The Theistic conference was in session at the new Buildings of the Gaudiya Math at No.16. Kaliprasad Chakravarty Street, Baghbazar, Calcutta, from October 24 to November 1. The date originally fixed for the conference had to be changed several times on account of unforeseen circumstances due to the present abnormal state of the country. This uncertainty stood in the way of many intending visitors from joining the conference in time. It will therefore, be necessary to have a supplementary session as soon as there is the needed improvement in the out-look of affairs of the country.

The address of the conveners referred to the above circumstance in suitable terms. It was, nevertheless, felt necessary to proceed with the conference for the purpose of trying to indicate in outline for guidance of supplementary sessions the positive nature of the business that is necessary to be handled by it and to test the suitability of the procedure that had been devised for the purpose.

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The Harmonist has tried to serve the Vox Dei in the measure of the light vouchsafed to her, by walking in the footsteps of Sajjana-toshani founded by Srila Thakur Bhaktivinode.

The Harmonist or Sajjanatoshani is, as her names imply, opposed to discord, being given to the service of the devotees of the Source of unmixed harmony. She has experienced the necessity of appealing to all pure souls, whose servant she tries to be, against misrepresentation of the function by pseudo-competitors. She has tried to follow the ideal of spiritual patience in preaching the Word of God in a polemical Age. The time has arrived when it is possible for her to extend the comparative method of exposition to meet the requirements of the increasing body of her readers. She relies on the good wishes of all persons sincerely inclined to listen to the voice of God and hopes to succeed in pleasing them by being true to the same herself.

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Samkirtan, the Divine Dispensation ordained for this speculative and critical Age as the only method of spiritual endeavour, means literally ‘chanting in company by many.’ The holy, transcendental Name, Form, Quality, Activity and Paraphernalia of the Divinity are to be chanted by congregation of the devotees. The holy Name is the first to be chanted. In order to realise the transcendental nature of the holy Name it will be necessary to receive the knowledge of Him from the pure devotee. The knowledge is not receivable or impartable by argumentative communication. Logic cannot lead one to the transcendental plane. There is no logical reason why it should. The Transcendental Himself can alone admit one to His plane. The pure devotee is the agent of the Lord for admitting to the transcendental plane. He performs this function by the method of imparting the holy Name.

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I am afraid, you have all got tired by now at this late hour of the evening and I should not like to take your time for long.

Thirty-six years ago this association met for the first time in the town of Krishnagar. From some time before this meeting discussions for spreading the knowledge of Sreedham Mayapur had been going on, as the result of which and at the unanimous desire of sympathisers this Association came into existence, and the Sree Bigrahas (the holy Forms of Godhead) were installed at the Yogapitha ( the holy Site of the Lord's Appearance ) at Sreedham Mayapur.

I am extremely glad to see amongst us this night Rajarshi Nafar Chandra Pal Chowdhury Bhaktibhushan, one of the foremost of the first organisers who is secretary of this Association. The enthusiasm of a youth in this grand old Octogenerian for taking part in the deliberations of this meeting with a view to encourage us in whatever little success we have achieved in this direction inspite of our difficult position, is highly commendable and deserves our best thanks. Up till now he has remained closely associated with us as our Secretary, and we highly value his co-operation. Words of encouragement and hope from such old friends always help us to keep up our ardour in the midst of hard struggle against odds. I am afraid I fail, for my poverty of expression, to adequately convey my joy and thanks to him.

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The All-Theistic Conference for the consideration of matters connected with the highest universal good will be in session at the Gaudiya Math from Friday Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, 1930. The Assembly will sit everyday in the evening from 7 to 9 P.M. The agenda of the topics is given below. The views of all sincere souls on them are earnestly solicited as they will be of great help for the purpose the conference have in view. With this object a list of questions bearing on various relevant topics is attached herewith for eliciting needful information. The undersigned will thankfully receive all communications from any person embodying the views of himself or of the particular religious community to which he belongs on the subjects to be considered by the conference, in the form of connected written statements which should reach them before the 17th Oct. 1930. The presence and participation of all persons at the Conference are also most cordially invited.

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To truly worship His Holy Feet, one must be nearest of Them, and to be nearest is to transcend Maya, or all mundane existence. This is a condition which is absolutely indispensable, but most difficult of fulfilment for fallen beings. For the Real Master ever lives by the inscrutable Will and Power of Personal Godhead in the Transcendental Region of Eternal Existence, Knowledge and Bliss, although simultaneously He seems or appears, in our materialised perception, to live and move in this phenomenal world of ours as a mortal man in material form. This is due to the misfortune of fallen souls embodied in matter when their spiritual form with spiritual senses lies hidden by their finer and grosser material forms. As they transcend matter and discover their spiritual eternal forms, their true perception and right worship of the true master with their spiritual senses,—and through Him that of Godhead,—commences. People in their fallen and ignorant state cannot properly understand and realise this transcendental character of the Vaishnava-Acharyya—the Nearest and Dearest Constant Servant of the Supreme Absolute Lord Sri Krishna the Personal God-head, and His Messenger, Preacher and Messiah in this world for the time. Does not then the worship of people fettered by Maya reach the Holy Feet of Sat Guru? Yes, surely there is hope for them, and that a most encouraging one. For the Sat Guru comes down for them, and in His unbounded mercy He does not accept their worship, however low and imperfect, and by His most gracious acceptance He purifies and makes it perfect,—only when they quite sincerely seek after and take refuge in the Holy Feet of the Acharyya and completely surrender themselves to His mercy.

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Sri Gaursundar teaches us to chant the kirtan of Hari at all time by being ‘humbler than a blade of grass.’

Those who are given to worldly enjoyment can never be humble. The soul in the state of bondage identifies itself with the physical body and the material mind. This error leads the bound jiva to have attachment for the things of this world as being conducive to the well-being of the body and mind. The blade of grass in the same manner has its own humbler relationships with its physical environment. But it does not stand in the way of others but on the other hand submits even to be trodden upon without protest. The grass may therefore be taken as the emblem of humility among the objects of this world. But it has nevertheless a locus standi of its own in this world if only to stand as an example of humility to others. But the jiva soul can claim no place high or low in this world. This fact is not realized by the jiva in the state of bondage. The bound jiva accordingly believes as true its relationships with the things and concerns of this world. No person can really be humbler than a blade of grass so long as he recognises the claims of his body and mind. He can only pretend to be so.

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“CALL upon me in the day of thy trouble, and I shall deliver thee.”
( The Bible. )

How sweet and how cheering are the above words of the merciful creator. They are as balm to the hurt minds and beacon-light to the be-nighted souls. In this world of grievious cares and misfortunes, in this life of never-ending sorrows and trials, we look in vain for a faint ray of hope except in the faith that God Almighty will deliver us, for He is the last “anchor” that “holds” and friend and to those who are friendless and fatherless. “Sorrow” it is said, “is at once the lot, trial and privilege of mankind” and though “uses of adversity” are also held to be “sweet” but life would have been unbearable and we should have lacked an adequate amount of mental energy to bear the ills “flesh is heir to,” had not our hearts been cheered and animated by the hopes that we are under the watchful care of an All-wise providence and that “all is best though we often doubt”, what the unsearchable dispose of Highest wisdom brings about. Human wisdom and human resources often prove useless in the critical periods of our lives. The utmost that can be done by man is as nothing compared to that strength of mind which we acquire by our reliance on Divine help and guidance. This is proved daily and hourly by the united testimonies of the lives and experiences of thousands of men and women...

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