MY APPEAL

With the height of my voice I call for your attentions. Please hear my appeal… for now I shall tell you what you should do to save the most beautiful place in the world. I’m begging for help from all of you O devout Hindus, my brothers and sisters in dharma, all of you who love Bali and have joyfully pleased your selves by her charm and beauty… I don’t know if you won’t listen to what I say, would Bali stay as glorious as before? … Would the Devas stay to protect our descendants of the future and continue to bestow their blessings to them… If you won’t listen and act accordingly, then everything will be too late, "even for The Supreme Lord Vishnu to help you…"

Transformation of Consciousness
When we talk about transformation in humanity we should consider what the real meaning of transformation is. We tried so hard to take transformation to our lives. Of course it is the better one. Yes, we want a better life, happier, free of anxiety, free of sufferings, sorrow, etc. The actual transformation wasn’t take place only in physical platform. We have three dimensional or three platform of existence. The physical or mundane or external platform and mental or mind or internal platform. But the most important is the transcendental platform, the consciousness, the Chit-vastu (Living and conscious spiritual substance). The Chit-vastu is our True Self, the Atma. The material energy, called Maya, is also one of the multi energies of the Lord, since The Supreme Lord is the source of all energies, source of everything, janmadhya-asya, and we, the living entities, the individual jiva-atma are also the energy – marginal energy – of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, the living entity is established in his happy, normal condition. This is what we should know before talk about any “transformation”.

As taught by the Vedas, we should realize our true identity as the eternal Atma. When this Atma entrapped within illusory external energy of material nature, he became embodied or conditioned soul. He forgot his real identity and misidentifies himself with physical body. There is no way for conditioned soul to escape from this situation and he “eternally” illusioned by the material external energy. This very illusion put him into the ocean of samsara, experienced false happiness and sorrowful condition, without perpetual bliss. Though he has tried his best to make himself happy, but everything end in more sorrowful condition. This is the nature of conditioned life under illusory external energy.

So if we do want a real transformation, we should take spiritual journey to our inner self, our real self and realize our true identity as Atma. The real transformation should take on transcendental platform for getting its real meaning and value. The real transformation actually a reformation, coming back to our true identity. This is what we called Transformation of Consciousness. But if we take our present position as the starting point, then we could get two kinds of Transformation, Downward and Upward.

Downward Transformation means we get more entangled, more attached to the external illusory energy. So we kept our self under perpetual influence of this energy. That’s why we called this Downward Transformation, since we take shelter under inferior energy. Now we have to go Upward, otherwise there is no way to escape from the strong affinity with this inferior material energy. We have to deal with the superior energy, take shelter under infinite transcendental energy. Only by accepting this path we can get into Real Upward Transformation of Consciousness. Surrender and put our self under Infinite Supreme Divinity. This is the real value of Dharma, the skillful means to go “Upward” called Saranagati as indicated by Lord Krishna in the Charam-sloka of Srimad Bhagavad-gita, sarva-dharman-parityaja…

The Key To Deal With The Infinite
Surrender, service, and dedication: this is the key to deal with the infinite, Vaikuntha. Without knowledge and without much energy one can attain fulfilment. It is not necessary to have the energy to be able to move a mountain. Also to read all the scriptures in the world and put them “within our belly” will not produce any good.

A typical example was shown in the Mahabharata. Lord Krishna foretold that when the rajasuya-yajna of Maharaja Yudhistira would be finished, a particular bell there would ring automatically. In that way everyone would know that the yajna was completed. The sacrifice was held and everything was finished, but the bell did not ring. Bhima asked Krishna, “You said that the bell would ring automatically. Everything has now been finished but it is not ringing. Why not?” Krishna replied, “No. One thing is still remaining.” “What is that?” “Vaishnava-seva, the service of a Vaishnava.” Bhima was surprised: “What do you say? So many munis, rishis, Narada, Vyasadeva, and even You Yourself are all satisfied with having been well fed, yet You say that Vaishnava-seva has not been done?” “Yes.” “So where is that Vaishnava?” Krishna then indicated, “Go to the outskirts of town, and there you will find a particular Vaishnava of the lowest caste. He does not go anywhere, but he is satisfied by taking the Name of the Lord and leading a full life of devotion without any care for the world.”

Hearing this, the Pandavas went with a chariot to receive that man. They found him, an ordinary poor man of the lower class, and they approached him. He was perplexed: “What is this? Oh, so many important men have come to my cottage. What is the matter?” He became very much panic-stricken. Then they petitioned him with folded palms, “We have come to bring you to take some food at the place of the yajna.” What to do? He could not avoid their order.

Draupadi had to cook, so she prepared various palatable dishes. She thought, “Vaishnava-seva has not been done. So many rishis, munis, and even Lord Krishna has been fed, but Vaishnava-seva has not been done!” So with all her skill she cooked foods of various types, and the man was fed, but the bell did not ring. Bhima asked, “What is the matter? He has finished eating but the bell has not rung.” Krishna said, “There must have been some offence against Vaishnava-seva, and therefore the bell did not ring. What do you say? Do any of you have any doubt or bad conception about this man?”

The Pandavas then asked one another if any of them had thought any evil about him. At last Draupadé admitted, “I had some thought in my mind that the man is lowborn, and although I prepared so many curries with the utmost attention and skill, he mixed all the preparations together and then ate that. He does not know how to eat because he comes from a very low class, this is what I had in my mind.” Krishna explained, “There is some contempt for the Vaishnava, and therefore the bell has not rung. There is no other course than for you to go to him again, bring him, and again feed him.” So the Pandavas went and brought him back. This time all of them waited with great respect as he took prasadam, and the bell rang with every morsel.
This example has been shown to us. Those who are niskincana do not want anything, no name, no fame, or anything of the kind. They are naturally satisfied with whatever comes, and they are wholesale dedicated to the Lord. Such devotion can be found anywhere without any show of grandeur. No worldly grandeur is necessary; just richness of the heart. No knowledge, no education, no honour of a high birth, no power, and no gorgeousness. Krishna consciousness is full, so sufficient, so absolute, that just a particle of that contains everything. All grandeur, all education, and everything is there; it is of such a nature. Service, self-dedication, saranagati, surrender: that is the necessity, not valour or learning. “You fail to understand, but he is all right. He must be thought to be a sadhu, a truly honest man, and nothing else. He may have no name or fame or good presentation, or any of the qualities that attract us; none of these are necessary.” (see Bhagavad-gita 9.30)

Self-contentment does not require anything. It can stand alone. It is self-sufficient. Krishna consciousness is self-sufficient. It does not require any form of paraphernalia to establish itself; it is a self-established thing. With it there will be no need of hankering for anything, whether it be grandeur or anything else.

So what is our practical point here? For so long, let we take our condition here, in Bali. Bali was celebrated everywhere as the most beautiful island and have this Hindu-Vedic spiritual culture as the base of her people’s lives for centuries. What is the base for these arts, amazing beauties, and other cultural wonder of Bali? They are service, devotion, and loving dedications. The pure dharma of love manifested as our tradition and way of life characterized by Satyam, Sivam, Sundaram, and Santosham (truth, auspicious, beauty, and universal well being). Upward Transformation of Consciousness lead to the ultimate realization of The Supreme Absolute Truth is shining brightly in the core of the heart and its rays manifested as the rightful conducts in accordance with Universal Dharmic Law of The Divine. So these Satyatva, Sivatva, and Sundaratva were dedicated to the Divine. They are real manifestations of our Love to The Lord. But here we even find such activities of love, though totally dedicated to Parameshwaran Lord Krishna Himself, Devatas, great sages, etc. but bereft of service and loving attitude toward Vaishnavas, the pure devotee of the Lord, and then everything would become nothing!

Necessity of Transcendental Association
Today in our society we didn’t even care about the real intentions of rituals, artistic offerings such as dances, musical performances, dramas, etc. as dedications of love for The Supreme Lord, Devatas, and sages. We just thought them as means to entertain the tourists, to get more money, more Euros, more USD… We invite tourists from everywhere but we never invite even a single Sadhu to our place. Today we just held our religious ceremonies and cultural performances just for entertaining mundane persons and for some materialistic gains. Without service to the Sadhus and Vaishnavas, even if we offer everything to the Devatas, it was considered fruitless! Sadhus and Vaishnava-bhagavatas are the abode of all spiritual perfections, all Upward Transformations of Consciousness, and as Consciousness formed by association, so there will be no spiritual advancement without their pure association or Sat-sangam. There is no other hope for any Upward Transformations of humanity.

The Great Sage Agasthiya, Mula Guru (Original Spiritual Preceptor) of Nusantara. He was the first Sadhu who gave us association by his instructions, mystical presence, and continual coming of his disciples and member of his spiritual lineage (Parampara)

We can’t deny our need for material prosperity. Yes, we do need money or wealth… But if we just think for mundane things or how to please mundane persons, then surely this will lead us to mental degradation and Downward Transformation of Consciousness. If we, the degrade-minded persons, also associate only with our other degraded fellows, we will get more degraded, more conditioned, and more attached to worldly things. So if we really want to make Upward Transformation, then we have to find a way how to bring the most auspicious Sangam of Sadhus and Vaishnava-bhagavatas to our place.

Acharya Dharmakrithi of Suvarnadvipa, Master of Bodhicitta

Acharya Dipamkara Srijnana or Guru Atisha. A Buddhist master from Vikrampur Monastery, Bengal-India and founder of Kadampa order in Tibet, sailed to Sumatera to found his Guru Dharmakrithi of Srivijaya. When will we again have such a visit from great personages like him?

We should remember how our ancestors in the past attained perfection only by serving Sadhus and act according to their pure instructions. In the past we have no tourist came just for enjoying the beauty of Bali and Nusantara. They came for pilgrimage. This very country was sacred to them. We should remember how Mulavarman of Kutai in Barhinapura (Borneo) invited the Agnihotri-brahmins from Kalinga for accepting alms. Our previous Raja won’t take money from foreign tourists, but he gave them alms of thousand cows and gold. Of course, they weren’t ordinary tourists. They were Brahmin pilgrims, Sadhus, Vaishnava-bhagavatas. How great our Kings and how noble our guests were. Then again some went to Suvarnadvipa (Sumatera). That great Buddhist Acharya of India and Tibet, Dipamkara Srijnana, went to Suvarnadvipa to learn from Acharya Dharmakrithi of Srivijaya. We should remember how Bhumisambarabuddhara (Borobudur) of Java became pilgrimage center for whole Buddhist world. How thousand of devotees came to worship Bhagavati Tara in Kalasha. Pandita Lohgawe also came later to Java from India and guided Rangarajasa to build his kingdom of Singhasari. The historical facts for religious influence of great Javanese Kingdoms of Kadiri, Singhasari and Bilvatikta (Majapahit) were well known. Many people came to Nusantara and Bali with pure and spiritual intentions. Once we were of a country with great spiritual significance and of spiritual tourism. But now, where is this?

Mandala Vajradhatu of Bhumisambarabuddhara (Borobudur)

On the past, thousands of pilgrims from all over the world pay obeisance to the lotus feet of this Bhagavan Mahavairochana Buddhadeva. But today, the tourists come to visit Him just for fun...

By neglecting the importance to invite and serve Sadhus, we became slaves to give mundane person their gross enjoyment. By abandon our duty to offer alms and hospitality to the real spiritualists, we spend our money for dry ritualistic ceremonies, then go with other sinful persons to enjoy wine, meat, and sex. Then we try to get more money and wealth by selling more sensual enjoyment. Selling every inch of our sacred land, the abode of our ancestors and devatas, to find it changed miserably as a place for pleasing mundane senses. Yes, we still perform great, pompous, beautiful religious celebrations everywhere, but bereft of real spirit of dedication and love. We treat our religious function only as common activities. Come only out of dry responsibility without real eagerness. Thought ourselves as have pleased the devatas and then go again to serve others who didn’t live according to the Dharmic values of our ancestors. What is this hypocrisy? How could we stay and inherit this land of our ancestors, but discarding the heart of their deep spiritual values…?

My countrymen of same glorious ancestors, I beg you to not let your mind go and thought about how to please and serve mundane persons only to get their money. We maintain external ritual without spiritual significance just for show it to the tourists. We may perform any kind of celebration, but only for the sake of our ancestors, devatas, and beloved Supreme Lord. We have to follow our ancestors by also inviting spiritual pilgrims, and the most important, the Sadhus, Vaishnava-bhagavatas, and serve all of them. It is alright to accept any guest. That’s also our dharma to please them. But why we have to neglect and not invite the Bhagavatas?

My dear Sadhus and Vaishnava-bhagavatas, I beg you to please be merciful to us. Please come and bless us with your divine presences and association. Due of ignorance, some of us have abandoned you. But please overlook our faults, since we have no other well wisher than you. My dear dharma-brothers and sisters please come and see the beauty of our country. She has been blessed and consecrated by many Rishis from the past. Please come here not for enjoyment, but see how she will beautifully adorn your sadhana. This is the very land, where the chants of Vedic-mantras are still resounding with music and bells, and wonderful celebrations of Dharma is an everyday life. Though we have suffer some spiritual degradation, but if all of you would willingly help us, then our descendant of the future could still see The Abode of Gods on Earth, with their own eyes.

This beautiful, colorful, and unique offerings were expression of loving dedication

Who is Lord Siva of Prambanan Temple? (2)

60. Sri Gopa-kumara said: Hearing this, I was overjoyed and I desired to attain some special mercy from the very heart of that Mahesvara.
61–2. Knowing this, Sri Siva gave an indication with his eyes to the exalted Nandisvara, who then gave me pure instructions by which I easily understood that Sri Siva is non different from and increases one’s prema for my own worshipful deity, Sri Madanagopala.
63. Then I cheerfully joined his associates, who all delighted me. Then Sri Nandisvara began describing Sri Siva extraordinary virtues, saying:
64. “In his one manifest form Sri Siva always resides in his own abode above this Muktiloka (the realm of impersonal liberation) where his exclusive, beloved devotees always receive his darsana.”
65. “Sri Siva always delights his devotees by exhibitions of dancing and singing in his devotion for Sri Bhagavån, from whom he is non-different.”
66. “Although he is Jagadishvara himself, as if he were a servant he lovingly worships the thousand-hooded Sri Sesha.”
By his mala, he chanted the divine name of Lord Rama, while meditating on his own Supersoul, Lord Sankarshana. He whipped out any unwanted things from the heart of all peoples who came to worship him by his camara and by the same he also rendered devotional service toward his beloved Lord Sankarshana. He bestowed fearlessness to everyone and he also a divine master who taught us the real knowledge, the path of pure devotion. This is our Lord Siva of Prambanan.
These verses were expressions of Vaishnava’s heart and these came from special mercy from the very heart of that Mahesvara Siva:
67. O bråhmana, although I was pleased to hear that Sivaloka was superior to all other worlds, still I felt some dissatisfaction in my heart.
68–9. Previously I could not discern the cause of my own despondency, but then, by the mercy of my gurudeva and the power of chanting my mantra, I quickly understood that I was suffering because I was not directly experiencing the glories and pastimes of the lotus feet of Sri Madanagopåla.
70. Then I told my mind that it is this same Sri Siva who assumes the special form of Sri Krishna and performs such wonderful, variegated pastimes.
71–2. Seeing that my mind was not satisfied with this, I said, “O mind, although with Sri Siva you cannot experience that kind of pastime’s sweetnesses, still, by his mercy, all of your long-cherished desires will soon be completely fulfilled.”
So Lord Siva of Prambanan was worshipable to everyone. The benevolent Raja and Rishis of Mataram, installed his worship in the main shrine of royal temple and distributed his mercy without discrimination to all the peoples. They know the real tattvas. They didn’t trap their selves in fanatic and erroneous mundane conceptions of so called Vaishnavas, Saivas, etc.

Who is Lord Siva of Prambanan Temple?(1)

When I read Yogisvara Ramayana, there are some words that interested me so much. This is from the scene of Mother Sita entering the pyre. Lord Siva came to that place and said, “Sang Rama-inujaran winarah ryyawak niran Devata| He Narayana He Raghuttama taman bhede kawaktat hidep| The revered Lord (Siva) told Sri Rama about His real identity as Supreme Divinity, as He said, Hail Narayana, Hail Raghuttama, Our two Selves were not different.” By this word taman-bhede (no difference) suddenly remembered me about my whole faith to Lord Siva, as we hold in Goudiya Vaishnava Sampradaya. And there’s no better person who can describe Lord Siva perfectly other than his dear most Srila Sanatana Gosvamipada. To have clearer image about Lord Siva of Prambanan, we should read these passages from Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s Brihad-bhagavatamrita 1.3 :

57. “He is the giver of both material pleasure and liberation, and he increases bhagavadbhakti.
He is worshipful to even the liberated souls and he is dear to the Vaishnavas.”
Our Lord Siva of Prambanan Temple was installed by the most benevolent king of Java, who named his kingdom as Mataram, the mother-land that filled by devotion to Lord Rama, and intended to become Ram-rajya. By his love to his subjects, the king invited Lord Siva to come to his kingdom and blessed his peoples with both material pleasure and liberation. By the grace of our Mula-guru Agasthiya, many liberated sages came to Nusantara, they established Vedic culture everywhere and Lord Siva is their worshipful spiritual master. He is the dearest one to Vaishnavas, because he increases their bhakti toward Bhagavan Sri Krishna. This great Lord Siva was worshipped in Java as their most revered master. The beloved personality of everyone, regardless his faith to any form of worship.
Here are more elaborations of the word taman-bhede in Yogisvara Ramayana:
58–9. “Being overpowered by the bhakti of his friend Kuvera, he has come from his own abode of Sivaloka, which is perfectly suitable for him and which is attained by those who perform bhakti knowing there to be no difference between Sri Siva and Sri Krishna, and accompanied by his beloved Sri parvati and his other principal associates, he is now going to adorn Kailasha Mountain with his presence.”