Arcana E-Book

Jan Wolter

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 159

Beschreibung

"Arcana" An experience in Arcana - Deity Worship @Mayapur Academy is concluded On the last note of our beloved Gurudeva, His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami, I was able to swim in the ocean of mercy of Śrī Guru and Gauranga, here in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma. Śrīla Prabhupāda started worshipping Gaura-Nitai in Māyāpur and instructed his dear disciples to do the same. Jananivas Prabhu took up the service and soon instructed others. It is 2024. We have experienced everything that Māyāpur has to offer. We served behind the curtains to give blissful Darshan of Their Lordships Radha-Madhava Asta-Sakhi, Panca-Tattva & Prahlad-Narasimha-Deva. We danced and chanted extensively in the worlds birthplace of Harinam Sankirtan, and hopefully we tasted a little bit of that Nectar that Gaura-Nitai has to offer. I can only speak for myself, as these four months of International Arcana Diploma course have been deeply transformative and purifying through Sadhu Sanga, Kirtana, Prasadam, Parikramas and the service within the Deity Worship department. Actually, every school day was a profound experience of devotional service, and certainly everyone was blessing us with more nectar. We received so much in the form of wisdom, given by the Acaryas and foremost Śrīla Prabhupāda. We received direct blessings from His Divine Grace's disciples and grand disciples like HG Jananivas Prabhu, HG Kurma Caitanya Prabhu, HG Kṛṣṇa Kantha Prabhu and many more. Also, we received tools to be practically clean and ready for first-class Deity Worship. Hereby, I would like to invite all of my friends, devotees of the Lord, to do the same and come to Māyāpur for this rare opportunity. It is serious indeed, it is intense and surely it is a wonderful way to come closer to Radha-Kṛṣṇa, Gaura-Nitai and the transcendental mellow of devotional service. Praying to always swim in this mellow of Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, Your friend & well-wisher, Yaśomatīnandana Dāsa

Leseprobe

Arcana - A taste of Deity Worship in Māyāpur

© YOGA PLUS

By Yaśomatīnandana Dāsa, 2024, Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur

[email protected]

linktr.ee/yashomatinandana

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Dedication

to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,

Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness



Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept my humble obeisances-

Through your perfect example we could understand Kṛṣṇa, no matter how low and fallen we are.

By your mercy we received the Holy Name, the Dhāma and the process of Arcana, Deity Worship.

May we always remember your glories to everlastingly find shelter in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

In hope this journal pleases you and inspires more people to worship the arcā-vigraha, transcendental form of the Lord.

All glories to Śrī Guru & Gauranga,

Yaśomatīnandana Dāsa (KKS)

Invocation

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya

jñānāñjana-śalākayā

cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena

tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

śrī-caitanya-mano-’bhīṣṭaṁ

sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale

svayaṁ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaṁ

dadāti sva-padāntikam

I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfil the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?

vande ’haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-

kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca

śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṇa-

raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam

sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-

sahitaṁ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaṁ

śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-

lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and unto the feet of all Vaiṣṇavas. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī along with his elder brother Sanātana Gosvāmī, as well as Raghunātha Dāsa and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda along with Advaita Ācārya, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Śrī Kṛṣṇa along with Their associates Śrī Lalitā and Viśākhā.

he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho

dīna-bandho jagat-pate

gopeśa gopikā-kānta

rādhā-kānta namo ’stu te

O my dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the gopīs and the lover of Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.

tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi

rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari

vṛṣabhānu-sute devi

praṇamāmi hari-priye

I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Vāsudeva.

“Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord, O master of the devotees, please explain to me the prescribed method of worshiping You in Your Deity form. What are the qualifications of those devotees who worship the Deity, on what basis is such worship established, and what is the specific method of worship?”

(ŚB 11.27.1)

Preface

„Vrndavana is for residence, Bombay is office for organization, and Mayapur is for worship of the Supreme Lord CaitanyaMahaprabhu.“

Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned in a letter to Guru Krpa how he relates to the Holy Dhamas.

By Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Goswami Maharaja in his Śrī Brahmā Samhita translation we read:

"Let me tell you the mystery. In Navadvīpa (Mayapur), the identical realm of Goloka, on the bank of the Ganges, Gauracandra who is Govinda, the entity of pure cognition, who has two hands, who is the soul of all souls, who has the supreme great personality as the great meditative sannyāsin and who is beyond the threefold mundane attributes, makes the process of pure unalloyed devotion manifest in this mundane world. He is sole Godhead. He is the source of all forms, the Supreme Soul and is Godhead manifesting Himself in yellow, red, blue and white colors. He is the direct entity of pure cognition full of the spiritual (cit) potency. He is the figure of the devotee. He is the bestower of devotion and cognizable by devotion alone. The selfsame Gauracandra, who is no other than Kṛṣṇa Himself, in order to taste the rasa of the pastimes of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in Goloka, is manifest in the eternal realm of Navadvīpa identical with Goloka."

Now, in this line, I want to follow a special request and recommendation by Kadamba Kanana Swami.

He was the one who managed many things but he also wanted his disciples to be first class. For Mayapur he envisioned a beautiful campus for learning the art of devotional service.

With a humble inquiry, if this insignificant servant could study there, Gurudeva gave me permission and a recommendation that I forwarded to Mayapur.

“To whom it may concern,

This is to introduce my disciple Yaśomatīnandana Dāsa, who is a devotee in good standing. I would like to give my heartfelt recommendation for him to follow the Arcana course in Mayapur.

Kindly allow him to enrol.

Yours servant,

Kadamba Kanana Swami “

By this allowance and for my own purification I’ll be attending the course with this journal, study guide and experience book.

I hope to improve in my devotional service as well as in writing capturing this wonderful period of my life. This four month period starts beginning of Kartik and ends on Nityananda Trayodasi, but of course, because it is a process of continuous growth, it will be a life-long learning.

Many questions will be followed up in due course of the writing:

• Who was the initiator, inspiration or spark of motivation to plant this seed?

• How was the preparation or plowing of the field of Arcana?

• Why Mayapur?

• What contents of learning are within the Arcana Course?

Can anyone relate to this course?

• Which mood of worship is cultivated?

• When the process became difficult?

• What is the aim of this learning process?

• Radha-Krsna and who else?

Certainly, many more questions will be answered. This writing is also intended to help the reader navigate through the Course and help myself remember many important aspects, because there always is a very interesting dilemma:

With all the information available, what remains practical and essential?

This is the main point of writing, to boil down the substance and to get the good bit at the bottom of the procedure.

By the way, there will be many similarities drawn with cooking & gardening. First of, because I personally feel connected to Mother Nature and the simple sciences like the two above and secondly, because collecting flowers, stringing garlands and cooking Bhoga, as well as offering Prasadam will be part of the process of Arcana.

Well, right now, sitting in a train to Kolkata I have left Vraja with a good inspiration and entrain to Māyāpur primarily for the course, and also as a perfect opportunity to serve Śrī Guru & Gauranga.

May this writing be successful for Their pleasure.

All glories to all the assembled devotees,

Your writing servant,

Yaśomatīnandana dāsa

Foreword

Kadamba Kanana Swami - Forever Present: A life of worship

Ah, can we live in Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur? Can we become residents of the spiritual world? But even the current place where we live can be transformed. When we have Deities, They bring the spiritual world with Them and that’s the way to transform our home.

je-dina gṛhe bhajana dekhi, gṛhete goloka bhāya

"One day while performing devotional practices, I saw my house transformed into Goloka Vṛndāvana."

(Śuddha-bhakata-caraṇa-reṇu by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura)

Taking time to worship the Deity and making special sacred arrangements is our saving grace. Some of you give more attention to Deity worship than to chanting the holy name. But the emphasis of our sādhana is on chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

“In this regard, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states in his book Bhakti- sandarbha (173) : yadyapi anyā bhaktiḥ kalau kartavyā, tadā; kīrtanākhya-bhakti-saṁyogenaiva. Out of the nine processes of devotional service, kīrtana is very important. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī therefore instructs that the other processes, such as arcana, vandana, dāsya and sakhya, should be executed, but they must be preceded and followed by kīrtana, the chanting of the holy name. We have therefore introduced this system in all of our centres. Arcana, ārati, bhoga offering, Deity dressing and decoration are all preceded and followed by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord — Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.”

(Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 15.107)

Through Deity worship the heart becomes more involved in Bhakti. I remember when I first came to India, I really liked the spiritual atmosphere at the Ganges – the pūjās, the temples, the people bathing, or late at night sending out little flower boats with lights floating down the river or singing religious songs in worship. All of these touched my heart. It immediately awakened a lingering devotional mood in me.

Worshipping the Deity is also a way to regulate our lives. We rise and bathe at a regular time and are steady and responsible about the service to the Deity. But this is not the main thing. When you step onto the altar, you step into the spiritual world. All the arrangements on the altar are like the arrangements in the spiritual world – very opulent arrangements like thrones for Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, beautiful decoration, colourful clothing, and delicious foodstuff – the best of the best are being offered just as it is going on in the spiritual world. In the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa it is mentioned that the Deity should be worshipped in a royal fashion.

Everything is done according to the directions of scripture and if not in pure love, then at least in the mode of goodness. After we have received second initiation we can go on the altar and therefore step right into the spiritual world, although we don’t have love of God and therefore are not actually qualified. We are outsiders who do not really belong there. Still, we enter the spiritual world when we are engaged in Deity worship, but we can only do so by strictly behaving according to the rules in scripture. That takes practice.

Of course, home worship is different from worshipping in a temple. At the temple we have a fixed schedule and if you miss that schedule, that’s an offence, but at home you can adjust the time. However, you should have a maximum standard and a minimum standard. When you are extremely busy you can go to the minimum standard but the basic practices have to be adhered to obviously. The Lord has to eat something; He has to be put to sleep... some things have to go on, but it can be simple. In the 7th canto of Śrīmad- Bhāgavatam, in The Prayers of Prahlāda Mahārāja, there is a reference which implies that when we decorate the Deity, through that service, our heart becomes decorated with love.

The worship of Tulasī can also be done very nicely at home and we can find out more about how to worship her properly. In a letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes, “Tulasī Devī is a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and she should be treated with the same respect given to all Kṛṣṇa's pure devotees. Simply by worshipping her faithfully, a devotee can get himself free of from all material miseries. In The Nectar of Devotion I have given two verses from the Skanda Purāṇa, one of which is: ‘Tulasī is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seeing, simply by touching, simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply by hearing about, or simply by sowing the tree, there is always auspiciousness. Anyone who comes in touch with the Tulasī tree in the above mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuṇṭha world.’”

(Letter to Rādhāvallabha, Bombay, January 6, 1972)

Table of Contents

Part One

Introduction to the CoursePreliminary Work & PreparationsŚrĪla Prabhupāda & ISKCONKṛṣṇa instructs Uddhava in ArcanaValues worshipping the LordBrahminical Qualities & Culture (with Narasimha Kavaca Das)List of brahminical qualities EssayMethod of ApplicationHow systematic Education of Vedic culture helps (with Atul Kṛṣṇa Das)Presentation on “Writing” (with Bimla Prasad Prabhu)Mantras with (Ananda Tirtha Das)The importance of Cleanliness and its application (with Hamsavatar Das)Arts & its Principles in Deity Worship (with Kurma Caitanya Prabhu)Goal of the PracticeOffences to be avoidedRespect & Tolerance (with Premanjana Prabhu)

Part Two

ParikramasPracticumAcamanaFlowersTulasi CareJewellery-makingAstrologyCleaning the Altar Dress DesignSamskarasDeity DressingCookingFestivalsTemple WorshipChallengesConclusionAdvanced literatureAbbreviationsGlossaryResourcesAbout the Author

Part One

Introduction to the Course

“O most magnanimous Lord, the instructions on this process of Deity worship first emanated from Your lotus mouth. Then they were spoken by the great Lord Brahmā to his sons, headed by Bhṛgu, and by Lord Śiva to his wife, Pārvatī. This process is accepted by and appropriate for all the occupational and spiritual orders of society. Therefore I consider worship of You in Your Deity form to be the most beneficial of all spiritual practices, even for women and śūdras.”

(ŚB 11.27.3-4)

It reads “Creating a brahminical vision & spiritual future” - Temple Worship, Samskaras, Dressing, Festivals.

The Mayapur Academy offers outstanding and innovative courses enabling devotees to develop their knowledge, skills & values as pujaris and Brahmānas.

Mayapur Academy,

Chaitanya Bhavan second floor,

ISKCON Mayapur, 741313

Dist. Nadia, West Bengal, India

www.mayapuracademy.org

***

As of the 21st of October 2023, we officially started. Garlanded and before Gaura Nitai we heard a welcome and introductory talk by Deity Worship Minister HG Narasimha Kavaca Prabhu who stressed that there is no better place and time for worshipping or learning how to worship the Deity, then HG Muralidhara Shyam Prabhu, Deity Worship Minister for Malaysia, who mentioned the rewarding experience this course is, then HG Kṛṣṇa Kanta Prabhu, who confirmed this path of purity is bringing us closer to Kṛṣṇa, and finally Bimla Prasada Prabhu, who said that this course is intense and blissful.

All of them, including the facilitators for Mayapur Academy pointed out that our full focus should be on the course, as it is very important and blissful, according to the desire of Śrīla Prabhupāda who first instructed Jananivasa Prabhu to inaugurate a school for Deity Worship.

Jananivasa Prabhu remembers:

“In the bhajan-kutir in 1972, Prabhupāda gave me an instruction while he was talking with his managers. He told them, “This Jananivas is an ordinary person. He has to have some help. He cannot do everything.” At that time, I was the only pujari and I had to do everything morning to night. There were hardly any devotees there. But I loved it. However, Prabhupāda was considerate when he said, “He should have some help. He cannot do everything.” Then he told me, “You should train up pujaris.” I said, “Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.” I didn’t really know what that meant. Then later on in that meeting he again turned to me and said, “So train up pujaris.” I said, “Yes,”.1

“Just like this Deity worship. Our students, first of all they are engaged in a matter of duty of devotional service. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanam (SB 7.5.23). This is called arcanam. But by worshiping the Deity he feels an attachment for service. That is natural.”

(Śrīla Prabhupāda 1971, Bombay)

Preliminary Work & Preparations

“From the beginning of creation, the three words oṁ tat sat were used to indicate the Supreme Absolute Truth. These three symbolic representations were used by brāhmaṇas while chanting the hymns of the Vedas and during sacrifices for the satisfaction of the Supreme.”

(BG 17.23)

Certainly, such a course needs many preparations, internally & externally, mentally & logistically.

First, I heard from the course through other devotees and when the Deity Worship minister, HG Narasimha Kavaca Prabhu personally came to Radhadesh’ Bhaktivedanta College we were all ears.

So, there is an introductory course, and it was very personal and affordable. In Radhadesh a 9-day Temple Worship Course with HG Narasimha Kavaca Prabhu, HG Murli Manohara, HG Manohara and HG Vamsi-vata Prabhus introduced all the important aspects of Puja, Bathing, Dressing, offering Bhoga etc.

When the course was over we were encouraged to get the whole nectar in Māyāpur.

Logistically, the course takes place in the Chaitanya Bhavan on the second floor, with nice bright classrooms and spaces for studying. It is only 5 minutes walk to the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, located in Mayapur, three hours north of Calcutta which can be reached easily from anywhere in the world.

Of course the two principle practices we follow are purity & punctuality, this includes being dressed nicely and attending all the programs on time. There is also a special emphasis on Śrīla Prabhupādas morning program.

It is a whole endeavour to rise early, bathe, dress, put on tilak, walk to the temple and join a full five hour bliss parade with dancing, chanting and all items of devotional service.

This is Māyāpur, the headquarter of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, where thousands of ecstatic devotees join the fun.

It’s also warm, sweat may drip, shirts may have to be changed, and still we have to steadily hold purity and punctuality high.

Health, climate and association may also play an interesting role, as Prasadam can be full of Paneer & spices, weather can be changing from cool breezy tropical thunderstorm with heavy rains to sunny days, with warm and moist air where it stays dry & mild. Association surely will make up for it. There are so many sublime and sweet devotees here.

Surely, we can also inquire from some seasoned Pujaris like Jananivas Prabhu. I was with him in January and he reported many instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda in how to pray and worship the Deities.

He was here from the very beginning and thank God he still shares his wisdom.