Srila Rupa Goswami said that one must associate with devotees to cultivate faith. So how does that faith happen in association? In devotee association, one hears about Krishna. When one hears about Krishna constantly, his or her desire or taste to Krishna and His devotees (Krishna katha) goes on increasing. What is the result of one whose taste to hear about Krishna increases? His faith on Krishna increases. What is the symptom of such a faith on Krishna?
The symptom of faith on Krishna (bhakt
Atheists write volumes of books explaining how or why God does not exist. But they cannot even explain why or how things that they believe exist exist; unless of course you consider chance as a logical, reasonable, and convincing explanation.
Due to some reason the atheists have got estranged from God. So much so that they are willing to be dogmatic about their chance explanation rather than allowing even a possibility of God.
Science was initially hailed as the search for truth but now it has
Dear Devotees and TOVP Donors,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur is one of the most important acaryas in our Gaudiya line. He can be seen as the father of modern-day Krishna Consciousness. He, along with his son Bhaktisiddhanta, created an explosion of preaching all over India, and he was also the first Vaisnava to send books to the west. He rediscovered many of the pilgrimage sites in Mayapur and foresaw the day when devotees from a
Giriraj Swami: Haridasa Thakura said, “I have had one desire for a very long time. I think that quite soon, my Lord, You will bring to a close Your pastimes within this material world. I wish that You not show me this closing chapter of Your pastimes. Before that time comes, kindly let my body fall down in Your presence. I wish to catch Your lotus like feet upon my heart and see Your moonlike face. With my tongue I shall chant Your holy name, ‘Sri Krishna Caitanya!’ That is my desire. Kindly le
MC Anuttama Das welcomes the audience
Many international religious and political leaders honored ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada’s achievements and contributions at a special ISKCON 50th Anniversary Gala Event in Washington D.C. on Tuesday September 13th.
The event took place in the Presidential Ballroom at the Capital Hilton Hotel on 16th Street. Three blocks from the White House, the Ballroom has hosted every president since Harry S. Truman and features a permanent eight-foot presiden
Arrived in Sweden yesterday. The silence is deafening, the stillness makes me restless, but it’s the ideal setting to hear the unheard. Though we live in times of chronic movement, we must pause for thought, reflect, and carefully examine our desires and motivations. In a society where life’s success factors tend to be external and tangible ones, such ‘soul-searching’ doesn’t come naturally. Nevertheless, however alien and awkward it may feel, we must make that investment. Walks in nature, pers
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.
The original appearance place of Lord Caitanya had vanished under the indomitable Ganges River. In 1888, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura revealed Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s birth place at the Yogapitha
In 1896 he sent to universities around the world a book
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 9.13 on the morning after Radhasthami.
“In this verse the description of the mahatma is clearly given. The first sign of the mahatma is that he is already situated in the divine nature. He is not under the control of material nature. And how is this effected? That is explained in the Seventh Chapter: one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, SriKrishna , at once becomes freed from the control of material nature. That is the quali
Question: Spiritual people often fast on certain occasions, thus depriving themselves of natural bodily needs. Isn’t such fasting an unnecessary self-torture?
Answer by Chaitanya Charan das: Not at all. To the contrary, for many people, their daily gorging of food is an unnecessary self-torture. WHO statistics show that over 1 billion suffer due to obesity, whereas 800 million people suffer due to undernourishment. More health disorders result due to overeating than due to fasting. We eat mor
Today is the merciful appearance of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivinod Takur. He was born 178 years ago in India to spread the mission of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is called the 7th Goswami because he re-established Mahaprabhu’s movement in Mayapur in an authentic manner strictly adhering to the principles of suddha bhakti as enunciated by the Six Goswamis.
His core principle was twofold (1) nama ruchi (2) jiva doya. In fact, this is the core value of all our sampradaya acharyas. There
The Acceptance of Tridandi sannyasa by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada accepts Sannyasam 1959 (Circa 1945 AD.)
“One night, Abhay had an unusual dream. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta appeared before him, beckoning. He was asking Abhay to leave home and take sannyasa. Abhay awoke in an intensely emotional state, “How horrible!” He thought. He knew it was not an ordinary dream, yet the request seemed so difficult and unlikely. Take sannyasa! At least it was not something he coul
“Dedicated to the sacred service of Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who initiated the teachings of Lord Chaitanya in the Western world (McGill University, Canada) in 1896, the year of my birth.” These words are Srila Prabhupada’s dedication to Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, the first book he published after coming to America. They also apply to Srila Prabhupada’s life, which was dedicated to the sacred service of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and his own s
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-varaya te
“I bow down to
This Subhashita helps us see unfair criticism positively, as a refiner of character –as is fire for gold. In life, few things are as hurting as criticism. Even more excruciating is unwarranted criticism, that is, criticism based on misunderstandings or untruths. We tend to respond to such criticism in one of three broad ways.
Clarify: We try to defuse the antagonism by clarifying the situation. If the critic is too hostile to have a rational discussion with us, we may clarify through an interme
This is the secret. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23]. If one has staunch faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and as much faith in the guru, yatha deve tatha gurau, then the revealed scriptures become manifest. It is not the education. It is not the scholarship. It is faith in Krishnaand guru. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta-kar says, guru-Krishna -krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Not by education; not by scholarship. Never says. Caitanya Mahaprabhu
(from the sannyasa book based on Srila Prabhupadas instructions:(but is is instructions for us all)
10. Strives To Advance In Spiritual Life
Sannyasis Do Not Have To Do Anything Except Strive For Advancement In Spiritual Life
As for those who are not grhasthas–the brahmacaris, vanaprasthas and sannyasis–they don’t have to do anything but strive for advancement in spiritual life. This means that three fourths of the entire population should stop sense gratification and simply be engaged in the a
1. He is known by many names, the most common ones being Vamana (the little dwarf), Trivikrama (he who has taken three step; the giant form), and Upendra (Indra’s younger brother);
2. In every planetary system the denizens worship a particular visnu-tattva as their sole Lord (Plaksadvipa, Surya-Narayana; Brahmaloka; Maha-purusa; Maharloka; Yajna-purusa, et cetera) and in the heavenly planets, the demigods worship Lord Visnu in His plenary portion: the four-armed Vamana;
3. When Indra and the
The TOVP is a Project intended to cultivate a genuine Vedic Culture. We have designed the TOVP to have traditional Vedic Architectural elements, especially for the top of the Temple. The architecture on the top of the Temple is the symbol of the Divine Weapon and Power of the Supreme Lord. Hence, we had to seek a well qualified company that would be able to manufacture the Chatri Kalashes and ribs, Dome Kalashes, and the Chakras for the top of our Vedic Temple.
Resulting from manufacturing diff
The Appearance of Lord Vamana
“Bali Maharaj, very intelligent personality. He was the son of Virochana, grandson of Prahlad, great grandson of Hiranyakashipu, great grand-nephew of Hiranyaksha. A very mixed up type of family heritage!”
So he performed yajna to please his guru Shukracharya, and his guru-maharaj was very pleased with him. In fact he arranged for the descendents of Bhrigu Muni to come to perform this yajna. And his disposition, his good qualities, was so pleasing to everyone that
