Samarpan

A Monthly e-Magazine by 

Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas

Issue: 24    

                     July 2018
In This Issue
यस्य देवे परा भक्तिः यथा देवे तथा गुरौ |
तस्य्ऐते कथिता ह्यर्थाः प्रकाशन्ते महात्मनः ||

yasya deve parā bhaktiḥ yathā deve tathā gurau 
tasyaite kathitā hyarthāḥ prakāśhante mahātmanaḥ 
Shvetashvatar Upaniṣhad (6.23)

"The imports of all the Vedic knowledge is revealed within the hearts of those who engage with unflinching faith in devotion toward Guru and God."
From the Editor's Desk
Not all spiritual truths are immediately perceptible; some of them can only be experienced after having attained sufficient elevation on the path. If we only accept what we can presently verify or comprehend, we will be bereft of the higher spiritual secrets. Faith helps us accept what we cannot understand at present. Jagadguru Shankaracharya has defined faith as:

गुरु वेदान्त वाक्येषु दृढ़ो विश्वासः श्रद्धा |
guru vedānta vākyeṣhu dṛiḍho viśhvāsaḥ śhraddhā |
"Faith means firm confidence in the words of the Guru and the scriptures." 

When we place such faith in the true Guru, and surrender to God under his guidance, it opens the pathway for our eternal welfare.

This Guru Purnima, let us revere and venerate such Gurus, who have endowed us with eternal blessings!
Bhakti Ras
Faith in True Guru Opens the Pathway for Eternal Welfare

Faith in the teachings of Guru has immeasurable power to transform our barren hearts into fertile grounds of devotion. The world can be won with great intellectual capabilities; however, the grace of Guru is received only by practicing devotion with humility. Even if one were illiterate and cannot comprehend the divine teachings of the Guru, but reposes faith in him, one will benefit immensely.

Totakāchārya, one of the four disciples of Ādi Śaṅkarāchārya, attained divine knowledge through the grace of his Guru alone. Totakāchārya was a boy named Giri when Ādi Śaṅkarāchārya came into his life and accepted him as his disciple. Giri was not as bright as the other disciples - Sureshwara, Padmapāda, Hastamālaka - were, but he was devoted to his Guru and served his Guru with utmost love and dedication. Although he could not comprehend his Guru's teachings as the other disciples could, he would listen with rapt attention and in great faith. The other disciples had the misconception that Giri was less intellectual than they were, that he failed to grasp the subtle significances of the Vedic verses, and therefore they discounted him. 

One day, while Giri had gone to the river to wash the Guru's clothes, Ādi Śaṅkarāchārya waited for Giri to return before he could start his exposition. Watching this, one of the disciples questioned impatiently, "Guru ji, why should we wait for one who he is no better than a wall?" To prove Giri's faith and devotion, and to quell the pride of his other disciples, Ādi Śaṅkarāchārya in an instant illuminated Giri and called out to him.

Enlightened by his Guru's grace, Giri returned from the river in a blissful state. Right at the moment, he composed extemporaneous Toṭakāṣṭakam in praise of his Guru Ādiśaṅkarāchārya. From then on, the humble Giri went on to become Totakāchārya, one of the foremost disciples of Ādi Śaṅkarāchārya.

Such is the grace of a true Guru! Now, the question of paramount importance is - who is a true Guru? The meaning of the word 'Guru' is:

गु शब्दस्त्वन्धकारस्यात् रू शब्दस्तन्निरोधक: ।
अन्धकार निरोधित्वात् गुरुरित्यभिधीयते ।।
gu śhabdastvandhakārasyāt ru śhabdastannirodhakaḥ
andhakāra nirodhavāt guurityabhidhiyate
(Advaya Tārakopanishad 16)

"The syllable 'gu' means darkness, and 'ru' means to destroy." Hence, one who dispels our nescience and brings to us the light of true wisdom is the Guru. A true Guru has two qualifications - Śhrortirya and Brahm Niṣhth. Śhrortirya means one who possess theoretical knowledge of the scriptures. Brahm Niṣhth means one who has realized that knowledge and is seated in the Truth. Of the two, the second criterion is the most important one, that is the Guru must be God-realized. And our scriptures have extolled the position of such true Guru to God. Shree Krishna himself reveals:

आचार्यं मां विजानीयान् नावमन्येत कर्हिचित् |
न मर्त्यबुद्ध्यासूयेत सर्वदेवमयो गुरुः ||
āchāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nava manyeta karhicit |
na martya buddhyā sooyeta sarva deva mayo guruḥ ||
(Shreemad Bhagavatam -11.17.27)

"Know the Guru to be Myself. Never think unfavorably about Him. Do not use your material mind to comprehend the Guru's divine actions, for all forms of God dwell within Him." When we surrender our intellect to such a true Guru, and perform actions in accordance with his teaching, we progress rapidly towards our spiritual goal, and it transforms our lives for eternity. Thus, "the true Guru is someone who has no personal desires of his own.  He has merged his will with the will of God.  Also, he is free from any pride and self-seeking.  Such a Guru does nothing of his own accord.  God becomes his guide and inspires his actions from within.  Thus, the Guru becomes an instrument through whom God does his divine work of elevating souls in the world."  Essence of Hinduism, Authored by H. H. Swami Mukundananda ji.
Wellness for Life
Visualize Your Relationship with Your Guru
In this issue that celebrates Guru Purnima, below is a script for meditation to help you visualize your relationship with your Guru. You might consider asking someone to read this script out for you to help your meditation.

"You are in the family room of of your house when you hear the front door bell ring. You are not expecting anyone and wonder who might be at the front door. You open the door and to your amazement, you see your Guru standing there with a smile on his face. The scene seems familiar, as if right out of your dream. You are shaking in disbelief and blink a few times to make sure you are not dreaming. You break out of your reverie and touch your Guru's feet and invite him to come inside your house and sit on the main sofa in your living room. 

Your Guru sits down and says that he was passing by the neighborhood and decided to visit you. Tears roll down your eyes in sheet bliss and disbelief. You sit down on the floor at your Guru's feet and then remember basic hospitality. You quickly stand up and get a drink of water, making sure that the temperature is moderate. Your Guru takes the glass of water, drinks it and asks you to sit down. He asks about your family members and you tell him that they are all at work or elsewhere whereas you returned home early. You think about the intuition that brought you home earlier than usual. 

You feel compelled to offer some seva but are not sure of what or how. You ask your Guru if he would like some snack or dinner. He says that he would leave shortly because of other commitments. You humbly seek your Guru's permission to wash his feet knowing full well that you may not have the caliber to perform such a seva. To your surprise he agrees. You are elated and quickly fill up a flat parath with lukewarm water. You quickly run outside and pluck some roses and break the petals into the water. You bring soft washcloths and a towel. You bring the parath and set it by the sofa in front of your Guru's feet. You go back to the kitchen to get a jug of warm water. By the time you return, your Guru has placed his feet in the water. Once again you seek his permission and lift his foot, gently washing with one hand while pouring water with the other. You repeat with the other foot. You then gently lift one foot and wipe the water off your Guru's feet. The foot keeps getting wet because of your unstoppable tears. When you have wiped both feet, you express your deepest gratitude to your Guru for gracing you with this opportunity and for teaching you the meaning of such graces. 

Then your Guru gets up and is ready to leave. You are still in a state of shock and disbelief and profusely thank him for his expression of love and grace. You make a commitment to intensify your seva bhav toward God and Guru.
JKYog Youth Leadership Workshop Inspires Future Leaders
Aspiring youth took advantage of the 2 day Youth Leadership Workshop organized by JKYog held at the temple July 12 and 13th to hone their leadership skills. In the all day sessions successful entrepreneurial and business leaders conducted interactive sessions where youth learned through interactive games, case studies, lectures, question and answer sessions.

High school and college age youth seized the opportunity to do self-analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, deepen their understanding of what it takes to lead, as well as come to understand the types of challenges which may lurk along the journey of self-development.

Swami Mukundananda, world renowned spiritual teacher, along with a faculty of seasoned company executives, conducted the sessions. A shark tank style innovator competition with judges further engaged young inspired minds Parents also attended the concluding networking dinner where both youth and parents pursued further discussions and dialogue with the ambitious youth about their aspirations, and goals.
                  
                   
Shree Sita Ram Hanuman Murtis Prān Pratiṣṭha
The momentous Shree Sita-Ram-Hanuman Prān Pratiṣṭha ceremony was conducted from June 29th through July 3rd 2018. Enjoy glimpses of Pran Pratishta, Kumbabhishekam, and the various Poojas conducted at Radha Krishna Temple.

                    
         
                   
JKYog Spiritual Retreat & Family Camp 2018
                    
The JKYog, week-long spiritual retreat from July 4th - 11th drew two hundred participants, from all across the US, to the Radha Krishna Temple in Allen, Texas.

Since it was the first anniversary of the temple, many community partners were acknowledged for their support. One of the distinguished guests - Steve Terrel, Mayor of Allen city - while recognizing the Radha Krishna Temple's efforts in bringing the community together, expressed his appreciation for the rapid growth of the temple within a short period of one year.

On the whole, the unique 7-day retreat was a sheer shower of abundant grace of Hari-Guru. No single participant wanted it to come to a close. Everyone bade farewell with a heavy heart but looking forward to the next year's summer camp already.

Shrimad Bhagavat Mahapuran starts this Saturday!

July 21st to 27th

Discourses in English by Swami Mukundananda. 
 
FREE week-long program. All are welcome!

Shrimad Bhagavatam is considered to be the essence of all Vedic teachings. In all the Vedic scripture, the position accorded to the Srimad Bhagavat Mahapuran or the Bhagawat Katha is exceptional. It is written by Ved Vyas who is the descension of the Supreme Lord himself. Swami Mukundananda ji will relate this blissful Katha at Radha Krishna Temple, Allen, TX .

Timings:
Saturday, July 21st: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Sunday, July 22nd: 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Mon, July 23rd to Fri, July 27th: 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Dinner prasad will be served daily after program.
To RSVP for morning walk program, click here 

Exciting news!!

Registrations for Bal-Mukund - Specially designed character building program is now open! Classes offered every Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm. 
Please register your child.

Bal-Mukund is a holistic program for physical, mental, emotional & spiritual upliftment in Children. A study conducted on that parents at the USA Bal-Mukund students has shown extremely positive improvement in the awareness of Indian culture, values, Indian language proficiency, public speaking, social skills, focus and concentration! Most importantly the program is beautifully designed to make it interesting for different age groups. Survey results show that 98% agree that their child loves attending Bal-Mukund program!! Then...why wait?
Weekly Temple Events
For free weekly community offerings, please click here

Hanuman Chalisa                   - Tuesdays 7:15 pm
Lalita Sahasranamam             - Fridays 6:45 pm
BG Study Circle                       - Saturdays 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Vishnu Sahasranamam           - Sundays 9:30 am
Weekly Satsang                      - Sundays 10:30 am
Radha Krishna Abhishek        - 2nd Thursday 6:30 pm
Akhand Kirtan                         - 2nd Friday 7 pm to midnight        
Yoga Classes                          - Mondays 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm and Saturdays 8 am to 9:15 am

 

'Dollar A Day' - Pledge Continuous Support!

 

Donate a Dollar a Day towards the building and upkeep of the Radha Krishna temple! By donating just $1 everyday,
you'll help this noble cause!

 How many of us have the opportunity and are fortunate enough to build a house for God?

Set up monthly contributions through credit card/debit card by calling: 860-605-3685 or by visiting temple website at Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas (click).