Oct 2007
A Newsletter from His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami
1 A Disciple Should Remain a Fool
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
2 Relationships Are Everything
by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami
3 Establishing a Heart Connection with
the Spiritual Master
by His Holiness Candramauli Swami
4 Devotee Spotlight: Kartamisa devi dasi
by the Editors
Srila Vyasadeva humbly hears the science of Srimad
Bhagavatam from his spiritual master, Narada Muni.
A Disciple Should Remain A Fool
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The disciple and spiritual master are never separated
because the spiritual master always keeps company with the
disciple as only fools give up the service of the spiritual
master and think themselves advanced in spiritual knowledge.
In order to check such fools, Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself
presented the perfect example of how to be a disciple. A
spiritual master knows very well how to engage each disciple
in a particular duty, but if a disciple, thinking himself more
advanced than his spiritual master, gives up his orders and
acts independently, he checks his own spiritual progress.
Every disciple must consider himself completely unaware of
the science of Krsna and must always be ready to carry out the
orders of the spiritual master to become competent in Krsna
consciousness. A disciple should always remain a fool before
his spiritual master.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.72
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Relationships Are Everything
Reflections on Sacred Teachings V, Introduction
by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami
All societies have criteria for people to live by so that
each individual can understand what is expected of them,
and what constitutes success versus failure. There can never
be successful involvement in community without constant
inventory. We might find that we rarely make evaluations of
ourselves, but it will naturally happen as we associate with
more quality. We want to focus on quality relationships,
specifically relationships amongst the devotees of the Lord,
because we want to maximize our ability to accelerate our
devotion. Devotional service is a science. As with any science,
if we do not follow the procedure, we will not only miss out on
the full benefits, but we will risk creating harmful results. But
if we follow the scientific procedures with great attentiveness
and care, we will ultimately get the best results.
Devotee association is not just a matter of being
together in the same environment. Actually, some devotees
even avoid each other because they do not want to have to look
at themselves honestly. Some find it more peaceful to avoid
interacting with others. However, we do not just want peace.
We want realization, and the unfoldment of realization is not
always a peaceful process. It is peaceful to be in ignorance; it
is peaceful to be in denial; it is peaceful to avoid dealing with
issues by living a cloistered lifestyle, but the real challenge
arises when we have to interact with people because it tests
our genuine level of realization. Our associates give us the
opportunity to look at ourselves in a mirror so that we get a
clearer vision of our strengths and weaknesses. This reflection
on ourselves allows us to introspect more authentically so that
we can determine our level of proficiency as we follow the
process of devotional service.
In the Bhagavad-gita, we find that Krsna does not just
give dharma or religion. Religion is about ethics and morality,
and it gives a basic understanding of the existence of God.
Although Krsna does in fact give religion, He also gives
knowledge far beyond basic religiosity. He tells Arjuna after
having already given so many instructions:
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender
unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions.
Do not fear.
Bhagavad-gita 18.66
Krsna is not in the religion business. All of the various
activities given in the scriptures are meant to help us establish
pure relationships in the spiritual world, and such relationships
go far beyond dharma. We want to participate in sanatana-
dharma, which refers to our eternal services and relationships
in their natural expressions as we honor the Divine Couple.
It is not that sambandha or relationships are just
an extracurricular part of the devotional process; they are
everything. Whether we look at physics, mathematics, or just
at life itself, we cannot help but see how everything is in some
kind of relationship. Atoms, neutrons, protons, light waves,
etc. all interact with each other in unique ways. Sometimes
they are repelling and at other times they are uniting. From the
minutest particle to the most conscious life forms, relationships
cannot be avoided.
We are definitely not yogis striving for mystic powers,
nor are we karma-kandis just engaged in fruitive activities.
We are trying to give our hearts. Sometimes devotees have
the conception that, through mixed devotion and impersonal
activities, they will suddenly go to the spiritual kingdom when
they die. However, in order to go back to Krsna’s abode, we
have to become like that abode. In the spiritual world, the
residents are constantly involved in quality relationships and
interact at the highest level with the Divine Couple. Such
qualities can be gradually developed through our relationships
and current services. To the degree that our service is not
based on a mindset of selflessness, devotion, unmotivated
service, and a total love for all aspects of Krsna’s creation, to
that same degree we are not yet qualified. Krsna does not say
that He gives knowledge based on the external performances.
He clearly tells us:
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
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 To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me are basically just engaged in speculation and interpolation. At
with love, I give the understanding by which they the end of the day, it will leave us frustrated because it is not
can come to Me.
Bhagavad-gita 10.10 in the Mahabharata, Vana-parva (313.117):
Even by looking at our own society of devotees, we
can gain this understanding. We have seen that devotees can
be externally engaged in service for many years, but if they
do not have a deep quality of devotion and love, there will not
be a sense of longevity. They will not have deeper realizations
and experiences, and will go on only mechanically in their
devotional service. But as we understand what we read and
thus practice it amongst ourselves, it will become more fixed
in our minds and hearts. Krsna, who is hiding in the heart, will
begin to come out and
send signals as long as
we do not allow our own
obfuscations to block that
connection.
We know that
we all have a personal
relationship with Krsna
or God, and we all have
a personal relationship
with the spiritual
master. However, we
can only have a healthy
relationship with the guru
when we have healthy
Krsna is always engaged
relationships with sadhus in loving relationships.
or the devotees of the Lord.
If we have healthy relationships in our daily associations,
then our relationship with the spiritual master becomes
genuine. Without healthy relationships among our peers, our
relationship with the guru does not go beyond hero worship.
It will just be another expression of sentimentalism and even
fanaticism. People naturally have the tendency to put their
energy into some type of worship, but most people worship
athletes, musicians, politicians, or other popular personalities
with foolish adulation. However, as servants of the Lord, we
do not want this type of sentimental relationship with our
spiritual master or with our peers. We want to focus on the
quality and the purpose of the relationship.
The relationship between the disciple and the spiritual
master is essential. We cannot have a clear understanding
of love of God without involving ourselves in the bona fide
systems and practices given by the Lord Himself. If it were so
easy to develop God consciousness without the help of others,
why does Krsna constantly send different representatives and
teachers? If we try to succeed on the spiritual path alone, we
quite that simplistic. Yudhistira Maharaja confirms this truth
Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated,
one cannot come to the right path by which religious
principles are understood. The solid truth of religious
principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated self-
realized person. Consequently, as the sastras confirm, one
should accept whatever path the mahajanas advocate.
Love of God is locked up in the heart of the pure
devotees, and by following the path given by such unadulterated
devotees, we can begin to also experience the transcendental
culture. We have such a wonderful chance to tune into the
real purpose of life—a wonderful chance to end relationships
based on lust and understand what love really entails.
Establishing a Heart Connection
With the Spiritual Master
by His Holiness Candramauli Swami
To connect with the spiritual master is something
that can be done in various
degrees. When one accepts a
spiritual master, one whole-
heartedly agrees to abide by his
instructions. His instructions are
the connection. The instructions
of the spiritual master are
the essential principle that
establishes and develops the
relationship. How much one
takes those instructions into
one’s heart and into one’s life
in a practical way determines
the level of connection of
that relationship. The deeper one goes, the deeper the
relationship.
In certain cases, the spiritual master, knowing
the inability or unwillingness of a disciple to follow every
instruction, will only put forth those instructions which he
knows the disciple will be able to follow. This is done in
order to allow that disciple to stay within the ambience of
the spiritual master’s mercy. The spiritual master knows that
if he gives him too difficult instructions, he will not be able
to follow or not want to follow; therefore, he will commit the
offense of disobedience.
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This is an insincere disciple. In other cases where the disciple
is fully surrendered to the spiritual master’s instructions, the
spiritual master will present more opportunities in the form of
instructions in order to take that disciple to higher levels of
spiritual realization and transcendental knowledge.
So what factually is a heart connection? The disciple
is connected. We may find a heart connection with the
spiritual master in terms of the disciple’s desire to learn and
to imbibe the mood of his spiritual master in his execution
of his devotional service. In other words, he takes up the
mission of his spiritual master as his service in the same
mood as his spiritual master. We know from the association
of His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja that his mood was to
relieve the suffering of others through Krsna consciousness
with relation to the devotees and in his outreach to the fallen
souls of Kali-yuga. His writings entitled Spiritual Warrior are
indicative of his mood of service, emphasizing leadership in
the utmost sense of personal qualities: To live it and to preach
it. He was willing to do whatever was necessary to achieve
these goals. His words “personal purification” echo in our
minds. “Dear Lord Krsna, let whatever may come upon me
in order to bring me to the point of becoming your perfect
instrument. And my Dear Lord Krsna, take away those things
which are obstacles in the path of becoming your pure perfect
instrument.” He asked us all to consider seriously making this
prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila
Prabhupada said to his disciples in one talk: “Do what I am
doing”. Of course no one could do what Srila Prabhupada
could do but what he was saying is preach the message of
Krsna consciousness to others. That he wanted for each and
every one of us. He who dedicates his life for the mission of
the spiritual master lives with the spiritual master. That is the
connection to the spiritual master’s heart. Hare Krsna.
Devotee Spotlight: Kartamisa devi dasi
by the Editors
Editor’s Note
We are happy to introduce this new column entitled Devotee
Spotlight as a way to both appreciate our fellow Vaisnavas and
to learn more about their particular services. Each edition will
highlight a different devotee from around the world, allowing
us to gain inspiration and perhaps deepen our own offerings
to the Vaisnava community.
Those of you familiar with the life of H.H. Bhakti
Tirtha Maharaja will also know of Gita Nagari, the farm
community in rural Pennsylvania where he resided for his
final pastimes. Gita Nagari is special for many reasons, one of
the most important being the presiding Deities, Sri Sri Radha-
Damodara. These Deities have captured the hearts of many
devotees over the years, binding them to the dhama through
Their service. Her Grace Kartamisa devi dasi is one of those
fortunate devotees who has come to Gita Nagari and who has
allowed Sri Sri Radha-Damodara to bind her heart.
Mother Kartamisa joined ISKCON in Washington,
D.C. in 1993 and, soon after, Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja asked
her to move to Gita Nagari. She followed those fortunate
instructions, and with the help of Brahma dasa, she moved
to the dhama, arriving late one night in 1995. Almost
immediately, without much time to settle, she was enlisted in
Deity service. Kartamisa reflects:
I had no idea about how to serve the Deities, nor had
any inkling of the intensity of the service. There were
rumors abounding that my service would be head
pujari, but that did not occur until about six or seven
months later. In the meantime, my service was dressing
Nitai-Gaurasundara. One day as I began dressing Their
Lordships, I looked over at Sri Sri Radha-Damodara
and promised Them that if They gave me an opportunity
to serve Them, I would never make Them wait to be
served—I promised Them to always be timely.
Kartamisa has kept that promise to this day, consistently
pleasing the Deities through her staunch punctuality. As Srila
Prabhupada writes, “The deity worship must be completely
pure in terms of cleanliness and punctuality, otherwise there
will be some offense (Letter to Sri Govinda, Calcutta, January
31, 1973). Soon after making that promise, Kartamisa did
become Sri Sri Radha-Damodara’s pujari, as well as head
pujari, initially sharing the position with Mother Kaulini and
Mother Indulekha.
Over the years, Kartamisa has accepted full
responsibility for the Deity department, and twelve years later,
she remains unswerving in
her determination to serve
the Deities with devotion
and opulence. Some
mornings she is up early,
long before the Deities,
making burfi or kheer for
Their first offering of the
day. At other times she
is busy sewing gorgeous
outfits for Janmastami or
Gaura-purnima, and often
on Radhastami,
Kartamisa devi dasi focused on
serving Their Lordships.
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she will arrange very ornate flower outfits that certainly
enchant the devotees. As her duties have expanded over the
years, she explains how she has come to appreciate the service
and how her spiritual master continues to inspire her:
The position has grown as my understanding of the
needs of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara and Company, the
needs of the devotees who serve Them, and what it takes
to manage the Deity department have grown. Every
step of the way, Gurudeva constantly encouraged and
trained me, whether in person (encouragement coupled
with necessary chastisement), or in a dream (helping
me understand my relationship with him, and increasing
my vision on how to serve Them). Usually when there
was a decision to make regarding the Deities, I would
consult with Gurudeva until there came a time when he
told me to make the decision myself.
Managing the details of the Deity department could
be contained in a book all by itself, but I am limited
in this offering. Certainly it helps one understand
how Krsna is a person, His service is personal, and
His service is constantly expanding. It’s a constant
meditation. As Krsna speaks to your heart according
to your level of surrender, more details are revealed
about how to please Krsna.
If the bliss heightens or as difficulties arise, this
is the service Gurudeva intended for me when he sent
me to Gita Nagari. I am never absent from him, nor is
he ever absent from me. He continues to serve Sri Sri
Radha-Damodara for his spiritual master, and I am
trying to assist him in that service. All glories to His
Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami Krsnapada!

Copyright © 2007 Hari-Nama Press

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Designed by Tamal Krsna dasa

Edited by Lila Katha devi dasi

Photo of Bhakti Tirtha Swami: © 2005 Lawson Knight/Laksmivan dasa ACBSP