius it requires 100 degree only. Keep the water at 99 degrees forever but it will not never boil. Similarly your attitude should have 100% faith and devotion towards the words of your Guru.. Methods given to you may not be working. The same would have worked for others but it is not working for you.. don't give up. Just state your problems with your Guru - He shall fine-tune the practices if needed. It happens sometime - Guru's become over-enthusiastic about one particular (now a days it is mostly patented one for commercial reasons) technique. They hope (rightly so because if method worked for maximum number of people who came to him he becomes mass-communicator) that their patented method will work in all cases. Gurus may also sometimes get wrong. - but if he is really concerned he will make you reach a stage where he can give following farewell instruction as below -

सत्यम्  वद् धर्मम्  चर् स्वाध्यायान्मा  प्रमदः।
आचार्याया  प्रियम्  धनमाःरुत्य  प्रजातन्तुं  मा  व्यवच्चहेत्सिहि ॥
सत्यान्न  प्रमदितव्यं, भूतये  न  प्रमदितव्यं, स्वाध्याय्  प्रवचनाभ्यां  न  प्रमदितव्यं,
मातृदेवो  भव , पितृदेवो  भव , आचार्यदेवो  भव , अतिथिदेवो  भव  ॥
यानि  अन्वद्यानि कर्माणि  तानि  सेवितव्यानि  नो  इतराणि,
यानि  अस्माकम्  सुचरितानि  तानि  त्वया  उपास्यानि  नो  इतराणि॥
अएष  आदेशः  ॥ अएष  उपदेशः ॥
अएषा  वेदोपनिषत l अतदनुशासनं अवमुपोऽसितव्यं  ॥


Shivoham

- Ach. Agyaatdarshan Anand Nath