transcendental | The Hare Krishna Movement

Entering the Spiritual Worlds

10 Jan 2021 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Books by Srila Prabhupada Tags: material world, Spiritual world, transcendental

“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.

The Rivers Ganges and Yamuna

24 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Ganges, Srimad Bhagavatam Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, amartya, baby Krsna, Ganges, Ganges River, Gokula, Krsna's lotus feet, sacred rivers, sanctified, SB 1.19.6, Srimad Bhagavatam, transcendental, Tulasi, tulasi leaves, Yamuna, Yamuna river

click on image to enlarge

…Both the Ganges and the Yamunā are amartyā (transcendental) rivers, but the Yamunā is still more sanctified for the following reasons.

…And as far as sanctity is concerned, the River Yamunā is more directly connected with Lord Kṛṣṇa than the Ganges. The Lord sanctified the River Yamunā from the beginning of His transcendental pastimes in the world. While His father Vasudeva was crossing the Yamunā with the baby Lord Kṛṣṇa for a safe place at Gokula on the other bank of the river from Mathurā, the Lord fell down in the river, and by the dust of His lotus feet the river at once became sanctified. It is especially mentioned herein that Mahārāja Parīkṣit took shelter of that particular river which is beautifully flowing, carrying the dust of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, mixed with tulasī leaves. Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet are always besmeared with the tulasī leaves, and thus as soon as His lotus feet contact the water of the Ganges and the Yamunā, the rivers become at once sanctified. The Lord, however, contacted the River Yamunā more than the Ganges. (from purport to SB 1.19.6)

Full verse and purport More

Attaining the Supreme

23 Jan 2013 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Absolute Truth, Arjuna, atma, Bg. 8, bhagavad-gita, Bhagavan, body mind soul, brahman, devotional seervice, fruitive activities, individual soul, karma, Krishna, krsna consciousness, living enity, Paramatma, Srimad Bhagavatam, transcendental, yoga, yoga principles

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 1972 Edition
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter 8

Attaining the Supreme

Disappearance Day of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

16 Nov 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Remembering Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada, Vyasasan das Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, appearance and disappearance, feeling of separation, Lord Krishna, Remembering Srila Prabhupada, spiritual, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Srila Prabhupada, transcendental, Vyasasan das

Today we honor the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada.

om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

Dear Srila Prabhupada

On this most auspicious day, we are celebrating your disappearance, with remembrances and prayers.

There are so many days on the Vaisnava Calendar where we are celebrating some auspicious holiday or festival, but none of them are as important to me personally, as the two days when we honor your appearance and disappearance. There is no day more important to this insignificant disciple, then your appearance into my life.

Prabhupada Enjoys the Govindam Record Album

02 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Letters by Srila Prabhupada, Sriman George Harrison, Syamasundara das Tags: Govinda Record, Govindam, krsna consciousness, Radha Krishna Temple Album, Srila Prabhupada, Sriman George Harrison, Syamasundara das, transcendental, Yumuna dd

Prabhupada Enjoys the Govindam Record Album

The record is so nice that I am playing it at least once in a day and it is giving me transcendental pleasure with tears in my eyes. I am sure this record will be the first-class hit as already opined by the experts.

Los Angeles 8 March, 1970
My Dear Syamasundara.,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 3 March, 1970, along with the “Govindam” record. The record is so nice that I am playing it at least once in a day and it is giving me transcendental pleasure with tears in my eyes. I am sure this record will be the first-class “hit” as already opined by the experts.

Certainly this has has come out so successful because of George’s sincere effort in Krsna Consciousness. I am so pleased that he is advancing towards perfectional stage of Krsna Consciousness; and your association will greatly help. Try to convince him to avoid the four principles of sinful life and chant Hare Krsna mantra as much as possible, then he will find everything is successful in his life.

I think on account of this record, many people, at least from different parts of Europe, will come to see our Temple. Many tourists also may come there. So you do not take it as gloomy, but you should welcome them in our Temple. Regularly try to sell our books and magazines to them. So far taking away the shoes is concerned, you can make the following arrangement: just after the entrance door, arrange for a movable railing so that anyone willing to enter the Temple room, but who does not like to take of his shoes, may be allowed to enter th room, but who does not like to take of his shoes, may be allowed to enter the door but stand near the railing and see the Deity from that place. Anyone willing to go inside the railing boundary must have to get out of his shoes. And exactly by the side of the Altar another railing may be fixed up. This railing should stand between the Vyasasana and the Altar.

So anyone who may come must be well received, informed about our activities, and when we publish a little pamphlet which is in preparation, it may also be distributed to each and every one of the visitors.
I have not heard anything from you about the small leaflet to be prepared for putting along with the “Govindam” records. Are you preparing it or not? or do you think it is necessary or not?
The next song you may record isJaya Jagadisa Hare:

Kesava dhrta dasabidha rupa
Jaya Jagadisa Hare

And we shall make a children’s book with ten pictures of Krsna’s different appearances (Dasavatara.) and a short story or explanation for each. Now we have just received part of the manuscript of an abridged version of KRSNA especially meant for children.
Hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Pasted from http://krishna.org/prabhupada-enjoys-the-govindam-record-album/

Narada-bhakti-sutra Text 3

13 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Narada-bhakti-sutra Tags: eternal soul, liberated soul, love of God, Narada Muni, Narada-bhakti-sutra, perfect knowledge, transcendental

Narada-bhakti-sutra Text 3
Translation & Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TRANSLATION

This pure love for God is eternal.

Purport

When a person attains to the perfectional stage of love of Godhead, he becomes liberated even in his present body and realizes his constitutional position of immortality. In the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9), the Lord says,

janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

Here the Lord says that any person who simply understands His transcendental activities and His appearance and disappearance in this material world becomes liberated, and that after quitting his present body he at once reaches His abode. Therefore it is to be understood that one who has attained the stage of love of God has perfect knowledge, and even if he may fall short of perfect knowledge, he has the preliminary perfection of life that a living entity can attain.

Preparing and Offering Prasadam

23 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in Prasadam Tags: bhagavad-gita, Food offered to the Lord, Krsna, Lord Caitanya, Prasadam, senses become spiritualized, spiritual pleasure, transcendental, vegetarianism

By His immense transcendental energies, Krsna can convert matter into spirit. If we place an iron rod in a fire, before long the rod becomes red hot and acts just like fire. In the same way, food prepared for and offered to Krishna with love and devotion becomes spiritualized. Such food is called Krsna prasadam, which means “the mercy of Lord Krsna.”

Eating prasadam is a fundamental practice of bhakti yoga. In other forms of yoga one must artificially repress the senses, but the bhakti-yogi can engage his or her senses in a variety of pleasing spiritual activities, such as tasting delicious food offered to Lord Krsna. In this way the senses gradually become spiritualized and bring the devotee more and more transcendental pleasure by being engaged in devotional service. Such spiritual pleasure far surpasses any kind of material experience.

Lord Caitanya said of prasadam, “Everyone has tasted these foods before. However, now that they have been prepared for Krishna and offered to Him with devotion, these foods have acquired extraordinary tastes and uncommon fragrances. Just taste them and see the difference in the experience! Apart from the taste, even the fragrance pleases the mind and makes one forget any other fragrance. Therefore one should know that the spiritual nectar of Krsna’s lips must have touched these ordinary foods and imparted to them all their transcendental qualities.”

Eating only food offered to Lord Krsna is the perfection of vegetarianism. In itself, being a vegetarian is not enough; after all, even pigeons and monkeys are vegetarians. But when we go beyond vegetarianism to a diet of prasadam, our eating becomes helpful in achieving the goal of human life–reawakening the soul’s original relationship with God. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says that unless one eats only food that has been offered to Him in sacrifice, one will suffer the reactions of karma.

Tommorow we will feature an article entitled “How to offer Your Food to the Lord”. So stay with us!