From Back to Godhead
Far from being a sentimental activity, devotional service is based on well-defined principles that systematically guide a practitioner to ultimate perfection.
Discussions about the relationship between science and religion usually end in a stalemate: Scientists accuse religionists of relying too much on faith, which they say is experimentally unverifiable, while religionists accuse scientists of relying too much on physical and chemical laws, which they say fail to measure
By Dharma-setu das
Karana and I got married on the 5th of January 2002. Since then I have received a lot of valuable advice that has at various times helped me in my marriage. Three recommendations have been particularly useful and have stood the test of time. I’d like to share these with you along with some of the realisations that I have gleamed from them.
1 – “Always Forgive One Another”
When Srila Prabhupada was coming to America on the Jaladuta steamship, as he was nearing Commonwealth Pier in Boston, he prayed to Krishna, “All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion. I wish that You may deliver them.
“I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore, if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.”
The two towns mentioned above were destination points for bhakti on this day. How these places did shine. But for my blog entry, I wanted to share a past poem on the precious topic of bhakti.
IT'S ABOUT BHAKTI
Contrary to popular belief...
Strength lies in humility
Whereas weakness does in pride
Our base, set in simplicity
Puts complexities to the side
Pleasures ignite from stimulu
But that is so short lived
Long term comesfrom vigilance
When cheap thrills we'll outlive
Entertainment may l
Hare Krishna dear vaisnavas
Agnideva prabhu is hosting a retreat in Tobago (neighbouring island to his birthplace of Trinidad in the Caribbean near the tip of South America off the coast of Venezuela)
Please go if you can and share this flyer with those whom you think would appreciate this wonderful opportunity to relish the prayers of our Acharyas in person with agnideva prabhu.
Prabhu will be featuring 6 Bhajans & discussion each day.
Contact
Presthaya@gmail.com
1-425-578-0663
Apparently, a man was shot across the street, but our short walk (slightly investigative in nature for any traces of blood) went in vain. The neighbourhood is not a bad one. It is simply coincidental and consequential that this violent act took place while I stayed here for a night. Much like a month ago when in Mauritius during a beach walk, we came upon a person who hung himself; I am beginning to wonder if violent events are following me.
In any case, such acts of aggression, whether self-in
By Chaitanya Charan Das
Suppose we are driving to some destination and come to a fork. If we are unsure about which way to go, we will move slowly or not move at all. But even if we are sure, that conviction alone will not take us ahead – we need to drive ahead.
A similar dynamic applies to our spiritual practice. Spiritual growth is essentially a journey of the heart from worldly objects to Krishna. Such a journey requires philosophical conviction. When we have to choose between some worldly o
In spiritual life, liquor is not really glorified like one of the material pleasures in life. It is rather condemned. It is placed in the same category as poison. Well, it is true that it is not nourishing the cells in the body. Each time you take some liquor, you are burning some brain cells and you begin to see it in the regular drinkers at the bars. Their faces are a bit puffed up. Some have red veins showing and their hands also are a bit swollen and reddish. And their brain is dull and not
“According to Vedic civilization, the perfection of life is to realize one’s relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God.… All living entities are parts and parcels of God. The parts are meant for serving the whole, just as the legs, hands, fingers, and ears are meant for serving the total body. We living entities, being parts and parcels of God, are duty-bound to serve Him.”
Faith is not bhakti but is a very important part of bhakti. The Cambridge dictionary defines ‘faith’ as, “a great trust or confidence in something or someone.” Srila Prabhupada has explained that “faith means unflinching trust in something sublime” (Bhagavad-gita 2.41, purport). He further explained, “Faith means firm conviction that if I become transcendentally engaged in the service of the Lord, then my life becomes successful. This is called faith. And that conviction must be firm, not totte
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhuapada
Lecture given in Vrindavan, India, November 12, 1976
To attain bhakti, or pure devotional service to the Lord, one must come to the point of desiring nothing else.
matto ’py anantat paratah parasmat
svargapavargadhipater na kinchit
yesham kim u syad itarena tesham
akinchananam mayi bhakti-bhajam
[Lord Rshabhadeva said:] “I am fully opulent, almighty, and superior to Lord Brahma and Indra, the king of the heavenly planets. I am also the b
The word bhakti can be translated to devotion, devotional service. Bhaja is the root form of bhakti. Bhaja dhatu includes love, service and worship. The very essence of bhakti is emotions. When we speak of rasa, it implies emotions.
Whilst we are in this material world, we become conditioned, therefore we have a lower and a higher nature. There are two sides to our nature. The lower nature has become attached to the temporary and things of small significance, like when I lost my teddy dog as a c
Mahāprabhu is also known as Great Lord. He has been Indian saint of 16th century. He has been founder of Achintya Bheda Abheda. There are devotees who is regarded as incarnation of Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has a style of praying Krishna with song, which is ecstatic in nature. The dance offer significant effect over Bengal’s Vaishnavism. He has been major proponent of Vedantic philosophy of the Achintya Bheda Abheda. Mahaprabhu had started Gaudiya Vaishnavism. This is also known as Brahma-M
Keepers Of The Flame: Although this expression is most often used by our Christian brothers and sisters, I totally relate to its exclamation in relationship to what or who I am, or at least, aspire to be: A Keeper of the Flame of Bhakti, or A Keeper of the Flame of Spirituality. Personally, I see this as a responsibility for all followers of Shri Chaitanya and those who represent him. I visualize a flame burning brightly in my heart, or raising a torch in my hand to dispel darkness. To me, this
If you go to Mayapur and you go on the side of the Ganga to take a bath in it, you have the ground under your feet and you walk in the water moving forward on your own strength. But if you go deep into the water, then what will happen? The current of the Ganga will just drag you away. And there is nothing you can do, it will just take you. Bhakti is the same. In the beginning, you have to take different steps yourself – you have to follow this principle and you have to do this duty and so on. Y
We must understand that we all depend on the sankirtana movement; we all depend on the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Nobody should think, “Oh, but I am from a different background! See, I am doing this on the strength of my own culture.” No, culture is hollow. Culture has become empty; empty rituals without any meaning.
Prabhupada however gave us the meaning of all of this Vedic literature, and Prabhupada is the representative of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the carrier of the sankirtana moveme
