Supreme Nirvana in New Dwaraka

I am writing this on 24 January 2007 at 10:45 am at the Los Angeles International Airport. Krishna has kindly blessed us with an ecstatic stopover in Los Angeles on our way back to our home base in Austin. We spent about 20 hours in New Dwaraka, the Los Angeles temple and community, of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The devotees here are staunchly dedicated to blessing the fallen souls of this age by the wide scale propagation of Krishna consciousness all the world. To be in the presence of such great souls is a very inspiring and enlivening experience. May I always be so fortunate. 

Sometimes some of my readers complain when I describe what I am doing. They say that I should simply stick to describing the science of self-realization. But they do not realize that I teaching the science of self-realization not only by my words. I am also teaching it by my activities. The secret of rapid advancement along the pathway of self-realization is to associate with highly advanced transcendentalists such as the members of ISKCON's New Dwaraka community. If you want to quickly attain what Krishna describes in the Bhagavad-gita as the supreme nirvana, then you should associate as much as possible with great souls such as these.

yunjann evam sadatmanam
yogi niyata-manasah
santim nirvana-paramam
mat-samstham adhigacchati

"By meditating in this manner, always controlling the body, mind and activities, the mystic transcendentalist attains the ultimate peace, the supreme nirvana that abides in Me."
--Bhagavad-gita 6.15

Altar in New Dwaraka (Los Angeles ISKCON) temple room

Altar in New Dwaraka (Los Angeles ISKCON) temple room

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: How Can I Advance?...

You've said that you must inquire submissively from a self-realized soul. But because of confusion I don't know what to ask them. I feel that I've met a self-realized soul, but I still don't believe that they can help me because of my own limitations. I feel that there are things inside myself that block me from having a true relationship with anyone. What can I do to make advancement at this stage?

Your student

Answer: Approach Guru in Mood of Arjuna...

Arjuna was confused when he approached Lord Sri Krishna, the supreme self realized being. But after approaching the Lord he became free from all confusion. Therefore, if you want to be free from all confusion, all you have to do is approach the guru, self-realized soul, in the same way that Arjuna did. Here's how he inquired from the Lord:

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me
sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam

"Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me."---Bhagavad-gita 2.7

The self-realized soul can definitely liberate you from your entangled position within this material existence. He is specifically empowered by Lord Krishna to do this. All you have to do is to fully surrender unto him, just as Arjuna fully surrendered unto Lord Sri Krishna. This will solve all of your problems very easily.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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