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Bhajan Kutir — Bhumi-puja and a Blessed Day
30th of January, 2007 - 18:33
As our readers already know, we've been at trying to get the construction work of our bhajan kutir started for a good long while now. The land has now been paid off in total, and we are the blessed future servants of 220 square yards worth of Vraja-bhumi.

Yesterday brought us one step onward towards the attainment of our objective with bhumi-puja and Vaisnava-seva at our land. Monday, Bhaimi Ekadasi, was the day to get the work started. The day was good in every respect – we consulted Venimadhava Sila's Panjika for the best available date...
Where do we belong?
28th of January, 2007 - 9:45
From correspondence. Original question slightly re-touched.

"If I have taken diksa from an acharya in Bhakti Siddha Saraswata Matha, and I have a siksa-guru in the ISKCON Revelation Movement, and I also like to hang around with the babas at Radha-kunda – to which one of these do I belong?"
Briefly on Initiation
26th of January, 2007 - 2:17
The following are reflections sent to a seeker who asked for the bare bones of the process of getting initiated.

Initiation is a substantial commitment in one's spiritual life, well worth spending all the time you can on reflections and introspection on the how and why of it.

The gist of the process is...
Synopsis of Raga-marga
19th of January, 2007 - 5:23
These are are some reflections sent to a friend in clarifying the concepts of raga-marga and vidhi-marga:

• There are two distinct paths.
• There are identical practices.
• There are different stages on the path of raga.


Along with thoughts on what we find ourselves following in substance.
Why Enthusiasm Withers
15th of January, 2007 - 18:12
An excerpt from a letter to a friend.

Devotees come to Vraja and return, and then find their enthusiasm withering and their old interests rekindled, for two reasons.

The first reason is that the inspiration of devotion, and the solidity we have attained in our early phases on the path, is to a large extent a reflection of the spiritual strength of those who have inspired us, and as such is dependent on maintaining a good connection to the source...
Chanting: The Magical Herb
10th of January, 2007 - 19:04
1008 Friends
9th of January, 2007 - 18:26
Today's log-in at MySpace had another 18 friend requests queued up. Clearing out the junk and approving the rest, the total count settled at a round figure of 1008.

Now, the value of having 1008 friends? Little do the numbers alone add up to in the end...


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Bhumi-puja and a Blessed Day
Posted: 30th of January, 2007 - 18:33
As our readers already know, we've been at trying to get the construction work of our bhajan kutir started for a good long while now. The land has now been paid off in total, and we are the blessed future servants of 220 square yards worth of Vraja-bhumi. Yesterday brought us one step onward towards the attainment of our objective.

Monday, Bhaimi Ekadasi, was the day to get the work started. The day was good in every respect – we consulted Venimadhava Sila's Panjika for the best available date. Monday in general is a good day. Ekadasi is a good day. Sukla-paksa, the light fortnight, is a good time. The month of Magha is good and well suited for the purpose. And atop that, according to our rasi (sign), this Monday was a good day for beginning new undertakings. We can use every favorable wind there is.

Bhumi

Traditionally the undertaking begins with bhumi-puja, worship of Prithvi-devi. We did the puja with the guidance of Sanatana Dasji, our affectionate teacher of many devotional arts, stopping at our land on the way from Radha-kunda to Govardhana-parikrama. On the way to the land, we met with some affectionate Vaisnavas who conveyed their blessings for all success in the work. Thakurji came along and presided over the event, as it is he who is to become the lord of the land.

Water from Radha-kunda was sprinkled across the area to sanctify the already sacred land. The puja began with worshiping Giridhari with candana, flowers and so forth, preceded by acamana and the rest of the standard preliminaries. Thakur's prasadi was offered to Prithvi-devi, whose presence was invoked at Giridhari's side, and she was also worshiped at the four corners of the land – both in her global form of Prithvi, and specifically as Vraja-vasundhara, with ample prayers for Vraja-vasa and successful bhajana at what is to become our haven in this blessed land.

Bhumi

I had also prepared a fruit offering for Giridhari to take at the conclusion of the puja – an offering that was later distributed to the Vaisnavas around. Good fortune was with us in every respect, as several Vaisnavas showed up for kirtana right on the moment and brought along their harmonium and karatalas to accompany the maha-mantra-kirtana that went on as Thakur enjoyed his meal.

Bhumi

With whatever little funds we have gotten together one way or the other, we have enough to get the work started with – though the source of the balance remains a bit shrouded in mystery for the time being. As we've gotten this far, there is no reason why we wouldn't be able to eventually bring everything to a successful completion.

Tomorrow is Nityananda-trayodasi. Regardless, I will have to be around to observe the work's getting started. A truck-load of bricks is coming in from Govardhana, and all things necessary for setting up the well and the pump should come together, too. I will have to be sitting around at the land for a lakh or two worth to be around when needed. Something I'd wanted to do on the new land regardless, to establish its purpose as a bhajan-sthali – and as nothing but that, and that alone.
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