Rays of The Harmonist
- How Will We Attain Kṛṣṇa-prema?
- Symptoms of Degradation
- "There is no way I can imagine a separate institution"
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
❝The living entity is not created; rather he is an eternal entity. Nor is the living soul inert, rather he is conscious. The independence that a living entity possesses has not been granted by anyone. Independence is innate in his existence and he only experiences distress due to misusing his independence...❞ ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Unnecessary gossip about others (paracarcā) and acts of hypocrisy and deceit (kuṭīnāṭī) are symptoms of degradation. These disturbances are bound to occur if there is no taste for harināma and hari-kathā. Those who are desirous of progressing in hari-bhajana must keep distance from the association of anyone who indulges in paracarcā. If they don’t, the dirtiness of their hearts can also affect the hearts of those associating with them.❞ ..
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Many preaching centres of the Gauḍīya Maṭha have been established today in the East and West, yet I consider all of them to be a single indivisible unit. I know those who have been favoured by jagad-guru Śrīla Sarasvatī Prabhupāda and those who are his disciples and grand-disciples to be my own people, and I convey my obeisance to them, knowing them to be Gauḍīyas. I know every Vaiṣṇava who is bathed in the current of Śrī Gaura-vāṇī-vinoda (the delight of Śrī Gaura’s message) to be my supreme well-wishing friend and most intimate relative, but there is no way I can imagine a separate institution.❞ ...
Read MoreA Glimpse Into Sri Ujjvala-Nilamani
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On this island I am totally absorbed in writing about the very elevated moods of Srila Rupa Gosvami; moods that were inspired in him by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Mahaprabhu ordered Srila Rupa Gosvami to write about the deep moods of the gopis, as well as the process by which we can achieve similar moods. Most of you are not qualified to hear or read about this, what to speak of follow, and yet we are writing. Otherwise, if we do not do so...
A Great Scholar Meets Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
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We explained in yesterday's class that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu became angry after His danda was broken by Nityananda Prabhu. He said, "O Nityananda Prabhu, Mukunda, Damodara, Jagadananda - either all of you should go to see Lord Jagannatha first, or I should go first. I do not want to go with you...
Siksa-Guru
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If he is expert in sastra but has no realization of Krsna, he is not able to be a guru. He should be rejected as guru. It may be that he can quote all the sastras, but he is not a guru if he has no realization, if he himself is not chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna and Govinda Damodara Madhaveti, if he is not always happy, if he has so many problems, if he is very angry and very lusty, if he has no detachment from this world, and if he has many desires...
A Surprise Definition Of Vedic Culture
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After compiling Vedanta Sutra, Vyasadeva saw that no one would be able to understand it and reconcile it, and therefore he wrote a bhasya, commentary. What is that bhasya? Srimad Bhagavatam is the complete commentary on Vedanta Sutra...
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...
All Rights Reserved
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Without a siksa-guru you cannot progress an inch. Here, Visakha is the siksa-guru of Krsna – by her help, He realized Sri Radha's bhavas. Without a siksa-guru, you cannot realize these topics. Sometimes I see that there is more importance of a siksa-guru because, out of etiquette, diksa-guru cannot generally open his heart to his disciple. Siksa-guru is like a bosom friend...
Guru Inspires in the Heart
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Guru is like Krsna. Krsna inspired the heart of Brahma and said, "I am the embodiment of all tattva-jnana, tattva-vijnana, and all love and affection. Only this form of mine was present before the creation, only that form exists now, and later, after the destruction of everything material, only I will exist.
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...
Milk and Carrots
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It is quite true; so we should not eat those things. What Vyasadeva has written is true. Vyasadeva knows everything past, present, and future. He was able to see what qualities are present in each entity...
Everything, In Brief
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I want to tell something in brief. A human being must have a goal of life. If you have no goal of life you are an animal – not only an animal but a foolish animal – a donkey. It is not I who am telling you this; our scriptures are telling it. Make an aim and object of your life. In ordinary life we choose an occupation. We consider, “Should I be a doctor, should I be an engineer, should I be this or that?” Then we proceed...
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...
