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Archive for March 10th, 2009

sitproperly on Mar 10th 2009 Gaudia Vaisnava, It's a Festival!

Humility as taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Today is a holiday called Gaura Purnima. It celebrates the appearance day (birthday) of the founder of the Sankirtana movement, Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Sankirtana movement is what most folks would call the “Hare Krishnas.” But the Hare Krishnas are one of many branches of this tree. Sankirtana literally means “group chanting.” 500 or so years ago, Caitanya Mahaprabhu took religion from the so-called higher classes and distributed it to the masses. He and His followers took to the streets with a mantra that has become known the world over:

hare krishna hare krishna
krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama
rama rama hare hare


Before Mahaprabhu, there were practitioners of this faith, but never on such a grand and public scale. His followers were from all walks of life and from different religions. He did not discriminate, love of God is for everyone.

From the days when He started this tradition to the present, devotees of the Gaudia-Vaisnava philosophy regard Caitanya Mahaprabhu as an incarnation of Krishna, God.

Though He traveled widely and spoke countless times to the public, He only wrote eight verses, called Siksastakam. Here in these eight short stanzas one can find everything needed for the perfect spiritual life.

Of these eight, it is said that the path to true love of God runs through one very in particular. If all of Mahaprabhu’s instructions were to be summarized into one verse, the third verse would be it.

trinad api su-nicena
taror iva sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniya sada harih

Being humble like a blade of grass,
being more tolerant than a tree,
expecting no admiration
yet showing others veneration,
one should glorify Hari [God] constantly.

I first heard this verse soon after discovering that being a Gaudia Vaisnava was for me. It was the one verse that I kept in mind, always trying my best to live up to this high standard. Of course, I failed miserably for the longest time, but, thanks to age and a better understanding of just what kind of a role humility and tolerance play in spiritual life, I’m slowly getting better.

Each spiritual path has teachings that are meant solely for that specific spiritual path, Gaudia Vaisnavism is no different. But this verse can be taken by anyone who is even a little serious about spiritual life. It will help the neophyte just as it will help the wise old sage.

A few years ago, Tripurari Swami wrote a book called Siksastakam of Sri Caitanya. He takes each verse and breaks it down from the most basic, universal meaning to the esoteric. For a deeper study of the Siksastakam, I strongly recommend this book.

Happy Gaura Purnima!

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