During Swami’s recent visit to Saragrahi he spoke formally to the devotees on four occasions: upon arrival concerning Kartika, on Pujyapada B. R. Sridhara Deva Goswami’s appearance day, on the nature of Vaishnava diksa, and on Govardhana-puja. All of these discussions are now available for download. His arrival speech emphasized the nature of Bhakti-devi, constituted as she is of Bhagavan Sri Krishna’s svarupa-sakti. This discussion also touched on the measure of the jivas’ free will with regard to embracing bhakti. In glorification of Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja, Swami highlighted our guardian’s contributions to Gaudiya Vaishnavism and his history independent of those connected with Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Swami spoke about Vaishnava diksa in the context of blessing new students to chant harinama and bestowing mantra diksa upon others. He stressed the difference between Vaishnava diksa/Vaishnavism and varnashrama dharma and spoke about the essence of Sri Krishna’s Govardhana-lila in the context of sraddha and saranagati. His final lecture on Govardhana puja wove between Gaura and Krishna lila, leaving everyone assembled with the conviction that some stones do indeed talk to those whose stonelike hearts have melted.
Under Swami’s able guidance much was also accomplished on Saragrahi’s eighty plus acres. Land was cleared sufficiently to proceed with a master plan for placing proposed buildings—temple, guest cabins, retreat center, monastery, etc. Four acres of mountaintop pasture were also cleared and planted and four acres for organic vegetables have been plowed and are ready to seed. Fruit trees have also been planted. Nine one-acre lots have been identified and are for sale. A devotee family has purchased twenty acres across the street form Saragrahi and another devotee in now looking for one hundred acres in the immediate area to develop a biodynamic farm and dairy to serve the budding Saragrahi community.
Lectures:
Sri Govardhana-puja 2011, Talk 1
Sri Govardhana-puja 2011, Talk 2
