“While teaching Rupa Gosvami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija: one can achieve the seed of devotional service by the mercy of the guru, the spiritual master, and then by the mercy of Krsna. This is the secret of success. First one should try to please the spiritual master, and then one should attempt to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also says, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado. One should not attempt to please the S
Featured Posts (13598)
Sort by
“A sleeping person imagines an alternative reality for himself and, seeing himself as having various names and forms, forgets his waking identity, which is distinct from the dream. Similarly, the senses of one whose consciousness is bewildered by illusion perceive only the names and forms of material objects. Thus such a person loses his memory and cannot know You.”
-Bhag. 10.84.24-25
These two beautiful passages from the Bhagavatam were the topic of our discussion this morning as our small g
Many people say “By your mercy, I will surrender” or “Give me your blessings so that I will surrender” or “When Krishna wants”. Srila Prabhupada says these are spoken under “FALSE PRETENSE”–These are just “PLEA’S” Not to Surrender.
Srila Prabhupada: Surrender is willing. If you don’t like to surrender who can make you obliged to surrender? Surrender is voluntary. “Yes I surrender.” Determination, “Yes I surrender.” Who can make you obliged to surrender? Nobody can make. Even Krsna can not work.
This essay is taken from the book “The Art of teaching” by Burijana dasa. It is written for gurukula teachers, but is equally applicable to all devotees.
Teachers wishing success in their service must cultivate the mode of goodness. But wait a minute! Am I hearing protests from hard-pressed devotees sincerely striving to serve their Lord with a passion? Are they not crying out from the distance that there’s no need for goodness? Are they not emphatically stating that devotees are transcendental
I was always intrigued with this verse and am often in my walks reminded of this tree of knowledge by reflections seen as an ordinary tree by a pond of water or an image of a double-up upright and upside-down pos
We have to conquer in relationships. We can never take them for granted and we can never think, “Now this person’s commitment is assured, so there is no need to put in effort.” When there is a marriage and the ring goes on the finger, it does not mean much; it is just a little piece of metal. Marriage actually means that one has to conquer. So we should not think that now that the ring is there, there is no need to conquer the other person.
This is the same in the relationship between a guru a
I met up with Ajamila at the corner of Wellesley and Sherbourn. We hadn’t seen each other since the lockdown started although the occasional meet by phone. He’s doing well and is singing bhajans on-line.
Bhajans are songs expressing devotional sentiments, in this case, to honour Krishna.
I had a thought that before long we could possibly sing and play together at this very corner by the library. There is a nice flow of pedestrian traffic, a good intersection for exposing mantras where there
How many of you want to see Krishna and meet Him? Here is a good news - Krishna is more eager to show Himself to us than we are to see Him. We just need to be excited to want to see Him. Krishna is always somewhere around the corner waiting to reveal His darshan to us.
He could reveal Himself in any Mahamantra that we chant. He could pop out of any page of the Bhagavad-Gita or Srimad-Bhagvatam that we read. He can show Himself in any of His deity that we see. He could reveal Himself through a
The place was the Weston Family Quarry Garden at the Evergreen Brickworks where two young boys were fishing for gold or catfish, whatever would go for the bait.
“What have you got there? Worms?” I asked.
“No, bread. We already caught 3 catfish but we threw them back in the pond. That’s what you’re supposed to do.”
I asked the boys if they would allow me to film them. They declined but still we consider each other friends.
“They (meaning the fish) are really enthusiastic (for the bre
The real point is that narayana-paranmukham. Without thinking of Narayana or Krsna or Visnu, no method will be able to purify you. Vita-raga-bhaya-krodha, mam upasritah… [Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me – and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me. (Bhagavad-gita, 4.10.)] – the simple process to become purified. And that simple process is this chanting. Ch
Hare Krishna Vaishnavas! Dandavats Pranam! Jai Srila Prabhupad!
Many of you may not be aware that HG Govardhan Lila Mataji has been having severe health challenges.
She has survived 2 open heart surgeries because she is always very eager to continue serving their lordships here in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S.A.).
She will be going through a very risky and complex procedure for her heart on May 26 at 12:00 PM EST. This procedure will take approximately 3 hours at Emory hospital.
The procedure is calle
Corrado and I and a new seeker, Abhijit, who works with healthcare workers, took to a walk on the shady side of the street. Eventually we found ourselves in a tree-bound neighbourhood, but before that we noticed and increased amount of traffic noise. Personally I was left to ask the question, “When will we ever sober up?” More particularly I’m seeing the display of testosterone male power in the form of revving up engines. They are noisy, loud and fast.
Since the global lockdown less traf
If crying is the preserve of advanced devotees steeped in devotional mellows, should it bother us to display a show of apparent weakness? Shedding tears in lamentation, as a plea for sympathy, as ostentatious syrupy hype or as a tantrum disguised as frustration, can all be good enough reasons not to appear less than masculine.
Yet tears are required while treading the path of devotion. For the ‘average’ practitioner who plods along, pacing himself as if running a super life-long marathon, conse
My beloved, exalted disciple Kamala devi dasi left her body in Mauritius two days ago. Everything about her departure was auspicious, and her consciousness was fixed on Goloka Vrindavan. She was ably assisted in her final journey by HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami; Karunika dasi; Vrajesvari dasi; Manasi Ganga dasi; Arcana Siddhi dasi; and her devoted daughter, Dhira Prasanta dasi, and son, Lesh, in Mauritius; and by Krsnagi dasi and others from afar.
I have attached a photo of Kamala devi when s
Trees
What hugs the soil and keeps it in place
Teaches tolerance especially at the base
Provides us company when down and lonely
Is a true member of the earthly family?
Trees
What cuts the wind when all is tossed in the air
Which resembles a turbulent mind enough to scare
What emits a sweet sent at dusk and at dawn
And has sap flow at winter’s end when spring is on?
Trees
What gives warmth in cold in coolness in the heat
And what eats and drinks by their very own feet
Give shelter with shade
Pancharatna Prabhu, ILS 2020 Seminar: "Pathways - Successful Strategies for Nurturing New Contacts"
Video: Click here
Dear Devotees,
Our humble obeisances to you. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I am writing on behalf of the group of carers who are serving Her Grace Ramadevi Dasi, Srila Prabhupada’s disciple and a long-standing resident of the Mayapur community, to inform the local and international devotees of Ramadevi’s state of health.
Some days ago, Ramadevi collapsed, and it was clear her condition had accelerated. Ramavijaya Prabhu arranged her swift transfer to the Calcutta hospital who had been treati
By Madhava Smullen
With the U.S. State of Florida, and within it Alachua County, in Phase One of Reopening from COVID-19 lockdown, ISKCON’s New Raman Reti temple in Alachua has also started phase one of a gradual reopening process with careful restrictions.
To do so, Temple President Mukhya Dasi is consulting local government recommendations, as well as her own committee consisting of two phsyicians, one nurse, and two members of management. She’s also taking guidance from Nila Madhava Das,
Hearing Srila Prabhupada speak about why danger is required, I thought of the coronavirus pandemic. In a talk on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.33, April 25, 1973, Los Angeles, Prabhupada said:
“We have got natural devotion. Just like father and son, there is natural affection. The son has got natural devotion to the father, mother. Similarly, we have got our natural devotion. And when we are in danger, even the scientists pray to God—though when they are not in danger, they defy God.
“Therefore danger
It’s quite interesting to see how many roads are becoming sidewalks, places for boys at basketball and now today the road, an actual bridge arched over a ravine in Rosedale has become arehearsal site for a young women’s cheerleading team. Oh, they moved over when the rare motorist came. They pulled over when the vehicle would pass and then get right back into action.
Further on a fresh new sidewalk was laid for the concrete to harden. Being blocked off caused pedestrians to use the street. Th
