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.❞ ..
Read More
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 MoreThe Meaning Of Diksa
- Details
The word initiation actually has come from the word diksa. A qualified, realized guru, who is detached from worldly things-he is really guru. Because he has some realization, he can give diksa. But diksa is not completed in one day or one moment, as it is going on nowadays. Diksa is a class, a course - a process. In one day we cannot be BA, MA, or PHD. It will take some time. There is a regular process...
The departure of Srila Narahari Seva-vigraha Prabhu
- Details
Sri Seva-vigraha Prabhu was one of the foremost disciples and intimate servants of jagad-guru Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada. Our most worshipful Srila Gurupada-padma had a very close friendship with him; they lived together for a long time and served Sri Dhama Mayapura in countless ways. Srila Prabhupada turned over the entire responsibility for Sri Dhama Mayapura to this dear servant and could then preach suddha-bhakti everywhere with a peaceful mind...
Vaisnava-ninda, Criticizing a Vaisnava
- Details
Among all the different types of offences a jiva (living being) can possibly commit, no offence is more severe than blaspheming a Vaisnava. It is therefore essential to contemplate the meaning of vaisnava-ninda according to the scriptures. It is written in the Skanda Purana...
Without Great Eagerness for Śrī Kṛṣṇa-nāma, Mundane Thoughts Will Remain
- Details
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Do not slacken your endeavours to chant the holy names just because material thoughts arise in your mind while you are chanting. ...
Krishna Is The Only Whole
- Details
Actually He is stealing hearts by His all-enchanting nature. A heart can only belong to someone if he has stolen it. These hearts are taking the forms of different paraphernalia, so that Krishna can 'steal them', and thus have loving exchanges with His devotees...
Krishna, The Supreme Magician
- Details
This is a very wonderful narration of the character of Sri Prahlada Maharaja and Nrsimhadeva. Especially important is Prahlada's statement, "I am not a businessman. At the end all are bound in birth and death. So I want their welfare." Prahlada is a siddha-bhakta. Lord Nrsimhadeva is a plenary part of Bhagavan, but he is not Svayam Bhagavan. Svayam Bhagavan is in Gokula; He is Nanda Baba's lala. He has all kinds of opulence and powers...
How To Be Ready For Sannyasa / How Kumbha-Mela Came To Be
- Details
Srila Swami Maharaja told me when he took sannyasa, "I remember the days just after Srila Pradhupada gave me initiation; I chanted with taste and eagerness. Then I saw a sloka: 'If anyone remembers me from the core of his heart, I take away all his possessions, home, and family, and make him a street beggar.'" Still, I had so much taste for chanting, and I continued. After some time my wife left me and my three sons also left...
Farewell Address
- Details
I also don't want to go to wealthy persons, to beautiful persons, or to very learned persons. If they will come, oh, they will ruin everything. I know it is very hard to control them. So I want that we go to common people and preach. I am not seeing that same enthusiasm and spirit which was there during Srila Prabhupadas time. You should have the same spirit-and then you can preach. Go door to door. Don't be afraid that, "He will beat me with a wine bottle." Never. Don't fear...
Only 24 Minutes Left
- Details
You are seeing me. I have no problem at all – not even a death problem. Never do I have any problem, and I think that I will have no problem to solve in the future. My only worry is for your spiritual benefit. Try to realize that...
Neither Religion Nor Irreligion
- Details
Krishna told, "sarva dharman parityaja/ mam ekam saranam vraja". He has told this so many times; he also told: "man mana bhava [mad bhakto]". Also, "mam eva ye prapadyante/ mayam etan taranti te". Mam eva. So He has told everywhere like this, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu never did. He taught that you should chant, remember, and worship Krishna, Radha-Krishna. Always He told like this...
Teachings Of Grandfather Bhisma
- Details
If anyone is insulting, if anyone is beating, Don't think him as an enemy. Your activities are your enemy. So your activities from now, and in the future, should be how? Not to criticise. Not to offend. Not to do anything wrong. Otherwise, your activites will come and do this. So in this world no one is enemy or anything...
The Glories of Srimati Gangamata Gosvamini
- Details
There was a beautiful girl in East Bengal named Saci devi, and she was the daughter of the King of Putiya. From the beginning of her life she heard about Lord Krsna, and from that time onward she gave her entire heart to Him. From the time she was about five years old, she used to worship Krsna, sing to Krsna, play with Krsna, and do everything with Him. When she was about sixteen years old she became maddened for Him...
Cleansing the Heart
- Details
We have discussed ruci. After ruci comes āśakti. This is almost the fifth stage of the “ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam” verse. The first stage of the verse is ‘ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam - cleansing the mirror of the heart’. When is our heart clear?
Sadhana And Sadhya
- Details
I have told so many things about our goal, so now we are going to discuss the process, or method, by which we can attain that goal. First of all, we should know what is the goal of our lives; and then, according to that, we should fix our process - how we can attain it. If there is no goal [sadhya], then no process [sadhana]. We have discussed so many things, so much about our goal - that krsna-prema is our goal...
The Worldly Honey
- Details
You should all think death is on your head. Any time death can take you. After this day, whether you will get a chance to do again or not. What species will you go, you cannot say. Always chant. Not busy in divorcing wives and husbands. "What to do, what to do?" 'Oh tell me gurudeva, should I divorce or not?' 'Should I marry?'. These are the two problems… What to do? I have not come to advise you this...
The Absolute Necessity Of Second Initiation
- Details
The holy name is sufficient. The holy name is very powerful and can fulfill all desires. The name will even give vraja-prema. What, then, is the need of taking initiation? The paper has quoted my statement, along with the statement of Prapujya-carana Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja; so I want to reconcile all statements...
