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“Futuristic Visions” Part 3

Jayananda Thakur vol 3

This may seem to be a strange desire, to communicate with someone in the spiritual world. Usually we do not try to make sadhu-sanga with departed Vaisnavas. We try to do that with present Vaisnavas, living in this world. And I do try to do that. So why do I want to make connection with Jayananda Prabhu?

Well, I have been doing visualizations for the past five years, every day. I have executed devotional service via visualizations, because my physical abilities had been sharply curtailed by Parkinson’s and a severe back injury. Dealing with PD [Parkinson’s] for the last eight years, I have maintained a constant low level of symptoms, so that I look perfectly normal in the afternoon. It is the morning, Brahma Mahurta time, that I cannot physically function well.

Morning Visualization Bhakti

A great example for visualization is the service of the South India Brahmana, who was fixed up with great determination to worship his Lord with great pomp, and in his mind alone. The South India Brahmana took bath in the Godavari River, and then sat in a secluded place on the bank of the river. He practiced yoga and pranayama in order to fix the form of the Lord firmly within his mind, and then imagined that he was dressing the Lord in very costly clothing and ornaments and helmets and other paraphernalia. He then fell down to offer obeisances, and then cleansed the temple very nicely. Next he filled water jugs made of silver and gold with water from the river Godavari, and also the rivers Yamuna and Ganges, and the Narmada and the Kaveri. Generally a brahmana will collect water from all these rivers by chanting mantras, but in his case, he mentally went to all these 5 rivers with pots of gold and silver and took water from each river, even though they were thousands of miles apart. Srila Prabhupada said that mental devotional service is the same as physical devotional service.

Since my ability to perform physical devotional service has been severely compromised, therefor I follow the example of the South India Brahmana, and execute visualization bhakti in the morning. I mentally take shower and apply tilak and dhoti and kurta, and I mentally chant japa and pace and circumambulate Tulasi devi for a long time. Oh yes, I also travel to the river Godavari, and I chant mantras and fill some water jugs made of silver and gold with holy water from that sacred river, and I also fly to one or two or all of the rivers Yamuna and Ganges, and the Narmada and the Kaveri, and fill more water jugs made of silver and gold with holy water. Then I fly back to NV and give the jugs to the pujaris for them to offer to Their Lordships. Oh yes, how is it that I am able to fly? I ride on a white Swan, with a 12 foot wing span. :) And yes, I travel thousands of miles to each river, and I get back in time for Mangala Arati :)))) Then I set up the arati trays, and then I dance in kirtan.

End of “Futuristic Visions” Part 3