Srila Prabhupada’s Books | The Hare Krishna Movement

Lord Balarāma Visits Vṛndāvana

12 Aug 2011 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Balarama, Spiritual World, Srila Prabhupada's Books Tags: Balarama, gopis, Lord Balarama Visits Vrndavana, rasa dance, Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vrindavan forest

Lord Balarāma Visits Vṛndāvana

Lord Balarāma could, of course, understand the ecstatic feelings of the gopīs, and therefore He wanted to pacify them. He was expert in presenting an appeal, and thus, treating the gopīs very respectfully, He began to narrate the stories of Kṛṣṇa so tactfully that the gopīs became satisfied. In order to keep the gopīs in Vṛndāvana satisfied, Lord Balarāma stayed there continually for two months, namely the months of Caitra (March-April) and Vaiśākha (April-May). For those two months He kept Himself among the gopīs, and He passed every night with them in the forest of Vṛndāvana in order to satisfy their desire for conjugal love. Thus Balarāma also enjoyed the rāsa dance with the gopīs during those two months.

Lord Balarāma Visits Vṛndāvana

From; Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Lord Balarāma became very anxious to see His father and mother, Mahārāja Nanda and Yaśodā. Therefore He started for Vṛndāvana on a chariot with great enthusiasm. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had been anxious to see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for a very long time. When Lord Balarāma returned to Vṛndāvana, all the cowherd boys and the gopīs had grown up; but still, on His arrival, they all embraced Him, and Balarāma embraced them in reciprocation. After this He came before Mahārāja Nanda and Yaśodā and offered His respectful obeisances unto them. In response, mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja offered their blessings unto Him. They addressed Him as Jagadīśvara, or the Lord of the universe who maintains everyone. The reason for this was that both Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma maintain all living entities, and yet Nanda and Yaśodā were put into such difficulties on account of Their absence. Feeling like this, they embraced Balarāma and, seating Him on their laps, began their perpetual crying, wetting Balarāma with their tears. Lord Balarāma then offered His respectful obeisances to the elderly cowherd men and accepted the obeisances of the younger cowherd men. Thus, according to their different ages and relationships, Lord Balarāma exchanged feelings of friendship with them. He shook hands with those who were His equals in age and friendship, and with loud laughing embraced each one of them.

I am always thinking of You. From, Letters, Conversations, Lectures, and Walks.

13 Mar 2011 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Quotes by Srila Prabhupada, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada Conversations, Srila Prabhupada's Books Tags: Bhagavad Gita, Brahmananda dasa, conversations, Gaurasundara dasa, God-brothers, Govinda dasi, Hansadutta dasa, Jayananda dasa, Karandhara dasa, Krishna dasa, krsna consciousness, lectures, personal guide, physical association, Sivananda dasa, Srila Prabhupada letters, Srimad Bhagavatam, Suci devi, vani, vapuh, Vrindavan, walks

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I am always thinking of you (Srila Prabhupada)

Prabhupada: So there is nothing to be said new. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue your endeavor. Whether I am present or not present, it doesn’t matter. (770517ar.vrn Conversations)

“I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my guru maharaja” (Srila Prabhupada to Tamal Krishna, 14 July 1977)

You write that you have desire to avail of my association again, but why do you forget that you are always in association with me? When you are helping my missionary activities I am always thinking of you, and you are always thinking of me . That is real association. Just like I am always thinking of my Guru Maharaja at every moment, although he is not physically present, and because I am trying to serve him to my best capacity, I am sure he is helping me by his spiritual blessings. So there are two kinds of association: physical and preceptorial. Physical association is not so important as preceptorial association. (SP Letter to Govinda Dasi, 18/8/69)

But always remember that I am always with you. As you are always thinking of me, I am always thinking of you also. Although physically we are not together, we are not separated spiritually. So we should be concerned only with this spiritual connection. (SP Letter to Gaurasundara, 13/11/69)

You write to say, ….I really miss Swamiji and my God-brothers’ association so much.” But I may remind you that I am always with you. And so wherever I am there, and you are there, all your God-brothers are there. Please remember always the humble teachings that you have received from me, and that will make you always associated with me, and with your other God-brothers. (Letter to: Sivananda dasa. Montreal , 24 August, 1968)

“However, the disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vani (words). Physical presence is called vapuh. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.” (SB 4.28.47 purport)

Associate with Srila Prabhupada through his Vani

Prabhupada Reading His Own Books

27 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Srila Prabhupada's Books Tags: bhagavad-gita, Krishna Conscious, Los Angeles, Nectar of Devotion, Srila Prabhupada, Srutakirti das, Supreme Lord

Prabhupada Reading His Own Books
by Srutakirti Prabhu

Entering Srila Prabhupada’s quarters was always an enlightening experience. Sometimes Srila Prabhupada sat and read his books. Whenever he read it seemed as if someone else had written his books because he didn’t read with the mind of an author who might be looking for editing mistakes or grammatical errors. He read them with the relish of a pure devotee reading the pastimes of the Supreme Lord to whom He was completely attached.
One day in Los Angeles I went into his room to perform my duties and he was sitting and readingBhagavad Gita As It Is. After I offered obeisances he looked at me and said, “If you just read this one book and understand, you will become Krishna Conscious in this very life.”

A few months later when I went into his room, he was reading Nectar of Devotion. He looked at me and said, “This book is so nice. Just by reading this one book you can become Krishna Conscious.”

Srila Prabhupada teaches us by example. He does everything he asks us to do. He requests us to read his books and he does, too.

The King of Knowledge

02 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Srila Prabhupada's Books Tags: books by Srila Prabhupada, Krishna consciousness, pavitram, Raja-Vidya, self realization, the king of knowledge

Just knowing “I am not this body but am spirit soul” is not sufficient. We have to escape this entanglement of material nature. This is called mukti, liberation. Out of many thousands of persons who are in self-knowledge as to what and who they are, only one or two may be actually liberated.

And out of many thousands who are liberated, only one or two may understand what and who Krishna is. So understanding Krishna is not such an easy job. Thus in this age of Kali, an age characterized by ignorance and chaos, liberation is out of the reach of practically everyone.

One has to go through the whole ordeal of becoming civilized, then religious, and then one has to perform charities and sacrifices and come to the platform of knowledge, then to the stage of liberation, and finally, after liberation, to the understanding of what Krishna is. This process is also indicated in Bhagavad-gita:

brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments or desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Bg. 18.54)

Srila Prabhupada Reading His Own Books

12 Dec 2010 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Srila Prabhupada's Books

by HG Srutakirti Prabhu

Entering Srila Prabhupada’s quarters was always an enlightening experience. Sometimes Srila Prabhupada sat and read His books. Whenever He read it seemed as if someone else had written His books because He didn’t read with the mind of an author who might be looking for editing mistakes or grammatical errors. He read them with the relish of a pure devotee reading the pastimes of the Supreme Lord to whom He was completely attached.

One day in Los Angeles I went into His room to perform my duties and He was sitting and reading “Bhagavad Gita As It Is”. After I offered obeisances He looked at me and said, “If you just read this one book and understand, you will become Krishna Conscious in this very life.”

A few months later when I went into His room, He was reading “Nectar of Devotion”. He looked at me and said, “This book is so nice. Just by reading this one book you can become Krishna Conscious.”

Srila Prabhupada teaches us by example. He does everything He asks us to do. He requests us to read His book and He does, too.

– From the Srila Prabhupada Uvaca by HG Srutakirti Dasa

Pleasing Srila Prabhupada by reading his books

07 Dec 2010 1 Comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Devotee's, Srila Prabhupada's Books Tags: Gauridas Pandit das, monkeys in Vrindavan, person Bhagavata, Reading Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's books

Reading Srimad Bhagavatam

By Gauridas Pandita Prabhu

Vrndavan India June 1977. I used to take Srila Prabhupada’s paraphernalia to translate his books up to the rooftop before sundown every evening. Part of the roof was covered and part was open and there is an inside room also and a bathroom. Srila Prabhupada would come up just at about sunset to start his translation work for the night.