2023 Swami Padmanabha

A recurring question and therefore a shared concern during Swami Padmanabha’s visit to Switzerland, is asked regarding the relationship between love of God and love of our friends, family and all life. It is posed that it is easier to love God because he doesn’t have an ego. Swami considers how God not having an ego might make loving him even more challenging.

Additionally, how can we say we love God and treat each other so horribly.

Also discussed is the idea of perfection being everywhere as spoken by Srila Sridhara Maharaja, “Perfection is everywhere. The trouble is that with our limited thinking we have produced a world of limits.”

Another topic explored is the struggle for the sadhaka to deal with the discrepancies of the early stages of bhakti—between where we are and where we want to be as far as aligning our behavior with our ideals. How can we coexist with that discrepancy so that we don’t torture ourselves by that nor grow complacent? We can be thankful that we are not cheating ourselves into thinking we are doing everything perfectly…because we are not. To acknowledge that and hold onto the gifts that are continually coming - that is heroic.

Tune is for the discussion.

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RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin wisely noted that, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." This is expressed in its fullest reach in lila, where being fully human and fully divine are fully integrated and humanness is part of one’s eternal identity. As bhakti is not a means to an goal, there is a place to consider form not just as a means, a vehicle, but rather part of the goal: to not stop being human but to be FULLY HUMAN in context of our spirituality.

Although the atma is not human, but rather consciousness, in perfection, being infused by bhakti shakti, it will be given an identity of human form to participate in lila. As practitioners we are meant to embrace our humanity in the context of our practice, and our practice in fully consideration of our humanity, neither pursuing one in exclusion of the other, but always united both in one pursuit.

From now until nara-lila, it is all about humanity and the only way to reach that experience in lila is to start here.

Listen-in…

▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/live/tU4Ox1c5QOw

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RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

Celebrate the gift of Haridasa Thakura, his life and death, each phase found within the other, and the unique, powerful and rich lessons that can be drawn and applied to the life (and death) of a practitioner.

Tune in for the treasure…

▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/live/EFmheXlwdVs?si=GlbWSnxnEdc2G9CU
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RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

• 7:25 Q&A - Opportunity for Sacred Exchange
• 16:09 How Tota Gopinatha is proof of Mahaprabhu's success
• 22:23 Because I see the deity, does that mean it appeared in my heart first?
• 23:28 If Krishna values everyone, why are our relatives as insignificant?
• 31:42 The generous vision of Krishna and the sadhus
• 35:27 How can we aim at seva in eternal lila if we are not ready for that now?
• 51:50 Do we have to like every sadhu?
• 1:08:37 How to Forgive Ourselves?
• 1:18:56 What is the allegorical meaning of the advanced symptoms of bhava?
  

Tune in for further exploration…

▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/live/zzCToi8P25M?si=NlwvYlWNjwHOoqHf
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RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

Swami Padmanabha shares how Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s life and journey is something we can relate to as a sadhaka and draw hope and inspiration to nourish our own progress.

Some of the lessons we can draw from Bhaktivinoda’s values, visions and practices:

• the guru does not need to be a nitya-siddha and even if your guru rejects you, you can still reach perfection.
• being a grihastha speaks against the necessity for asceticism—all perfection can be attained in social position
• trans-institutional commitment - he did not belong to any institution and felt that the life of a tradition is in the commitment to persons, to hearts,, to an ideal
• reformer - because of his love for the Gaudiya tradition, he criticized it strongly, as persons entrusted with leadership are called to do
• alive interaction with modernity—he felt a necessity to find a new language to explain the constant evolution of reality, with “today’s perfection becoming tomorrow’s imperfection”, and to be in sync with the concerns and capabilities of the time, place and circumstance he was in.
• pioneer - in 1896 (the year that Srila Prabhupada was born) Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent McGill University in Montreal his book Lord Chaitanya, His Life and Precepts which they placed int their library. Consider how consuming was the task to explain Gaura-Gadadhara’s heart to someone from a different culture who has not background in Gaudiya Vaisnavism
• Inter-religious theological cross-pollination - the Thakura saw the potential of deepening one’s love for the form of their worshipable Lord by going to another’s place of worship
• allegorical presentation of scripture that created a connection between lila and the life of sadhakas

and much more…

▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/live/_UFSG_28f1M?si=AIsxMRtL0URim3PZ

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RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

Because of the nondual foundation of the Sweet Absolute, all of his incarnations are different forms of the same person, different aspects of himself in reciprocation with the love of each devotee. We can understand avatars as being different emotional moments of Bhagavan.

Swami Padmanabha poetically draws out how each of 10 avatars of Bhagavan are displayed by Mahaprabhu. From Matsya to Kalki, Mahaprabhu expressed each of those emotions at one time or another.

Being the Appearance day of Vamanadeva, further detail is shared regarding Vamanadeva, known as the Dwarf Avatar, his relationship with Bali Maharaja, and additionally the disciple’s aspiration to remain committed to truth, even if that means rejecting their guru—as Bali rejected Sukracharya because Sukracharya advised Bali to take action against his truth and integrity.

As Bali Maharaja offers his own head in service, he beautifully displays the devotional quality of atmanivedanam, offering one’s self in our full unique service capacity.

In the beginning, when first meeting Vamanadeva, Bali Maharaja was unaware that Vamanadeva was his worshipful Lord. So one might wonder what occurs in a sadhaka’s life that allows them to recognize the active presence of the Divine. One aspect is to keep your eye on the bigger picture and become aware of any patterns that have lead you to the place you are today, how everyone has a purpose. It is in connecting with the purpose of events, we can connect with the person who is behind them.

Tune in for further exploration…

▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/live/6_I7XbQnSJg?si=5TNKDRSb4g4ju8fy

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RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

Sri Gadadhara-katha continues as Swami Padmanabha and associates further explore of the confidential nature of Gadaira-Gauranga and how this very specified lila is particularly inspiring for sadhakas who have come to the shore of Gaura-lila, by grace of guru, sadhu, parampara, and are receiving the knowledge that such a thing exists. And not only that, but the corresponding opportunity to offer some service to Mahaprabhu.

Tune in for further exploration…

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RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

Gaura-lila has a broad side and a deep side. This class explores the deep side of Gaura-lila through Sri Gadadhara, without whom the success of the lila could not have been achieved.

Tune in as Swami Padmanabha speaks of the very unique and specific necessity of Gaura-lila and what that necessity requires from both Sri Radha and Krishna, as well as how those specific necessities creates very specific service opportunities.

The more we conceive of God as atmarama, self-satisfied, the less we feel ourselves in service to the Supreme Personality. And the more we understand that Atmarama as being immersed in an experience of love that creates its own set of intense needs, then the more opportunities the sevaka will have to offer themselves in service.

The moment of greatest necessity will increase the greatest necessity of service, and therefore, the greatest opportunity to serve.

▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/live/XsAjD7SR6v4

RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

Swami Padmanabha discusses how Sri Radha is to be found in the Srimad Bhagavatam and how her love for Sri Krishna can only be understood with the proper feeling; if the heart is not in the right place it will be impossible to penetrate into the mysteries of her love for Sri Krishna.

Many facets of this loving relationship are explored and lessons are drawn from the lila that are applicable for the sadhaka.

Discussing lila is not a source of entertainment, or something to enjoy, but it bares a deep commitment. We are celebrating the possibility of glimpsing at this highest love of Sri Radha. If this direction is something that is inspiring to us, we can pray to receive some mercy in the form of adhikara to get closer in this direction and ask ourselves what we can do to gradually get closer to that realm of service?

▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe6epxphmNs

RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.

Sharing hearts by sharing personal doubts, concerns, and different perspectives.

• In many traditions sexuality is often portrayed as getting in the way of spiritual progress. Can you elaborate in which sense sexuality can be made part of bhakti?

• We hear that we shouldn't associate with people who are "non-devotees". That just doesn't feel right to me. Can you please explain these kinds of statements that seem to not foster love?

• Do you maintain your stance that bhakti is not inherent in the jiva.

• What is your approach to connect with divine personalities in such a way that you can perceive a real relationship ?

• Do we have the free will to see ourselves as servants of god?
  

Tune in for the reflections...

▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/live/03G3NpYPBaU

RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion.