Rays of The Harmonist
- Symptoms of Degradation
- "There is no way I can imagine a separate institution"
- Why are we not realizing Bhagavān?
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 Moreby Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
❝Service to the devotees promises more than service to the Lord Himself. The association of the bhaktas is even more beneficial than the association of the Lord. The living place of the bhakta, the abode of śrīla gurudeva, is more favourable for śuddha-bhajana (pure, loving devotional service) than the abode of the Lord.❞ ...
Read MoreOh 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...
Did Srila Prabhupada Know?
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If Srila Prabhupada is a perfected soul, an associate of Radha-Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he can see past, present and future. He went to visit the gurukula, which was perhaps in Dallas at the time, and there were many bad things being done. There were teachers who were unqualified, and they were abusing the children. Just before Prabhupada would go to visit, the children were instructed to behave in a certain wayotherwise they would be punished...
Who Is That Sri Radha?
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Now we will return to the point. Sri Krsna and Srimati Radhika never go out of Vrndavana, so why are They feeling separation? Who did Uddhava see with his own eyes in Nandagaon? She is Viyogini Sri Radha. Who met with Lord Krsna in Kuruksetra and was weeping and wanted to bring Him from Kuruksetra to Vraja? She is Samyogini Radhika...
To Control Lord Krsna
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Mahat-sanga is the most favorable activity for advancement in devotion to the Lord. Controlling the mind and senses – along with mahat-sanga it is ok, otherwise not. If anyone has taken sannyasa but has no devotion or strong faith in the self-realized guru, the above-mentioned pious activities are all performed in vain. External activities alone cannot help you...
If Gurudeva is Pleased, Everyone is Pleased
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If one wants to advance in bhakti, he should try to understand these topics. Simply thinking, "Not this, not this, not this, will not suffice." If positive understanding and moods are there, then you will be successful. Along with absorption in the positive there must also be negation of the negative, otherwise, you cannot advance. At the same time, absorption in negation will not help you very much...
Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama 2022
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To fulfill the wish of our beloved guide and well-wisher nitya-lila om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayaṇa Gosvami Maharaja, we cordially invite you to Sri Vrndavana Dhama for Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama this Kartika, 2022!
Hera-Pancami - Ch 7 Of The Origin Of Ratha-Yatra
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The meaning of Hera-pancami is as follows. On the fifth day of the Chariot Festival, Laksmi-devi becomes very worried and thinks, "Where has my husband gone? He told me, 'I am going for a change of environment for some days, and I will return very soon.' It has been five days now, and still He has not come back."
Hera Pancami
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The meaning of Hera-pancami is as follows. On the fifth day of the Chariot Festival, Laksmi-devi becomes very worried and thinks, “Where has my husband gone? He told me, ‘I am going for a change of environment for some days, and I will return very soon.’ It has been five days now, and still He has not come back.” Unable to tolerate this, she becomes very angry and gives orders to all her associates as though they had to fight with the enemy: “Take up your weapons!...
The Inner Meaning Of The Ratha-Yatra Festival
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By approaching a realized spiritual master, inquiring of him submissively, and serving him, everything is reconciled. By this process you will realize everything automatically. Your mental speculation will not suffice. You may be a learned person, but your learning will also not help you; it will betray you...
For Proper Understanding of Srila Prabhupada's Books
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Some people have doubts. They think that Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja has said that women and black people are very low. The fact is that he has not said it, and it is actually a wrong idea – a very wrong idea. You should know you are neither male nor female. The soul is transcendental – a servant of Lord Sri Krsna, but we have now accepted a female or male form...
What is Yoga?
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What is yoga? Yoga is a Sanskrit word which means "to add two things together." There must be two things. For example if you want to add two bricks together, then cement, water and other substances are needed.Similarly, yoga means...
I Have Come To Give Many Thanks
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In Dvaraka, Krsna became unconscious by thinking, "Radhika, Radhika!" It had now become a very big problem, and therefore Narada, Uddhava, and others who were there with Krsna began discussing how to bring Him back to consciousness...
How To Pull The Rope
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Having begun two days ago, the Chariot Festival is now taking place in Jagannatha Puri, and millions upon millions of people from all over the world are gathered there. Two days from now is Hera Pancami, after that the return festival will take place, and so many kirtanas and other events will be taking place daily...
We Cannot Repay Our Gurudeva
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My mission is to help everyone, especially those devotees who have been neglected so much and who are on the verge of giving everything up. Some have been given harinama and diksha, but they have given up and gone to other sampradayas like the Nimbarka Sampradaya in India. I know them all. Some have gone to astrologers in their search for fulfilment. Some have gone to the Ramanuja Sampradaya. And some have gone to Radha-kunda and have become sahajiya Babajis. Svamiji never wanted this to happen. I requested him to bring them back again with more love and affection. They cannot be controlled otherwise. We cannot control even an ant, what to speak of controlling devotees...
Just After the Chariot Festival
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The first Chariot Festival has now been completed, and the chariot has returned to Nilacala. On the return journey, Mahaprabhu and all His associates continued to think they were going to Vraja from Kuruksetra, and they performed the same pastimes as on their journey to Gundica. Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami explained that they did not think, "Krsna is returning to Dvaraka." Even at the time of returning, they always maintained the idea, "We are taking Krsna to Vrndavana...
How To Balance The Day
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Perhaps we are in this category. When worldly affairs come into their mind, like their job or anything else of that nature, they are very careful and cautious. Their minds are always in computers and here and there. They cannot give their energy to the guru-mantra, the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, or any mantra. Some pure devotees may come to visit, and they are then somewhat inspired, but after those pure devotees leave, the inspiration also leaves. Their number is also greater than that of real devotees...
