Speaking About Varnasrama Volume 1

speaking about varnasrama

A friend of mine recently shared a book with me that I found most interesting. This first volume, Speaking about Varnasrama, focuses on Srila Prabhupada’s actual spoken conversations and lectures about varnasrama. This post includes a brief descprition of Srila Prabhupada taken from back cover of book, as well an the table of contents.

It can be ordered from the site Exoitc India

It is a good book for anyone interested in the Varnasrama System and Farm Community Development.

Speaking About Varnasrama Volume 1

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Compiled by Hare Krsna-devi dasi
Edited by Suresvara-dasa

Published by The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

About the Author
In this work, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the foremost Vedic scholar and teacher of the modern age, and author of than sixty volumes of authoritative annotated translations and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India, presents a vision of a spiritual society. Criticizing a mode society based on industrialism, materialism, and a callous disregard for the workers who support it, Srila Prabhupada calls for a spiritualized•social structure. Citing Bhagavad-gita, he advocates varnasrama, dharma, a social institution in which people gain spiritual satisfaction and spiritual advancement by doing their daily work as an offering to God.

Though his vision is based on Vedic scriptures of India, Prabhupada faults the modern caste system as a perversion of scriptural injunction. But India is not alone, he states, for materialistic social structures around the world impede spiritual progress. Thus, in the forty conversations, lectures, and interviews in this volume, we hear him present a society where occupations are determined by character and training, not by birth and wealth; a society based on opportunity and maximizing human potential rather than on stagnancy and oppression; one based on mutual appreciation and cooperation between classes rather suspicion and disdain. We hear about a society which is inclusive rather than exclusive, a society based on simple living and high thinking rather than on wealth and greed. Above all, van, uarnasrama society Prabhupada describes is consciously organized to bring each kind of person closer to the actual goal human life, attaining a loving relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna.

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Kundalini, Reincarnation, the Astral World, and More

This morning I happened upon this very interesting conversation between Srila Prabhupada and a guest, while I was visiting the Sampradaya Sun. We are reprinting the entire conversation as it was published in the Back to Godhead Magazine.

Kundalini, Reincarnation, the Astral World, and More
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
excerpted from Back to Godhead Magazine 1983 Volume 18 No. 9

Questions and Answers On the Science of Transcendence

This conversation with guests took place at the Hare Krsna center in Los Angeles in the late sixties.

Guest: What is the outcome of the continual chanting of om?

Srila Prabhupada: Like the Hare Krsna mantra, om is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord in the form of sound vibration. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. So, Hare Krsna and om have practically the same value, but chanting Hare Krsna is easier. Another reason we chant Hare Krsna is that it was specifically chanted by Lord Caitanya. * [“Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself in the role of His own devotee. He appeared in Bengal, India, five hundred years ago to teach love of God through the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra.]

Om is generally chanted at the beginning of Vedic mantras: om tad visnoh paramam padam sada. . . . om purnam adah purnam idam. Om addresses the Lord, and Hare Krsna also addresses the Lord. But chanting Hare Krsna is easier, and it is recommended for this age. Otherwise, transcendentally, or spiritually, there is no difference.

Guest: What do you think of kundalini-yoga and raja-yoga?

Srila Prabhupada: Raja-yoga means “the king of yogas.” But we are practicing the emperor of yogas, bhakti-yoga, so raja-yoga is included in it. In the Bhagavad-gita [6.47], Lord Krsna says,

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

“Anyone who is always thinking of Me within himself is the topmost yogi.”

Therefore a person who is in full Krsna consciousness has surpassed all other kinds of yogic principles”.

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George Harrison: “Son of Hari”

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George Harrison: “Son of Hari”
Aug 20, 2012 — CANADA (SUN)

I recently saw this link to the “Son of Hari” website on Facebok and this morning I saw it posted on the Sampradaya Sun With appreciation we are re-posting it here.

The “Son of Hari” website is home to a collection of audio files, some recently released in original form by the Bhaktivedanta Archives, of recorded conversations between Srila Prabhupada and George Harrison.

Srila Prabhupada’s conversations with George on three dates are available: August 22, 1973, August 27, 1973, and July 26, 1976. Each conversation is broken down into multiple parts due to the length of the conversations. Text transcripts are also provided for the conversations.

click on link to visit site and hear conversations or read text; Son of Hari

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108 Imporant Slokas from the 1972 Bhagavad-gita As It Is

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The Hare Krishna Cookbook

Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 1972 Edition “Online”

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Srimad Bhagavatam Online

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Raja-Vidya the King of Knowledge

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