Rays of The Harmonist
- Who Is a True Disciple?
- Material Attachment is Never the Result of Guru-sevā
- Chant the Transcendental Word to Others or He Will Be Eclipsed
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
“It is incumbent upon me to submissively accept whatever arrangements śrī gurudeva makes for my well-being.” This is truly the attitude of a real disciple. Without it, inauspiciousness is inevitable. Real disciples are those who constantly serve the Supreme Lord under the guidance of the spiritual master, without becoming enjoyers – that is, without trying to use their senses to enjoy the sense objects. ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝The ultimate fruit and success of everything in this world, or all assets – that is, all studying, writing, reading of Veda, sacrifice, chanting, austerity, vaidhī-bhakti and rāgānuga-bhakti – is the attainment of service to the lotus feet of śrī guru, who is a non-different manifestation of Bhagavān, Śrī Hari Himself. Or is the result of service to guru attachment to mundane knowledge and sense enjoyment? I think that attachment to material learning and the acquirement of wealth, women, prestige, and sense enjoyment can never be the result of guru-sevā.❞ ...
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by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
We shall be enabled to realize our lasting good if only we place ourselves wholly under the protective guidance of Śrīla Vyāsadeva. ...
Read MoreFeatured: Sri Upadesamrta
This unprecedented edition contains the commentaries Srila Radha-ramana dasa Gosvami, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada. Translated from the Hindi edition of Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja, Sri Upadesamrta gives instructions indispensable for practitioners of the devotional path. Without following these instructions, entering the realm of pure devotion and especially following the intricate and elevated path of spontaneous devotion (raganuga-bhakti) is not only difficult, but impossible.
The Passing of a Devotee
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If anyone will call out these names, Jaya Rupa Santana, Bhatta Raghunatha….. they will mercifully come and give mercy to that Sadhaka so that all anarthas and little things will go away and Krishna prema will come...
Purifying Alachua and Miami
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We should not think that the Deity is made from clay, sand, or stone, or that anyone has made Them. The Deities are always transcendental, and They are controlled by the love and affection of Their devotees. Madana-Mohana used to talk with Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Govindaji would talk with Srila Rupa Gosvami...
Sri Guru Gives God
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Srila Swami Maharaja said, “First, I request you to help them; only you can help them. Secondly, you should arrange my samadhi with your own hands.” There were so many senior god-brothers in Vrndavana, like Bon Maharaja, and his senior sannyasis like Tamal Krsna Maharaja and others; so why did he ask me to give him samadhi?
Blessings from Srila Bhakti Kumuda Santa Gosvami Maharaja
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Srila Bhakti Kumuda Santa Gosvami Maharaja was the last of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhakura Prabhupada's sannyasa disciples to leave this world, entering nitya-lila in 2012. Srila Bhakti Hrdaya Bon Gosvami Maharaja and Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja brought him to the lotus feet of his spiritual master at the tender age of eleven. Upon initiating him, Srila Sarasvati Thakura named him Sri Radha-ramana dasa, and carefully arranged for his education...
The Highest Conception of ISKCON to Aspire For
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The bhakti that is defined here in that verse, raganuga-bhakti or Vraja-bhakti, can never be achieved simply by great quantities of sukrti. It can be achieved only if you are so fortunate as to have darsana and association of a rasika-bhakta of Vraja. That high-class devotee's heart is saturated with love and affection, like an Indian rasagulla, and everywhere there is rasa and rasa. If you squeeze a rasagulla, rasa will come out and still so much rasa will remain inside...
Don't Worry About What Others are Doing
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Still, somehow you are somewhat fortunate, for you are in good association. You are now realizing something about spiritual and material matters, but there are some weaknesses also. Try to drive out all these weaknesses...
The Speciality of the Gift of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
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Srila Gurudeva composed an article in Bengali, entitled "The Speciality of the Gift of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu." That article has now been translated into English and is now available for download...
Counter-Clockwise Love
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What is the meaning of prema vivarta? 'Vivarta sesa rupe avarta' - that love which is moving counter clockwise in a very special way. Generally love turns clockwise, but here it is experienced in a very special manner. One who has learned the two and a half syllables - prema (pre-ma) - has learned everything. All scriptures, especially Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and all the books of the Gosvamis, are based simply on this one word, prema...
On the Way to Australia
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[Question:] Some persons say that even though you are giving the service of Srimati Radhika, most of the devotees do not have that svarupa (the constitutional position of the soul). Most don’t have the constitutional form of a maidservant of Sri Radha. Such persons say that your followers mostly have other svarupas, and are getting other moods from you, even though you are externally preaching manjari-bhava...
Vasanti-rasa
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"My heart is palpitating, for I desire to write such a thing which in this life I have not written before, and which is not mentioned anywhere: that Krsna will fall at the feet of Radhika. We know it well, but Krsna is the Supreme Controller, the cause of all causes, and the original bhagavat-avatara. That He falls at the feet of His own potency who is the form of His dasi...
An Arrival Address
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We should know the aim and object of our life and our devotion. It is Krsna-prema, not Krsna or Srimati Radhika. The heart of Radhika is full of maha-bhava - up to madanakya-maha-bhava. She serves and controls Krsna. This prema is the object. This is the supreme object for all of our lives. Knowing this, what kind of devotional practice should we perform?
Conversations In Mathura
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Ruci is a part of suddha-sattva, and when suddha-sattva comes, rati or bhava (the stage of spiritual emotion just prior to prema) manifests. The fraction of this rati is ruci. In that case ruci is also a kind of rati. When ruci becomes more mature, then it is called asakti (attachment)...
Questions at the Airport - Hong Kong
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It may be that they have two constitutional forms – one in Krsna’s pastimes and also one in Mahaprabhu’s pastimes. Srila Kavi Karnapura has explained this in his book, Sri Gaura-ganodessa-dipika, and Srila Rupa Gosvami has explained this in his Radha-Krsna-ganodessa-dipika. Srila Kavi Karnapura has written that in Gaura-lila (Mahaprabhu’s pastimes) Radhika is Sri Gadhadhara Pandita, Lalita-devi is Sri Svarupa Damodara, and Visakha-devi is Sri Raya Ramananda. He has told everything in this regard...
Two Morning Walks
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In the beginning of one's devotional practices, by hearing about the Lord's pastimes, one my want to serve Sri Sri Radha-Krsna and he may also want to serve Sri Ramacandra. In that case he will think about Rama and His associates like Hanuman, Bharata, and Laksmana, and he will also meditate on Sri Krsna's pastimes with His sakhas, or with Nanda Baba and Yasoda, or with the gopis. In other words, in the beginning one is not situated in his permanent relationship, so one will sometimes be attracted to a particular relationship when he hears about it, and at other times one may become attracted to another service relationship when he hears about it.
Our Goal of Life
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In the Gambhira, along with Raya Ramananda and Svarupa Damodara, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to hear all these sweet pastimes of Krsna. At that time His transcendental body was full with ecstatic symptoms. Sometimes the limbs of His body entered into His body and He became like a tortoise, and sometimes other symptoms manifested. If you will remember all these sweet pastimes, your life will be successful...
Can A Devotee Suffer?
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Devotees who are chanting Sri Krsna’s name and practicing pure devotion to Krsna have no karma. For them, suffering and problems that come to them means that Krsna wants them to be humble and tolerant. Such devotees should think, “Oh, I am very wretched.” This humility will come. So, Krsna personally gives them this suffering. It is not the fruit of their karma...
