Paramahamsa: a Brief Overview of the Divine Life of Sri Srimad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

A Brief Introduction His Divine Grace Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, an empowered representative of Lord Sree Krishna, is presently one of the foremost spiritual leaders of the mission of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu among the second generation disciples of Sreela Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad.

His Divine Grace is the President-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, which was founded by his Most Revered Gurudev, Sreela Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj. He is the Founder-Acharya of GOKUL, the ‘Global Organisation of Krishnachaitanya’s Universal Love’.

He also serves as President of WVA, the World Vaishnava Association.

He is acknowledged by prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava Acharyas as one of the most exalted spiritual personalities in the world today.

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His Early Life His Divine Grace Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj made his appearance as a divine infant in 1924 in Goalpara, Assam, India, on Ramanavami, the most auspicious appearance day of Lord Ramachandra. From his childhood he had a natural affinity towards spirituality and an innate inclination to search for the ultimate reality. He used to spend the majority of his time in meditation. Even as a child he was cognizant of the transitory nature of the material world, and was indifferent to worldly things.

He was very obedient and respectful to his elders and teachers, and became an example for other children. His strong inclination towards the path of selfrealization made him take up the study of philosophy at Calcutta University (presently Kolkata University) His peers invariably noted his outstanding qualities of truthfulness, benevolence and non-enviousness.

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Taking Shelter of His Spiritual Master After completing his M. A. in Philosophy in 1947, he was spontaneously attracted to the divine personality of his Spiritual Master, Sreela Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj, and fully dedicated his life to his service. Sreela Madhava Goswami Maharaj was one of the foremost followers of Sreela Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad, the illustrious spiritual master of the school of pure devotion. Sreela Prabhupad would refer to him as a person of ‘Volcanic Energy’ due to his unflagging enthusiasm, full competence in a variety of services, unflinching resolve, diligence and success in all endeavors entrusted to him. He founded the devotional institution, Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, which has over twenty branches in India alone.

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Preaching in India For the last seven decades His Divine Grace has been engaged in the propagation of the doctrine of Transcendental Divine Love of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. “Example is better than precept” is his way of preaching, as he always practices what he preaches. Whoever came in touch with his transcendental personality could clearly see his compassion towards the living entities, complete detachment, absolute tolerance, intense spiritual blissfulness, unflinching faith in Sree Guru, combined with exclusive devotion and complete surrender to Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is known for not deviating even one iota outside of the four corners of the prescripts of the holy scriptures. No one can match the way His Divine Grace forewent eating and sleeping while personally staying amid disturbances from all corners to preserve his Gurudev’s teachings in their original, perfect form.

His Divine Grace excelled in following all the devotional traits of Sreela Madhava Goswami Maharaj and, due to his untiring service attitude, marked his valuable contribution to the activities of the mission. He very soon became the Secretary of the organization. In 1961 he was awarded sannyas, the vow of renunciation. He travelled extensively with his Gurudev to spread the mission of Mahaprabhu.

His Divine Grace was nominated as the successor acharya of the Math

by Sreela Madhava Goswami Maharaj. In fact, Sreela Madhava Goswami Maharaj had such confidence in the ability and dedication of His Divine Grace that on one occasion, several years before his departure from this world, he said, “Don’t think about the future, my appointed successor is my most beloved disciple; he is extremely humble and will preach more than I.” In 1979, after Sreela Madhava Goswami Maharaj entered into the eternal pastimes of Sree Sree Radha Krishna, His Divine Grace became the President-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math.

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His preaching activities took him throughout the length and breadth of the country and inspired many to follow the path of devotion, thus expanding the mission of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

He exhibits energy unknown for an ordinary human being. His intense performance of sankirtan is so much surcharged with devotional ecstasy that it draws the attention of everyone around, and inundates them with the experience of the higher stages of bliss. He has benefitted countless people with his holy association and is known to possess a very sweet, most charming and affectionate personality.

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Worldwide Preaching Activities Earlier, with the idea of sending His Divine Grace outside India to propagate the gospel of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, his Gurudev asked him to take German language lessons. Several years after the disappearance of his Most Revered Gurudev, and due to the constant and persistent requests of the devotees, he approached his Siksha-Guru, Sreela Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj, seeking his advice and opinion on traveling to the West for preaching. At his behest, in 1997, His Divine Grace embarked upon preaching the message of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu throughout the world.

His Divine Grace, during his USA tour in 1997, addressed the United Nations ‘World Conference on Religion and Peace’ and ‘World Peace Prayer Society’ in New York City, offering them a succinct outline for world peace based upon the spiritual tenets of the Vedas. All participants were very much moved by his sweet and humble personality.

His preaching programs included many interesting dialogues with prominent Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Baha’i theologians, in such diverse settings as universities, interfaith groups, churches, temples and a wide variety of metaphysical and private educational centres.

All were invariably won over by his gentle and affectionate nature. He also spoke on the sublime teachings of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on many radio and television programs, including a thought provoking interview on BBC radio in 2000, which was broadcast worldwide.

His preaching engagements have taken him to twenty-five countries including UK, Holland, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, France, Russia, the Ukraine, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii and throughout the continental USA. With the goal of expanding the preaching mission worldwide he founded GOKUL, the Global Organisation of Krishnachaitanya’s Universal Love, in 1997, which has many centres all over the world.

By dint of his all-loving nature and devoutness to the service of Guru and Vaishnavas, he is the role model for acharyas of many Gaudiya institutions.

During his 50th Sannyas Anniversary celebration in 2011, more than fifty acharyas of various institutions gathered to get his blessings—a number not seen elsewhere in this century.

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His High Standing It is impossible for an ordinary person of this world to comprehend the true glories of His Divine Grace. However, the statements of his highly esteemed Gurudev and other prominent disciples of Sreela Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad, enunciate his unparalleled spiritual standing and exemplary character.

“I have many disciples but one who lives up to my heart’s satisfaction is Tirtha Maharaj.”

Sreela Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj (1904-1979), Founder-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math

“After the generation of our god-brothers (disciples of Thakur Prabhupad), it is presently very rare to find an elevatedVaishnava like Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj. If you want to learn the conduct of a Vaishnava, then approach him. Consider it good fortune, even if you have to undergo a debt to serve such an exaltedVaishnava.”

Sreela Bhakti Saurabh Bhaktisar Goswami Maharaj (1902-1995) Founder-Acharya of Sree Nityananda Gaudiya Math

“It would help me if someone educated and qualified like you could go abroad with me.”

Sreela Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj (1896-1977) Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

“You have a ready-made acharya! Tirtha Maharaj is an acharya from childhood.We don’t have to make him.”

Sreela Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Goswami Maharaj (1895-1988) Founder-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Saraswat Math

“Tirtha Maharaj is a personal associate of Nayanamani Manjari in Golok Dham.”

Sreela Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj (1898-1999) Founder-Acharya of Sree Gopinath Gaudiya Math

“He has all the Vaishnava qualities of humility, submissiveness and so on, as quoted in the scriptures; he is a true sad-guru. One who surrenders unto him will definitely be benefitted.”

Sreela Bhakti Kumud Santa Goswami Maharaj (1921-2012) Founder-Acharya of Sree Gauranga Math, Sree Chaitanya Ashram and Sree Gaur Saraswat Santa Gaudiya Math

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His Teachings One may proclaim himself to be a Hindu, Muslim, Jew or Christian. However, this can change. Just by altering one’s rituals, dress and language, a Hindu can become a Christian and likewise. But the essential element which lies at the root of these different faiths is devotion to God. Whether one is a Hindu, a Jew or whatever - to claim to be religious must mean that one considers himself as a servant of God. Bhakti (devotion) is the link between God and His devotees.

Our senses, intellect and mind, being material, can only have knowledge of the morphological aspect of a thing but cannot know the thing-in-itself. It can be realised only through its descent or grace to us.

Sin is the cause of all suffering, and the cause of sin is the desire to commit sin. Misconception of self is the cause of this desire. Nescience is the cause of misconception of self, and aversion to Absolute Knowledge (Sree Krishna) is the cause of nescience. So, the root cause of sin is aversion to Sree Krishna.

In our devotional spiritual cultivation we are to practice detachment from the worldly objects and cultivate attachment to Sree Krishna simultaneously.

We are to give more stress to positive practice (attachment to Sree Krishna) than to negative practice (detachment from worldly objects). This is because remembrance of the things of the world comes to our mind when we try to withdraw ourselves from them. On the other hand, if we always remember Sree Krishna, devote ourselves to the service of Sree Krishna, Who is All-Good, All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss, we will automatically be withdrawn from worldly objects.

Chanting and listening to the pastimes of the Lord are the limbs of devotion unto Him. The meaning of devotion is ‘seva’ (service), which cannot be attained by any force. It is not that whatever we speak becomes bhakti.

Only when the Lord accepts our speech, it becomes bhakti. If the Lord is not satisfied by our chanting or listening, then that chanting and listening is not bhakti.

Any serious endeavor for our eternal benefit will be successful when performed by invoking the grace of the Divine Master, Revered Vaishnavas and Supreme Lord with the purpose of propitiating Them only, and not for any other purpose. Any desire for mundane name and fame, or for any other ulterior motive, will frustrate our devotional and spiritual life.

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Entry into Inner Absorption His Divine Grace is undoubtedly the servitor counterpart of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sree Krishna. His activities are completely transcendental even though externally he may seem to exhibit the symptoms of an ordinary person.

Currently, His Divine Grace has entered into a state of inner absorption (samadhi) as per his desire to associate with his beloved Gurudev in the transcendental realm of Their Lordships Sree Sree Radha-Krishna. The sincere disciple, graced by the causeless mercy of Guru, with eyes tinged with the salve of Divine Love, is able to see him from the transcendental perspective. To such a person, His Divine Grace, despite his present pastime of inner absorption, is with him now and always will be so.

Therefore, he is in a state where he is completely absorbed in the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. He is performing pastimes similar to the dependent pastimes of the Supreme Lord in His Deity form.

Even though to a person with material vision, His Divine Grace is not seen to actively participate in preaching activities in his current state, his devotional radiance is so pervasive that countless people all around the world aspire to take shelter of his Divine Lotus Feet. By his presence among us he is increasing the joy of all of us and the entire world at large.�

Sree Bhakti Niketan Turyasrami Maharaj, one of his god-brothers, says, “Though omnipotent, Bhagavan localizes Himself as the Deity in order to accept service, and to bestow auspiciousness upon his servitors. In His Deity form, Bhagavan does not complain whether they offer Him food or not, whether they serve Him properly or not. Maharaj has now assumed a similar state, i.e. reliance on servitors to bestow auspiciousness on them.

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Pithy Sayings We should not blame others for the afflictions we get due to our own karma. Others may be instrumental, but not the cause.

Real aspirants utilize their time for their actual benefit.They find no time to find faults and criticize others.

Wherever we shall devote our energy, there we shall go. So the wise always devote their mind, intelligence, senses, words and all to the service of Sree Krishna.

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Sadhus have no personal grudge towards anybody in this world.They refute the anti-devotional contentions only for the eternal benefit of all, and to save the sincere souls from being misled.

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His Writings His Divine Grace has written numerous books in native languages as well as English. Some of the most acclaimed titles in English are:

Sri Chaitanya – His Life and Associates A Taste of Transcendence Sages of Ancient India The Philosophy of Love Suddha-Bhakti Affectionately Yours Dasavatara

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“The Vaishnava creed is ‘Paramahamsya Dharma’. A swan has the ability to extract milk, the essence, from a mixture of milk and water. A true Vaishnava who ia ‘Paramahamsa’ (the best among swans), can extract the good qualities of a person by ignoring their unnecessary and worthless faults. The conditioned souls who are enveloped by the three primal material qualities of the illusory energy of the Supreme Lord (goodness, passion and ignorance), do not possess the capacity to see a person’s good attributes and, instead, only see their defects. So long as they lack the competence to understand the superior perspective of the Vaishnava or Guru, there is no possibility of their coming in contact with them.”

His Divine Grace Sreela Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

REE HAITANYA AUDIYA ATH

S C G M

SREE CHAITANYA GAUDIYA MATH

Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math 35, Satish Mukherjee Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026, India Phone: +91 33 2464 0900 • email: info@sreecgmath.org Mobile App: Paramhamsa Vani

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Paramahamsa Sree Sreemad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj