LECTURE CONTENT NOTES
#1-#3 Puja classes 16-18 Apr 1998
Srila Prabhupada's letter on cleanliness
Sikha
#4 Puja class 21st Apr 1998
Dressing etiquette for women
Cloth cleanliness for Deity worship
Cleanliness standards for cotton, silk and woolen clothes
Difference between cleanliness and purity
There are more people in India following the culture and standards of cleanliness than the first world who are not following.
17:20 Why not wear stitched cloth while worshiping the Deity
20:30 Sweating
Cleaning and purifying various types of cloth
24:00 colors of cloth
Requirements for wearing saffron cloth
26:40 - why are there differences of purification for cotton, silk and wool
32:00 Identifying as a devotee
Tilaka is the best of all ornaments
Dressing as gentleman
38:15 Tilak should not be put on in the bathroom
40:25 The meaning of the form of Tilak
Tilak should be worn during all spiritual activities
Looking at the sun after seeing a mayavadi
46:45 Tilak stops at hairline. There is no tilak marking on the back of the head
48:30 Tilak comes down to 3/4 of the nose
Materials for tilaka
52:15 Wearing markings of the Lord's symbols and writing holy name on one's body
54:00 mudra dharana for Gaudiya vaishnavas is neckbeads
Wearing Tulasi neckbeads
Other auspicious malas to wear.
#5 Puja class 22th Apr 1998
Acamana
02:50 If something goes into the body what we don't see, other beings will get the benefit. We should not eat in the dark.
08:45 Why nails are impure
17:00 Gayatri japa
A pious person may be very selfish and not nice in dealing with others
21:00 Times for chanting Gayatri
22:50 What happens to body and mind during sandhya
Gayatri mantras require initiation to be effective, but not the Hare Krishna mantra
We can only approach the Lord through His devotees
30:00 Initiation on the platform of Bhagavata Marga
34:00 Taking Babaji initiation
36:00 Chanting Gayatri at proper time
38:15 Definition of Sandhyas for chanting Gayatri
43:45 Facing East or North while chanting applies outdoors, but in the presence of Deities or worshipable pictures one should face them.
Benefits from chanting Gayatri in different places.
48:50 Covering the hand while counting Gayatri or chanting japa - otherwise benefit is taken by the residents of Bhuvarloka.
53:50 Scriptures mention rules and regulations...
57:30 Ways of chanting Gayatri - in the mind or by moving the mouth without making sound
58:30 Meters for chanting Gayatri
59:15 Things to help the mind to concentrate, things to avoid while chanting
60:00 Stopping Gayatri for receiving devotees
60:45 If we know rules, but don't follow, where is the question of sincerity?
Prasadam and bhoga should be kept separate
If we don't follow rules here, why will would we be allowed in the spiritual world?
65:45 Some rules are more important for Vaikuntha, heavenly planets, not going to hell
67:30 "Let all the subtle beings take all the benefit."
70:30 Gayatri mantras only start working on the platform of goodness.
#6 Puja class 23rd April 1998
Sacred thread
Brahminical initiation means, one is competent to study the Vedas
Brahmana is always studying, period of Caturmasya meant for study
05:30 The specifics of brahmana thread
13:30 All holy rivers reside in the earlobe
18:00 snapping fingers while yawning
20:15 Thread signifies Vedic initiation
21:25 Demigods reside in the girls' body before marriage
Touching earlobe for purification
24:30 Cleaning and decorating the temple
25:30 purifying water with cow dung
Even if one is senior, one should help to clean the temple.
29:00 Mandalas
The gross and subtle cleaning of the temple and of the heart
33:00 Levels of study
34:30 By mixing service, samvit with bhakti, hladini, sandhini, Dhama, gives us realization
39:00 7 aspects of service - to Holy Name, shastra, Tulasi, prasada, Vaishnavas, guests, Dhama
3 parts - learning-practicing-teaching to others
Krishna's spiritual potency in the Holy Dhama - samvit, sandhini and hladini.
49:00 Without giving up duplicity, one cannot cross from bhava to prema
53:00 5 main processes of devotional service
Both knowledge of the ritual and knowledge of the purpose and connection with the scriptures are required to come to the platform of spontaneous devotional service.
59:00 Main conversations in Caitanya Caritamrta
All main aspects of Deity worship are expertly included in the morning program
Rupa Goswami is quoting essential principles from Hari Bhakti Vilasa.
#7 Puja Class 24th Apr 1998
Serving the Holy Name
Rules mentioned in the scripture for chanting are specifically meant for Gayatri, but one may apply them in chanting Hare Krishna to help concentration
Stringing material for beads, knots, main bead, thread marking off first 8 beads
Why 16 rounds?
23:30 Washing and changing the beadbag every day makes one into a brahmana
Form, quality and pastimes will come from the Name
Offenses against the Holy Name
Lord's mercy comes through Madhyamas, the preachers
Demigods represent parts of Krishna's potency
Spiritual master is our connection with Godhead
Scriptures reveal the Lord to us.
51:35 "Nobody dies in Svarga"
Holy Name is greater than any material activity, even only in Namabhasa
#8 Puja class 25th Apr 1998
Offenses against holy name continued
19:00 The origin of Buddhism and Jainism
Tulasi and Neem beads
Mental offenses
Is the Spiritual master required to chant on our new sets of beads?
Tulasi Seva
Tulasi is more dear to the Lord than Lakshmi
Watering Tulasi, touching her ground
76:00 Using Tulasi as medicine
#9 Puja class 28th Apr 1998
Shastra seva
08:00 Bhagavatam has extracted the essence
Reading other books after one has finished the books of Srila Prabhupada
2 kinds of ruci in studying shastra
Goswami literatures are mostly for uttamas and madhyamas, some are for kanisthas who are scholars
51:00 3 levels of meanings in Srimad Bhagavatam
52:50 Prasada Seva
4 types of foodstuffs
Advanced devotee is happy seeing others eating
Traditionally, advanced devotees would be serving prasadam
69:00 Nowadays loving exchanges between devotees are not going on nicely
#10 Puja class 29th Apr 1998
Rules for properly serving prasadam
Sequence of serving different preparation
What goes well with what in a menu
Rules for eating
By washing the feet after eating the effects of Kali-yuga are reduced
In the West, cleanliness is maybe understood to some extent, but purity not at all.
#11 Puja class 30th Apr 1998
One must always seek Lord's permission to eat, speak or act.
How can an advanced devotee fall?
Tongue is very important to control
Proper atmosphere while taking prasada is crucial for the well-being of devotees
Maya has tricks up to prema to 37:20
'Pascatya-desha Pancaratra'
#12 Puja class 29th Apr 1998
Rules for eating
In Vedic culture people don't gnaw on things
Eating together with devotees
Cleaning after eating
Prasadam leftovers