Niyama Seva - Starts Sunday

I think it's time I did a vrata of some kind.. I'm a mess.

Taking a vow to take a vow. Well, that's a beginning anyway.

Any more specific plans? What kinds of vratas do people (I mean, like normal people) take?

At a very minimum, do like the Catholics with Lent. Give up just one thing for the month. But reciting Damodarastakam and other positive engagements is also good.

We are chanting Damodarastakam and offering a dipa every night. That, I imagine, should not be hard for anyone.

Just a funny story about lent.

I have a very Catholic (yep, big C ) friend whom has a 'problem' with candy... specifically M & Ms. Eats em by the bagful.

Anyways, for lent, he promised to give up candy, and M & Ms specifically.

We went out to dinner about 3 days into lent, and he ordered desert, and out comes an ice cream sunday covered with M & Ms! I mentioned to him that this would be a problem given his lent vow, but he looked at me & said...

'This isn't candy, its desert! Two different things!'

I just nodded...

Well, it depends on who you are and where your mind is at. If one is going through a depression, say, then even small things can be hard to do and especially to maintain over time.

Ah, of course you're right there. Let's say then, "generally it shouldn't be hard."

To start with, the first thing one must do is to get his neckbeads fixed if it's torn.


...and that too.

The concluding verse to Sanatana's commentary on the Damodarastakam--

zrI-rAdhA-prANa-nAthAya zrImad-dAmodarAya te |
sarvaM caitanya-devAya gurave’rpitam eva me ||

I offer everything to Damodara, the lord of Radha's life, and to my guru, Sri Chaitanya Deva.

Hari-bhakti-vilasa 16.206.

Jagat,

How about vowing to spend less time on the internet?

Or rather, how about improving the quality of the time spent on the internet?

Internet is a medium, it is not a thing you do.

No matter how much quality you bring into your participation, internet is limited and limiting. As a medium, it should have a goal. Effective vaishnava relations via internet is utopia. It can never replace the quality of village life.

Seems to me I have already cut back. Most of my posts are connected to the work I am doing.

The internet is an inadequate substitute, admittedly, for real human contact. But we make do with what we have. When you work at home, like I do, and are unavoidably in front of a computer screen all day, then believe me, it is a welcome relief to be able to come in and see signs of devotional life from all over the world.

And niyama-seva rules: Vaishnava association.

Another niyama-seva thing that is easy to do (for men)--stop shaving! I have decided to do that.

I am afraid signs of vaisnava life all over the world may be at risk if everyone converge to the internet for association.

I think the idea of "keyboard-gurus" is pushing it a little too far...

This is admittedly true. However, I do not see a point in cutting down in the limited medium of devotional association one has. Rather, one might cut down on the varieties of sense-gratification out there, whether it be watching TV, eating sweets or whatever it is people like to do. Or as Jagat suggested, cutting down on cutting down the beard. I would personally favor increasing some form of devotional activity, if that as a vow is contrasted, rather than bundled, with the negation of something.

Out of curiosity, what are the actual dates? Esp. for eastern US? Not shaving ties in nicely with the increasingly cold weather here...

Niyama Seva starts on Papankusa Ekadasi and ends on Utthana Ekadasi. The dates in our calendar are calculated for Radha-kunda. You may want to refer to your local ISKCON calendar if you wish to know the exact dates for the said Ekadasis for your place. However sometimes the ISKCON calculation conventions seem to differ from those used for the Das Goswami panjika we use. (Don't ask me how.)

According to the ISKCON / BBT calendar, niyama seva is not mentioned. However if I go by the Ekadasis mentioned by Madhava, for the east coast (specifically NYC area) niyama seva started 10/23/04 and ends on 11/22. In my case I'll say woops. I guess its a good thing Kartik starts tomorrow. I suppose I should think if I'm going to make any vratas. I have about 2 hours to decide!

At very minimum…

Interesting… That makes me think about Sri Krishna and His qualities…
The possessor of all opulence, Sri Krishna gives a beautiful example about simplicity. In the BG He says:

Chapter 9. The Most Confidential Knowledge
TEXT 26

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah


“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.”

His simplicity is fascinating! Although we pray and execute vows and austerities, He does not want anything else, but bhakti; flowers with love and a glass of water and that is all it takes to make Him happy!

How much simple could He be? His capacity of simplicity is beyond knowledge!

Amazing Sri Krishna, Amazing!

I would say, simplicity is an important element to be added into meditation and acts in a daily life.

Have a nice Niyama Seva!

I know that this is both a little late and may not be of much use to anyone, but I have just uploaded the Damodarastakam with Sanatan Goswami's commentary to GGM.

Or you could just vow to remember Radha and the asta-sakhis and the principal manjaris every hour on the hour. If you use Outlook, you can put those as reminders in your Calendar and make them recurring daily throught the month.

Isn’t this the mark of a Radha bhakta, that he will prompt all to always remember Radha-Krsna and never forget Them? But, why Outlook? Just be there in your full self for us Minaji and your wonderful recommendation will be effected to perfection.