Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj
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Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj is presently one of the foremost spiritual leaders of the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates. He is a disciple of Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj, who is the disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada.
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[edit] His Early life
Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj was born in 1924 in Assam, India, on Rama-Navami, considered the most auspicious appearance day of the Supreme Lord Krishna in His form asRamachandra. From his childhood, he had a natural attraction to and affinity for spirituality. Having been brought up in a pious environment, he developed a strong inclination to search for the ultimate goal of life and began to spend the majority of his time in meditation. Though this meditation he developed an indifference to materialism, and became aware of the non-eternal nature of the material world. This manifestation of the path of self-realization led him to take up the study of philosophy at the Calcutta University. His fellow students at the university invariably noted his outstanding qualities of nobleness, truthfulness, benevolence and non-enviousness.[citation needed]
[edit] Contact with Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj
While studying at the university, he came in contact with his spiritual master, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj, and immediately became attracted by his powerful personality. Srila Madhava Maharaja was one of the leading followers of the preceptor of the pure devotional bhakti school, Prabhupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and a major contributor to devotional teachings in his own right. After completing his Masters Degree in Philosophy in 1947, Srila Tirtha Maharaja dedicated his life to the service of his spiritual master.
He travelled extensively with Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja on preaching tours. Soon Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja established him as the secretary of the devotional institution known as Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Matha, which has over twenty ashrams in India . He was awarded sannyasa, the order of renunciation, in 1961, before eventually Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja, selected him as his successor. After the death of his spiritual master Srila Madhava Goswami Maharaj in 1979, Srila Tirtha Maharaja was appointed as President-Acharya of the Math. He has received the blessings and affection of many of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s prominent followers, such as Srila Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Hridaya Van Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Akinchana Krishna Dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Kumud Sant Goswami Maharaj and many others.[citation needed]
[edit] Preaching in the Indian Sub continent
For the last five decades, Srila Tirtha Maharaja has been engaged in the propagation of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's doctrine of transcendental divine love to counter the present trend of violence and cruelty, and to bring about unity of hearts among all, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. "Example is better than precept" is his way of preaching. It is said that he has always practiced what he preaches - compassion toward all living entities, true kindness, simplicity, innocence, complete detachment, absolute tolerance, intense spiritual blissfulness, an incomparable degree of humility and unflinching faith in Sri Guru combined with exclusive devotion and complete surrender to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Tirtha Maharaja is known for not deviating outside of the four corners of the prescripts of the holy Scriptures. He is a renowned authority on Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy and he is beloved by thousands of followers throughout the world as the very embodiment of humility and spiritual affection. Now at the age of 80, inspired by the grace of his Guru deva, Srila Tirtha Maharaja is always on the move, going from towns to villages in India and also abroad, propagating the message of the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam.
[edit] His Worldwide Preaching
Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja requested Srila Tirtha Maharaja to accompany him to the US just prior to his launching of the Hare Krishna Movement in the West in 1965. As he was, at that time engaged in the service of his spiritual master, Srila Madhava Maharaja, with many duties and responsibilities, Srila Tirtha Maharaja humbly declined.
Eventually, with the idea of Srila Tirtha Maharaja traveling outside India to propagate Sri Chaitanya Maharaprabhu's gospel of transcendental love, his Gurudeva Srila Madhava Maharaja ordered him to take lessons in German. It was several years after the death of his Gurudeva and due to constant and persistent requests of devotees, that Srila Tirtha Maharaja approached Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj, who is one of the foremost associates of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupada, for guidance regarding travel to the west. At the behest of his beloved shiksha-guru (instructing preceptor), Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj, he then embarked upon preaching the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu throughout the world, beginning with an America in 1997. Since that time, he has continued to disseminate the remedy for the afflictions of the current age quarrel, the chanting of the Holy Name, throughout the world. To date, his preaching engagements have taken him to 25 countries including England, Holland, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Russia and throughout the USA.
Srila Tirtha Maharaja, during his US 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 ancient Vedas. All participating in these meetings were very much taken by Maharaja’s sweet and humble personality, and regarded him as a genuine holy man.[citation needed] His preaching programs over the past years have also included many interesting dialogues with prominent Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim and Baha’i theologians, in such diverse settings as universities, interfaith groups, churches, Hindu temples and a wide variety of metaphysical and private educational centers. He has also spoken on the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on many radio and television programs, including a thought-provoking interview on BBC radio in 2000, which was broadcast worldwide.[citation needed] Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, in lieu of a request by the devotees worldwide, gave his approval for the establishment of GOKUL (Global Organisation of Krishna Chaitanya’s Universal Love), which he founded in 1997 with the goal of expanding his preaching mission.
[edit] His Teachings
Srila Tirtha Maharaja places great stress on chanting of the Holy Name without offense, encouraging and inspiring all to achieve the pure stage. He practices and preaches complete surrender to the instructions of his spiritual master, Sri Gurudeva.
[edit] His Writings
Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj engages in writing articles and books of a profoundly spiritual nature in several native languages as well as English. Many of his writings are in Bengali but have been, and continue to be, translated into other languages.
[edit] His Present Mission
Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Regd. Institution (www.sreecgmath.org) was established for spreading the diving message of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math is one of the major Gaudiya missions. The emphasis of Sree Chaitanya Gaudia Math is to maintain quality and not quantity. Currently Srila Tirtha Maharaj is the president-acharya.
