Rays of The Harmonist
- Unalloyed Theism
- To Refute Misconceptions is Guru-sevā
- Appropriate Renunciation
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
❝Factually, our restricted perspective in relation to the phenomenal domain should not be imposed on the Personality of a thoroughly Independent Integer. The Personality of Godhead is to be humbly approached, not subjected to our sensuous inspection, as though He were an accused in the court. We should accept that all existences are, and ought to be, His own. This method of approach is known as unalloyed theism.❞ ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝To refute misconceptions is guru-sevā. If, at any point, one can understand that someone is giving misleading teachings, one should, in a civil manner, refute them and establish the faultless siddhānta. Doing so is the ideal of conviction in service to guru. If, despite knowing and hearing the truth, one conceals it, hypocrisy finds its outlet, and that entails a lapse of duty. This (refuting someone’s views) is never contrary to humility or amānī-mānada-dharma.❞ ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝The renunciation by which the body becomes completely useless and which awakens impediments to hari-bhajana is not favourable for bhakti. You must accept bhagavat-prasāda appropriately. It is indeed proper to accept all the objects of the senses that are essential for one’s well-being, in a manner that is favourable for one’s kṛṣṇa-bhajana.❞ ...
Read MoreThe Blazing Forest Fire And The Burning Ghata
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One day, when Krsna was out cow-herding with His billions of cowherd friends and innumerable cows, He took them to Bhandiravana, one of twelve prominent forests of Vrndavana. Roaming from one forest to another, He and His associated finally reached Bhandirvana and began to play. Balarama and Krsna and all their friends, like Dama, Sudama, Sridama...
Unconventional Teachers
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"'However, most of my time was spent in cutting the "jungles" of mayavada, sahajiya-vada, sakhi-bekhi and all other non-devotional ideas. If there is a mayavada jungle, the seeds of bhakti will not sprout. I therefore had to cut so many jungles, and still there are so many jungles left throughout the world. Most of my time was spent in clarifying philosophical points.'
"Saying this, his mood changed and his face became reddish. Then he spoke the following verse...
A Very Auspicious Day
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Today is the very auspicious birthday of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami. He is sri-varsabhanavi-devi-dayita (most beloved to Srimati Radhika). He is krsna-prestha (very dear to Krsna), krsna-parikara (an associate of Krsna) and especially within Krsna’s parikaras, he is varsabhanavi-devi’s, that is, Srimati Radhika’s, palya dasi (maidservant)...
Sri Guru-tattva and Seva
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Today I have an opportunity to worship my Sri Gurudeva. Last year, also, I had the good fortune of worshipping him, and today that auspicious occasion has come again. By the mercy of Bhagavan, I had the fortune of being able to serve Srila Gurudeva for another year. If Srila Gurudeva had wanted to deprive me of service to him, I would not have survived this past year...
Sri Vyasa Puja - Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
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Today is the day of the worship of Sri Guru, and I have come here today for this purpose. I am a person blinded by ignorance. Ignorance is an object resembling darkness. I am the servant of Visnu - I have no other function except the service of Visnu - this mode of thought is being obstructed by the darkness of nescience...
The Appearance Day Of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada
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Today is a very auspicious day. It is the very holy birthday of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura. I want to speak something of his glory. If this great self-realized soul had not descended in this world, no one would have known the meaning of pure bhakti. No one would have known the identity of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the book Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, or the books and glories of the Gosvamis.
The Disappearance Day of Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja
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I remember Pujyapada Gour Govinda Maharaja. He came from an aristocratic brahmana Vaisnava family, his father and mother were Vaisnavas, in his house there was a deity of Gopalji-deva, and he was thus trained in Vaisnava philosophy from the beginning...
Appearance Day Of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada - Giver Of Madhurya-Bhakti
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Srila Sarasvati Thakura is krpabdhaye, an endless ocean of mercy. He is the first acarya in the four sampradayas to desire that all the people in the world, all those who have forgotten Krsna, should realize all the truths of bhakti, and they should be helped to become pure devotees. If Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura had not sent his disciples here and there, none of you, in any country, would have met pure devotees...
My Remarks
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Nowadays, many people in the sārasvata-bhaktivinoda-dhārā, or the line of thought of Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, stray from the line of thought following Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī (rūpānuga-vicāra-dhārā), and licking the feet of the ‘īcaḍe-pākā’ sahajiyās, say, “What’s the use of preaching? What is there in performing kīrtana? Do bhajana, just do bhajana.”..
He Kept His Life In His Hands
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The backbone of bhakti is guru-nistha (strong faith in one's spiritual master), and those who have no guru-nistha can never develop in Krsna consciousness. We have seen his guru-nistha. He wanted to glorify his Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, but he became overwhelmed simply by beginning to utter the word 'Prabhupada'. He would begin to weep loudly, and then he would call upon us (Srila Vamana Maharaja, Srila Trivikrama Maharaja, myself and others) by some signal to glorify his Gurudeva. Having heard from him about his relationship with his Gurudeva, we glorify him in connection with his absorption in his Gurudeva's service...
Sastriya Sadhu-sanga
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One should take sat-sanga, giving up all types of asat-sanga. By the influence of sadhu-sanga, in other words, by the sharp words emanating from the pure devotees lotus mouths, the hidden fantasy of the mind in the form of desires for sense enjoyment, and also the covered desires for sense enjoyment in the form of desire for renunciation, are dispelled from the heart forever...
Appearance Day Of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja
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Minute by minute people are changing their wives and husbands. They are divorcing so many in one life, and therefore no one is happy. If you want to be happy, you must accept a qualified guru and guru-parampara. If you do not do so, you will have to experience the miseries of old age and death. When you die, whatever you have collected in your life cannot be taken with you. Always remember that death is sure. No one can save you from death...
Teaching The Daughter-In-Law
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O my dear brother, my foolish mind! Taking hold of your feet, I humbly pray to you with sweet words. Please give up all pride and quickly develop sublime and incessant rati for Sri Gurudeva, Sri Vraja-dhama, the residents of Vraja, the Vaisnavas, the brahmanas, your diksa-mantras, the holy names of the Supreme Lord, and the shelter of Kisora-Kisori, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, the eternally youthful divine couple of Vraja...
Appearance Day of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura
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Today is a very auspicious day. It is the birthday of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, who is one of the solid and strong pillars of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's preaching. After the generation of the Six Gosvamis and Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Narottama Thakura, Syamananda Prabhu and Srinivasa Acarya became the leaders of the Vaisnavas in Bengal.
The Beautiful Reality
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One day, Krsna and His cowherd friends, the sakhas, were grazing their cows in a forest where there were no mangoes or other fruits. His sakhas told Him, “We are very hungry; we cannot remove this demon of hunger. There are some tal trees nearby, but we will have to go carefully because a demon named Dhenakasura lives there...
Don't Waste Your Time
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We should not waste our time in sense gratification, which is also reserved for you in animal life. If you are a hog or a pig you can collect numerous wives, and there will be no need to spend any money. You will not have to divorce to enjoy many new mates. There will be no court case and no need of maintenance of children. In this life you can have only one son or daughter in a year - not more than that - and if twins come, you can have two, three or four. But hogs, pigs and dogs have eight, ten, twelve, or sixteen children at a time...
