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...
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...
The Beginning of Caturmasya
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Today is a very sacred day in our line. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and began to search for his brother, Sri Visvarupa. While searching, He found out on this day that His brother had been in Pandarapur, and there he had left his body and had taken samadhi on the bank of the river Bhima. Then, although Mahaprabhu was observing Caturmasya-vrata very strictly for four months, He shaved off His hair on this day. Before this year, He had never shaved for these four months, nor did He cut his nails. He observed all the rules and regulations of Caturmasya...
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...
It Is Not a Day - It Is Krsna
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What is the speciality of today that gives it the name Ekadasi? It is the eleventh day from the dark moon day (Amavasya) and from the full moon day (Purnima). We have eleven senses – five working senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses. That makes ten, and the mind is the eleventh. With these eleven senses we should try to become nearer to Krsna. Ekadasi – by our eleven senses we do 'upavasa'. Upa means 'very near' and vasa means 'to reside...
Ekadasi 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...
The Vow of Ekadasi
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You are all observing Ekadasi today. We should surely observe Ekadasi – strictly avoiding grains, or anything prepared with any kind of grains, such as wheat, barley, corn, and so on. If you observe Ekadasi, chant the holy name, hear hari-katha in high-class association, always remain with elevated devotees, and perform any of the nine limbs of bhakti, you will never fall down...
What Do You Want? What Are You Doing?
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By reading Bhagavad-gita, you will be qualified to read Srimad Bhagavatam. Bhagavad-gita is a book of primary school and Srimad Bhagavatam is for post-graduates. If you do not read Bhagavad-gita, you cannot understand Srimad Bhagavatam. This is the basic platform. Bhagavad-gita is also essential to make a platform. After this you can make a very sweet building of Vrindavana, where you can serve Radha and Krishna...
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...
Sweet Talks with Srila Prabhupada’s disciples
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Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra, Vrndavana, Radha-Krsna, Vrnda Devi, Navadvipa Dhama, Gaura-Nitai—all are here. So, I am so glad to come here. There are so many devotees here. Perhaps, everyone knows me. Some are new. Have you met me before? Is this the first time? What is your name?
Give Radha and Krsna Your Heart
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The Guru is supposed to be on a higher platform than the disciples. And, you should treat him like, “Saksat-hari.” You should always honor him. A disciple cannot sit on the same asana as Gurudeva. But, a Siksa Guru is also honored. Sometimes, he becomes like a bosom friend. You can embrace and joke with a Siksa Guru. But it is very hard to joke and laugh with your Diksa Guru. But you can joke and become a bosom friend of Siksa Guru; laughing together like Sridhama, Subala, and Krsna...
A Casual Airport Darshan
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Sometimes, in Jagannatha Puri, Jagannatha does not reach His chariot for two, three, or four days. And sometimes He stops midway. Why does He do so? Because He is independent. What mood is in Krsna and when it is in Him, only He knows. Even Baladeva may not know. Only Srimati Radhika can know; we cannot know. It is very mysterious...
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...
Gosvami Tulasi Das
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we should try to develop our relation with them. You should know that Rupa Gosvami knows so many things about bhakti-rasa as Caitanya Mahaprabhu had told him. But how to apply these teachings? How to practice them from our mind, senses, and heart and to make all these things as a rasa? So, Raghunatha das Gosvami has written the answers. So, he is also a siksa guru.
Oh Madhava! and Two Questions
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This greed is so valuable that however wretched, or lusty one may be; but greed may be there. It is not certain if this greed can be found in a very sacred, pure hearted person. It depends on the mercy of any bona fide guru and rasika-bhavuka bhakta. So, he has some association, some sadhu-sanga of Rupa Gosvami. Brahma cannot have this, but the devotee wants this. Brahma cannot have this in his samadhi; but the devotee prays, “I want this...
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