Nastyeva! Nastyeva! Nastyeva!

This post has been taken from the Japa Group - http://japagroup.blogspot.com/

Nastyeva! Nastyeva! Nastyeva!

Some time ago I read a very nice book entitled Legacy of Love: A Servant's Quest that speaks about the life of a very wonderful devotee of Lord Krishna named Hladini devi dasi, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. I found the following letter from her to be really inspirational. And that's her on the picture together with Lord Jagannatha:

"I received your wonderful letter it was so nice to hear from you. But I am going to VERY INFACTICALLY AND LOUDLY PROCLAIM ... NASTYEVA! NASTYEVA! NASTYEVA! There's NOTHING more important than chanting those rounds VERY DEEPLY! So many wonderful devotees became prey to illusion simply because they let down their guard. If you maintain 16 rounds and the regulative principles you are completely protected by Guru and Krishna, but any lack is most dangerous. It's like coming to Africa with no vaccinations! (This place is HEAVY DUTY). All our Enthusiasm, Determination and Patience and Perseverance is in those glorious Names. Don't chant inattentively. The earlier you chant the sweeter it is- no static in the air. It's like tuning a radio, there's one fine point without any static. So we have to practice and search for Krishna in His name. Ultimately it's not a mechanical method. When Krishna is pleased by your struggle and perseverance to contact Him He reveals. This process is SO PERSONAL. Krishna wants to give us everything but we are so slow. That's why association is everything. You must BECOME the association. One small candle can burn down an entire fortress. One enthusiastic devotee can inspire masses. This process is so powerful, so dynamic, but the devotees aren't going deep into it. Then when Maya comes with her army of obstacles and allurements there is no higher taste to combat."

Letter from Hladini to Yamuna, February 23, 1989

Exerpts from Victory Over Death - The Human Body

"...The human body is fully equipped to achieve this end." Therefore, one must conquer the pushing agents of the material senses like the urge to speak, the mind's demands, actions of anger, tongue, belly and genitals, and focus all one's energies in service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to fulfil the actual purpose of human life.
Pg. 8

...Thus the brief span of human existence is like crossroads, where a traveller can choose one of many paths. And when one falls down into lower species, one has to finish the term in those animal species, exactly like a prisoner who is subjected to imprisonment for a fixed period of time, after which one again gets an opportunity of a human body.

The human body is awarded to give an opportunity to the suffering soul, to realise the Lord and return to His abode. If one neglects this goal, one may repeatedly be cast in innumerable lower bodies to suffer repeated birth and death. Thus, a sane human being should wake up to the truth and plan for himself, how to approach death successfully so that one will not have to return again to this world of repeated birth and death.
Pg. 23

The glory of Sri Krsna

On an altar made of gems in the principal temple of Vrndavana, amidst a forest of desire trees, Lord Govinda, the son of the King of Vraja, sits upon a throne of gems and manifests His full glory and sweetness, thus enchanting the entire world.


(Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi 5.220)

Undivided faith in the Lord and His name

One who worships the Supreme Lord and His holy name with undivided faith, knowing Them to be identical, is considered an elevated, first class devotee, even if he does not understand the intricacies of his own spiritual identity.

- Srila Jagadananda PanditaPrema Vivarta, Chapter 12

The occupational duty..

dharmah svanusthitah pumsām
visvaksena-kathāsu yah
notpādayed yadi ratim
śrama eva hi kevalam

The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.