07 Jun 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Devotee's, Krishna Consciousness, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, benefactor of the truthful devotee, bhagavad-gita, chanting Hare Krishna, Hear About Krishna, heard and chanted, Krishna, lecture by Prabhupada, material enjoyment, Paramata, Sri Krishna, supersoul, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
…I have not bribed these American and European boys to become Krishna conscious. I have no money. When I went to America, I had only seven dollars. One hour’s expenditure in New York. There is no question of bribing them. But they heard about Krishna. I was reading Bhagavad-gita on the street, in the park, and chanting. They heard, and they came to me. They became attracted. Why?
Just Give Them Chance to Hear About Krishna
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture 1.2.17 Vrndavana, October 28, 1972
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
Translation: “Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma, Supersoul, in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.”
There is a English proverb that “God helps him who tries to help himself”. That is a English proverb. So to become Krsna conscious is not very difficult thing. People have no taste. They do not understand the importance of this Krsna consciousness movement. But this is the only way by which one can become perfect and happy.
It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that just to become happy and peaceful one has to learn three things.
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
If you want… Because the problem is that we want to be happy and peaceful. Everyone says, “I want peace. There is no peace in my mind.” That is a general understanding. Nobody can say that “I am completely happy and peaceful.” No, that is not possible. The material world is made in such a way that you cannot feel happy. That is not possible. First of all, we have come to this material world to enjoy sense gratification, but that is not our proper business. Our proper business is to satisfy the senses of Krsna, not our senses. So because we have deviated from our original position, therefore it is always a perplexity of our life. But due to illusion we cannot understand it.
More
07 Jun 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Conway Hall London, eternal servitors of Krishna, Gurudas, Krishna, lecture by Prabhupada, meditation, relationship with God, sankirtana movement, self realization, Srila Prabhupada, Supreme Lord, true identity
…As soon as one understands his identity, his relationship with God, then immediately he becomes happy. We are so full of miseries because we have identified ourselves with the material world. Therefore we are unhappy. Anxieties and fearfulness are due to our misidentifying with the material world.
A Lecture Given At Conway Hall, London,
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
We Are All Eternal Servitors of Krsna
Today’s subject matter is our relationship with God. That is self-realization. The sankirtana movement is the easiest process for self-realization because it cleanses the heart. Our misunderstanding of our identity is due to the dust covering the mirror of the mind. In a mirror which is covered with dust one cannot see himself. But if it is very clear, then one can see himself. So meditation is a process for cleansing the heart. Meditation means to try to understand one’s relationship with the Supreme.
More
30 May 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead Magazine, Bible, gospel according to Saint John, Hare Krishna, In The Begining Was the Word, mantra, Prabhupada Lecture, sound, sound is the origin of all creation, the Word, vibration of transcendental sound, Word was with God
…”In the beginning was the Word.” This indicates that before creation, transcendental sound existed. That word or transcendental sound is not like material sound, for if we associate with the transcendental sound Hare Krsna, we become purified and thus become transcendental. To give a crude example, if we put an iron rod into a fire, it will gradually become warmer and warmer until it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it will no longer be iron; it will be fire. How has it become fire? By association with the fire. Therefore if you simply keep yourself in touch with God through the transcendental sound, gradually you will become godly, and as soon as you become godly, you will become the same in quality as God full in riches, full in power, full in knowledge and everything else. Therefore the Vedic instruction is, “Don’t keep yourself in darkness. Come to the light.”
In the Beginning Was the Word
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
From Back to Godhead Magazine 1975 Vol. 10, No. 1
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly participating in this sankirtana movement, which is a movement for the vibration of transcendental sound. Sound is the origin of all creation. That is admitted in the Bible also. We are reading a passage from the Bible:
[A disciple reads] The Gospel According to Saint John. Chapter 1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
More
25 May 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna Consciousness, Lectures, Practicing Krishna Consciousness at Home
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bg 7.8, bhagavad-gita, everywhere is Krishna, I am the light of Sun and Moon, I am the taste of water, Krishna consciousness, raso ham apsu kunteya, remembering Krishna, simple meditation, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam
…Thus when a devotee drinks water or any other liquid, he immediately remembers Kṛṣṇa. For a devotee there is no difficulty in awakening Kṛṣṇa consciousness twenty-four hours a day. If you simply drink water, and practice the simple meditation of remembering that Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita 7.8 “raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ”, “I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon”. It is easy to remember Krishna (God)
Is there any land within this universe where there is no sunshine, moonshine? Everywhere. So where is the difficulty to become Kṛṣṇa conscious? You are practicing meditation. Why not this simple meditation?
“How I can think of Kṛṣṇa constantly? Kṛṣṇa says that you think of Kṛṣṇa while drinking water, you think of Kṛṣṇa when you see the sunshine, think of Kṛṣṇa when you see the moonshine, day and night. So at daytime there is sunshine, at night there is moonshine. So day and night you can think of Kṛṣṇa. So, so many ways…
Because our only business is to remember Kṛṣṇa. That we can do any stage of life. It does not require that you have to become a brāhmaṇa, an Indian, and so on, so on, great learned scholar in Vedic scripture. No. You may be in the far away country, in Europe, America, or you may not be in brāhmaṇa family. It doesn’t matter. But you can remember Kṛṣṇa. We are teaching this art through Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that you may remain in whichever position Kṛṣṇa has put you. It doesn’t matter. But try to understand Kṛṣṇa. “How can I understand?” Well, you are drinking water. You can understand Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? Raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya [Bg. 7.8]. Kṛṣṇa says that “I am the taste of water.” Then where there is a person who does not drink water? Is there any land where people do not drink water? Is there any land?
So many ways we can remember Kṛṣṇa always.
A devotee who has purified his existence through devotional service sees only Kṛṣṇa in every step of life. (Paraphrased from Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada given in Vrndavan India August 17, 1974)
Full Bhagavad-gita verse 7.8 and Lecture follow More
04 May 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Festivals, Lectures, Nrsimha
Tags: appearance day of lord nrsimhdeva, give protection to devotees, hiranyakasipu, kill the demons, Lecture by His Divine Grace, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, nrsimha-caturdasi, paritranaya sadhunam, prahlada, SB 7.5.22
Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva’s Appearance Day
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.22-34 Lecture
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, May 27, 1972
So today, appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared on this Nṛsiṁha Cāturdaśī on account of His devotee, Prahlāda. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, abhyutthānam adharmasya [Bg. 4.7]. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtāṁ, sambhavāmi yuge yuge [Bg. 4.8]. The Lord appears with two purposes. Paritrāṇāya sādhūnām: just to give protection and rescue the devotees, and to kill the demons, vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām. So Prahlāda Mahārāja, five-years-old boy, his only fault was that he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That was his only fault. And the father was so unkind to a child, even five years old. He could not excuse, “Oh, let this boy do whatever, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.” No. The demons are so much against God consciousness that even at his home he would not allow his own child to become God conscious. This is demoniac civili… So you’ll find many critics, many enemies, because you are making progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So the demons are always against this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is the whole history. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. What was his fault? He was preaching God consciousness, that’s all. This society is so cruel. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured in so many ways. The torturing methods, I think you will find as you will see in today’s picture, how Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured.
More
03 May 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna Consciousness, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, adhibhautic, adhidaivic, adhyatmic, happiness, Jaya Gopala, lecture by Prabhupada, Madhudvisa, material comforts, material conditional life, material world, miseries, prabhupada, relief from distress, Tamal Krishna, Visnujana
…So sufferings are always there. But we are trying to adjust by patchwork. Sufferings are always there. Everyone is trying to get out of sufferings, that is a fact. The whole struggle for existence is to get out of the suffering. But there are different kinds of prescription… But according to Krishna consciousness movement, you can get out of all sufferings if you simply change your consciousness, that’s all. That is Krishna consciousness.
In any case you are only servant
Lecture given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Seattle, September 27, 1968
So our program is to worship the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Brahma-samhita: “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord”]. In this material world everyone is trying to get happiness and to get relief from distress. Two things are going on, attempt. There are different processes. Material process is completely absurd. That is already proved. No amount of material comforts or happiness, so-called happiness, can give us the actual happiness that we are hankering. That is not possible. Then there are different other processes also.
There are three kinds of miseries due to our material conditional life: adhyatmic, adhibhautic, adhidaivic. Adhyatmic means pertaining to the body and to the mind. Just like when there is some disarrangement of the different functions of metabolism within this body, we get fever, we get some pain, headache—so many things—so these miseries are called adhyatmic, pertaining to the body. And another part of this adhyatmic misery is due to the mind.
More
02 May 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Journey of Self-Discovery, Lectures, Spiritual World
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, journey of self-discovery, journey through life, Krishna, material world, Radha Krishna, self realization, Spiritual world
“Everything in the spiritual world is substantial and original. This material world is only an imitation…. It is just like a cinematographic picture, in which we see only the shadow of the real thing.” In this lecture, delivered in October 1966 in New York City, Śrīla Prabhupāda gives an amazing glimpse into the nature of the spiritual world and some positive instructions on how to arrive there at the end of life’s perilous journey.
The Journey of Self-Discovery
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
paras tasmāt tu bhāvo ’nyo
’vyakto ’vyaktāt sanātanaḥ
yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu
naśyatsu na vinaśyati
“Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.” [Bhagavad-gītā 8.20]
We cannot calculate the length and breadth of even this universe, yet there are millions and millions of universes like this one within the material sky. And above this material sky there is another sky, which is called the spiritual sky. In that sky all the planets are eternal, and life is eternal, also. We cannot know these things by our material calculations, so we must take this information from the Bhagavad-gītā.
More
30 Mar 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Lectures, Rama
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance of Lord Ramacandra, Lord Ramacandra, Rama, Rama Navami, Ramacandra, Ramadi, Sri Rama-navami lecture, Treta-yuga
…So Rāmacandra’s life, God’s activities, pastimes, if we hear, that means we are associating with Rāmacandra. There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He’s absolute. Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rāma or you see the statue of Rāma or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So we take advantage of these days when the incarnation of God appears or disappears, and we try to associate with Him. By His association we become purified. Our process is purification. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means simply we are purifying our consciousness.
Śrī Rāma-Navamī, Lord Rāmacandra’s Appearance Day
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Hawaii, March 27, 1969
(kīrtana)
Prabhupāda: (chants maṅgalācaraṇa prayers)
rāmādi mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan
nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu
kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.39]
This is a verse from Brahma-saṁhitā in which the incarnation of Lord Rāmacandra is described. Rāmādi. Not only Rāma, but there are many other, innumerable incarnations. They are compared with the waves of a river. As the waves of the river or the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, similarly, how many incarnations are there of the Supreme Lord it is not possible to count. But out of them, the principal names are mentioned in the śāstras. Therefore it is said rāmādi. Rāmādi means Rāma and also other, many incarnations. And they are existing. Not that one incarnation appeared and it is finished. No. Not like that. Just like Lord Rāmacandra appeared on this planet, say millions of years before. He appeared in the Treta-yuga. Treta-yuga means… We have passed only five thousand years of this age, Kali-yuga. Before that, there was Dvāpara-yuga. Dvāpara-yuga means 800,000 years. And before that, there was Tretā-yuga, which continued for twelve hundred thousands of years. That means at least two million years before Lord Rāmacandra appeared on this planet.
More
09 Mar 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Book Changes, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Guru & Disciple, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, everyone of you become guru, gopis, incarnation, Kali, Krishna, Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya, spiritual knowledge, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Rupa Goswami
…If we simply keep Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu within our heart, then it will be very easy to understand what is Krsna, because if you understand Krsna, then your life is successful. Our Krsna consciousness movement means just try to understand Krsna; then your life is successful. Krsna says, “Anyone who understands Me, why I come here, what is My activities,” [Bg. 4.9], “he becomes liberated. After giving up this body, he does not accept any material body. In his own spiritual body he goes back to home, back to Godhead.” This is our Krsna consciousness..
…The mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is that you become, every one of you, you become a guru. How to become guru? You simply present what Krsna says as it is. Then every one of you will become a guru. Don’t adulterate — “I think,” “In my opinion.” These nonsense things should be given up. We should always be aware that we are insignificant creature. Our opinion and thinking has no value. This should be the first principle. Why should you give opinion on the words of Krsna? Are you more authoritative person than Krsna? This is foolishness, to try to become more than Krsna. There are so many rascals. They present that “Now we have advanced. We know more than Krsna.” So be saved from these rascals. Then you will understand Krsna, and through Caitanya Mahaprabhu you will understand what is the position of Krsna, what is your relationship with Krsna, what is the ultimate goal of life…
“Everyone Of You – Become Guru”
Lecture on Caitanya Caritamrta Adi 1.4
Given By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mayapur, March 28, 1975
Nitai: “May that Lord, who is known as the son of Srimati Sacidevi, be transcendentally situated in the innermost chambers of your heart. Resplendent with the radiance of molten gold, He has appeared in the age of Kali by His causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation ever offered before: the most sublime and radiant spiritual knowledge of the mellow taste of His service.”
Prabhupada:
anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirnah kalau
samarpayitum unnata ujjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam
harih purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipitah
sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu vah saci-nandana
[Cc. Adi 1.4]
This is the blessings of Srila Rupa Gosvami upon everyone.
sri-caitanya-mano-‘bhistam
sthapitam yena bhu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam
dadati sva-padantikam
[When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]
We should pray to Rupa Gosvami for his blessings so that we can understand what is the actual position of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the most merciful incarnation to bestow upon us Krsna-prema. Srila Rupa Gosvami understood it, Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya understood it, and we should take their viewpoint of view, what they have studied about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So Srila Rupa Gosvami says… In the beginning Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was appreciated by Srila Rupa Gosvami as maha-vadanyavatara. There are many incarnations of Krsna, kesava dhrta-mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare, kesava dhrta-nrsimha-rupa jaya jagadisa…, many incarnations. But this incarnation, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is anarpita-carim cirat. The mercy of this incarnation is unlimited. It was never given before. That is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy. He distributed the most confidential part of love of Godhead. Although we are living in this fallen age, Kali-yuga, but He is giving the topmost platform of loving Krsna. Anarpita-carim cirat. Therefore He is supposed to be the most munificent incarnation. Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te [Cc. Madhya 19.53]. He is giving directly Krsna-prema.
More
21 Feb 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Lectures, The Hare Krishna Movement
Tags: actual religion, bhagavad-gita, devotional service, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, krsna consciousness, love for God, Song of God, Srila Prabhupada lecture
…so far our movement is concerned, you know, more or less, about our movement. But you should know that this is the most scientific, authorized movement in the human society, because the movement is based on the authority of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead for the benefit of the whole human society.
“Actual Religion means to understand God and to develop your Love for God”
Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New York, April 5, 1973
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for kindly receiving me in this honorable way. According to our Vaisnava philosophy, whatever honor is offered to the spiritual master, that is transferred to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ’pi. Our this philosophy, Vaisnava philosophy, it teaches that if you please your spiritual master, then God is also pleased. Because the spiritual master is the most confidential servant of God, therefore by honoring the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is honored. Just like in English language there is the word, “If you love me, love my dog.” So the spiritual master is the “dog” of God; therefore if the spiritual master is patted, God is very much pleased.
More
11 Feb 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Lectures
Tags: disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Guru Maharaja, Lecture by His Divine Grace, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Srila Prabhupada
Today marks the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the Spiritual Master of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. We honor this occasion by posting a lecture given by His Divine Grace on the disappearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta in 1968.
His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda’s
Disappearance Day, Lecture Los Angeles, December 9, 1968
(Prabhupāda leads kīrtana)
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Come on. I was thinking of “Where is Jayānanda?” now immediately he has come. (someone brings some kind of offering and Śrīla Prabhupāda says to give it to his Guru Mahārāja) Take care it may not fall down.
(pause) All right.
So today is the disappearance day of my Guru Mahārāja. As I told you that sādhavo jīva vā mara vā. There was a nice story the other day I told you that a sage is giving different kinds of blessings to different types of persons. So to a king’s son, a prince, he blessed, rāja-putra ciraṁ jīva: “You are a king’s son, a prince. You live forever.” And muni-putra, the son of a saintly person, he blessed him, mā jīva mā jīva: “You don’t live.” Rāja-putra ciraṁ muni-putra mā jīva. And sādhu, devotees, he blessed him, jīva vā mara vā: “Either you live or you die, as you like.” And there was a butcher, he blessed him, mā jīva mā mara: “You don’t die, don’t live.” So these words are very significant. That I have already explained, still I am explaining. A prince, he’s enjoying sense, that’s all. He has got enough facility for sense enjoyment. So his next life is hellish. Because if you indulge in sex life, then Kṛṣṇa will give you facility to have sex life three times in an hour, just like the pigeons, the monkeys, the sparrows, they are very sexually strong. You have seen it. So the facility is given. So princely order, they are after sense enjoyment. So he’s blessed that “Better you live forever, because after your death, you do not know what is going to happen to you. You are going to get a hellish life. Better you live for some time. Go on with your enjoyment.” And muni-putra mā jīva. Brahmacārī, working under the guidance under strict disciplinary guidance, of a spiritual master, he is blessed, mā jīva, “You better die. Because you are so trained to enter into the kingdom of God, so why should you take so much trouble? Better you die and go back to Godhead.” Ma jīva. And a devotee he blessed, jīva va maro va: “My dear devotee, either you live or die, the same thing.” And the butcher, he blessed him, ma jīva ma mara: “You don’t live, don’t die.” What he’s to do? His living condition is so abominable. From the morning, he has to slaughter so many animals, see the bloodstain, the ghastly scene. That is his livelihood. So what a horrible life this is. So “Don’t live. And don’t die also.” Because after death, oh, he is going to be in so much hellish condition, nobody can describe. So both lives, living condition and death, after death, his condition is very horrible.
More
05 Feb 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Festivals, Lectures, Nityananda, Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, chanting Hare Krishna, holy name, Nitai-pada-kamals, Nityananda, purport by Srila Prabhupada, sankirtan, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura, Srila Prabhupada lecture, The Lotus Feet of Lord Nidtyananda
Nitai-Pada-Kamala
The Lotus Feet of Lord Nityananda
By Srila Narottama dasa Thakura
Purport By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
nitai-pada-kamala, koti-chandra-susitala,
je chayay jagatu juray
heno nitai bine bhai, radha-krsna paite nai,
dridha kori’ dharo nitair pay
The lotus feet of Sri Nityananda are as cool as millions of moons. The whole universe gets peace by the shade of those lotus feet. Without the mercy of Sri Nityananda, nobody can get Radha and Krishna, the aim of human life. Therefore, catch hold of the two lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Prabhu very tightly.
se sambandha nahi ja’r, britha janma gelo ta’r,
se pashu bodo durachara
nitai na bolilo mukhe, majilo samsara-sukhe,
vidya-kule ki koribe tara
One who has not established a relationship with Sri Nityananda is a two-legged animal. A great beast! His whole life is finished. He cannot be called a human being. He never utters the name of Sri Nityananda. He is always immersed in enjoying material happiness and has forgotten Sri Nitai. He may have acquired all material scholarship and learning, but what is the value of such education? This will never help.
ahankare matta hoiya, nitai-pada pasariya,
asatyere satya kori mani
nitaiyer karuna habe, braje radha-krsna pabe,
dharo nitai-charana du’khani
They are so puffed up with their mundane education and scholarship. They are never humble at all. They have forgotten the lotus feet of Sri Nitai because of their false ego and pride. They are completely under the clutches of Maya. They accept the untruth as truth. If Sri Nityananda showers His mercy upon someone, he will get Sri Sri Radha Krishna in Vrajabhumi. So catch hold of the two lotus feet of Lord Nityananda very tightly.
nitaiyer carana satya, tanhara sevaka nitya,
nitai-pada sada koro asha
narottama bodo dukhi, nitai more koro sukhi,
rakho ranga-charanera pasha
The lotus feet of Sri Nityananda are eternally true. And those followers or servants of those lotus feet of Sri Nityananda are also eternal. Always aspire for the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda. Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says, “I am very distressed, and an unhappy person. I am drowning in this dreadful ocean of material existence. O Sri Nityananda Prabhu, please make me very happy! Please keep me at Your lotus feet.”
Purport by Srila Prabhupada More
04 Feb 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Festivals, Lectures
Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, dasavatara-stotra, Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, Lord Varaha, Lord Varaha's appearance day, Varaha-dvadasi, Vedas
Varāha-dvadaśī,
Lord Varāha’s Appearance Day Lecture
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, February 18, 1970
Prabhupāda: …lifted the world when it was submerged within the water of Garbhodaka Ocean. The universe which we are seeing, it is only half. The other half is filled with water, and in that water is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lying. So one demon, Hiraṇyākṣa, he pushed this earthly planet within that water, and Lord Kṛṣṇa delivered this earthly planet from water in the shape of a boar. So that auspicious day is today, Varāha-dvadaśī. This is called Varāha-dvadasi. So on this day it is better to sing, to glorify the different incarnations of Lord within this universe. The first incarnation is the fish form.
So these prayers were offered by Jayadeva Gosvāmī. One Vaiṣṇava poet advented about seven hundred years before Lord Caitanya’s appearance. He was a great devotee, and his specific poetry, Gīta-govinda, is very famous all over the world. Gīta-govinda. Gīta-govinda is the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa playing on flute about Rādhārāṇī. That is the subject matter of Gīta-govinda.The same poet, Jayadeva Gosvāmī, has offered this prayer, pralaya-payodhi-jale-dhṛtavān asi vedam **. He says, “My dear Lord, when there was devastation within this universe, everything was filled with water. At that time You saved the Vedas, stacked in a boat. And you held the boat from being drowned in the water, in the shape of a big fish.” This fish first of all was caught in the waterpot just like a small fish. Then it enlarged, and the fish was kept in a bigger water reservoir. In this way the fish was increasing. Then the fish informed that “Devastation is coming. You just save all the Vedas on a boat, and I shall protect it.” So Jayadeva Gosvāmī is offering prayer, “My Lord, You saved the Vedas when there was devastation in the shape of a fish.”
More
13 Jan 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Devotee's, Lectures, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: Ajamila, devotees, Lectures by Srila Prabhupada, Narayana, SB 6.1.28-29, sinful persons, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, Visnudutas, Yamaduta, Yamaraja
“At the time of his death the sinful Ajamila saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands, they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamaraja. When he saw them he was extremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, Narayana, who was playing a short distance away, Ajamila began to cal him loudly by his name. Thus with tears in his eyes he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Narayana. the order carriers of Visnu, the Visnudutas, immediately arrived when when they heard the holy name of their master from the mouth of the dying Ajamila. The order carriers of Yamaraja were snatching the soul from the core of the heart of Ajamila, the husband of the prostitute, but with resounding voices the messengers of Lord Visnu, the Visnudutas, forbade them to do so” (from Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.27-29)
Srimad Bhagavatam Lectures
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
SB 6.1.28-29 May 28, 1975 Honolulu
Pradyumna: Translation: “Ajāmila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces, and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hands they had come to take him away to the abode of Yamarāja. When he saw them he was extremely bewildered, and because of attachment to his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajāmila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus, with tears in his eyes, he somehow or other chanted the holy name of Nārāyaṇa.” [SB 6.1.28-29]
Prabhupāda: Sa pāśa-hastāṁs trīn dṛṣṭvā puruṣān ati-dāruṇān. So, at the time of death there are so many disturbance. We have got experience, but you have forgot because bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19]. But these things are observed by the sinful person. The Yamadūta, they come to take to the sinful, sinful person, not devotees. Just like the whole population of the city, they are not all subjected to the prison laws. Some criminals. Similarly, this Yamadūta goes to such sinful persons. They are not all. But it is the question of Ajāmila… He was so sinful that automatically the Yamadūtas came, and they wanted to take him.
full lecture More
06 Jan 2012
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna Consciousness, Lectures, Srimad Bhagavatam
Tags: constant devotional remembrance. spiritual sky, Damaghosa, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, krsna consciousness, Lord Krsna, Pradyamuna das, pure consciousness, SB 1.15.47-48, Srila Prabhupada Lecture Srimad Bhagavatam
Photo by Damaghosa Prabhu
“If you become devotee of Krsna, then you can live with Krsna, even in this life. Even in this life. Because Krsna is omnipotent, if you are really devotee of Krsna, He will talk with you, He will dance with you, He will eat with you, everything.”
Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
December 25, 1973, Los Angeles
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.47-48
Pradyumna: “Thus by pure consciousness due to constant devotional remembrance, they attained the spiritual sky, which is ruled by the Supreme Nārāyaṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is attained only by those who meditate upon the one Supreme Lord without deviation. This abode of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, cannot be attained by persons who are absorbed in the material conception of life. But the Pāṇḍavas, being completely washed of all material contamination, attained that abode in their very same bodies.” [SB 1.15.47-48]
Prabhupāda: Tad-dhyāna udriktayā. Dhyāna means meditation. So the Pāṇḍavas, always they were thinking of Kṛṣṇa. While they were eating, they were sitting, they were sleeping, they were talking, they were fighting-Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When Arjuna was fighting, so there was also Kṛṣṇa. When they were dealing in politics with Duryodhana, there was Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is his friend, always talking with him, staying with him, sleeping with him, eating with him.
More
15 Dec 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Lectures
Tags: ajnana-timirandhasya, from darkness to light, from tiger to rat, guru, Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, purpose of religion, spiritual master
There is a very nice story. One rat, he was troubled with cat. So he came to a saintly person: “My dear sir, I am very much troubled.”
“What is the difficulty?”
The rat said, “The cat always chases. So I’m not in peace of mind.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Please make me a cat.”
“All right, you become a cat.” After few days, the same cat again came to the saintly person, says, “My dear sir, I am again in trouble.”
“What is that?”
“The dogs are chasing me.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Make me a dog.”
“All right, you become a dog.” Then after few days, again he comes. He says, “I am again in trouble, sir.”
“What is that?”
“The foxes are chasing me.”
“Then what do you want?”
“To become a fox.”
“All right, you become a fox.” Then again he comes. He says, “Oh, tigers are chasing me.”
“Then what do you want?” “I want to become a tiger.” “All right, you become a tiger.” And when he became a tiger, he began to stare his eyes on the saintly person: “I shall eat you.”
“Oh, you shall eat me? I have made you tiger, and you want to eat me?”
“Yes, I am tiger. I shall eat you.”
Oh, then he cursed him, “Again you become a rat. Again you become a rat.” So he became a rat.
For full Lecture…
More
17 Nov 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Chanting Hare Krishna, Lectures
Tags: Bombay Pandal, chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna Movement, self realization, Srimad Bhagavatam, Supreme Personality of Godhead
The Hare Krishna Movement
“Bombay Pandal Lecture”
By Srila Prabhupada
Bombay, April 6, 1971:
Ladies and gentlemen, we are very much thankful to you for your kindly participating in this great movement, Hare Krishna.
This Hare Krishna Movement is especially meant for this age because for self-realization, although there are many methods recommended in Vedic scriptures, in this age the greatest common factor for self-realization is simply chanting this Hare Krishna mantra.
Actually, our miserable condition of life is due to our forgetfulness. As I said yesterday, day before yesterday, this material existence is a condemned position of the living entities, exactly like a criminal is placed in the prisonhouse. Now, the whole Vedic literature is meant for getting us liberated from this condition of life. So far Bhagavad-gita is concerned, the same aim is there because at the ultimate instruction, Lord Krishna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66].
More
25 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Guru & Disciple, Lectures
Tags: disciple, guru, Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, London August 22 1973, spiritual master, What is Guru?
Srila Prabhupada Lecture What is Guru?
What is a Guru?
Lecture: London, August 22, 1973
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Prabhupāda:
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.]
śrī-caitanya-mano-‘bhīṣṭaṁ
sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale
svayaṁ rupaḥ kadā mahyaṁ
dadāti sva-padāntikam
[When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?]
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
[I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.]
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]
Thank you very much. So, tonight’s subject matter for speaking is “What is Guru?”
Haṁsadūta: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So, guru, there are many descriptions. Subject matter is the same, but different way, guru has been described by different ācāryas. Their aim is the same, but language or presentation may be little different. So generally guru means,
More
18 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in Krishna, Lectures, Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas
Tags: braja-jana-vallabha, God, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Jaya Radha Madhava, Krsna, kunja-vihari, lover of Srimati Radharani, Radha-Madhava, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vrndavana forest
Radha Madhava
(New York, July 20, 1971)
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
[Sings Jaya Radha-Madhava.] (song lyrics follow this post)
Srila Prabhupada:
So this is the original nature of Krsna. He is Radha-Madhava. He is the lover of Srimati Radharani. And kunja-vihari, always enjoying the company of the gopis within the bushes of Vrdavana forest. Radha-madhava kunja-vihari. So He’s not only lover of Radharani, but braja-jana-vallabha. The whole residents of Vrndavana, they love Krsna. They do not know anything else. They do not know whether Krsna is God, or not; neither they are very much harassed, that “I shall love Krsna if He is God.” “He may be God or He may be whatever He is. It doesn’t matter, but we love God, Krsna.” That’s all. That is called unnalloyed love. “If Krsna is God, then I shall love Him” — this is conditional love. This is not pure love. Krsna may be God or whatever He may be, but by His wonderful acts, the Vrajavasi, they are thinking, “Oh Krsna, He is very wonderful child, maybe some demigod. Maybe some demigod.” Because people are generally under impression that the demigods are all-powerful.
More
09 Oct 2011
by The Hare Krishna Movement
in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Back to Godhead, Lectures, Technology
Tags: chanting Hare Krishna, Krsna consciousness movement, Lecture by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, spiritual master, technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Krsna consciousness movement teaches a science missing from the classrooms of even the world’s best universities.
This movement is for solving the problems of life, and it can be easily done. Anyone can accept it. It doesn’t matter whether one is Indian or American or Hindu or Muslim or Christian. It doesn’t matter. Simply chant this vibration: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Lecture
By His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston—May 5, 1968
om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance.”
This Prayer Is Offering respectful obeisances to the spiritual master. Why? Because the spiritual master is the person who opens our eyes, complicated in ignorance, with the torch of transcendental knowledge. Timirandhasya. Every one of us is born ignorant, and we require specific education and training for seeing things as they are.
Today I am very glad to meet you. You are all students of technology. This Krsna consciousness movement is another technology. In the modern state of civilization there are different depart-ments of knowledge. There is a department for teaching medical science, there is a department for teaching engineering—so many other departments of knowledge. Unfortunately, there is no department for distributing knowledge of the science of the soul. But that is the most important thing, because the soul is the mainstay, the background of all our movements.
In the Bhagavad-gita [3.42] there is a nice verse:
indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah
The idea is that in the present consciousness I am thinking that I am the body, although actually I am not the body. This is ignorance. “Body” means the senses. When I am talking, I am using my tongue for vibration. So these bodily activities are sensual activities.
If you go deep into the matter, you’ll find that the senses can act only when the mind is sound. A crazy man, or a madman, cannot use his senses properly. Therefore the technology of the mind is a higher science. First of all there is the technology of the senses, and then a higher technology of the mind, which is known as psychology and studies thinking, feeling, willing. Psychologists are trying to understand how these are working.
More
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
The Hare Krishna Movement 