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 MoreNityananda Trayodasi - 2001 (am)
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Anyone who has not established his relationship with Nityananda Prabhu has passed his life uselessly. He is no more than a gross animal. Not putting the name of Nitai on one's lips, one becomes absorbed in so-called worldly happiness. Then what is the value of one's education and birth in a high family or great nation?
Observing Vaisnava Festivals in Succession
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Gaudiya Vaisnavas observe all visnu-tattva appearance days along with special fasting. Sometimes these days come next to each other or next to an Ekadasi or Dvadasi tithi which is meant for fasting. This happens every year somewhere in the world for Lord Varaha Dvadasi and Lord Nityananda Trayodasi, but not at all locations due to different sunrise times.
The Clearing Stage
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On the other hand, in the circle of neophyte devotees nama-aparadha is prominent, with a rare utterance of the beginning of nama-abhasa. Chapter 25 of Jaiva Dharma describes how Vijaya Kumar inquired from Babaji Maharaja about the effects of nama-abhasa and the process to enter that stage of chanting. When he asked about the results of nama-aparadha...
A Clearer Understanding Of Namabhasa
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You should know that there are so many kinds of namabhasa. Not all types of namabhasa are the same; chaya-namabhasa (a semblance of the pure name obscured by ignorance and anarthas, like the sun, covered by clouds, which does not manifest its full brilliance) and pratibimba namabhasa are not the same...
Give Your Ears to Me
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If anyone, any guru, who has some false ego that he is guru, but really he wants money, wealth, reputation, some position and is running after them to be happy, then he is not guru. He may know so many śāstra quotations, but we should offer praṇāma to him from very far away...
Madhava-Tithi
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Why is Janmastami not called Madhava-tithi? Why are Gaura-tithi or other holy days not called Madhava-tithi? ...
The Glories of Ramanujacarya
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Sri Ramanujacarya was born in South India. He is an incarnation of Laksmana. The word ‘anuja’ means ‘younger brother’. Rama-anuja refers to the younger brother of Lord Rama; therefore, he is Ramanuja. In Kali-yuga, he is the acarya of the Sri (Laksmi) Sampradaya. He is the disciple of Yamunacarya...
Srila Madhvacarya
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He appeared in a place called Pajaka-ksetra. His father's name was Madhvagaya, his mother's name was Vedavidya, and his childhood name was Vasudeva. He took sannyasa at a very young age, and his sannyasa-name was Purna-prajna...
The Gopi's Mercy Upon Uddhava
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"Many birds take shelter in a beautiful green forest, where there is an abundance of fruits to eat and water to drink. Everything is provided for them there. These birds live very happily in that forest, but if a fire comes and burns down all the trees, the birds go to another forest. In this case, the love and affection of the birds for the forest is also selfish...
Come With Me to Nandagaon
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A siddha (perfect) devotee like Uddhava does ahnik three times a day, and you must try to follow him. If you do not chant and meditate on your gayatri mantra, Gopal mantra, and other mantras given by your guru, how will you develop a relation with Krsna? It is certain that you will not be able to advance. Even Krsna, Ramacandra, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted three times a day. Early in the morning they took their baths and chanted. Do not forget this...
The Appearance Day of Sri Advaita Acarya
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Today is the birthday of Advaita Acarya. He is very powerful, as can especially be understood by the fact that He brought Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to this world. Otherwise, there was no certainty when Caitanya Mahaprabhu would come. Krsna, in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, wanted to come; but if He would have come by His own sweet will, perhaps He would have done so at the end of Kali-yuga. But Advaita Acarya called Him with Tulasi leaves, which are also very powerful...
The Appearance Day of Sri Advaita Acarya
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Today is the appearance day of Sri Advaita Acarya. He is Sadasiva. *[See endnote 1] He is non-different from Visnu-tattva, and therefore his name is ‘Advaita’ (non-different). He is also a prominent acarya (teacher and personal example) of preaching the glories of the holy name and giving prema-bhakti along with that chanting, and therefore his name is ‘Acarya’...
Sri Advaita Acarya's Appearance Day
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Advaita Saptami is the day that Sri Advaita Acarya appeared in this world. Sri Advaita Acarya, the cause of the material world, comes first; after that Sri Nityananda Prabhu comes on the day of trayodasi and then Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself, descending into this world with the effulgence of radha-bhava, comes on purnima. In this way the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu begin...
Tulasi Devi
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By the order of Vrnda Devi, Vrindavana looks beautiful, as if decorated with all the qualities of the spring season. By her order the flowers blossom and spread their fragrance everywhere, the wind blows, the bumble bees are maddened and intoxicated by the sweet honey of the lotus flowers, and they are buzzing here and there. The peacocks are dancing, and deer are also dancing here and there. So, by the grace of Vrnda Devi, on her order, Vrindavana becomes...
'tricks' Of The Bona Fide Guru
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So Indra and Virocana were both disciples of Brahma. Virocana thought, "I am a disciple of Brahma," and Indra also thought that way. But who is really the disciple? He who practices, he who wants to know the real mood and teachings, the internal mood and teachings of his Gurudeva-he is actually the disciple...
We Are All Iskcon
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You should know one thing. ISKCON was first established by catur-mukha (four-headed) Brahma. He is our first guru. He is the original founder-acarya of ISKCON, and his disciples like Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanat-kumara, and Narada are real ISKCON preachers. After them, especially in Kali-yuga, Madhvacarya, Ramanuja, Visnuswami, Nimbaditya, and so many others appeared...
