Rays of The Harmonist
- Who is a True Guru?
- Śrī Rādhā-tattva and Śrī Rādhā’s Appearance
- “Take Special Care of Śrīla Gurudeva”
by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Who is a true guru? It is he who is constantly engaged in the service of Śrī Hari. And who is the truly learned man? It is he who, in the words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is well conversant with actual knowledge of the jīva’s bondage and his deliverance from it (C.f. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 11.19.41). ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝It is natural that every sādhaka is eager to know about Śrī Rādhikā, because without serving Her, attaining the service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a distant prospect. However, the truth of who She is can only be preserved if She is revealed or described as She is. Otherwise, all we perceive are deceptions that assert truth to be false or falsehood to be truth.❞ ...
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by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Māhārāja
❝Knowing that most worshipful Śrī Śrīla Gurudeva is gradually feeling more weakness filled me with concern and pain. All of you there, especially you, must take special care of him.❞ ...
Read MoreThe Creeper Of Devotion Grows - Part 2
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When one’s creeper of devotion matures and one comes to the stage of an uttama-bhagavata, crossing bhava-bhakti and coming to prema-bhakti, at that time the devotee can go to Vraja (the highest abode of the Lord), and especially to Radha-kunda ... from bhava-bhakti up to but not including prema-bhakti, one’s anarthas are sleeping (dormant)...
Levels of Devotion - continued
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Try to be like Pariksit Maharaja, who was cursed to die after seven days. He forgot to take any prasadam, and he did not even drink any water during that seven-day period. He did not sleep at all, for he was engaged day and night in hearing Hari-katha. Then, after seven days he left his body without any suffering and went to Goloka Vrndavana. Try to hear with the same absorption as Pariksit Maharaja...
The Bird in the Sage - Part One
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A drunkard might think he has become greatly happy by drinking vast quantities of wine, but actually he is not happy. One who eats the flesh of cows and thinks that he is very happy, is not happy. Such persons are deluded. They don't know what will be the effect of doing such things. So the sages asked, "Please tell us the essence of all the scriptures, by knowing which our soul will be happy...
Be Very Careful About This
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Nowadays, especially in European countries and in Russia, devotees think they are very 'rasika'. *[See Endnote 2]. They want rasa (the taste of spiritual mellows). They want to go up to the top of the tree of prema at once. They only want madanakhya-bhava (the highest ecstatic devotional love, situated only in Srimati Radhika). They do not want to follow vaidhi-bhakti. They don't like vaidhi-bhakti.
Don't Collect Anything
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Try to follow all the principles. Don't divide your heart into fractions. Don't let it go here and there. Be one-pointed to Sri Krsna, as the gopis are. They gave up their husbands, fathers, mothers and children, and even their chastity, Vedic injunctions, and fear of society's accusations. They are one-pointed. If you can do this, then, very soon, in one human birth, you can attain up to the devotional stage of asakti or rati (transcendental ecstasy), and after that you can attain prema...
The Creeper Of Devotion Grows
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The senior disciples of my siksa-guru Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, who have become somewhat weak after his divine departure, are now receiving new life. This was my main objective. I wanted to obey the words of my siksa-guru, to go wherever necessary to re-inspire his disciples and followers, and I think that we have been successful. Many thanks to the devotees who have left everything for the past seven days to come and hear hari-katha. My blessings to all the devotees that they will become very strong...
Honoring The Vaisnava
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What is the proper way to utter the name of your gurudeva? If you are offering pranama to him, should you hold your hand in your japa bag and say, "Namah om visnupadaya krsna presthaya bhutale sri srimad bhakti prajnana kesava gosvami iti namine"? What is the proper etiquette? Among the sixty-four limbs of bhakti, the first ten are for guru. Do you remember what they are?
A Morning Walk in Badger
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At the time of death, Sri Krsna. Gurudeva and the entire world are there in Krsna. Do you understand? The entire world, Gurudeva, all Sri Krsna's associates, and everything else are in Krsna. Remember Sri Krsna but also His power – both the gopis and Srimati Radhika. This was told to us by Srila Rupa Gosvami...
Don't Be Attached
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You should not do anything for sense gratification. All kinds of happiness will come automatically, as it is destined. In this regard, Dattatreya has given an example of a python. The python lives only in one place. Even if he does not eat for so many days, he will not try to obtain food. If any animal automatically comes in front of him without any effort on his part, he will eat it and be satisfied. A sadhu should be like that...
Italy Morning Walk
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If the devotee commits an offense at the feet of a Vaisnava while cultivating the creeper of devotional service in the material world, his offense is compared to a mad elephant that uproots the creeper and breaks it. In this way the leaves of the creeper are dried up. So, we should be alert in this regard...
Twenty-Four Siksa Gurus
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Try to understand this. If you understand and keep this in your heart, you will never be unhappy. I see that so many are unhappy, because they don't try to understand and follow my teachings. If they will understand and follow, they will be happy. We call upon our own sufferings. Don't call them...
Prayers And Pastimes At The Time Of Taste
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We will be explaining the stage of ruci (taste for bhajana). When ruci comes there is no chance of falling down, at least it is very, very rare that one may fall. At that stage raganuga-bhakti, the greed to serve Sri Sri Radha-Krsna like the Vrajavasis will arise. When ruci comes there is a taste in chanting, remembering, hearing hari-katha...
Beware of Maya
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The Guru has no attachment to anyone, but he is merciful. He is only attached to Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. He has no lust for anything in this world. He has no time at all for anything or anyone else...
A Phoned Lecture
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On the evening of June 6, 2004, at the home of Vinodini and Arun Verma in Houston, Texas, Srila Narayana Maharaja gave a lecture near a speaker phone to 400 devotees in North Carolina. A large festival had been arranged for his weeklong hari-katha in North Carolina, but on the day he was supposed to fly there he was advised to change his plans because of health reasons...
How To Chant Diksa Mantras
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Always try to chant the holy name and don't be weak. This is also the teaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You should remember and meditate, three times daily, on the diksa mantras given to you by your Gurudeva: guru-mantra, guru-gayatri, gaura-mantra, gaura-gayatri, krsna-mantra, kama-gayatri, panca-tattva mantra, and hari-nama. Never think they are useless. Like Krsna, they are very powerful...
Boycott The Sahajiya-Babajis
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I want to explain something so that you will be very careful. I am receiving questions about the books published by the babajis of Vraja. They accept Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and Sri Sri Radha-Krsna Conjugal. They have not written their own books. They only take books like Stava-mala by Srila Rupa Gosvami...
