Cultivating good vaishnava relationships
Answers by HH Romapada Swami Maharaja
Question:I live in a devotee community and often feel that I don’t know how to associate with others. I love them and try to serve them but all too often I just don’t feel emotionally safe in their association. I don’t feel free to be open in case they hurt me and thus I am wasting my life constantly holding back (defending like a kicked dog). I am desperate for some clarification on this point.
I am a very sensitive per
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Prabhupada liked to make jokes, satirize, make us laugh. Even if he was involved in a stressful fight to get permission to build the temple in Bombay, or there was a court case in the U.S.A., or he knew some of his leaders were quarreling, there was always something funny that could occur to him and could make us break into smiles. He saw the merry side of things periodically and made a quip or humorous observation. Just as when he was in a very grave mood we became serious, so we lau
Srimati Tulasi devi is one of the most exalted devotees of the Sri Krishna. All scriptures stress on the importance of getting the mercy of Tulasi devi if one has to make progress in the path of devotion. In the Skanda Purana it is said: ‘Tulasi is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seeing, simply by touching, simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is always aus
If somebody is mentally pleased, they feel physically content also. If somebody is spiritually pleased, they feel mentally and physically..things are open.
For instance, if somebody is not mentally pleased even if you give them a nice meal but they are very sad because a loved one is sick, they're not going to enjoy the meal
From "Prema-bhakti-candrika"
sri-guru-carana-padma, kevala-bhakati-sadma,
bando mui savadhana mate
jahara prasade bhai, e bhava toriya jai,
krsna-prapti hoy jaha ha'te
The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Krsna.
guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya,
ar na koriho mane asa
sri-guru
Dear devotees
Central Station, Sydney, 3 March 2010
I set out with Bhakta Oliver, a German devotee and another Auckland
Loft
success story. He had been approached by a sankirtan devotee but had
declined the SB 1.1 -- only to return to his hostel and find the same
book on the shelf! At that point, being the wise soul that he is, he
surrendered to the Loft programs. Every day for a few months he helped
the devotees there, and then he moved into the Auckland/Sydney
Brahmacari ashram.
Bhakta Oliver and myself
Madhavendra Puri Prabhu and I were at a college trying to engage in
Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu's most glorious sankirtan movement by distributing
books. We spent an entire week at this one college and told everyone
that on
Friday we were going to have a class to discuss and try some Bhakti
Yoga.
On the fateful day at least 10 students showed up and enthusiastically
chanted the holy names of Lord Hari and Krishna. Afterward I asked for
everyone's email and sent them a message requesting a reply from those
who
Song by Jayadeva Gosvami
When Radha saw Krsna enjoying affectionate exchanges with all the cowherd maidens in the groves of Vrndavana, she became indignant because he had not acknowledged her eminence. She immediately departed for another part of the forest and hid herself inside a shady bower that resounded with the drone of bumblebees.
yamuna-tira-vaniranikunje
mandam asthitam
praha prema-bharodbhrantam
madhavam radhika-sakhi
Translation
Bewildered by love fo
On a morning walk in Hyderabad (April 22, 1974) Srila Prabhupada took the position of a Christian. "I love God," he said, and challenged his disciples to disprove his position. Prabhupada rebutted all arguments until this one was offered: "If you love God, why don't you do what he says?" Srila Prabhup
Bhakti means love. Without love there is no question of bhakti.
It is not enough to just go on mechanically, as if Krsna consciousness were simply some humdrum formul
yatha gopayati vibhur
yatha samyacchate punah
yam yam saktim upasritya
puru-saktih parah puman
atmanam kridayan kridan
karoti vikaroti ca
yatha -- as; gopayati -- maintains; vibhuh -- the great; yatha -- as; samyacchate -- winds up; punah -- again; yam yam -- as; saktim -- energies; upasritya -- by employing; puru-saktih -- the all-powerful; parah -- the Supreme; puman -- Personality of Godhead; atmanam -- plenary expansion; kridayan -- having engaged them;
bhuya eva vivitsami
bhagavan atma-mayaya
yathedam srjate visvam
durvibhavyam adhisvaraih
bhuyah -- again; eva -- also; vivitsami -- I wish to learn; bhagavan -- the Personality of Godhead; atma -- personal; mayaya -- by the energies; yatha -- as; idam -- this phenomenal world; srjate -- does create; visvam -- universe; durvibhavyam -- inconceivable; adhisvaraih -- by the great demigods.
I beg to know from you how the Personality of Godhead, by Hi
Just like George Harrison, because he is famous, someone tried to kill him. If you are very famous people will like to kill you, because then they become famous for killing a famous person. Now, to get that... your name put on the news cast as the killer of a big person...many crazies are will
Hare Krishna to all devotees,
Vaishnava devotees give great respect to Lord Siva who is considered to be the greatest Vaishnava. i came across some verses in Srimad Bhagvatam which are as below:-
SB 8.7.21: The prajāpatis said: O greatest of all demigods, Mahādeva, Supersoul of all living entities and cause of their happiness and prosperity, we have come to the shelter of your lotus feet. Now please save us from this fiery poison, which is spreading all over the three worlds.
SB 8.7.22: O lord, you
When life takes its toll on me.
Crazed, in panic, I look around,
But only darkness I can see.
There are times, Krishna,
When my limbs feel tired and sore.
Pain and despair flood my mind,
And my heart, even more.
There are times, Krishna,
When I’m too exhausted to cry.
I sit back in helpless resignation,
And wait for life, to pass me by.
There are times, Krishna,
I feel you’ve forsaken me.
Other than to end this meaningless life,
No other course, I see.
But during those times, Krishna,
A
Those who follow path of devotional service and who completely engage themselves with faith,making ME the supreme goal,are very, very dear to ME.(BG12.20)
IN this the supreme LORD has explained the processes of transcendental service for approaching HIM.
So,why not we are trying to become dear
to KRISHNA
(by Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura)
(1)
yashomati-nandana, braja-baro-nagara
gokula-ranjana kana
gopi-parana-dhana, madana-manohara
kaliya-damana-vidhana
(2)
amala harinam amiya-vilasa
vipina-purandara, navina nagara-bora
bamshi-badana suvasa
(3)
braja-jana-palana, asura-kula-nashana
nanda-godhana-rakhowala
govinda madhava, navanita-taskara
sundara nanda-gopala
(4)
jamuna-tata-chara, gopi-basana-hara
rasa-rasika kripamoya
shri-radha-vallabha, brindabana-natabara
bhakativinod-ashraya
Tr
We might, however, wish to limit the stricter definition of Vaishnava to those who pursue the path of suddha-bhakti, not knowingly mixing their theology with karma and jnana.
The following definitions of a Vaishnava are given by Sri Jiva Gosvami in his Bhakti-sandarbha:
The original verse (Anuccheda 202) is as follows:
ete hi vaiSNavAH santo mahattvena san-mAtratvena ca vibhidya nirdiSTAH | san-mAtra-bhede tAratamyaM cAtra yad aviviktaM tad-bhakti-bheda-nirUpaNe purato vivecanIyam | anye tu sva-
Within and beyond time and space: Tour the transcendental world, the material world and find the way back This is a simplified way to understand the wanderings of a spirit soul within samsara, the cycle of birth and death. It shows the basic facts "We c |
