Disappearance Day of Haridasa Thakura

Today being the Disappearance of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, we honor him with this short post. We have selected a verse from the Bhagavad-gita 6.44 wherein Srila Prabhupada mentions in the purport;

…Lord Caitanya, accepted Ṭhākur Haridāsa as one of His most important disciples. …he was elevated to the post of nāmācārya by Lord Caitanya due to his rigidly attended principle of chanting three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord daily: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

Full Text and Purport

Continue reading

Fathers Day

So today in the modern world, people are celebrating Fathers Day. It is basically an American Holiday honoring one’s father, or relevant father figure, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.

But I am reminded of the Original Father, God (Krishna). Srila Prabhupada in His Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita As It Is describes the original Father.

The Supreme Lord and His transcendental abode are both sanatana, as are the living entities, and the combined association of the Supreme Lord and the living entities in the sanatana abode is the perfection of human life. The Lord is very kind to the living entities because they are His sons. Lord Krsna declares in Bhagavad-gita, “sarva-yonisu…aham bija-pradah pita.” “I am the father of all.” Of course there are all types of living entities according to their various karmas, but here the Lord claims that He is the father of all of them. Therefore the Lord descends to reclaim all of these fallen, conditioned souls to call them back to the sanatana eternal sky so that the sanatana living entities may regain their eternal sanatana positions in eternal association with the Lord. The Lord comes Himself in different incarnations, or He sends His confidential servants as sons or His associates or ācāryas to reclaim the conditioned souls.

Remembering Krishna

Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa is not possible for the impure soul who has not practiced Kṛṣṇa consciousness in devotional service. To remember Kṛṣṇa one should chant the mahāmantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, incessantly, following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, being more tolerant than the tree, humbler than the grass and offering all respect to others without requiring respect in return. In such a way one will be able to depart from the body successfully remembering Kṛṣṇa and so attain the supreme goal. (Prabhupada purport Bg As it is 8:5)

Full text and purport

Continue reading

The Lord and the Living Entity Eternally Glitter

“When a diamond is set in a golden ring, it looks very nice. The gold is glorified, and at the same time the diamond is glorified. The Lord and the living entity eternally glitter, and when a living entity becomes inclined to the service of the Supreme Lord he looks like gold. The Lord is a diamond, and so this combination is very nice. Living entities in a pure state are called devotees. The Supreme Lord becomes the devotee of His devotees.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.29, Purport)

Bhagavad-gita “As It Is” 1972 Originagl Edition

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is krishna-and-arjuna.jpg

This is perhaps my favorite cover of Back to Godhead Magazine. Always loved this picture of Krishna & Arjuna.

The following is a nice compilation of 108 quotes, taken from Srila Prabhupada’s books, lectures, letters, and conversations, on the importance of the 1972 Original Authorized Edition of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

This collection of quotes was compiled by Yasoda nandana Prabhu as his Vyasa-puja offering.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 086_-_btg_year-1973_volume-01_number-57_page_32.jpg
Continue reading

What If One Book Said it All

The voice of wisdom seems to speak in many tongues, through many ages-from Lao-tse’s Chinese to Shakespeare’s English, from Muhamad’s Arabic to Hegel’s German. You could get pretty discouraged trying to find the Absolute Truth by reading everything there is to read.

But what if one book said it all-everything you’d ever want to know about cosmic Creation, the mysteries of Time, the workings of Karma, the inner Self, and the Supreme Being, God.

And what if that book were an easily readable, fully illustrated translation of the world’s most renowned guidebook on spirituality-the Bhagavad-gita?

The Bhagavad-gita As It Is by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Look for it today.

Yoga

The word yoga has become very popular in todays vocabulary, but we understand from the Bhagavad-gita the real definition of the word, and its ultimate goal.

A yogī is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogī. (Bg. 6.46)

And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. (Bg. 6.47)

When we speak of yoga we refer to linking up our consciousness with the Supreme Absolute Truth. Such a process is named differently by various practitioners in terms of the particular method adopted. When the linking up process is predominantly in fruitive activities, it is called karma-yoga, when it is predominantly empirical, it is called jñāna-yoga, and when it is predominantly in a devotional relationship with the Supreme Lord, it is called bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga or Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the ultimate perfection of all yogas (from purport to Bg. 6.46)

The culmination of all kinds of yoga practices lies in bhakti-yoga. All other yogas are but means to come to the point of bhakti in bhakti-yoga. Yoga actually means bhakti-yoga; all other yogas are progressions toward the destination of bhakti-yoga. From the beginning of karma-yoga to the end of bhakti-yoga is a long way to self-realization. Karma-yoga, without fruitive results, is the beginning of this path. When karma-yoga increases in knowledge and renunciation, the stage is called jñāna-yoga. When jñāna-yoga increases in meditation on the Supersoul by different physical processes, and the mind is on Him, it is called aṣṭāṅga-yoga. And, when one surpasses the aṣṭāṅga-yoga and comes to the point of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa, it is called bhakti-yoga, the culmination. Factually, bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal (from purport to Bg. 6.47)

full texts and purports

Continue reading

Teaching and Study Guide to the Bhagavad-gita As It is

Krsna and Arjuna

This morning we share with you this nice Study Guide on the Bhagavad-gita As It Is.  It begins with the Introduction to the Bhagavad-gita, some notes on the Original Edition, the significance of the Bhagavad-gita, a philosophical synopsis, chapter by chapter summary, Q & A, and a suguested teaching syllabus.  All in all ,a very nice presentation prepared by disciples and followers of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

We are offing it here as a free pdf download that you can view, save or print, by clicking on the following link:

Teaching_and_Study_Guide_to_Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is