“The mountains, although being struck by torrents of rain during the rainy season, are not shaken, just as those whose hearts are dedicated to the transcendental Personality of Godhead are never disturbed, even when harassed by great misfortune.” (LOB 12)
“Because a person who is spiritually advanced accepts any adverse condition of life as the mercy of the Lord, he is completely eligible to enter into the spiritual kingdom. Even though a person takes to the devotional service of the Supreme Lo
The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world’s largest association of scholars in the field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association, serving as a professional and learned society for scholars involved in the academic study of religion. It has some 10,000 members worldwide, with the largest concentration being in the United States and Canada. AAR members are university and college professors, independent scholars, secondary teachers, clergy, seminari
Important temples in and around Kanchipuram:
1. Sri Deepa Prakasar Perumal Temple (or Thiruthanka)
2. Sri Ashtabujam Perumal Temple (or Sri Aadhikesava)
3. Sri Azhagiya Singar Perumal Temple (or Thiru Velukkai)
4. Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple (or Thiru Kanchi)
5. Sri Yatoktakari Temple (or Thiru Vekka)
6. Sri Ulagalantha Perumal Temple (or Thiru Ooragam) and Sri Thirukkaar Vaanar Temple (or Thirukkaar Vaanam)
7. Sri Vaikunda Perumal Temple (or Thiruparameshwara Vinnagaram)
8. Sri Pandava Dhoot
Srila Prabhupada’s Humility
by Padmapani das
“Although my Guru Maharaja ordered me to accomplish this mission, I am not worthy or fit to do it. I am very fallen and insignificant. Therefore, O Lord, now I am begging for Your mercy so that I may become worthy, for You are the wisest and most experienced of all.”(Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krishna, on board the ship Jaladuta, September 13, 1965)
“It is all Krishna’s Grace that He has sent such a nice assistants to me, for executing the mission o
The verb, prepare, means: to make something ready for use or consideration.
Great thinkers everywhere speak enthusiastically about the power of preparation.
For instance, George Clason writes:
“Opportunity is a haughty goddess who wastes no time with those who are unprepared.”
And William Shakespeare remarks:
“All things are ready, if our mind be so.”
Wise people know that one’s destiny in this life and the next are dependent on the way in which one prepares oneself in the present.
Or stated co
I was showing the Bhagavad-gita to one gentleman, he expressed his interest but said he was a Christian. He said, “If you can show me in this book where Jesus is praised I’ll take it.” I showed him 11.55 purport where Prabhupada says, “There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord who risked their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but he sacrificed his life for the spreading of God conscious
We all want to know who we really are, what role we are meant to play in God’s plan, what contribution we are meant to make to God’s work. And, by God’s grace, we may get a sense of our calling, what we are meant to do in His service. But even then, we may shrink from what we know is our duty, shirk what we know is our responsibility. We may fear the challenges ahead and retreat into what we imagine will be a safer, more comfortable place. We always have that choice–to face God and the mission
By Chandan Bhatia
As a child, Nimai cried a lot and would not stop until everyone sang “HAR! HARI!” and clapped their hands. His golden ankle bells tinkled as He kicked His legs while an Sachimata’s lap and as He took His first faltering steps while learning to walk. Being promised sweets and ksira, the ladies coaxed Nimai to dance for them. That same Supreme Lord who is unapproachable even to great sages and demigods, danced awkwardly on His short chubby legs and smiled sweetly at the ladies a
How to see or know God? People often challenge, "show me God!". But according to the vedic paradigm, the way one can know God first is through hearing or sravanam. Hence the vedas has another name called sruti. So through hearing eventually we will be able to see God face to face.
We must hear from a teacher who loves and serves God 24 hours. The teacher should belong to a lineage that directly originates from God. We should render service unto such a teacher.
We should ponder the divine m
Life is not always straightforward as we wish it to be. To some, life is a well planned journey with a defined goal and to some it is like a football with no specific direction. To some it is as involving as writing a beautiful poetry while to others it is just as boring as typing out a company’s terms and conditions. To some it is enjoyable as enacting a drama and to others it is as difficult as resolving a tough mathematical equation. Whatever it may be, every life is full of actions. Actions
Devotee: “I asked Prabhupada the other day: ‘Because Bhaktivinoda Thakura says, ‘Forget the past that sleeps, and of the future never dream at all. Live in times that are with thee, and progress thee shall call’; does this mean that it’s possible to forget the past?
“Srila Prabhupada answered, ‘No, that would not be possible, but we can think like this: ‘I have done so many foolish things,’ and then rectify them. Not that we should remain fools. Then what would be the value of our experience?”
The question of sampradaya, or the disciplic lineage of spiritual teachers, is the basis of authority for all religious and philosophical teachers and movements arising from the Vedantic traditions. There is no conception of religious organisation among these traditions which does not include reference to sampradaya. Therefore, questions of succession and how the links are made to traditional successions is the most essential ingredient in understanding authenticity and integrity in precept and
From Back to Godhead
THE VEDAS DESCRIBE the cow as our mother (go-mata). Why? Because she gives the milk that nurtures and nourishes us from infancy to old age. When the cow is happy, satisfied, and well taken care of, she produces far more milk than her calf requires. We can use this milk for our dietary needs.
Srila Prabhupada writes, “Foods such as milk, milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables are the foods that best aid health and increase life’s duration.” He calls milk “
Jiva Doya das is a book distributor from the Bhaktivedanta Manor. He travels around England with three other devotees.
Dear Jiva,
thank you very much for contacting me. It was nice to speak to you in town when I saw you. I had had a rather uninspiring day and it was eye opening to talk to someone who seems to have a real passion for what they believe in. At the moment I am at a point in my life where I am happily floating on a cloud of contentment for who I am and what I believe in, which at p
In Bhagavad-Gita 14th Chapter, Lord Krishna explains the three modes of natures that are controlling the activities of all the living entities in the material world. Lord Krishna says,
sattvaḿ rajas tama iti
guṇāḥ prakṛti-sambhavāḥ
nibadhnanti mahā-bāho
dehe dehinam avyayam [ B.g 14.5]
“Material nature consists of three modes — goodness, passion and ignorance. When the eternal living entity comes in contact with nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he becomes conditioned by these modes.”
These t
From Teachings of Lord Kapila, Chapter 4: ‘Srimad-Bhagavatam is a commentary on Vedanta-sutra. Vedanta-sutra explains that the Supreme is the source of everything, and the nature of that source is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.1): janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarat. That source is abhijna, cognizant. Matter is not cognizant; therefore the theory of modern science that life comes from matter is incorrect. The identity from whom everything emanates is abhijna, cogni
This morning I was looking through our bookshelf at some of the small paperback books we used to distribute at preaching programs. I always had a fondness for these small books, because it was the small books published by the BBT in the early days, that brought so many of us to the movement. Although I very much appreciated the original Bhagavad-gita As It Is when I first received it back in the early 70’s, it was too much information for me to process at the time, but the small paperback books
Intelligence is found in the two upper classes of men – in the brahminical class and the kshatriya class. The intelligence of a vaishya is of a different nature because the intelligence of a vaishya is less selfless. The brahmana and kshatriya sacrifice their self-interest for the sake of dharma so their lives are dedicated to a higher duty. Whereas the vaishya is also intelligent but his intelligence is focused on profit and on personal gain. So when the choice comes between following a princi
This coming February will be the auspicious 14th Anniversary of Vrinda Kunda Temple opening! To celebrate we are organizing special parikramas to the Holy Places of Braja. The Festival will culminate with our famous Kalash Yatra, an ecstatic Sankirtan procession with the ladies carrying water pots with coconuts on their heads. Parikramas will be taken out from 8 Feb - 21 Feb with the main festival day on Sunday 19 Feb. Even after that there will still be some parikramas.
Plan your trip to Mayap
What subjects have I subjected myself to today?
The word, subject, is both a noun and a verb.
When used as a noun, subject, means a person or thing that is being discussed. For example, “The teacher brought up the subject of Lord Krishna tending the cows.”
When used as a verb, subject, means that an object or person is being caused or forced to undergo something. For example, “At her job, Leela is subjected to a hearing gossip.”
Here’s a question one can ask oneself:
What subjects have I subj
