24 September 2014

Shri Krishna Janmashtami Celebration 2014


From “Festival of Joy” to “Celebration of Love”

More than 450 guests came for the celebration of Janmasthami or the Birth of Lord Krishna, organized by Radha Madhav Santsang at the Singapore Khalsa Association in the evening of the 16th of August 2014.

The organizing committee at Radha Madhav Satsang (RMS), can rejoice because their efforts paid beyond expectations. For the celebration of Janmashatmi or the birthday of Krishna, they prepped up for  400 guests but reached an unexpected 450 and at the end, even had to turn down people. The premises of the local Khalsa Association were packed with elegant and cheerful guests.

It was a first attempt for RMS and by their own admission, organizers struggled with logistics as they had no visibility on the turnout.  Tickets continued selling shortly before the evening itself. Managing catering and other arrangements kept members of RMS busy. “Until the last minute, we counted the seats one by one to make sure we could accommodate everybody,” shared Navraj Singh one of the volunteers.

On Janmashtami, followers of Hinduism celebrate the birth of Baby Krishna, the 8th avatar or manifestation on Earth of Lord Vishnu, a major figure in the Indian faith. However, as Guest of Honor and MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Inderjit Singh noted later on Facebook, it became a multiracial event. Something also remarked by another volunteer from RMS. “ Our initial objective was to gather all the Indian communities for this moment but we were happy to see locals, Chinese and Sri Lankan join us also,” he commented during a phone conversation.

Groups of talented children from Jubilant Arts, a local arts school, danced on Indian tunes. A group of children from RMS took charge of one portion of the entertainment. In between the shows, discourses from speakers and devotional practices, such as an Abhishek, took place.

Swami Govindananda, a guest lecturer who flew from Australia, explained the meaning of Janmashtami and why Lord Krishna is important. In a few minutes and with much clarity, he shared an invaluable amount of knowledge with the guests. The preacher enjoyed his participation in what was “the first large scale celebration outside of India” he witnessed. He stated RMS members perfectly captured the essence of the Janmashtami. “At the end, it was a perfect celebration of Love, which is what Krishna is for all of us,” concluded Swami Govindananda.

For photos of the event CLICK here.


30 July 2014

Special Shri Krishna Janmashtami celebration

Radha Madhav Satsang (“RMS”) is organising a memorable celebration of Krishna Jayanti - Janmasthami (Lord Krishna’s birthday).
The event brings together the various Indian communities to celebrate this Festival of Joy. It will be a fun-filled and enlightening evening featuring a Cultural Show with drama and dance performances by talents from the different Indian communities.

Program Highlights:
-Spectacular Krishna Birth Celebrations
-Cultural Dance & Drama
-Melodious Bhajans
-Lucky Draw
-Photo Booth
-Buffet Dinner

Date: Saturday, 16th Aug 2014
Time: 7.00 PM - 11:00 PM
Venue: Singapore Khalsa Association
2 Tessensohn Road
Singapore 217646
(nearest MRT: Farrer Park)


An evening not to be missed! A special event for the entire family to rejoice and celebrate Krishna Jayanti - Janmashtami 2014 together.

Organised by Radha Madhav Satsang
http://www.radhamadhavsatsang.org

https://www.facebook.com/events/253206834878814

22 February 2014

15 February 2014

The Divine Life of Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj




A brief life history of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj, given by his disciple Swami Mukundananda at Singapore in 2007. This introduction was given to the thousands of people gathered at the Singapore Vinayagar Temple, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj. 

Why is the right path difficult?

9 February 2014

A Message of Jagadguru Kripalu ji Maharaj 





Dear Spiritual Aspirant (Sadhak),

You are the soul and not the body. Your beloved is Shri Krishna alone, and not your worldly parents, children, etc. To love your beloved, who means everything to you, is quite natural. He is omnipresent, hence you do not have to perform any spiritual practice to attain Him. If there is anything you can do, it is to consider yourself bereft of devotion. Once you do this, and at the same time if you think that you belong to Shri Krishna, then He will accept you as His own. Unless you consider Him as your one and only, how will He consider you to be His?

Along with this, you have to keep in mind the fact that your faith and love should be directed towards none other than your Lord and your Guru. Your dealings with worldly people should be very limited. In other words, you should not be thinking about them, listening or talking to them, beyond what is absolute necessary.

The soul’s utmost welfare lies in constantly remembering the fact that he has found a true Guru for himself, because the Guru who is non-different from God is present in front of him. Increase your faith in your Guru, to achieve which, contemplation on the mercy of your Guru and God is required.

Never consider yourself to be alone. Always feel their (God and Guru) presence with you everywhere.

7 February 2014

Jagadguru Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj

About Maharajji 

jagadguru-shree-kripaluji-maharajThe Personification of Divine Love and Grace

Eternally liberated Divine personalities sometimes descend upon the earth for the welfare of humankind. Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji Maharaj is such a Divine personality. “Shree Maharajji”, as he is lovingly called by his devotees, was born on the auspicious night of Sharad Poornima in 1922, in the village Mangarh, near Allahabad.

Childhood and youth

Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji Maharaj spent his childhood in youthful fun, playing games and frolicking with his young friends. But at the same time, he would display intense gravity and excel effortlessly in his studies. At the age of fourteen, he left his village and attended three Universities. Kashi, Chitrakoot and Indore. During his study, he covered a whole series of courses in the space of just two-and-a-half years.

Absorption in Divine Bliss

Jagadguru Kripalu ji MaharajAt the young age of sixteen, Shree Kripalu ji Maharaj suddenly gave up his studies and entered the dense forests of Chitrakoot and spent his time absorbed in intense love for Radha Krishna. Often he would lose all external consciousness, and go without eating and drinking for many days at a stretch. For long intervals, he would remain in mahabhav, the highest stage of devotion that manifests in Radha Rani. The very same manifestation of mahabhav love was last seen in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, about 500 years ago.
After two years, he emerged from the forest to begin his mission of revealing the glories of Radha Krishna devotion to the world and leading people on their path towards God-realization.

Kirtan movement

Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji MaharajHe then started conducting ‘satsangs’ that brought about a revolution of Bhakti, devotion in the states of UP and Rajasthan in the 1940s and 50s. He would lead kirtans imbued with intense devotional spirit and emotion, which would continue throughout the night. These kirtans, which he composed himself, have been compared by scholars with those of Meerabai, Soordas, Tulsidas, and Ras Khan. Shree Maharajji’s Divine kirtans have secured a place for themselves in the hearts of sincere devotees across the globe.
Click here to watch soulful Kirtans in Shree Maharajji’s voice

Scriptural Discourses

Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji MaharajAfter accepting the title of Jagadguru, Kripalu ji Maharaj traveled throughout the country for fourteen years. He would deliver month-long discourses in each city, in which he would unravel the mysteries of the divine scriptures like the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayan, Bhagwatam and many others, to an enraptured audience of tens of thousands of people, who would throng the venue for a glimpse of this extraordinary scholar and Saint whose words left them spellbound. Shree Maharajji’s lectures tantalize the masses with humor, worldly examples, practical instructions and playful chastisement, much to the delight of the crowd. It was a unique experience as he made the deepest scriptural truths accessible to everyone in the simplest language.
As a cut runs deep, his penetrative words have such divine power that even an atheist’s heart can melt when Shree Maharajji describes the nature of the ultimate and Absolute Truth.

Devotional literature

Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji Maharaj has written thousands of inspiring verses revealing the Divine pastimes of Radha Krishna. His style of writing is unique in the entire history of saints: First, he begins the chanting of a pada or kirtan, and as the kirtan progresses, he keeps adding lines to it, bringing it to a consummate close. In glorification of Shree Radha Krishna Devotion, he has named one of his principal creations as “Prem Ras Madira”, or “Divine Love Intoxicant”. A literal (verbatim) translation of the name of one of the greatest treasures of a devotee is a naïve and futile attempt. One is lost for words to describe the intensity, poetic brilliance and greatness of the pads and kirtans written by Shree Maharajji. It is only by singing the inebriating kirtans that we can get a glimpse of the unfathomable divine love that pours out from the heart of a true devotee of Shree Radha Krishna.
The kirtans conducted by Shree Kripaluji maharaj are famous the world over for the fervent intensity of devotion that they create in the minds and hearts of the sincere follower, forever binding him or her to the path of God-realization. Whenever Shree Maharajji graces the prayer and Sadhana hall, the kirtans reach a feverish pitch as the lord’s innumerable names and pastimes are sung in unison by ecstatic voices across the floor. It is a sight to behold and participate in these highly charged kirtans that mesmerize even the most phlegmatic of people, drawing them ever closer to Shree Radha Krishna.

Worldwide mission

Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji MaharajIt is Shree Maharajji’s vision that every soul should get a chance to practice Bhakti or devotion in its simplest form, so that the soul may attain its true goal of God-realization. In order to help people around the world in their quest towards this goal, Shree Maharajji began training devotee preachers and sending them to different parts of the globe. He also created a formal organization and began the construction of huge ashrams, to provide facilities for devotees who wished to practically apply the teachings in their lives. This organization is today known as the Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat.Every soul seeking divine love & bhakti realizes the infinite grace of Shree Kripalu ji maharaj.
Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj considers service to society as a very important feature of his divine mission and contributes immensely to many causes of the nation and the society in general. He has constructed three fully charitable hospitals in Mangarh, Barsana and Vrindavan for the benefit of the poor and needy. Under his guidance and blessings, the organization has also established a charitable school and a women’s college for over 1000 students to bring high quality education for the underprivileged. He regularly donates clothes, utensils and other needy items to thousands of poor who throng his doorstep. Through the charitable organization, Shree Maharajji also touches many thousands of physically handicapped or differently abled persons with equipment to help them build a life of hope and happiness.
Shree Maharajji has graced devotees on this planet with his gift of divine inspiration by establishing the Bhakti Mandir in Mangarh and the stunning ‘marvel of marble’, Prem Mandir in Vrindavan. Dedicated to the devotion of Shree Radha Krishna, these temples serve as a beacon of shining light for the millions of people looking for a ray of hope in the path of spiritual progress.

The Philosophy of Divine Love

The goal of human life is to attain Divine love which is only possible with the Grace of God. To receive His Grace you have to wholeheartedly surrender yourself at His lotus feet and love Him selflessly. This is called divine love devotion. In fact our desired object, the Divine love, is Divine by nature which is beyond the material world, so there cannot be any direct approach to it, neither through our material intellect nor senses.

In this material world every person is born with certain tendencies and likings. As he grows, his likings take the shape of desires, and to fulfil those desires he works for his whole life. The life ends but desires never end. Everyone is devoid of real happiness, that is why they run after everything that pleases them.

This world has been created in such a way that every living being perceives two kinds of objects and situations; one is soothing to the senses and the mind, and the other is non-soothing. When a person perceives such an object which is soothing to his mind, his brain nerves feel a sweet comfort, and this feeling strengthens his faith that the world is sweet. This faithful imagination gives more imaginary pleasure which further multiplies his faith, and thus, this cycle of misunderstanding goes on forever.

You feel happy when you are having a good time, but at the same time your inner conscience declares a discontent that appears in the shape of a ‘desire to have more.’ The happiness that you receive from the world reaches to a certain depth in your mind, but the proclamation to receive total contentment comes from the very bottom of your mind which is next to your soul. Material joy, happiness, pleasure and felicity can never reach the very bottom of your heart and mind. There remains a big gap, and that gap can be observed by you if you sincerely think over it alone. This is the fact of life, and the truth of material happiness.

Material truth is the experience and perception of temporary discontented pleasures of the material life with a growing hope for future fulfilment that can never happen because ‘the present’ is always wholly or partially discontented. The Divine truth is God Himself Who is loving, kind, and friendly; Who is eternally yours and always with you in every situation.
Your innermost conscience is already desiring God’s love and His association. The moment your conscious mind begins to believe this fact, you begin to feel a kind of secure fulfilment in your life. This is the beginning of your spiritual life.

The nature of human mind is that it becomes attached to the object or person  it faithfully remembers, and adopts the qualities of that where it is attached. When the mind is attached to material phenomena it develops only good and bad qualities, and always remains bound to the material dimension. When your mind is attached to God it develops devotional qualities and, in time, you may receive God realization with the Grace of God and your Divine Spiritual Master.

Thus, our ultimate goal of life is only God realization.