Rays of The Harmonist
- Have At Least One Bandhu
- Debarred from Truly Tasting the Bhāgavatam
- Aside from One or Two Stories, I Do Not Know Any Hari-kathā
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
One should offer [tell] the topics on one’s mind to the sādhus and śrī guru, whom one is to consider his bandhus, or well-wishing friends [guardian angels]. One should inquire from them only and one should hear only from them. We should have at least one such bandhu, parama-bāndhava (utmost well-wisher), to whom we can open our heart. ...
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by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Rather than listening to Bhāgavata discourses spoken by liberated paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇavas, those who make a fuss of listening to the Bhāgavatam from professional orators or others whose discourses are full of tendencies that are harmful to the culture of true well-being, do so for sensuous gratification through poetic, literary, grammatical and other such false appreciations. ...
Read Moreby Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
Having taste for hari-kathā is a sign of immense good fortune. This is why you have such eagerness to hear hari-kathā from my mouth as well. However, aside from one or two stories, I do not know any hari-kathā. ...
Read MoreFeatured: Jaiva Dharma
This compelling narrative based on spiritually developed personalities and others in cultured Bengali life a few hundred years ago, serves as the basis of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's presentation of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava philosophy, from its basic tenets to its esoteric pinnacle. Woven into the story are penetrating philosophical questions that are commonly pondered and eternally relevant. The depth of the answers gives clarity and direction to the quest to establish ourselves in our jaiva-dharma, our soul's constitutional function.
You May Speak Further
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Sri Ramananda Raya then suggested sva-dharma-tyaga, giving up one’s occupational duty. Ultimately, even if one wants to offer the fruits of ones worldly activities to Krsna, since Krsna actually owns everything, what can one actually offer to Him? Everything belongs to Krsna, and therefore one should simply renounce and leave one’s material designation in varnasrama. One should be very careful to avoid anything that is against bhakti...
Is Gurudeva His Institution?
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Once, someone said to Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, "Those who have left the Gaudiya Mission have left Srila Prabhupada's teachings." Gurudeva replied, "We have never left Srila Prabhupada, we will never leave, and in the future we will continue to serve. Let us see what happens in the future....
The Holy Name and Anti-Pollution
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If you are abusing anyone, criticizing anyone, or quarreling with anyone, these sounds will evaporate in the air and it go throughout the whole universe. If you are speaking any nonsense it will not 'go in vain.' It will go throughout the whole world by air. An example may be given of a big pond....
The Benefits of Feeling Utterly Insignificant
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Great souls have one-pointed faith, determination, enthusiasm and complete conviction in the service of Lord Krsna; and they want to distribute this to others. But who can receive such mercy? Only those who feel themselves to be utterly insignificant. Those who receive the mercy of Vaisnavas can become successful in their life and realize the service of the Lord. Without the mercy of Vaisnavas this is not possible...
Natural Love
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This behavior of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu cannot be imitated. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would do parikrama, He would have a direct vision of the pastimes of Srimati Radhika and Sri Krsna. So we cannot imitate Him. This stage will come naturally if we follow the process of bhakti. Do not try to jump over the stages in the progressive development of bhakti – sraddha, bhajana kriya, anartha nivritti, nista, ruci, asakti and bhava. In this way some realization will begin to come...
Praying To The Pastime Personalities
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We should pray to madhurya-bhakti, which lives in the gopis, and among the gopis, Srimati Radhika is the embodiment of hladini-sakti (Sri Krsna's pleasure potency). When hladini-sakti and samvit-sakti mix together, that essence is called lila-sakti, or Yogamaya. If we pray to this Yogamaya, Paurnamasi, who is a manifestation of Srimati Radhika, she will arrange that a chain of pastimes will automatically manifest in our hearts...
The Glories of Gopal Bhatta Gosvami
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First let us glorify Gopal Bhatta Gosvami. During Caturmasya-vrata Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to South India, to the Ranganathji temple. He began to dance and perform kirtana there, and all were attracted. The members of a very holy family met Him there, and they requested Him, "Please stay at our residence for these four months of Caturmasya, and after that You can go anywhere else...
The Repository of Jewels
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Here, the rain of svati-naksatra is Sri Ramananda Raya’s explanation of all bhakti-siddhanta. When the clouds of Ramananda Raya sprinkled the rain of explanation on the ocean of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His heart became the repository of jewels. Those jewels were the "anubhava yukta siddhanta"...
The Centennial Appearance Day Celebration Of Srila Bhakti Hrdoy Bon Maharaja
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Today, on this holy occasion, so many learned scholars and saints of Vraja are gathered. I am neither a saint nor a learned person nor a speaker, but I am very glad to see that this scholarly assembly has honored our siksa-guru, Sri Srimad Bhakti Hrdoy Bon Maharaja, with their beautiful offerings to his lotus feet. I am also glad to have the darsana of these great personalities as well as the great opportunity to have heard from them. The learned persons here have described some of the glories of Srila Bon Maharaja in very ornamental language, and I want to say a few additional words in this regard...
The Disappearance Day of Srila Sanatana Gosvami
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Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Sanatana Gosvami were very intelligent in their worldly life. Due to their extraordinary intelligence, the Muslim king invited them to be engaged in government service. He changed their names to Dabir Khas and Sakara Mallika, and kept them as his private secretary and minister...
Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Lord Siva
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Srila Sanatana Gosvami was practicing bhajana near the Yamuna River at Kaliya-hrada, the former abode of the very poisonous snake named Kaliya. Kaliya-hrada was close to the Yamuna, and therefore its surrounding area was full of sand. Srila Sanatana Gosvami wore only a loincloth. He used to go begging door-to-door for a small amount of prasada...
Guru Purnima
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Today is the birthday of Srila Vyasadeva, the son of Parasara Rsi. Srila Vyasadeva divided the Vedas into four sections, and then he took the essence of all the Vedas and Upanisads and wrote Brahma-sutra so that everyone would be able to easily understand. He then wrote fifty-four Puranas, but they were also very difficult to understand...
The Beginning of Caturmasya
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This year, 2020, July 4th and 5th ( see calendar) is the beginning of Caturmasya, the four month period each year from July into November, in which devotees observe certain rules and regulations in order to advance in their bhakti. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to follow all these rules very strictly...
Tulasi Dasa's Rama-Carita-Manasa Glorification
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Tulasi dasaji was a Vaisnava belonging to the Ramananda Sampradaya, a branch of the Sri Sampradaya. All the four Vaisnava Sampradayas are worthy of our respect. His name, Tulasi dasa, is a Vaisnava name and he wore the vertical (urddhva-pundra) Vaisnava tilaka. He also wore tulasi mala around his neck and was initiated into the sri-rama-mantra, which is a mantra for obtaining perfection...
Krishna Is Sweet
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Krishna's beauty is sweet, His mother, Yasoda, is sweet, and His father is sweet. Especially His flute is very sweet when He plays on it and smiles with His very sweet and crooked side-long glance. Even the stick which He uses for cow-grazing is very sweet...
Hong Kong Airport Darsana
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It is very difficult to understand the gopis' mood without their mercy. When they are absorbed in meditation on Krsna, they see Him and converse with Him. Through meditation, the gopis hear and realize all these things. The gopis meditate and think, "if Krsna would hear what we say, He may reply like this or like that." They know: "He will say that...
