Rays of The Harmonist
- What Śrī Caitanya Meant by Theism
- Call Out, Weeping
- "Serving" Jīvas
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
❝The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya has asked all sections of the people of this world not to tamper with or mutilate the Absolute Truth with their crippled attempts to regulate Him, but rather to approach Him with an absolutely clean and sincere heart, in which His own feature will be revealed.❞ ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝In happiness and distress, in dissent and calamity, in every situation, we have to call out, weeping, to Śrī Gurudeva, Śrī Gauracandra and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa at every moment. If we are calling out to them sincerely, they will surely bestow their mercy. However, we face obstacles in our calling out.❞ ..
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝The terms jīva-sevā (service to other entities) and jīva-prema (eternal love for other entities) are fictions, contrary to conclusive truth, and are illogical. One will never attain the result of service to Śrī Bhagavān by serving the conditioned souls’ gross senses and becoming a regular purveyor of their bodily and mental demands. One can never attain a transcendental life of service by serving that which is inert or loving the illusory objects produced by māyā.❞ ...
Read MoreEkadasi Can Fulfill All Desires
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Those who are not fortunate cannot honor maha-prasada with the understanding that it is Govinda Himself, as they cannot understand that Krsna has invested all His power, opulence, mercy, and everything in His name. The holy name of Krsna is Krsna Himself, and maha-prasada is Krsna Himself, and the pure Vaisnavas are also non-different from Krsna. There is a special power in them. We should not neglect them...
The Powers of an Ekadasi Family
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For us fallen conditioned souls, Krsna has personally become Ekadasi. Ekadasi has no consideration of caste or creed. For example, it is not that Ekadasi will give its fruit only to someone who is initiated by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. If anyone, irrespective of caste or creed or any designation follows Ekadasi, he will gain internally and externally...
Why Bother Singing Bhajanas and Kirtanas?
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Why do we do so many kirtanas? Is it a waste of time? Why not always chant, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna…” When you will sing, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna,” and “Hari haraye namah krsna yadavaya namah,” and “Jaya radhe, jaya krsna,” other devotees think they should take their mala and sit behind, and they can chant, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna…”
Good Questions, Great Answers
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Devotee: Gurudeva, I am looking for a guru. What are the qualities of a good guru – a bona fide guru?
Srila Gurudeva: He knows all sastra – Vedas, Upanisads, and all other Vedic scriptures – and thus he can remove devotees' doubts. He has some realization of the Supreme Lord, and by that realization he is able to transfer Krsna from his own heart to his disciple...
The Bhakti-Lata-Bija
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Very good, thank you. From today on, you should all try to have the firm belief that by serving Krsna your lives will be successful, and that your maintenance and everything else will automatically be taken care of. With this firm belief, you will not need to do anything except chant and remember Krsna. I am repeating these very important topics again and again, in order that you may come to realize them. Try to realize this: if you are serving Krsna, your whole life will be successful; you will not need to do anything for your worldly necessities. In this way, instead of doing anything for your maintenance, you will perform all devotional activities: sravana kirtanam visnu smaranam pada sevana.
Govinda Damodara Madhaveti
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Absorbed in this beauty of Krsna, the gopis forget their body and mind. They don’t know where they are. The calves and cows also forget about their surroundings when they see Krsna or listen to His flute song. I was speaking on this yesterday or the day before? Where was it?
Srivasa Pandita’s Appearance Day
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Some of the neighbors complained about Srivasa to the Muslim Kazi. They told him "He thinks he is better than Muslims because he is a Hindu. He is a culprit. If he and the other Hindus have to sing so loudly, it must mean that their God is blind and deaf; He cannot hear well. They spend their entire nights creating disturbances. We cannot sleep. What should we do?"...
Everything is meant only for Krsna Consciousness
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So, every quality can be used in the service of Krsna. If skills and talents are used in this way, that is very good; they must not be used for sense gratification. At the same time, let us also consider this fact: Srila Sanatana Gosvami had a touchstone. He never used it for himself, and in fact he never used it at all...
The History of Sri Giriraja-Govardhana
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I will speak on one history of Giriraja-Govardhana. Giriraja was in the Himalayas. He is the son of Drona. Drona is one of the friends of Himalaya. He had a beautiful son and his name was Giriraja. Though he was little, he was so beautiful. He was decorated by Tamala trees, Kadamba trees, cuckoos, parrots, and everything else. He was loved so much by his father. When anyone would see Giriraja-Govardhana, they would become so attracted to him...
Vaidhi-bhakti or Raganuga-bhakti?
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The meaning of this sloka is that in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sampradaya the practices of vaidhi-bhakti take one to raganuga.
It is not raganuga at first. It begins from vaidhi-bhakti. If one in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami follows vaidhi-bhakti, that vaidhi-bhakti is really the beginning of raganuga.
Why Did Sri Krsna Come? (part 2)
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For the benefit of those who do not know about spiritual life full with Vedic wisdom, Srila Vyasadeva wrote down what he saw in his trance. First he wrote the four essential verses (catuh-sloki) of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Lord Narayana had spoken it to Brahma, Brahma then spoke it to Narada, and then Narada elaborated upon it.
Is Guru Really Omniscient?
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Especially, I have instructed the brahmacaris and sannyasis to be very careful. There is no more to tell than what I have told in Badger. Even those who are householders should try to come out from that burning well. Don't again try to enter household life. But hardly anyone is listening to me, so what can I do? This is maya.
Whom to Follow and How Much to Follow Them - part 2
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We began from sraddha. We told so much hari-katha, and the essence of all is found here - that our object is to serve Srimati Radhika. We should begin practicing bhakti from the smallest fraction, from sraddha, and that practice is called vaidhi-bhakti. Then we should gradually go up. When you develop a real taste for bhakti, you will not fall down, and if you have no taste, oh, you are already fallen. There is no further down to fall...
Whom To Follow And How Much To Follow Them
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It does not matter if you do tapasya, if you execute household life perfectly, if you are a brahmacari or if you take vanaprastha or sannyasa. It doesn't matter if you stay submerged in the water in the cold winter, or if you sit in the blazing sun in the summer. All these things will not make any difference in understanding the actual situation of the Absolute Truth, the living entity, and his relationship with that Absolute Truth. Only by associating with a maha-bhagavata (a great soul), will you realize these things. This is the essence of this instruction...
Initiations and Other Topics
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Somebody may say that because in some societies there are no high-class Vaisnavas, there is a need for kanisthas to give initiation...
Two Questions
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It is very hard to utter Sri Krsna’s name at the time of death. At that time one’s throat will be choked up. You should speak hari-katha to that person, and chant Lord Sri Krsna's name: “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.” If you cannot do this, then chant: “Krsna, Radhe, Rama...
