Winter 2010 Family Camp of JKP Barsana Dham, founded by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Winter 2010 Family Camp of JKP Barsana Dham, founded by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati
[ Click here to view pictures ]

Family Camp at Barsana Dham founded by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Click the above link for the latest pictures of fun and spiritual  discovery at Barsana Dham, founded by H.D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati. For one week, during the Winter break 2010, over 200 youth and adults from around Texas came together and explored the devotional treasures of Barsana Dham, the headquarters of Jagadguru Kripalu
Parishat in the western world.

“The family camp was absolutely amazing! Every person could feel the  amazing grace! New years was so awesome too – all the kids got up and started to dance before midnight in front of the Shrine singing loudly Radhey Radhey. It was so beautiful.” – Pooja Sharma

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Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP) was founded by Jagadguru Shree  Kripaluji Maharaj, our beloved Shree Maharajji, the fifth prime Jagadguru in the last 5000 years.

Founded in 1990 by H. D. Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, Shree Swamiji,  Barsana Dham Temple and ashram serves as the national center of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat in the United States and is one of the largest Hindu temple complexes in North America.

Ring in the new year with meditation at Barsana Dham, founded by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Ring in the new year with meditation at Barsana Dham, founded by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

 

Retrieved from: www.Statesman.com/
(Pictures added by me)

Date: December 30, 2006

Want to decompress from the frazzle-dazzle holidays? Longing for a little peace this weekend? Barsana Dham, the stunning Hindu temple founded by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, just off FM 1826, southwest of Austin, might have the cure for that post-holiday funk: a 24-hour New Year’s meditation focused on drawing closer to God.

The meditation, which is open to people of all faiths, begins at noon Sunday. For those who haven’t arranged to spend the night at the temple, the prayer hall will be open from noon to midnight and from 6 a.m. to noon on Monday.

I recently visited the temple and spent the afternoon with Prabhakari Devi, a monk and the vice president of Barsana Dham. Prabhakari Devi is a youthful woman (monks generally do not reveal their age) with sandy blond hair and a quiet demeanor. She began practicing Hinduism when she was 9 and studied Sanskrit in India as an adult. She dresses all in soft orange hues, the color worn by those in the monastic order. When she leaves the temple, she slips on a pair of Skechers running shoes.

I followed her around the temple grounds, a 250-acre spread populated by live oaks and peacocks and surrounded by rugged hills. Prabhakari Devi says the place bears a strong resemblance to its namesake, Barsana, a holy spot in northern India. And though the landscape is thoroughly Texas Hill Country, you can’t help but feel you’re in a faraway, almost paradisaical, land.

Devotees sitting with Swami Prakashanand Saraswati at Barsana Dham

This is something you can – and should – experience anytime. Barsana Dham invites visitors to explore the temple and grounds throughout the year during designated hours. It also hosts retreats, classes and family camps.

But this is the first year the temple has publicized its annual New Year’s meditation. And it could be a good chance to see the awe-inspiring structure and reap the benefits of meditation.

Bear in mind, this won’t be a beginner’s class. There’ll be no talking or instruction. But Prabhakari Devi says newcomers are welcome to join and should be able to follow along as people chant the three names of God: Hare, Ram and Krishna.

Not sure about chanting the three Sanskrit names of God? Worried that it’s inappropriate to participate if you’re not a Hindu? Prabhakari Devi offers this advice to folks considering the meditation: “They should come if they want to spend any part of the new year in a deep, personal connection with their God.”

Just hearing people singing God’s name over and over has an “enlivening effect,” Prabhakari Devi says.

The ethereal prayer hall features life-sized statues of Radha, a feminine representation of God, and inspiring Hindu scriptures about divine love. The light blue ceiling is painted with fluffy clouds.

I should disclose here that I’m not exactly a meditation master. I tried it once several years ago – in a yoga class at a YMCA in Cambridge, Mass. – and found it incredibly painful. The instructor, a severe, turban-topped woman, told us to sit on our knees, place our tongues on the roof of our mouths, raise our arms and direct our eyes to the bridge of our noses. I silently screamed for mercy until the class ended. And I have no idea what the purpose was.

Prabhakari Devi assured me that the New Year’s meditation requires only that people sit in a respectful position.

Shree Swamiji, founder of JKP Barsana Dham

In general, she says, people should be clear what they want to gain from meditation and then choose the appropriate meditation. This is not some feel-good exercise where you sit cross-legged in a cloud of incense and suddenly get all transcendental.

“There’s a science of the mind,” Prabhakari Devi says.

Even if you don’t understand the science part, this particular meditation may help you feel divine love – if that’s what you’re seeking. Prabhakari Devi says one of the basic tenets of Hinduism is the idea that “You can’t know God, but he can grace you.”

For more information, call 288-7180 or go to www.barsanadham.org.

AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Austin Hindus Gear Up For A Spectacular Diwali 2009!

Barsana Dham Diwali is this Saturday!

www.barsanadham.org/events/divali/divali-web.html
Barsana Dham Diwali Celebrations
Saturday, Oct 17th
5:00 pm Dinner prasad
6:00 pm Temple tour (in prayer hall)
7:00 pm Temple tour (in prayer hall)
7:30 pm Temple program – State Representatives & community leaders lighting the dias ceremony, kirtan, pravachan, arti
9:00 pm Grand fireworks display
9:30 pm Ras Garba – Live garba singers: Sur Sangam of Hurst, TX

Divali (दिवाली), also called Deepavali and Diwali, is the festival of lights. The spiritual significance of Divali is to enlighten your heart with the flame of Radha Krishn love and remove the darkness of worldliness. The word ‘deepavali’ literally means ‘rows of candles.’ Divali is celebrated about 20 days after Dashehra which falls in October-November. This festival commemorates Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya after completing His 14-year exile.

To celebrate the occasion, people light oil lamps in and around their house and set off firecrackers. People paint and clean their homes, buy new clothes and distribute sweets to their relatives and friends. That’s the social festival. The spiritual festival has a very deep meaning as you can read in Shree Swami Prakashanand Saraswati message below.

At Barsana Dham, we celebrate this joyous spiritual event by beginning with dinner prasad followed by chanting of Divali pads in the enlightened Temple. After a discourse that reveals the spiritual significance of Divali, we have darshan of the Deities in the main Shrine which is also specially decorated with lights. Following arti and homage to Radha and Krishn, we proceed outside for fireworks and raas garba (lively devotional dancing) with live music by Sur Sangam on the delightfully lit Maharas Mandal.

Also…
Rangoli contest for kids (in front of Temple)

Snack & Sweets booth: pani puri, samosa, chai, jalebi, barfi, pista roll, baklava
Youth class bake sale & popcorn booth
Driftwood Volunteer Fire Department demonstrations
Ras Garba lessons.

Founded in 1990 by H. D. Shree Swami Prakashanand Saraswati, the Barsana Dham Temple and ashram complex serves as the national center of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat in the United States and is one of the largest Hindu temples in North America. Barsana Dham is active in a number of local and global charitable activities including housing rehabilitation work in Central Texas, flood relief efforts for India, and the ongoing support of charitable hospital in India

Barsana Dham
(SW of Austin on FM 1826, 7 miles from Hwy 290)
400 Barsana Rd.
Austin, TX 78737
(512)288-7180

The Bliss of Chanting Meditation (Kirtan)

The Bliss of Chanting Meditation with His Divinity Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

There is a longing for perfection that comes from deep within every soul. No amount of material or psychic gratification can ever console our spiritual heart because our inner self can only be fulfilled by Divine love. To purify the heart and experience the omnipresent vibrations of Divine love simply bring your mind to your heart and feel centered there.

Be aware of the Divine presence near you as you listen to the beautiful chants of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati. Once you begin this natural process your mind will gradually become calm, peaceful, and contented. True awareness of the Divine makes life worth living, because it appears as a sweetness that can be tasted in every step of life. Even a few minutes of sincere practice can fill your heart with the Divine love that you seek. Contentment, peace and happiness will replace the feeling of dissatisfaction in your life. The awareness of your Divine relationship and experience of Divine love within your soul will gradually heighten. Sincere remembrance of the Divine names through meditation and chanting opens your heart to experience the Bliss of Divine love.

A Few Good Questions
Swami Prakashanand Saraswati often speaks of opening the heart to receive Divine love. Is the soul located in or near the heart?

When Shree Swamiji talks of the heart it is not the physical heart that is being referred to. There is a devotional space inside you that is unlike the material space. It is located near the heart in the center of your chest. Your soul lives in that space, and God also resides in that space. Mind has two places of existence; the brain area and the heart area. When you bring your mind to the heart area, your mind is closer to your soul and to God. You experience loving emotions in your heart, not your brain. So in our meditation (bhakti) we enrich our devotional, emotional feelings for God in our heart, not our brain.

How does a person find a true Spiritual Master?

Its always advisable to those who are looking for a Spiritual Master to turn directly to God for help. God is kind. He can help you find someone to lead you to Him. Worship God, in any form you choose as your Divine Beloved and cry for His Grace. If any person is truly and wholeheartedly desiring guidance from God, situations are created in such a way that he will find a true Master. Because he is already in God consciousness, he will be able to recognize his Master to some extent. This is the procedure of finding a true Master and following the path to God.

Does longing for God happen naturally, or can we do anything to increase it?

Longing develops on its own, but you have to provide the facility for its development Eagerly yearning for His Grace inspires and fosters longing in a devotee’s heart. When a plant is small it needs protection, water, light and nourishment so that it can grow tall and strong on its own. Similarly, the seed of Divine love in a devotee’s heart needs to be protected and nurtured by the dedication of the devotee; then longing ows on its own.

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati’s Brief Biography

Brief Biography of Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati is the foremost disciple of Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj (Shree Maharajji).

 

After spending 20 years in isolation in the loving remembrance of Shree Raseshwari Radha Rani in the woodlands of Braj, Shree Swamiji according to the wishes of his supremely Gracious Spiritual Master began teaching the path of Raganuga Bhakti.

His writings and discourses are the deeper manifestation of his beloved Master’s boundless Grace that enlightens a devotee with the true knowledge of the devotional path and brings him closer to Radha Krishn.

Recognized as a highly respected Spiritual Master, Shree Swami Prakashanand Saraswati has spent his life in loving devotion to God. After completing his formal education, in 1950 he took sanyas, and entered the renounced order of life. After this, he spent many years in Divine seclusion in holy pilgrimage places of India.

The Grace of Shree Maharajji brought Swami Prakashanand Saraswati to the western world. For the benefit of those seeking genuine spiritual guidance and knowledge, he expanded Shree Maharajji’s mission of revitalizing raganuga bhakti in the world, and established ashrams and centers in India, New Zealand and the US.

Thousands of souls have been Graced and guided by Shree Swamiji on the path of loving to devotion to God. His teachings, lectures and writings have made Shree Maharajji’s teachings accessible to those living in the west, and reveal the deepest aspects of the Divine science of raganuga bhakti.

True Desire of our Soul by Shree Swamiji

True desire of our soul by Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

The history of our planet is the history of war and peace; the rise and fall of empires; of poverty and prosperity; sorrow and happiness. The Vedas are prime and authoritative scriptures of Hindu religion. They explain, “Sansaratiti sansaraha, gachatiti jagat… Everything in the material world is in a state of flux, unstable and impermanent.” They further describe that the material manifestation is cyclically created and destroyed. Cosmic energy (maya), of which the manifest world is composed, has three qualities: positive, selfish and negative (sattva-raj-tam). These qualities pervade every aspect of the physical and subtle aspects of the material phenomena. They also influence human thinking and perception because the mind and intellect of a human being are comprised of material energy.

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati on God, dedication & love

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati:  God, dedication & love

Swami Prakashanand Saraswati

There is a deeply devotional aspect of Hindu faith. This has been beautifully expressed in the tradition of great masters who reveal vivid descriptions of the kindness, beauty and love of God in heart touching devotional songs and chants. These melodious compositions become a source of meditation and remembrance for evolving and enriching our personal relationship with God. At Barsana Dham that tradition is vibrantly alive. Sunday services in the Temple resound with lively chanting of songs and chants in praise of Radha Krishn, the supreme form of Divine love. The participants are Americans of Indian origin from Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston and surrounding areas, international and out of state visitors, and Texans of a variety of ethnic origins and ages reflecting not only the diversity of Austin but the fact that the chants and philosophy have a universal appeal. Barsana Dham is a place of peace, harmony and devotion to God and anyone who comes with an open heart and mind is welcome at the Temple.

In these turbulent and troubled times universal Hindu philosophy offers solace for the soul and a definitive vision of the path to God in this and every era.