Rays of The Harmonist
- Remain in the Line of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
- What Śrī Caitanya Meant by Theism
- Call Out, Weeping
by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is a liberated mahāpuruṣa. After the six Gosvamīs, he is the seventh Gosvāmī. His Jaiva-dharma, his other books, all his books that are there, his commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that is no longer available, his commentary on Vedānta and his commentaries on all Gosvāmīs’ literatures, beginning from Vilāpa-kusmañjali to Manaḥ-śikṣā and so on, Mahaprabhu’s Śikṣāṣṭaka, Upadeśāmṛta – he has written a commentary on all of them after deeply entering [realizing the essence of] those books. If anyone opposes one such as Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, should we go to such a person? Never! Don’t go! Not to speak of gopī-prema, even if he gives everything [related to that], then also, don’t go. Understand this: what he is giving is not gopī-prema. Do not be khaḍa-jaṭhiyā. ❞ ..
Read Moreby Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
❝The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya has asked all sections of the people of this world not to tamper with or mutilate the Absolute Truth with their crippled attempts to regulate Him, but rather to approach Him with an absolutely clean and sincere heart, in which His own feature will be revealed.❞ ...
Read Moreby Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝In happiness and distress, in dissent and calamity, in every situation, we have to call out, weeping, to Śrī Gurudeva, Śrī Gauracandra and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa at every moment. If we are calling out to them sincerely, they will surely bestow their mercy. However, we face obstacles in our calling out.❞ ..
Read MoreOffer Yourself, Not Just the Mango
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What is karma? Karma is any activity or endeavor that is performed with a desire to enjoy the result. If you are chanting, remembering, or performing any other devotional activity, but you want to enjoy the results of those activities, that is called karma-misra (misra means ‘mixture’) bhakti.
You Can Make Easy Money By Nama Aparadha
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Suppose there is a person who is committing many offences, who is a murderer, who slaughters cows, and who is full of bad qualities. Suppose that sinful person somehow chants Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare. Will his chanting have any effect or not? What will be the gain? What will be the result?
The Second Stage of Bhakti
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Nowadays I see that devotees have so many problems, and because of these problems, they cannot chant regularly. Sometimes they are restless and upset, and thus they give up worshipping Thakurji (the deity), chanting, remembering and reading books. I have come to remind you to not be like that; do not be weak...
No Control Over Freedom
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Even nama-aparadha is not ordinary, it is high-class. Nama-aparadha is of so many of kinds and gradations, not only one kind; for example one of the varieties is vaishnava-aparadha. Actually, it is very good that one is chanting nama-aparadha. That will bring one to nama-abhasa, nama-abhasa will bring one to suddha-nama, (pure chanting of the holy name, wherein Krsna is revealed as non-different from His name) and that will bring one to a still better stage, prema-bhakti...
How to Read Srila Gurudeva's Books
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We should treat all the books of the Gosvamis as our siksa-gurus. We should offer pranama to the books, and then read them. If we do this, we will realize that all siddhanta is coming automatically in our heart. This is the process of reading ‒ not reading, but serving ‒ the books...
Why Special Times?
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In this world we see the same thing. Why do people begin their financial month in April? In this world everything is organized in relation to some auspicious day. According to the graha-naksatra (arrangement of stars and planets) certain times become auspicious. It has therefore been told that we should choose a special time for each and every activity...
Why Srila Vyasadeva Wrote Srimad Bhagavatam
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This world is full of misery and very perishable. Very soon we will become old, and when we become too old we will have to give up these bodies. What we are collecting from this world - money position and so on - we cannot take with us. You are not this physical body, so don't quarrel because of it. Don't worry for this body; it is a bag of urine, stool, blood and so many similar substances. The soul is there and it is eternal, but maya has captured it in this body...
Guru Nanak - Birmingham, UK: June 15, 2003 (Part 1)
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Guru Nanak is a guru who gave transcendental love and affection for the Supreme Lord. Gobind Singh is in his dynasty, or guru-parampara, as we see there in his portrait. The Sikhs were originally Hindus, and they are still Hindus. Their religious principle was to save Hindu and Sanatana-dharma from the clutches of the Muslims...
Snana Yatra
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On snāna-yātrā day a very festive mahābhiṣeka of Śrī Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā-devī is performed according to rules and regulations. Brahmā and all the other demigods participate in this ceremony without being seen. Afterwards, the curtain of the Jagannātha temple is closed and there is no darśana for fifteen days, because Śrī Jagannātha becomes sick from bathing too much...
Reality
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Krsna is so beautiful and the song of His flute is so sweet. Even the cows forget everything when they hear the sweet melody of the flute and see very beautiful Krsna. Hearing the flute-song, they turn their ears towards that sound. They can neither chew nor swallow the grass in their mouths...
What Was Tasted and What Was Distributed
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Now, we are coming to the explanations of Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami in His Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, regarding the reasons Krsna took the intrinsic mood and beauty of Srimati Radhika and came in this world as Sacinandana Gaurahari...
An Interfaith Message
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Several distinguished guests, including the Lord Mayor, attended Srila Narayana Maharaja's program to honor his visit to Birmingham. The Lord Mayor, Mr. John Alden, was the first of the dignitaries to welcome Srila Narayana Maharaja. After thanking Srila Maharaja for returning to Birmingham...
Glorious Deaths
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I will tell a story about this: There was once a king who had thousands of sons. Those sons were killed - burnt to ashes - as a result of committing a great offense to a sage. Thousands of years later, there was a good son born in that dynasty. He served Krsna, and he was therefore able to bring the Ganges from the Himalayas to the place where his ancestors had been burned to ashes...
A Whirlpool of Love
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When I remember Mahaprabhu, I weep, and at that time I cannot control my life, or my body, or my mind. Continuously weeping, I considered that I must write something about the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, to express the reason why I incessantly weep. Forgetting which of the Lord's transcendental pastimes came first, second, or last, I write whatever comes in my memory...
Both Feet in the Same Boat
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Choose between engaging yourself in the transcendental devotional service of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu or taking shelter of mundane activities; serving family, friends, and society. It is impossible to maintain both these activities simultaneously. I humbly caution that if we do not develop single-mindedness in executing devotional service, then we place ourselves in the impossible task of trying to cross a river with two boats, with a foot in each. The boats float here and there and we are split into two pieces...
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami
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Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami took birth in a very aristocratic and wealthy family, and he was the only son of his father and uncle. In boyhood he was very fortunate to be initiated by Srila Yadunandana Acarya in the line of Sri Advaita Acarya. Also, Krsna arranged to send Srila Haridasa Thakura to his home, and they were together often. From babyhood he had great taste in chanting the holy name, and at the age of five he received initiation and gradually developed in his bhakti...