Beyond Birth & Death

Beyond Birth and Death

01 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Beyond Birth & Death, Books by Srila Prabhupada, KrishnaPath.org Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, BBT, Beyond Birth and Death, books by Srila Prabhupada, Iskcon, Krishna consciousness

I love these small books by Srila Prabhupada printed in the early days of ISKCON by the BBT. They were beautiful publications, which explained the philosophy of Krisnna Consciousness in a simple format. Thanks to Krishna Path for making these books available to the world.

Please note that Srila Prabhupada took birth on September 1, 1896 — 120 years ago today

For a free pdf download click on the following link:

Beyond-Birth-and-Death-His-Divine-Grace-A.C.Bhaktivedanta-Swami-Prabhupada

Elevation at Death

24 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Beyond Birth & Death, Krsna Consciousness Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, bhakti yogis, death, dhyana yogis, dying, Elevation at Death, eternal life, hatha yogis, life after death, to link up, yoga, yogis

*click on image to enlarge

This is a continuation (chapter 2) from the small book, “Beyond Birth and Death”, by Srila Prabhupada. Personally, I like these small books, as so much of the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is contained in them, in a very readable format. For a Free pdf download of entire book; follow link at bottom of post. Hare Krishna!

Beyond Birth and Death
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Two

Elevation at Death

There are different kinds of transcendentalists who are called yogīs—haṭha-yogīs, jñāna-yogīs, dhyāna-yogīs, and bhakti-yogīs—and all of them are eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. The word yoga means “to link up,” and the yoga systems are meant to enable us to link with the transcendental world. As mentioned in the previous chapter, originally we are all connected to the Supreme Lord, but now we have been affected by material contamination. The process is that we have to return to the spiritual world, and that process of linking up is called yoga. Another meaning of the word yoga is “plus.” At the present moment we are minus God, or minus the Supreme. When we add Kṛṣṇa—or God—to our lives, this human form of life becomes perfect.

At the time of death we have to finish that process of perfection. During our lifetime we have to practice the method of approaching that perfection so that at the time of death, when we have to give up this material body, that perfection can be realized.

Beyond Samsara

24 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Beyond Birth & Death, Bhagavad-gita, Bhismadeva, Srimad Bhagavatam Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, beyond samsara, bhagavad-gita, Bhismadeva, bhutva-bhutva, Lord Sri Krsna, mystic yogis, mystics, parliyate, pure devotee, repetition of different bodies, samsara, samsara means material existence, samsara means this material entanglement, Srimad Bhagavatam, yogic situation, yogis

Beyond Saṁsāra

As I was reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam this morning about the passing of Bhīṣmadeva it was being described how “The perfect yogīs or mystics can leave the material body at their own sweet will at a suitable time and go to a suitable planet desired by them.” And how it is possiable to go beyond Saṁsāra, and go back to Godhead without any doubt.

…In the momentous hour of leaving his material body, Bhīṣmadeva set the glorious example concerning the important function of the human form of life. The subject matter which attracts the dying man becomes the beginning of his next life. Therefore, if one is absorbed in thoughts of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he is sure to go back to Godhead without any doubt.

And what is Samsara?

Saṁsāra means material existence. That is called saṁsāra. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You take your birth once in some form of body. You live for some time. Then you have to give up this body. Then you have to accept another body. Then again live for some time. Then give up that body. Again accept another body. In this way, it is going on. That is called saṁsāra, rotating within this material world. (Lecture on Gurvastakam at Upsala University by His Divine Grace -Stockholm, September 9, 1973)

The saṁsāra means repetition of different bodies. That is called saṁsāra. (Lecture on SB 1.2.4 -Rome, May 28, 1974)

Saṁsāra means this material entanglement. This is called saṁsāra.
(Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 25.40-50 – San Francisco, January 24, 1967)

04 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Beyond Birth & Death, Death and Dying, Free Downloads, Free eBooks Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Beyond Birth and Death, Bhagavad Gita, bhakti yoga, books by Srila Prabhupada, death and dying, free downloads, I am not this body, mantra-yoga, search for meaning, self realization, Srimad Bhagavatam, transcendentalists

This morning as I was driving up our lane, I saw a hawk flying past me with a live squirrel in his talons. And I thought, ‘how fragile is this life’. One moment the squirrel was out collecting nuts to store in his home for the winter, and the next moment, he is being carried away to his sure death. I was reminded of the famous quote “Life takes Life”, and of how all of ours lives, hang in the balance.

There is another famous Quote from the Srimad Bhagavatam:

“Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was asked by Yamarāja, “What is the most wonderful thing in this world? Can you explain?” So Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira answered, “Yes. The most wonderful thing is that at every moment one can see that his friends, his fathers, and his relatives have died, but he is thinking, ‘I shall live forever.’”” (The Science of Self Realization)

This is the great illusion (maya)

So today I am moved to post another chapter from the book “Beyond Birth & Death” by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chapter One entitled “We Are Not These Bodies”.

Also for a Free PDF download of entire book click the link at bottom of post.

Associating with Kṛṣṇa

28 Mar 2011 2 Comments

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Beyond Birth & Death Tags: Beyond Birth & Death, bhagavad-gita, Hare Krishna Hare Rama Hare Hare, Liberated souls, spiritual sky, Vaikuntha planets

Beyond Birth & Death
Chapter 5
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

The inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets in the spiritual sky are all liberated souls.

“And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Pārtha [Arjuna], is sure to reach Me.” (Bg. 8.5, 8.8) Such meditation on Kṛṣṇa may seem very difficult, but it is not. If one practices Kṛṣṇa consciousness by chanting the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, he will be quickly helped. Kṛṣṇa and His name are nondifferent, and Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental abode are also nondifferent. By sound vibration we can have Kṛṣṇa associate with us”.