"SB 2.6.43-45: I myself [Brahma], Lord Siva, Lord Vishnu, great generators of living beings like Daksha and Prajapati, yourselves [Narada and the Kumaras], heavenly demigods like Indra and Candra, the leaders of the Bhurloka planets, the leaders of the earthly planets, the leaders of the lower planets, the leaders of the Gandharva planets, the leaders of the Vidyadhara planets, the leaders of the Caranaloka planets, the leaders of the Yakshas, Rakshas and Uragas, the great sages, the great demons, the great atheists and the great spacemen, as well as the dead bodies, evil spirits, satans, jinn, kushmandas, great aquatics, great beasts and great birds, etc. -- in other words, anything and everything which is exceptionally possessed of power, opulence, mental and perceptual dexterity, strength, forgiveness, beauty, modesty, opulence, and breeding, whether in form or formless -- may appear to be the specific truth and the form of the Lord, but actually they are not so. They are only a fra
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On Purity and Freedom
The following conversation between His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and a priest took place in July 1973 in London.
Srila Prabhupada: In our temples there are regular Krsna conscious programs so that one may be purified internally and externally. Yah smaret pundarikaksam sa bahyabhyantarah sucih. If you constantly remember the lotus-eyed Supreme Lord, you automatically become purified, internally and externally, because the Lord is absolute.
The best way to remember the Lord is to chant His holy name. The Lord and the Lord’s name are identical. Because the Lord is absolute, when we chant Hare Krsna the name Krsna and the person Krsna are identical. In the material world, the world of duality, the name is not the same as the substance. If you require water, simply by chanting “water, water” you will not quench your thirst. You require the substance water. But in the spiritual world the Lord and His name are the same thing. If you chant Krsna, or
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Srila Prabhupada Srimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is 15.20, Purport:
While one is performing devotional service in the association of pure devotees in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there are certain things which require to be vanquished altogether. The most important thing one has to surmount is weakness of the heart. The first falldown is caused by the desire to lord it over material nature. Thus one gives up the transcendental loving service of the Supreme Lord. The second weakness of the heart is that as one increases the propensity to lord it over material nature, he becomes attached to matter and the possession of matter. The problems of material existence are due to these weaknesses of the heart. In this chapter the first five verses describe the process of freeing oneself from these weaknesses of heart, and the rest of the chapter, from the sixth verse through the end, discusses puruṣottama-yoga.
Devotee: Can you speak on the weakness of heart?
Srila Gour Govinda Swami: Weakness of th
Gaurakishore Babaji Maharajah Thakura
vipralambha-rasambhodhe padambujaya te namah
I bow to your lotus feet, Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji, the embodiment of renunciation and the ocean of sacred rapture in separation.
Early life
Paramahamsa Srila Gaura Kishora Das Babaji Maharaj was born into a Vaishya family on the banks of the Padma River in Bagayana village in Faridpur district in what is now Bangla Desh. The names of his parents are unknown. His given name was Vamshi Das. He was born sometime in the middle of the nineteenth century. He is important to us because he was the diksha guru of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, founder of the Chaitanya Math and the world-wide Gaudiya Maths.
Vamshi Das’s parents had him married at an early age according to the custom of the time, but always
Sri Sanatana Goswami Madan Mohan temple
27. JULY 2018
HISTORY OF THE MADANA-MOHANA TEMPLE
Sanatana Gosvami established this temple. It is one of the first temples built in Vrindavan. The Deity of Madana-Mohan was originally known as Madana Gopala. Madan Mohan Temple on the riverside is the oldest structure in Vrindavan.
Advaita Acarya discovered the original Deity of Madana-Mohan at the base of an old vata tree, when he visited Vrindavana. He found this Deity at Advaita Vata, which is the place where he did his bhajana. This place is just below the hill on which the Madana-Mohan temple is located. He entrusted the worship of Madana-Mohan to his disciple, Purusottama Chaube, who then gave the Deity to Sanatana Gosvami. Worshiped along with Madana-Mohan are Radharani and Lalita, who were sent to Vrindavana by Purusottama Jena, the son of Maharaja Prataparudra.
This 20m (60 ft) high temple was opened in 1580 on Aditya Tila, a 16m (50 ft) hill next to the Yamuna. Ram Das Kapoor of Mult
Rare photos of the historical Mantra-Rock-Dance in the Avalon…
Rare photos of the historical Mantra-Rock-Dance in the Avalon Ballroom with Srila Prabhupada, Allen Ginsberg, the Grateful Dead and others (Album with photos)
Mukunda Goswami: In January 1967, Srila Prabhupada, along with counterculture icon Allen Ginsberg, introduced hundreds of San Francisco hippies to the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra.
Our Publicity worked. at 7:45 on show night the Avalon was filled to capacity. I was at the top of the staircase above the front door taking tickets for the first hour. From the top of the long red-carpeted stairway that led up to the hall from the entrance, I could see the line of colorful late arrivals waiting to get into the Avalon. We’d stuck with our “first-come-first-served” policy in selling tickets, so late-comers were out of luck. Specially deputed agents of the San Francisco Fire Department stood outside at the hall’s main entrance, monitoring the number of people inside.
P
Read the feature called "New to site? start Here, amongst the features at page top. Join How to; Bhakta program among the groups and services, by picking the "groups & services" tab at the page top, then selecting How to; Bhakta program group, and clik on that, then join, and please read your way through slowly and with comprehension before rushing on. There is no rush, there is a lot of material also! Also join the morning program group, and try to follow along with it a few times at least to cath the flow. Then, when ready, branch out to other groups as you like.
The articles pasted are sastric, means pure, whereas the news and views may not be. Newcomers should note that the news and views and some political items onboard are not necessarily pure or spiritual. But they are contained onsite such as to make that apparent. For example. the HK hiphop News group is clearly opinions, not scripture, though i highly recommend it for those with an eye to current issues.
Initiations ar
TEXT 34
bhagavān api govindo
brahmaṇyo bhakta-vatsalaḥ
kaccit pure sudharmāyāṁ
sukham āste suhṛd-vṛtaḥ
bhagavān—the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa; api—also; govindaḥ—one who enlivens the cows and the senses; brahmaṇyaḥ—devoted to the devotees of the brāhmaṇas; bhakta-vatsalaḥ—affectionate to the devotees; kaccit—whether; pure—in Dvārakā Purī; sudharmāyām—pious assembly; sukham—happiness; āste—does enjoy; suhṛt-vṛtaḥ—surrounded by friends.
TRANSLATION
Is Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who gives pleasure to the cows, the senses and the brāhmaṇas, who is very affectionate towards His devotees, enjoying the pious assembly at Dvārakā Purī surrounded by friends?
PURPORT
Put the Poison in Different Containers”
http://www.iskcon-truth.com/poison/mp3-audio-files-download/12(34.1...
“Let's Poison Him and Go”
http://www.iskcon-truth.com/poison/mp3-audio-files-download/13(4.09...
“The poison’s going down”
http://www.iskcon-truth.com/poison/mp3-audio-files-download/15(1.57...
http://www.iskcon-truth.com/poison/mp3-poison-files/pcomp.mp3
A Mine of Valuable Instructions
A letter by
Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha, Mathurā
30 January, 1995
Presented in English for the first time
Śrī Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅgau Jayataḥ
Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha
Kaṁsa-ṭīlā P.O. Mathurā
30.01.95
Śrīman Viṣṇu,
(1) You have asked about the glories of the month of Kārtika. In the month of Kārtika many pastimes of Kṛṣṇa took place:
(a) On the very first day of Kārtika, that is, on [Śāradīya-]pūrṇma, mahā-rāsa took place in Vaṁśivaṭa in Vṛndāvana, and the supremacy of Śrīmatī Rādhikā was established.
(b) In this Kārtika month, Mother Yaśodā bound Kṛṣṇa to a grinding mortar with the rope of her love. Prior to this, in any of His other manifestations, no one was able to bind Kṛṣṇa.
(c) In this month, Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana and crushed the pride of Indra.
(d) In this month, on the day of rāsa, after Kṛṣṇa disappeared, the gopīs attained the highest state of prema in separation.
(e) Whe
Actually, temple worship is for the neophyte devotee, and the preacher is in a higher position than the neophyte. That is the definition given in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The advanced devotee should be very much enthusiastic in preaching the transcendental message of Lord Caitanya, and temple worship should be entrusted to the newcomers, or neophytes.
Letter to Yamuna -- Los Angeles 12 August, 1969:
That was Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s opinion, and he specifically told his disciples to write books. He actually preferred to publish books rather than establish temples. Temple construction is meant for the general populace and neophyte devotees, but the business of advanced and empowered devotees is to write books, publish them and distribute them widely.
CC Madhya 19.132, Translation and Purport:
When the personal associates of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu would hear of the activities of Rūpa and Sanāt
"Even though somebody by mistake has gone to a rascal, the book is there. As soon as you find out, 'Here is a rascal who does not know anything about Kṛṣṇa, and I have come to him,' reject him. That is stated in the śāstra. Gurur apy avaliptasya kāryākāryam ajānantaḥ parityāgo vidhīyate. Even by mistake you have come to a rascal who does not know how to become guru, you can reject him. Why should you stick to him? Reject him. And by mistake I have come to rascal. Why shall I continue to accept him as guru? Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said, tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam: 'Give up all rascals. Associate with sādhus.' If you do not do that, that is your fault. Tyaja durjana-saṁsargaṁ bhaja sādhu-samāgamam. We have to mix with sādhu. Sādhu means who are twenty-four-hours engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Things are there. Why should you mix with asādhu? Then how can you understand? Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (CC Madhya 23.14-15). If you have got little faith, then next business is to as
RATHER HEARING IS BETTER RECEPTION …..
So, of course, reading or hearing. You may not have time to read, but try to read. If you have no time, you are hearing. We are publishing, we are publishing literature, books. I am trying to speak to you. That is also understanding, studying Kṛṣṇa science. Rather, hearing is better reception. If you hear… That Vedas are therefore known as śruti. Śruti means it is received through hearing. Real process is hearing. And this age, Kali-yuga, people cannot study so much. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was called by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, He presented Himself that “What can I understand, Vedānta-sūtra? I am a fool. Therefore My spiritual master has ordered Me to simply chant.” So this chanting will help you. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [ŚU 6.23] Simply by studying, becoming bookworm, you cannot advance. The real secret is… That is stated in the Vedas. Unflinching faith in God and spiritual master. Then things will be reveal
Namacarya Srila Haridas Thakur: Disappearance celebration Monday 20 Sept (Sridham Mayapur time)
The Supreme Lord Anantadeva Himself praises Haridasa Thakura, "Even Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva always desire to associate with such Devotees as Haridasa. And the demigods desire to touch the transcendental body of Haridasa. Simply by saying his name, Haridasa, one will be promoted to Krishna's abode." (Chaitanya Bhagavata).
As Prahlada Maharaja appeared in a family of demons and Hanuman appeared as a monkey, Shri Haridasa Thakura appeared amongst the lower caste. Haridasa had a handsome form with all aristocratic features. Highly intellectual, he won all debates in Sanskrit and philosophy. Yet, he never lost his temper. In his youth, he became famous for his extreme devotion and ascetism. Though born in a Muslim family, when he became a Vaishnava, even brahmanas would eagerly smear their bodies with the dust of his feet.
The Supreme Lord Anantadeva Himself praises Haridasa Thakura, "E
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura: Appearance day Sunday 19th Sept Sridham Mayapur time.
Sri Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in 1838 in a wealthy family in the Nadia district, West Bengal. He revealed that he is an eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by his extraordinary preaching activities and prolific writing. Living as a, mahabhagavata Vaisnava, he stayed in the grhasta ashram until the last few years of his life. Then he renounced everything, accepted babaji, and entered samadhi, totally absorbed in the loving service of Gaura-Gadadhara and Radha-Madhava.
"He had a responsible government position as the District Magistrate (high court judge), maintained a Krishna conscious family, and wrote almost one hundred books on Krishna consciousness. At the same time, he served the Supreme Lord in so many ways. That is the beauty of his life. After a full day of government service he would sleep four hours, get up at midnight and write until morning. That was his daily
IF ONE TAKES SHELTER OF A BONAFIDE SPIRITUAL MASTER, IT IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT HE HAS OBTAINED THE GRACE OF THE LORD. THE LORD APPEARS AS THE SPIRITUAL MASTER FOR THE DEVOTEE.
Self-realization is possible in the human form of life, but not in other forms. There are 8,400,000 species, or forms of life, of which the human form qualified by brahminical culture presents the only chance to obtain knowledge of transcendence. Brahminical culture includes truthfulness, sense control, forbearance, simplicity, full knowledge and full faith in God. It is not that one simply becomes proud of his high parentage. Just as being born the son of a big man affords one a chance to become a big man, so being born the son of a brāhmaṇa gives one a chance to become a brāhmaṇa. But such a birthright is not everything, for one still has to attain the brahminical qualifications for himself. As soon as one becomes proud of his birth as the son of a brāhmaṇa and neglects to acquire the qualifications of a
"Thereafter, King Vṛṣabhānu, as per the advice of the goddess, arrived at the āśrama of Mahā-muni Kratu on the sandy banks of the river Virajā, received harināma mahā-mantra, and also became acquainted with the process of chanting śrī nāma. Kratu Muni, having given the harināma mahā-mantra to King Vṛṣabhānu, once again said to him: “Son! For Vaiṣṇavas, and especially in the case of Śākta, Saura, Śaiva, and Gāṇapatya initiation, only the performance harināma-kīrtana purifies the aural faculties. In other words, because of impurities within the aural faculty, without first of all having harināma-dīkṣā, no other mantra will bear results. Ears into which harināma has not entered are impure like the ears of a dead body. In other words, as long as one does not receive harināma-dīkṣā, one’s ears remain impure. Once harināma enters, one attains purity. O Mahābāho (strong-armed one)! I have given you this harināma. Hereafter, practice this with full concentration of your heart and soul.” cour
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