Last year there was an incident where I received a major chastisement because of not having properly understood the unique position of Srila Prabhupada. Well, I thought I understood his position but unknowingly and subtly I got led in way that would have meant exactly the opposite! The repercussion for me was polite but very grave, something I had never experienced in my spiritual or even in my material life. It was something I would carry whole life as it taught me a little what is meant by Gu
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Radhanath Swami: Yoga is often misunderstood as merely breath control, asanas or exercises; for some it is about practising some rules and regulations based on morality and for others it is cultivation of scriputral knowledge. But the real purpose of Yoga is to fix our mind on the Supreme.
According to Bhagavad-gita, yoga can not be practiced unless we practice mind control. An uncontrolled mind restricts the soul from reaching its natural blissful state, which a practioner is trying to acheive
A simple definition of meditation is to ‘think deeply about something’. A broader definition includes ‘to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.’ Other good words for meditation are – to ponder, reflect, contemplate, muse, ruminate, or lost in thought.
I love this idea of getting ‘lost in thought’ as a description of meditation in the Krishna Bhakti tradition. Our practice
From Back to Godhead
Lord Krishna’s main message in the Bhagavad-gita is clear: He wants us to fully surrender to Him. The most vital part of the Bhagavad-gita deals with the advice Lord Sri Krishna gives to Arjuna on the surrendering process. One of the dictionary meanings of surrender is “to give (something) up voluntarily to another.” Lord Krishna’s simple words of advice on surrendering are easy to understand. So why do most people, including those of us practicing Krishna consciousness, no
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
Tolerance is a quality of the mode of goodness, which is the mode of detachment. This is in contrast with the mode of passion which is one of attachment. In this mode of passion, we want things to go our way and our way only. We have the story of Dhurva Maharaj for example. When Dhruva Maharaj found out that a Yaksha had killed his brother, he entered into the mode of passion where out of anger, he started killing all the Yakshas. This was until the two elderly personali
By Kadamba Kanana Swami
Since you accepted the sanyas order, you have been travelling around the world. Can you tell us a bit about your current preaching activities.
For the last 20 or so years, I have been travelling a lot. I started off as a sanyasi in 1997 and then in 2001 I became a spiritual master. Once I started to have disciples, I had ongoing personal relationships with people across the world. So naturally, my travels related to these relationships, so I could stay in contact with my
Asiatoday got an opportunity to meet a young travelling monk, Chaitanya Charan Das, from ISKCON aka Hare Krishna group. Chaitanya Charan Das is an acclaimed author, scholar, mentor, life coach, and monk. He has been an invited speaker at several international conferences on the interface of science and spirituality, including the World Peace Conference 2006 and World Peace Congress 2008 organized by UNESCO. Based in India, he has given talks at colleges and companies all over the world from Au
Mahatma das: “Sweet words cannot lift someone more than the best medicine whereas no weapon can destroy someone as much as harsh words”
In the Srimad Bhagavatam there’s a story in the Daksha yajna Lord Shiva appeared and Lord Shiva was a meditation when Daksha came and he didn’t stand up and Daksha was very upset that he was disrespected and he began criticizing very heavily, criticizing Lord Shiva and of course Shiva’s wife there, Sati and she became so disturbed that the Bhagavatam explains t
He has given up eating for several days now. Devotees are doing all night Kirtan for him in Bala Hall last night and tonight again.
H.G. Gopal Prabhu’s class about the Acceptance of Sannyasa by Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON Vrindavan
By Giriraj Swami
Today is Visvarupa-mahotsava, the date on which Lord Caitanya’s older brother, Visvarupa, took sannyasa, the renounced order of life. And on the same date some four hundred and fifty years later, our own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, also accepted sannyasa.
According to Vedic scripture, Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, come in the present age in the role of a devotee. In the previous age, Lord Krsna came in His original feature and spoke
By Karnamrita Das
[reposted from 9-21-2010] We have had back to back to back holy days commemorating the appearance or disappearance of great saints in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. These include the appearance day of Shrila Jiva Gosvami (sort of hidden by Lord Vamanadeva’s appearance on the same day), the appearance of Bhaktivinoda Thakur, and today, the disappearance day of the “namacharya” (great teacher of the glories of the holy name) Shrila Haridas Thakur.
Though I can’t do them justice especially
By Giriraj Swami
While I was chanting japa at Butterfly Beach, about forty crows converged on the sand nearby, and I told Jivan-mukta, “Look: a place of pilgrimage for crows (vayasam tirtham),” referring Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.1:
na yad vacas citra-padam harer yaso
jagat-pavitram pragrnita karhicit
tad vayasam tirtham usanti manasa
na yatra hamsa niramanty usik-ksayah
“Those words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who alone can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear sons of the King, I am very much pleased by the friendly relationships among you. All of you are engaged in one occupation—devotional service. I am so pleased with your mutual friendship that I wish you all good fortune. Now you may ask a benediction of Me.
PURPORT
Since the sons of King Pracinabarhisat were all united in Krsna consciousness, the Lord was very pleased with them. Each and every one of the sons of King Pracinabarhisat was an indivi
Praghosa Das: I was saddened to hear about the fire at the Manor’s Goshala but incredibly grateful to Krishna that nobody was hurt and that the cows are safe. I was also very happy to learn that Jagaddhatri, Devaki and Sanjay are all fine after being treated in hospital for smoke inhalation.
The quick actions and tireless work of both our devotees and emergency services helped to contain the fire, and avoid what could have been an unimaginable disaster. It is testimony to the devotees’ ‘can
Can you capture the moment when you accepted Krsna as the ultimate truth.
Because many of the sadhus I met in India were smoking ganja, I did not have much faith in them. They always asked where I was from and just wanted some money to smoke ganja. So I thought to myself that this cannot be spiritual life. I kept quite aloof from them, but after some time I started feeling that I was not making much progress in my pursuit for the truth. Rather than getting involved with a particular book, I w
By Chaitanya Charan Das
Bhagavad-gita 15.11.
Suppose an alcoholic visits a new city. Though the city may have many attractive sights, the alcoholic will look for bars.
Similarly, when we function in the world, our desires direct our vision, consciously or subconsciously. For example, in our relationships, we see about others only the things we want to see. If we dislike someone, we highlight occasions when they behave rudely and overlook occasions when they behave politely.
Our desires can
Have you heard kirtana leaders say “Chant from the heart!”? What do they mean by this?
We have three hearts: the physical pump, the emotional heart and the spiritual heart. Whenever we want to align ourselves to the chanting of the Holy Name we refer to the third heart, the heart in which we experience spiritual feelings. For instance, when you read the Srimad-Bhagavatam or chant, have you noticed that you feel relieved? You feel as though you are above the clouds? This is a reaction in the spi
BY SRILA BHAKTIVINODA THAKUR
The history of the establishment of the great temple in Puri, and the hypocrisy of temple priests as opposed to sincere devotional worship in pure love of God. Written by the Thakur in English, 1871.
There is not a Hindu who has not heard the name of this temple. The old and the young, the male and the female, the Rajah and the ryot, and the weak and the stout, all visit this temple out of a religious curiosity. Three hundred and one miles south-west of the Vice-Reg
By Gour Govinda Swami
This is a translation of part of a speech delivered in Oriya by HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja on September 2, 1993, the 155th anniversary of the appearance of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. On that day a public meeting was held at the Dinabandhu Sahoo Law College, Kendrapara, Orissa, to glorify Thakura Bhaktivinoda, whose portrait was installed in honor of his being the first law graduate of Orissa.
namo bhaktivinodaya
sac-cid-ananda-namine
gaura-sakti-svarupaya
rupanuga-v
