Welcome to the Fan The Spark channel where you will find encouragement and support for expanding your book distribution, sadhana, and understanding of sastra.
The Sound Bhakti podcast is truly an extraordinary creation that transcends the boundaries of traditional podcasts. It is a captivating experience, filled with profound wisdom and timeless teachings that have the power to liberate all conditioned souls. From the very first episode, it becomes evident that this podcast is not just another spiritual discourse, but a transformative journey towards awakening and enlightenment. The host, Maharaja, brings a mesmerizing energy and passion to every episode, making it impossible to resist the magnetic pull of his words. His ability to convey complex concepts in a digestible manner is remarkable, allowing listeners from all walks of life to connect with the essence of Krishna consciousness.
One of the best aspects of The Sound Bhakti podcast is its ability to capture the essence of spirituality in a modern context. Maharaja effortlessly weaves together ancient wisdom with contemporary issues, reminding us that spirituality is not confined to religious rituals or dogmas but holds relevance in our everyday lives. Whether discussing relationships, mental health, or societal challenges, each episode offers practical insights on how to navigate these issues through spiritual principles. This integration of spirituality into real-world scenarios makes The Sound Bhakti podcast highly relatable and accessible for listeners seeking guidance on their spiritual journey.
Another remarkable aspect of this podcast is its ability to create a sense of community among its listeners. Despite being an audio medium, Maharaja's warm and compassionate presence creates an environment where listeners feel connected and supported on their path towards self-realization. The inclusion of regular Q&A sessions and interviews further enhances this sense of community by providing opportunities for engagement and interaction. Through these interactive segments, listeners can deepen their understanding of the teachings while also benefiting from hearing different perspectives and experiences.
However, as with any creation, there are certain aspects that could be improved upon in The Sound Bhakti podcast. One potential area for growth could be diversifying the range of topics covered. While the podcast does touch on a variety of subjects, there could be more exploration of different aspects of spiritual life, such as meditation techniques, self-reflection exercises, or discussions on the nature of consciousness. By broadening the scope of topics covered, the podcast has the potential to engage an even wider audience and cater to various interests within the spiritual community.
In conclusion, The Sound Bhakti podcast is a truly phenomenal creation that deserves recognition for its ability to bring spirituality to the forefront in a dynamic and engaging manner. Maharaja's passion and dedication shine through each episode, captivating audiences far and wide. With its relatable content, interactive segments, and powerful teachings, this podcast has the potential to transform lives and guide individuals on their path towards self-realization. The Sound Bhakti podcast truly exemplifies the essence of liberation for all conditioned souls. All glories to Maharaja and his tireless efforts in sharing Krishna consciousness with the world.
For the recipients of great mercy, Kṛṣṇa has the Karunya Shakti, through which He delivers those who are not deserving. Anyone who feels that they're not deserving of Kṛṣṇa's mercy, please raise your hand! Then you're eligible for this special stimulus package issued by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu to save people who don't have any spiritual wealth. There's justice and there's mercy. Justice means you get what you deserve. Anybody would like to get what they deserve? Please raise your hand. If anybody would like to get mercy—which means you get special consideration even though you don't deserve it—raise your hand! Therefore, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends that we keep ourselves in this humble position: “I don't deserve anything. I'm simply depending on The Lord's mercy.” So, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is "Namo Mahā-vadānyāya Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te." He's giving special mercy to those who don't deserve it, and those who have been ensconced in material energy and illusion since time immemorial, or, as we say, anādi—since a beginningless time. We can't say how long the living entity has been in the material world because, as Śrīla Prabhupāda says, there's no beginning; you can't trace it out. So, what mercy is there? Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu comes and He imbues the chanting of the holy name with His own prema, and then He distributes it all over the world. Anyone, even if a person isn't intellectual or well-read, but is simply humble and takes the holy name in the mood of, “I need mercy, and I'm surrendering to the Holy Name,” such a person will receive the infusion of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mercy. It's coming down from Goloka Vṛndāvana: "Golokera prema-dhana Harinama Sankirtana." And this is the way in which we can become delivered and deliver the whole world: by chanting the holy names, beginning with Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita Gadādhara Śrīvāsādi Gaura Bhakta Vṛnda. So let's take advantage of this process given to us. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #makejapagreatagain #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #mantrameditation #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Circa 1973, there was a precipitous rise in book distribution. Just the conditions were all coming together where it was ready to take off. One of the leaders of book distribution, who was the head of the BBT in Los Angeles at that time, was giving very pointed classes related to Caitanya-caritāmṛta and these sections about the ways in which devotees want to bring others closer as Prabhupāda had done. Prabhupāda commissioned paintings where there was the Rāsa-līlā and the Harīnāma saṅkīrtana (Caitanya Mahāprabhu) in one picture. Of course, we know from the outset of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta: "anarpita-carīṁ cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasāṁ sva-bhakti-śriyam" (CC Adi 1.4). Caitanya Mahāprabhu's innermost desire was Kṛṣṇa's innermost desire, which is just thinking, "I want to give this to everybody." A lot of people later, after Mahāprabhu's appearance, said, "You're going to give this now in Kali-yuga? It's just an odd juxtaposition when people in Kali-yuga are satisfied with a little fast food, a little screen to look at, no philosophy to speak of, no logic to speak of, and then you're going to give the Ujjvala-rasa ? The highest thing?" You know others—Prabhupāda Sarasvatī, for instance—are saying, "This is unheard of, even amongst the greatest scholars": 'tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ' (SB 1.18.20). Kuntī Devī says this is for the paramahaṁsas—what Kṛṣṇa is giving—and now it's being given in Kali-yuga to everybody. And this person was then bringing all these points to bear and saying book distribution—going out into public and meeting people for the purpose of bringing them to Kṛṣṇa—that's related to not just Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes, but because Caitanya Mahāprabhu's pastimes are like a reversible jacket. You know a reversible jacket? You can wear it either way. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you reverse it, then you have Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-līlā. As we hear in the song "Gaurāṅgera duṭi pāda," Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura says, you dive into the ocean of the saṅkīrtana movement, and you come out on the shore of the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-līlā. So he was preaching with this very enthusiastic devotee that book distribution is in the mood of the gopīs. You see how you could get there. You'd have to show your work on paper, like they say in a math class, "I'm going to see your work." You'd show it in the margins. Do they still do that? You don't just give the answer because you could have looked it up on ChatGPT. You have to show that you did the work. So devotees wanted to know, "Is this accurate?" And Prabhupāda confirmed. He said, "Yes, this is an accurate understanding." This is the mood of the gopīs; the mood of all the great devotees is to distribute the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu has come specifically for the distribution of the Ujjvala-rasa to everybody in the Kali-yuga. 'Māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad,' it is mentioned by Karabhājana Muni that he ran after people to give them this process, even if they were not that interested. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------
One could also argue, using the things Prabhupāda said and what the śāstras say, that chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa is our primary business. After all, in taking Dīkṣā or Harinām initiation, one promises to chant The Holy Name. One doesn't promise, you know, other kinds of services necessarily, but that's the main thing that we say, "we'll do every day, without fail." And in that last section I read from Prabhupāda, he said, "If you, if you don't do anything else, you just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then, yeah, you're okay." So it's an important point to remember, this is sevā. We're serving Kṛṣṇa by chanting. One thought I had when we started the chanting was that when we have that perspective—at least I know when I'm chanting, if I think, "Oh, where's the bliss? Why aren't I happy? You know, how come the holy name isn't entertaining me and dancing in front of me or something like that?"—then it's very difficult to chant. But if I'm thinking, "This is a service," I'm more in a service mind and I'm thinking, "I am serving Kṛṣṇa by chanting out loud like this," then it feels very blissful. It opens the pathway for the taste to come, because I'm thinking of doing it for Him, not for me.. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #mantrameditation #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #makejapagreatagain #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Question: What instruction would you give to the next generation? Do you see that it's important for us to develop a personal relationship with Śrīla Prabhupāda? Do you see any instruction that you would like to give us, any suggestion, any guidance that you would like to share with us?" Nirakula Dasi: Well, not so much an instruction. I'm grateful for what you just said. And if the devotees are feeling this connection, it's all Śrīla Prabhupāda's mercy. It's just, if I can share some of that, it's just his mercy. But for the generations to come, it is important to develop a personal relationship with Śrīla Prabhupāda. And it's possible, and many of you have. What I would suggest is, of course, reading Śrīla Prabhupāda's books. His spiritual ecstasies are in those purports, and they, they just get deeper and deeper. The more we read them, the more we hear them, the more we share with each other, like-minded devotees, and and and share those realizations together. So that's definitely something. But listening to his lectures, I listen to Śrīla Prabhupāda every day, and I, I kind of crave his voice. And, you know, because I've seen him in person, and because I've watched a lot of videos, I can imagine the facial expressions and the movements of his hands. And not just his classes, but, you know, his morning walks and his, his room conversations, you know, things like that. They, they give a different aspect of of Śrīla Prabhupāda. I think those are a couple of things that are important. But I think the most important thing is, or very, very important, is do something to make you feel part of the mission. When you feel a part of the mission, you have goals, you're excited, you're challenged, you know. And you all have talents, amazing talents and intelligence. Use those abilities, and nowadays it seems to me... ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
I'm going to read one small section from Prabhupada's teachings on The Holy Name. This is from a lecture on Sri Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu has five features. What are these? Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa manifestation, Kṛṣṇa incarnation. Kṛṣṇa is different, potency in this way. And Kṛṣṇa, the source of devotional service. He is Kṛṣṇa. Caitanya, bhakta-śaktikam. To advance in devotional service requires spiritual strength. It is not so easy thing. The spiritual strength is also Kṛṣṇa, bhakta-śaktikam. Therefore, we have to practice Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Kṛṣṇa advises, 'Always think of Me.' Where is the difficulty? We have to think of something; we cannot keep our mind vacant. That is not possible. So, make it a point that, 'Think of Kṛṣṇa.' That's all. Think of Kṛṣṇa. And if you chant, if you engage your tongue, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and if you hear, then everything is compact in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So handy! Just one mantra and only one duty for the tongue: keep chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in all circumstances, and everything will be perfect by Kṛṣṇa's arrangement. That's a good deal! Who would pass it up? ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #makejapagreatagain #mantrameditation #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
As souls, we need loving relationships, and we have that eternal loving relationship with Krishna. But we're not at that point yet (I should speak for myself). I'm not at that point where I can always feel that love of Krishna. So, I feel His love through His reciprocation with me, through the devotees. And one of those ways is through acts of kindness. While preparing for this, I was thinking of all the many, many acts of kindness that have been shown to me over the years. I'll tell of a few personal ones, but one thing that came to mind was devotees who have empowered me to do service, or have shared service with me, or given me service to do. It really has turned out to be one of the biggest acts of kindness, in my life. I was in Los Angeles, and I started helping the devotee Jalasayi. She was in charge of the free feast. So I became her helper. We had our first Rath Yatra in 1977, and after a few years, she couldn't continue it, so she passed that responsibility of managing the free feast for the Rath Yatra to me, and I still do it. I passed on the management of it to someone else, but by Lord Jagannath's mercy and Prabhupada's mercy, I still am able to do that every year. So that was in 1977, and I've been through a lot of changes. And the movement has been through a lot of changes. L.A. has been through a lot of changes, so many things, but having that anchor, even though it was a yearly service—you know, there was all the planning every year and the shopping and so many things. I go down a week before Rath Yatra, and so I felt like I had Rath Yatra for the whole week, and not just the day. And of course, I was working, so I had to plan that I would have that time off, and so it really anchored me throughout my whole year. And I'm just thinking back, that was just one of the nicest things that a devotee could have done for me. Even when I first joined, Manjuali was the temple president's wife, and she was exceptionally kind to me. She still is. I had an hour-long conversation with her just the other day, and she's so full of encouragement, kind words, wonderful realizations. But I was fortunate enough to have her as my mentor when I first joined the temple, and she was always encouraging me, always giving me service, so that was something that I thought of when I was thinking of acts of kindness. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
There's a very famous book called the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and it's supposed to be the cream of all the teachings of these ancient literatures. It starts with a king who's famous, and he gets cursed to die in seven days. As soon as he found out he had seven days to live, he left his kingdom. He went to a sacred place and sat down and he got a pad of paper and a pen—just kidding! But he sat and reflected very deeply: "What's the most important thing to do in the last seven days of my life?" Because he asked that question, he met his teacher. There was no internet, there was no way of connecting physically, but spiritually, they lined up, and the teacher came. The whole book is questions and answers between the king and the teacher. His first question was, "What is the duty of a person who's about to die?" And the teacher, Śukadeva, gave an immediate answer: "It's to be in perfect consciousness when you leave this body; to be able to remember the Personality of God when you leave this present body." The rest of the book is instructions about how we can perfect our consciousness. If I don't ask the question, then the teacher, the teachings, they don't come into my life. We are in the same situation as the king. How many days do we have in this world? Well, some people say seven, because Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, they are the same thing over and over again. But if we think like the king, "What's my ultimate duty in the last seven days?", then the rest of our life becomes more rich. Have you ever taken someone that you love for granted? Did you ever become annoyed with them for the way they chew their cereal? When we have an awareness of our ultimate purpose and that we're only here just for seven days maximum, the way we interact with people is very different. This is the kind of vision that is taught in the ancient wisdom literature: to see how everybody's passing through this life very quickly. And a very important point: human life is purposeful, and we can discover the purpose if we ask about it. So the first question is, "What's my purpose?" ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #purposedrivenlife #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
The more we give, the more we grow. It's spiritual mathematics. People mostly miss that class when they're going through grammar school and high school, and so it's a natural phenomenon that when we think about doing good for others, then we become more expansive. And The Holy Name, actually Lord Nityānanda, rewards those who are thinking about how to do his work to give the holy name to the most fallen—we get more mercy. I mean, Krishna says it in the Gītā too, that "anyone who's teaching this to others is the most dear to me." So why wouldn't they feel more ecstasy from chanting the holy name? So that was Prabhupada's formula. He had us all going out, door to door, on the streets, everywhere we could think of. If there were Zoom rooms at that time, he would have had us in Zoom rooms—whatever way we can come up with to spread the holy names. And because of that, we make ourselves more open to the mercy of the holy name. It's the simple formula. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #mantrameditation #makejapagreatagain #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
It's not that everyone who is steadily chanting Harē Kṛṣṇa or reading feels like doing it all the time, especially in the beginning. And for whatever reason, it could be the punishment-reward system that you had, as you mentioned. It could be subliminal. And the way to deal with that in the beginning of the practice, as I'm sure you know from many of the disciplines that you've applied in your life—education or sports or music or anything like that—is you have to turn professional. There's a book that I like. It's mostly about writing, and it's called The War of Art, not The Art of War. The War of Art means that when you want to do something creative, like write something, you may face what the author Steven Pressfield (who, by the way, is the author of the book The Legend of Bagger Vance, which was turned into a movie about Bhagavad Gītā and stars Will Smith) says: when you go to do something worthwhile, there's this resistance in the universe—instilled Resistance with a capital 'R'—very difficult to overcome. For instance, in writing, people often write books in their head, but when it comes time to sit down and actually do it, there's a strong resistance. Or to paint, or to learn a musical instrument. It's a lot harder in the beginning when you realize that you have to work at it. So what is his solution? He says you have to turn pro, like professionals; they show up and they just do it, whether they feel like it or not. And that's what in the beginning of devotional service, Rūpa Goswāmī described vaidhi bhakti—it's a discipline. In the beginning, you have to use your intelligence. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad Gītā: evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam (BG 3.43) In the beginning, you have to use your intelligence to see what's good for you, like, you know, for studying for school, right? You may not feel like doing it sometimes, right? Is that a correct assumption? Yes. But you know, if I don't study, I'm going to suffer more later, because I'm going to sit down for the test and realize "Ah if I just put in a few more hours a day, I would have been ready for this." And you have to apply a similar principle in the beginning for chanting. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
It's so clear in the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that He brought it out through His own teacher, Śrīla Īśvara Purī, who instructed Him upon initiation into the process of chanting Hare Krishna: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā That you don't have to look anywhere else. It's all here. He said it three times: that it's in the holy name, it's in the holy name, holy name. By chanting, chanting, chanting, then you'll attain the perfection of your life, of yoga. Everything else comes from that. So, the process of chanting japa is extremely powerful. And the more that we're able to focus on the devotional chanting, the more our love for Kṛṣṇa manifests in our heart. You can feel it even in one session of chanting. If you actually invest your emotion—that "I'm very fallen, I need shelter. Kṛṣṇa, You're so kind"—the mood of gratitude is being manifested out through your voice, in chanting the holy names. Then, as I mentioned in the beginning, all stipulated energies are manifest. I'll just read the sentence one more time. We'll take some reflections. Prabhupāda writes: "By chanting the Lord's holy name, one can derive all these stipulated energies synchronized from all sources," so everything becomes perfectly manifest. And if we can focus our desire on advancing spiritually and then chant the holy name with that intention, then everything manifests in our life: all spiritual paraphernalia, all the mentorship, all the enthusiasm, whatever is necessary will be manifest in our lives. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #makejapagreatagain #mantrameditation #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
These verses have spiritual power in them. Puṇya, śravaṇa-kīrtana. Puṇya! Everyone wants some puṇya, but what's the best way to get puṇya? By just staying in contact with these ślokas. They're pregnant with puṇya. And when one reads them, hears them, memorizes them, it comes out because they are transcendental. "Itaṁ bhūta-guṇo Hari"—they have the same quality as Krishna does; they're transcendental. So, when you stay absorbed in these ślokas and these śāstras, you'll get this kind of spiritual enlivening and spiritual credit that comes from this very powerful, uttama-śloka. So, they purify us. They prepare us for the time of death. In the Gajendra-mokṣaṇa, we'll find that Gajendra, who had been King Indradyumna in his last life, when he offended the sage, the sage became angry at him and cursed him, “You become a dumb animal in your next life!” So, he became an elephant. And then Gajendra was bathing one day with his family, and he got captured by a crocodile. And when he was in great anxiety, he remembered the ślokas that he had recited dutifully in his previous life. In that section of the Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda mentions that besides chanting, “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” one should also learn some Stotram, like Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu (like we're learning the Brahma-saṁhitā altogether), or the Nṛsiṁha prayers, or some other kind of Stotram. And one should become very well acquainted with it, he said, because if some of my students don't happen to—you know, if they happen to make some slip and they become an animal in the next life—they'll even be saved from that. This is how potent memorizing these ślokas are. They're indelible. They go into the heart, the subtle body, and they stay there. And one can take shelter of those ślokas at any time, even in the next lifetime. So, think of it as the best investment of your time. So here are a few quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda about learning verses. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
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Once in Detroit, Michigan, there was a large assembly of devotees. 99.9% of them were brahmacārīs, because that's what the constitution of ISKCON used to be. There were a couple of householders here and there; they were outliers. And there was this very sincere man who was sitting amidst a sea of brahmacārīs. He wasn't a brahmacārī; he had a house outside, which was also an astounding achievement at that time, it wasn't an achievement, but it was looked at like, "Ooh, you live outside, poor person." And this man, in a very humble, sheepish way, said to Śrīla Prabhupāda, "But you know, I have my three children, and I live outside. And what can I do?" And Prabhupāda said, "This temple is made of brick and stone, and your house is made of brick and stone." He said, "In the temple, the business is serving Kṛṣṇa. If, in your house, you serve Kṛṣṇa, no difference." That was a revelation to everyone present: no difference. But this is the genius of the process given by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Goswamis. It covers all aspects of our lives, and it covers the different eras of our lives, and gives us a comfortable slot that we can adhere to during our youth, during our adolescence, during our middle age, during old age, and so forth, so that we can always remember Kṛṣṇa. And one of the most important ways of doing it is to have the image of Kṛṣṇa in one's house. As Kṛṣṇa describes, the deity form of the Lord can be worshiped in many ways, in paint. In other words, if you have a painting of Kṛṣṇa, like the Pañca-tattva, you can worship that. In fact, that's how Prabhupāda started all his temples, with pictures of Pañca-tattva. Still some of them around, those original paintings. He had them. He commissioned them, so each temple that opened would have a painted picture of Pañca-tattva. If you do that, Prabhupāda writes in one of his purports, you won't want for anything. You'll have all the mercy of Kṛṣṇa through the Pañca-tattva. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches actually that The Holy Name is very merciful and descends for our benefit, but we mustn't take it for granted. Not taking it for granted means giving full attention to the chanting. If we do that, we'll find for ourselves what is called nāma-bala, or strength that we get from the name. We'll understand that even chanting in nāmābhāsa, although we haven't realized the direct manifestation of Kṛṣṇa in His name, we'll start to feel the effects of chanting, and will get faith. In nāma-aparādha or chanting without attention would be like calling somebody to speak to them, and they come over to you, and then you turn your back on them and get on your cell phone. How would they feel? Similarly, when we're chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, we're calling Kṛṣṇa, "Please come. Please help me." And when He comes, if I turn around and do something else with my mind, with my intelligence, or even physically, if I turn the other way and start fixing a curtain rod, then this is a kind of an offense.Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says this kind of chanting can actually lead to atheism. Why? Because if I do that repeatedly, then I'll start to think that there is no actual manifestation of The Holy Name because I'm not experiencing it. I'm not getting nāma-bala or strength, I'm not having any sphūrti or direct realization of The Holy Name. And then I'll start to commit the fifth offense and think that The Holy Name is imagination, that somebody just made it up. There's some made-up philosophy, and then there's a series of other events he describes, in which I try to justify the situation. And then people can even stop the process altogether and become lost again in the material whirlpool, drowned. So it's incumbent upon the sādhaka to take the process of chanting seriously, and seriously means to give your full attention when chanting. So that takes practice, because the mind is accustomed to taking shelter of distraction and finding pleasure in it. It actually feels some kind of perverse satisfaction in moving from one thing to the next. It's a kind of conditioning. Or, it takes shelter in dullness or laya, where my mind feels satisfaction in sleep—in a kind of thick darkness, in which I zone out from the variety of the world. And then when I wake up, I get back into the distracted state. In order to come to the state of actually full focus on The Holy Name, ekāgra—where I'm one-pointed—it takes a lot of practice, and also a kind of again and again practicing simplicity of the mind: that I'm okay without being distracted, without going to other things, and I can simply focus on the chanting without going anywhere else. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whys
List of verses: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/13/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/16/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/30/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/32/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/36/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/37/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/8/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/9/21/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/12/11/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/3/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/8/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/29/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/58/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/22/35/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/29/15/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/31/9/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/33/29/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/33/39/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/52/43/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/81/16/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/82/44/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/82/48/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/84/13/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/88/8/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/90/48/ ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
What I've talked about today is being renounced where it counts. And there is a lesson to be learned in this world, because the whole world is available to us through our senses in various ways. Our responsibility is to learn which things to leave behind and which things to pick up. Make a list. In fact, I wrote it in my book. This one I keep with me every day. Did any of you have a to-do list? Anybody keep a to-do list? Only five people. This is scary. Okay. Well, I recommend you keep a not-to-do list. Try it, because you may have been struggling with a particular habit and you thought, 'Why do I keep doing this?' It's because it's not in your not-to-do list! Make a list and just see how powerful that is. Yeah, there's a to-do list, and it keeps growing longer, right? You keep thinking, 'I gotta do this, I gotta do that,' and you still haven't finished it all. And I hate to bring up a sore subject, but when you die, it's still going to be full. And a lot of people think, 'Oh, I didn't finish. I didn't finish. I didn't finish.' Do yourself a favor and write a not-to-do list, even if you put one thing on it—that one thing that keeps bugging you, where you can't feel your own integrity because you keep doing this one thing that makes you look in the mirror and think, 'Why am I still doing something like this?' Put it on your not-to-do list. And then, add to your to-do list the most important things: First important thing is Chant Hare Krishna.Second, read Bhagavad Gita. Third is, get some service! ----------------------------------------------------------- To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
As far as trust goes, it's the most valuable element that we can procure. I say that sort of metaphorically, as if you could procure it. But as we know from any relationship, it comes over time. We find that when we interact with others and we see them in various situations, we come to know their nature. It takes time to trust. You may not trust somebody that you meet immediately, because we haven't had time to verify that they're trustworthy. And so when you interact with somebody and they're consistent in the way they show up, or even if they forget to show up or don't show up, they're contrite at the right times, in the right ways, then we start to develop trust. It's also important that we may consider that we may act in such a way that Kṛṣṇa can trust us. Any relationship is two-way. This relationship that we have with Kṛṣṇa is personal; it's not mechanical. And if we remember that Kṛṣṇa is our ever well-wisher and we work to trust Him, then we'll notice His reciprocation. As in any relationship, by noticing the reciprocation, as Prabhupāda indicated in the purport by quoting from Bhagavad-gītā 10.11, which is: teṣāṁ evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā That when one sincerely tries to reach Kṛṣṇa, then, as Prabhupāda wrote in the purport here, Kṛṣṇa flips on a light. In the Gītā, it's a lamp, the kind that you might light with a mantra, maybe. And then it's a lamp, but Prabhupāda says, 'switch on the light,' and light is self-evident. It's not that you have to intellectualize light. When the sun comes up, the birds know it. The birds know it first, apparently, because they start singing before it comes up. I noticed that: I was camping once, and in the deep, dark forest, all by myself, I pitched a tent, and I was living out there for a couple days, and I just noticed that the birds were clamorous, and I thought, 'Well, time to get up.' So I looked out. It's pitch black. How did they know the sun was coming up? And how do we know when the sun has come up? It's self-evident. And when we act in such a way that Kṛṣṇa can trust us and He begins to shine light in our heart, so we can see more than we saw before, then there's an inkling of a relationship. I think that's a reciprocation. We may verify that, but as time moves on, as in any relationship, we become more and more certain, and that certainty leads to this implicit trust that we have in Kṛṣṇa, and it's always exhilarating, because... ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------
And he (Prabhupada) said, 'Similarly, by spiritual sound vibration, then all spiritual paraphernalia necessary for your advancement will come together as well. And therefore, by very deliberately chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and purifying one's consciousness by that process, there's a natural way in which one's spiritual life evolves.' And one last point is that the mood of chanting is important, because Kṛṣṇa is The Paramātmā, The Supersoul within everyone's heart, and He's fulfilling the desires of all living beings. So it's not some mechanical process, because material nature is malleable, and one might exploit it for one's own purposes. In which case, Kṛṣṇa can make such an arrangement. But if we sincerely desire to serve Kṛṣṇa and we chant with that intention, Kṛṣṇa very quickly delivers the spiritual paraphernalia necessary. So it's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It's also in the mood of surrender to Krishna, which is the smartest thing any living entity can do after 'striking out' (a baseball term, I don't know if you have it in cricket) billions of times and finally decides to surrender to Krishna.' So if we chant with that mood, then Lord Caitanya says, 'It is an utterance which is now coined as the Śikṣāṣṭakam: param vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam,' that will have complete success. So it's worthwhile cause to take time to chant in the mood of surrender The Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahamantra ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #makejapagreatagain #mantrameditation #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Excerpted from the Brihat-bhagavatāmṛta about the power of Saṅkalpa: "My dear boy, whatever you desire while chanting your mantra, by its power, you will fully achieve. Indeed, you will attain more than you desire." Commentary: Before performing any religious ritual, including the chanting of mantras, one should solemnly formulate one's saṅkalpa (intention), either verbally or mentally. In most Vedic sacrifices, one can expect one's saṅkalpa to be fulfilled only in the indefinite future, most likely in the next life. But by the blessings of his guru, Gopa-kumāra's specific saṅkalpas would all be quickly realized, as we shall see as his story continues. So, solemnly formulating saṅkalpa is like aiming your arrow before shooting it. And as is mentioned, it should be done to develop a determination, which means a firmness of purpose, a resoluteness. It's the process of establishing something exactly, typically by calculation or research. These are necessary to aim when we're chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, to aim ourselves as the arrow towards Kṛṣṇa. And "solemn" means characterized by deep sincerity. When we solemnize something, we're doing it duly, and we're doing it very formally. So, it's not casual. So, before chanting, if you clearly establish your purpose for doing it, you will gain immediate momentum and get in the mood of doing it. So this saṅkalpa is recommended. And I just ask all of you, if it's possible, to take just a moment right now. If you happen to have a pen and a piece of paper close by, you can try this experiment because it's a very useful exercise. And that is, just in one sentence, write down your main purpose in chanting japa this morning. You don't have to overthink it, but from your heart, with your determination, write down why you're chanting the japa this morning. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #makejapagreatagain #mantrameditation #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught, as did Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur, passing on the teachings of the Bhāgavatam, that if you had faith, śraddhā—if you had an abiding desire in your heart to know the supreme, and when you heard a little bit about it, you embraced it—this is called śraddhā. Śraddhā means "the heart" and is an active verb; it means "where you place something." So, what are you putting your heart into? Those who put their hearts into the basic teachings of Bhagavad-gītā will make spiritual advancement. Similarly, with Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, if you put your heart into it, Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence how to follow it. That's what Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. So, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur knew this, and he wanted it—meaning the teachings of Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu—to be available to everybody, all over the world. And nowadays, there are centers in, as I mentioned, every continent of the world, but cities everywhere in the world where people are practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Let's name 10 cities that you don't normally hear about on the news or elsewhere where Krishna consciousness is being practiced right now. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
And of course, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu taught us a couple of principles to make the experiment in our lives and the transformation effective. As all of you have, I'm sure, done labs in the past, the conditions have to be right. So one of the conditions is that one has to have a humble heart, a humble heart and mind, in approaching The Holy Name. And that means in body, mind, and words, and not just at the time of chanting. It has to be integrated into one's lifestyle and the way that one approach others, the way that one looks at the world. "I am insignificant. I am an instrument. I give respect to all others." How can that be done? Well, Mahāprabhu says, "See at each person has a spiritual spark and the potential within them, and their connection to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and practice it. That's why he says one should be ready to offer all respects. So get ready for that. That's the lifestyle which prepares us to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead through His Holy Name and actually vibrate the mantra in such a way that it becomes fully effective in our lives. So Mahāprabhu gave this scenario: "Okay, I've realized that The Holy Name is Kṛṣṇa—nāma nāmākāri bahudhā nija sarva śaktis—all of His personal presence is there. However, I can't do it. I'm so unfortunate, I still can't do it, even though I know it." So he said, "Here is how to rearrange the clinical setting so that you can do it: tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena kīrtanīya sadā hari." Work on your attitude towards the world, towards other people. And if you develop a humble heart—it just sounds good, doesn't it? "Have a humble heart"—if you develop a humble heart, and if you've ever met anybody with a truly humble heart, there's a way in which you just gravitate towards that person. So Kṛṣṇa gravitates towards those who have a humble heart also, and who respect others, and try this: be ready to not accept any respect in return for anything. What if you lived in that space? Well, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said," then you could go kīrtanīya sadā hari—you can go on singing the name, effectively." He'll appear on your tongue, in your heart, in your mind, and everything becomes self-evident from that point. So we have to perform the experiment on ourselves. And every day, the Japa is an opportunity to do that. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #makejapagreatagain #mantrameditation #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
All of us here are conscious. If you notice, when you look around, you can see somebody, and you feel that somebody's looking back at you. There's a conscious being there. You look at the wall; you don't get the same experience, because there's no consciousness in the wall, but there is within each one of our bodies. And as Krishna describes in the Bhagavad Gītā, we are conscious beings—a person. A person is a conscious entity, and we inhabit a body. It's not that we are the body; we inhabit the body. And the superior energy, Krishna describes in the Bhagavad Gītā, is all of the conscious beings in this world who are inside a material body, which is an apparatus through which we can engage with the lower energies in the world. For instance, I have eyes, and I can touch the objects of my eyes, the light, and it comes back to me in different forms and shapes, and it gets interpreted by my brain. I can be aware of the shapes and colors of the world, and that goes for all the different senses. However, the difference is important because when we're taking conscious control of our life, The Bhagavad Gītā describes how we must be deliberate in what we do. To do that, we have to deliberate. Deliberation is one of the processes that leads to spiritual enlightenment. If you think of the word "deliberate," everyone say it, please. I should say, I don't mean to be so demanding. You might notice a word within the word "deliberate," which is "Libra." Have you ever heard "Libra"? I was born on September twenty- seventh, so I am a Libra according to the Sun calendar. And what is the sign of Libra? Any Libras in here? Alright, it's a pan scale. There are two sides. You put something on one side or the other, and then you can, for instance, put a cauliflower on one side, if you go to the Green Market, and you put a weight on the other side. When it balances out, you can tell how much it weighs. So, "deliberate"—there's a way in which one should weigh out the consequences of what we do. That's one of the teachings of the Bhagavad Gītā. It sounds rather simple, but how do we do that? One of the ways we start is by understanding the different categories of energy. So, let me give you an example of how this applies or can apply in our lives. We're taking conscious control of our life. In the Bhagavad Gītā, Krishna mentions that.. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
(1) hari haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ yādavāya mādhavāya keśavāya namaḥ (2) gopāla govinda rāma śrī-madhusūdana giridhārī gopīnātha madana-mohana (3) śrī-caitanya-nityānanda śrī-advaita-sītā hari guru vaiṣṇaba bhāgavata gītā (4) śrī-rūpa sanātana bhaṭṭa-raghunātha śrī-jīva gopāla-bhaṭṭa dāsa-raghunātha (5) ei chay gosāir kori caraṇa vandan jāhā hoite bighna-nāś abhīṣṭa-pūraṇ (6) ei chay gosāi jār—mui tār dās tā-sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grās (7) tādera caraṇa-sebi-bhakta-sańe bās janame janame hoy ei abhilāṣ (8) ei chay gosāi jabe braje koilā bās rādhā-kṛṣṇa-nitya-līlā korilā prakāś (9) ānande bolo hari bhaja bṛndāban śrī-guru-vaiṣṇaba-pade majāiyā man (10) śrī-guru-vaiṣṇaba-pada-padma kori āś nāma-sańkīrtana kohe narottama dāsa TRANSLATION 1) Hari! Obeisances to Lord Hari, unto Krsna, and Yadava. Obeisances to Lord of the Yadus, Madhava, Kesava. 2) Gopala! Govinda! Rama! O vanquisher of Madhu! Giridhari! Lord of the gopis! Bewilderer of cupid! 3) Sri Caitanya, Nityananda, Sri Advaita-Sita! Hari! Guru! Vaisnavas! Srimad Bhagavatam! Bhagavad Gita! 4) All glories to Srila Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami and Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, to Srila Jiva Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami, and Raghunatha Dasa Goswami! 5) I bow to the feet of these six Goswamis. By their grace, our obstacles can be destroyed and all desires are fulfilled. 6) I am the servant of these six Goswamis. The dust of their lotus feet is my fivefold subsistence. 7) To be a servant of their lotus feet and to reside in the company of devotees--this is my aspiration birth after birth. 8) When these six Goswamis lived in Vraja, they revealed the eternal pastimes of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. 9) In ecstasy, sing the name of Lord Hari and worship Vrndavana, joyfully fixing your mind upon the lotus feet of the bona-fide spiritual master and the pure devotees. 10) The lotus feet of my guru and the Vaisnavas are my aspiration. Narottama Dasa thus sings Hari-nama sankirtana. To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
(1) kali-kukkura kadana yadi cāo (he) kali-yuga pāvana, kali-bhaya-nāśana, śrī śacī-nandana gāo (he) (2) gadādhara-mādana, nitā'yera prāṇa-dhana, advaitera prapūjita gorā nimāñi viśvambhara, śrīnivāsa-īśvara, bhakata-samūha-cita-corā (3) nadīyā-śaśadhara, māyāpura-īśvara, nāma-pravartana sura gṛhijana-śikṣaka, nyāsikula-nāyaka, mādhava rādhābhāva-pūra (4) sārvabhauma-śodhana, gajapati-tāraṇa, rāmānanda-poṣaṇa vīra rūpānanda-vardhana, sanātana-pālana, hari-dāsa-modana dhīra (5) vraja-rasa-bhāvana, duṣṭamata-śātana, kapaṭī-vighātana kāma śuddha bhakta-pālana, śuṣka-jñāna-tāḍana, chala-bhakti-dūṣaṇa rāma TRANSLATION 1) If you want to be rid of the influence of the dog-like personality of kali, then just sing the glories of the beautiful Son of Mother Saci (Saci-nandana). He is the Savior of the kali-yuga (Kali-yuga Pavana), and He is (Kali-bhay-nasana), the destroyer of all fear caused by the age of quarrel. 2) He maddens Sri Gadhadara with His name, (Gadadhara-madana) He is the treasure of the life of Sri Nityananda Prabhu (Nita'yer Prana-dhana), and He is the most worshipable object of Sri Advaita Acarya (Advaiter Prapujita). He is affectionately named Nimai by His mother, due to being born under a Nim tree, and He has been named Visvambhara by His grandfather. He is the only Lord of Sri Srivasa (Srinivas-isvar), and He steals the hearts of all the assembled devotees (Bhakta-samuha-cita-cora). 3) Lord Caitanya is the moon over Nadia (Nadiya-sasadhar), the Lord of Sri Mayapura-dhama (Mayapura-isvar), and the divine propagator of His own name (Nama-pravartana Sura). He is the instructor of family men (Grhijana-siksaka), and He is also the hero of those who are in the renounced order (Nyasi-kula-nayaka). He is the husband of the Goddess of Fortune (Madhava), and He is over-flowing with the ecstatic moods and sentiments of Srimati Radharani (Radha-bhava-pura). 4) Lord Caitanya is the corrector and purifier of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya (Sarvabhauma-sodhana), and the deliverer of King Prataparudra (Gajapati-tarana), the source of nourishment of Srila Ramananda Raya (Ramananda-posana), and He is a great hero (Vira). He increases the ecstasy of Srila Rupa Gosvami (Rupananda-vardhana), He is the maintainer and protector of Srila Sanatana Gosvami (Sanatana-palana), He gladdens Haridasa Thakura (Haridasa-modana) and He is very grave (Dhira). 5) Lord Caitanya is the source of all the transcendental mellows of Vraja-dhama (Braja-rasa Bhavana), He is the destroyer of all mischievous and wicked mentality (Dustamata-satana), and He dissolves the mundane lust of the deceitful insincere souls by His causeless mercy (Kapati Vighatana Kama). He maintains and protects His pure Vaisnava devotees (Suddha-bhakta-palana), and He chastises dry speculative knowledge (Suskajnana Tadana). He destroys pretentious and hypocritical devotion (Chala-bhakti-dusana), and He is the reservoir of pleasure (Rama). To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife
ohe! vaiṣṇaba ṭhākura, doyāra sāgara, e dāse koruṇā kori' diyā pada-chāyā, śodho he āmāya, tomāra caraṇa dhori (2) chaya bega domi', chaya doṣa śodhi', chaya guṇa deho' dāse chaya sat-sańga, deho' he āmāre, bosechi sańgera āśe (3) ekākī āmāra, nāhi pāya bala, hari-nāma-sańkīrtane tumi kṛpā kori', śraddhā-bindu diyā, deho' kṛṣṇa-nāma-dhane (4) kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dīte pāro, tomāra śakati āche āmi to' kāńgāla, 'kṛṣṇa' 'kṛṣṇa' boli', dhāi tava pāche pāche TRANSLATION 1) O venerable Vaisnava, devotee of Krsna! O ocean of mercy, be merciful unto your servant. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify me. I hold on to your lotus feet. 2) Teach me to control my six passions; rectify my six faults, bestow upon me the six qualities, and offer unto me the six kinds of holy association.* 3) I do not find the strength to carry on alone the sankirtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the holy name of Krsna. 4) Krsna is yours. You have the power to give Him to me. I am simply your servant running behind you shouting, "Krsna! Krsna!" To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
It's a very mysterious world. Physicists can't figure out what matter is, nor do they know what consciousness is. Psychologists have different ideas about the brain; sociologists, different theories about how people interact; and so on and so forth. It's very, very complicated. And if you don't want to strain your brain, like people have done over many millennia, then just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So in one sentence, what would you tell somebody who didn't was a an acquaintance of yours, maybe a classmate or a relative who doesn't know anything about chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa in one sentence, what would you tell them was your experience this morning? ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Who can give a verse that might indicate the empowerment you would get from chanting The Holy Name of The Lord? What kind of empowerment could you get from chanting Japa? And what verse might indicate that? ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
In some ways, we give names to consciousness as a unit of consciousness, like Ātmā means "a spark of consciousness." It's eternal, it's non-reducible, it's always there, it always exists, and it always will exist. And it's flame-like in that it illuminates. For instance, right now we're sitting here, and all our bodies are illuminated by that flame. You can feel your feet; you can feel your hands, and that's because you're conscious. Consciousness is like a flame, but we forget about it. One of the ways we forget about it is we come into what's called the bodily concept of life, and I start thinking, "I am my body." So the forgotten flame is that we've forgotten who we are, which is part of that. And then, under the pull of nature's modes, lies your purest self waiting to be remembered. This is a simple explanation of what spiritual practice is: it's an awakening to what we already are. You don't have to become something else; you don't have to change who you are. You just have to remember who you actually are. And it's in diverting our attention to a false sense of self we call ahaṅkāra, which means "a false ego." There is a real ego; that's the real thing, who we are. But the false ego means I misidentify myself with the body, and when I do that, I suffer. And what's that suffering feels like? It feels kind of like a forest fire, like being in the middle of a forest fire; things are burning. So that's the other forgotten flame: we forget we're in the middle of a forest fire. And if you are planning a picnic, let's say, in the middle of a forest fire, it's going to be interrupted one way or the other. There's an ancient text written by a really powerful sage, scholar, a saintly commentator on the ancient Vedas named Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. And he wrote this song in Sanskrit that starts: 'saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka- trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya, vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam.' In this first stanza of his poem, he says it's from Sanskrit that actually the world is burning. Our bodies are burning; they're 98.6 degrees—that's hot—and they eventually burn out. And the world is sort of like a forest fire. Whatever we are used to now, whatever paradigm we think is our paradigm, somehow or other, it will be burned. So he says we're in this forest fire. We can't soothe that burning sensation from the massive fire that we're in the middle of with a few buckets of water. You need a rainstorm; you need a heavy rainstorm, and that would quell the intense heat and the flames of destruction. So this is one of the ideas of spiritual practice also: that we invoke a rainstorm of what's called kāruṇya, a kind of soothing of this burning sensation from the material world. And it's altogether possible because we're not actually burning; we're burning because of our false identification with the world. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #successsadhana #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant
List of verses: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/13/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/16/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/30/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/32/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/36/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/37/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/8/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/9/21/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/12/11/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/3/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/8/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/29/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/58/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/22/35/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/29/15/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/31/9/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/33/29/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/33/39/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/52/43/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/81/16/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/82/44/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/82/48/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/84/13/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/88/8/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/90/48/ ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
The devotees, on the other hand, are carefree because they've already signed everything over to the Supreme Personality of Godhead but it's not tyāga, it's virakti, because as they engage in this process, 'paramayā mudāh,' of serving the Lord, they feel happiness. They feel pleasure. It's happier over on our side of the street, because we get to engage directly in chanting the holy name, or it may be happier on their side. Who knows? Because, as we heard this morning after the verse, naiṣātiduḥsahā kṣun māṁ tyaktodam api bādhate pibantaṁ tvan-mukhāmbhoja- cyutaṁ hari-kathāmṛtam (ŚB 10.1.13) Then comes 'vāsudeva-kathā-praśnaḥ puruṣāṁs trīn punāti hi vaktāraṁ pracchakaṁ śrotṝṁs tat-pāda-salilaṁ yathā' (ŚB 10.1.16). Just as the Ganges purifies the whole universe. So similarly, the sound vibration that comes from Krishna, kathā or chanting Hare Krishna, it purifies three kinds of people. The people who are chanting, they get the most credit—that's there in the commentary. The one who's speaking or chanting, they get the most credit (If you want to get extra credit). then next is the people who are listening, and third is everybody else who gets hit. As Nirākula's Mother used to say, because she had a lot of kids, and they'd fight in the backseat of the car, as she was driving, she would say to them, "If you don't settle down in a moment, I'm going to turn around and swing and I don't care who I hit, Joan." And similarly, the holy name doesn't really care who He hits. If you're out on the Avenue and you're chanting, He's going to hit you. In fact, last night, I was appreciating the dogs. I saw at least three dogs go by and, yeah, dogs are very loyal animals they stick with their masters. So they were out for a walk with their master or mistress, and as they walked along, I mean, the person just walked him by the Harinām, that's not our fault. They could have taken another route. And the dogs seemed a little taken aback by the sound vibration, but as they were going by, I was envisioning a sort of car wash where the soul goes through and the cycles unfold, and that animal, who's actually a spirit soul in a dog's body, got cleansed from hearing the sound vibration of the holy name. That's verified in the sixth canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. What could be more fun than that? Take your dog through the car wash. He walks by and a little dog, startled by the sound, but you know, you're pulling him through, and he comes out with the holy name in his ears, albeit dog ears. The holy name goes right to the soul. What to speak of the people who could envision fun? ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you, everyone, for participating in our special prayer for peace all over the world. This is an ancient process of meditation on the Supreme, called Kṛṣṇa. 'Hare' means the energy of the Lord. 'Kṛṣṇa' means the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And 'Rāma' means the highest pleasure. In this world, there are many anxieties that come to the mind. In the process of mantra, "man" means mind, and "tra" means to deliver. So, one chants the transcendental mantra that delivers the mind from all the anxieties that come from participating in the harried world of today. So, we invite everyone to chant along. There are some cards here with the mantra on them. You can take one with you, chant it in the shower or on your way to work, and you'll find that your mind will rise above the normal churnings that it goes through every day. And as it's stated in the ancient scripture, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, "vāsudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam" (SB 1.2.7). When one performs transcendental divine service to the Supreme, Kṛṣṇa, then one automatically gets knowledge and detachment from the world. Those are hard to come by, so we invite everyone to chant along with us, and also never miss a chance to dance. There's not enough dancing in the world. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #kirtan #spiritualsongs #spiritualmusic #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Even while engaged in various activities, devotees whose minds are completely absorbed at Your lotus feet, and who constantly hear, chant, contemplate and cause others to remember Your transcendental names and forms, are always on the transcendental platform, and thus they can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (SB 10.2.37) https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/37/ ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Also, this is another tendency of people: to try to come up with some new religion that will fit everybody. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was in that conversation with others, and then he discovered the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Of course, I'm cutting out a lot of details, but one detail of him finding Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta was that it wasn't so easy to find at that time. We may take for granted that we can go on Amazon and get any book we want by tomorrow, or even today, but back then, books were rare. They had to be written by hand, and if they were printed, then you'd have to search them out. So, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had gotten the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and came back to that group as the first of the modern converts to the movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, presenting that, "Actually, this is the continuation of the philosophy of the Bhāgavata through the modern incarnation of Krishna in the age of Kali, which is very clearly pointed out by our ācāryas." And he brought that to bear and then began to proselytize for Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In this way, he revived Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. He brought it back to the surface, brought it back to life, and envisioned it then—and this was after he had studied the great religious philosophies of the world and saw in each of them, and you can find this in his writings, that they are meritorious ideas. And he speaks of them oftentimes, with respect—with respect for their principles, not oftentimes but "regularly." And then he presented Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as Krishna and The Savior of the world. So, this was a shock to many of his intellectual friends, but he had come out at that point for his real mission in life: to bring out the movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to the world. What's more, he then began to meet the pure devotees who are also always there, even when Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement had not been extent, the pure devotees are always there. In fact, there's a statement somewhere in śāstra that says the world wouldn't hold together if they weren't, because if there's not a pure devotee somewhere walking the earth or chanting, then I mean, everyone's going to give up and collapse. There is a sustaining force when there are pūre devotees on the planet. But, as the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam says, just like waterfalls, sometimes waterfalls pour forth profuse water, and at other times there's nothing. Similarly, sometimes pure devotees are front and center, and they're teaching the principles of the Bhāgavata. And in other times, there are periods in which they're silent and they're doing their private bhajan. So, all this came to bear when, this means the pouring forth of the philosophy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, which had been practically underground—like a river that goes underground; it's down there, but you just can't access the water, but he brought it out. Therefore, he was noted by a famous editor of one of the most important religious publications of the time. Bhaktivinoda Thakura used to write for that publication, if I remember correctly, and the editor had deemed him The Seventh Goswāmī, based on the fact that when Lord Kṛṣṇa left the world, then the Goswāmīs had been tasked by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to revive the holy places where he had performed his līlā and his philosophy. And the philosophy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of course, which gave access to Vṛndāvan and the philosophy of the Bhāgavad. And after that had been obscured, it came back again through Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura who was then called The Seventh Goswāmī because he again revived Caitanya Mahāprabhu's importance in the world, to say the least. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/
We've had in the past devotee appreciation days. We call them D.A.D. — Devotee Appreciation Day. We did it for maybe four years, and by the fourth year, I remember driving home and saying to Nirākulā, "How do you feel?" She said, "Alright." And I said, "Well, I don't feel quite right." We felt some anxiety. As we discussed it more, we realized that we were both feeling some anxiety, and we were able, finally, by Krishna's giving us intelligence, to understand what it was. We couldn't say enough about the devotees, although we tried. For those of you who were there during those times, the D.A.D.s, everyone would try. Some, the overachievers in our group, which is 99% of the population, would get up and try to exalt as many devotees as they could. In fact, in those days, it might have even been possible for the valedictorian, the 1600-SAT-type person, to think of everybody and say something about each one. But it was rare and hard, and for those of us who are not so capable, it seemed like "a dwarf," as Prabhupāda sometimes said, "reaching for the moon." Somehow, we felt unfulfilled that we weren't able to say enough. Or maybe that feeling when we fell asleep at night, we woke up at one in the morning and thought, "Oh, I missed somebody!" And it made us realize that it's not possible to fully express our gratitude to the devotees for their association. I'm saying for everyone involved, because I know other devotees felt like that, too. But we can express our gratitude to one another by holding space the way we've been asked to by Krishna and our spiritual masters: to show up for our services and set an example for others. And whenever we have the opportunity, when it comes naturally, to fully express, or as far as possible, express our gratitude to the devotees. (excerpt from HG Vaisesika Dasa's talk) We were in the U.K., and I was asked to speak with Jāhnavī Jīvana's mom, and who many of you have met, Guru Charaṇa Padmā. She's a lovely devotee. And we were talking about the six loving exchanges, and one realization I had was that a loving exchange can be something like, which was really valuable to me, was giving gifts and giving the gift of service to someone. I remember the devotees who have given me service, and it's a gift that, you know, as they say, keeps on giving. So, as you know, we have so many devotees that have been here for decades, and we're welcoming soon, so many new faces. Let's open our hearts to them as well and make them feel as loved and supported and appreciated and valued as we all feel for the devotees we know really well. And if we have some service that we can give to them, do it. It's the biggest gift that you can give to someone, because, you know, what's the saying? “Your sevā will save you." I'm sure all of you have experienced that somewhere in your lives already. I know we have, I continue to experience that. So, if you have the opportunity to encourage someone, especially someone new to the community, please, please do it. Let them feel the completeness, the acceptance, the care that we all give to each other who we've known for so long. That's one of the most valuable things that we have as a family and a community. (excerpt from HG Nirakula Dasi's talk) ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/
Mukharvinda Prabhu was telling us, during our program at 12 noon, about an engineering principle: that if you're trying to solve a problem and it's not easily solved, you have to go back and look at the root. It's called the RCA- root cause analysis. So, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a root cause analysis, and the root cause of all problems, all confusions, and complexities has to do with forgetting Kṛṣṇa. And so, that's why chanting japa feels like such a relief, because most of our lives are moving from one place to another, trying to solve a problem, and as soon as we solve one problem, if we ever do, then another one comes, or maybe a multiple of the first ones, like a hydra. But when we go to the RCA and we take the advice of the śāstra, which is, "Always remember Kṛṣṇa, never forget Kṛṣṇa," and then to the very clear philosophy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, which is, "Kṛṣṇa is fully present in his name," also, of course, the philosophy of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam—āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ, Kṛṣṇa and His name are non-different—then we naturally feel happy to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. What's more, if we're trying to find the solution to a problem and we can't find it, better chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. And if we feel that life is overwhelming us, better chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So, thank you for being among the sumedhasah, as mentioned by Karabhajana Muni in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Those who take to this chanting are extremely intelligent, because they've figured out the RCA. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #makejapagreatagain #mantrameditation #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
And of course, Kṛṣṇa is bound in love to the gopīs, as described by Kārbhājana Muni in the 11th Canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 'māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvad,' which is a verse describing Rāmacandra, Lord Caitanya, and Kṛṣṇa in the matter of the description of Kṛṣṇa, he says māyāmṛgam means he becomes like a toy—one of those play toys that children have—in the hands of the gopīs of Vrindavan, because they love him so deeply. Kṛṣṇa is Ajita; he is unconquerable, but he is conquered by the love of his devotees. That's one of the realizations that Lord Brahmā had after he saw Kṛṣṇa in Vrindavan: “jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva īvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām” (SB 10.14.3). That if one takes this method of worshiping the Lord, following in footsteps the residents of Vrindavan, he recommends that. "ñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva īvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām" - when he hears about the interaction with Kṛṣṇa and his devotees in Vrindavan,“Vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ śraddhānvito 'nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ” (SB 10.33.39). So, Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that by just hearing about the playful pastimes Kṛṣṇa has with his most intimate devotees in Vrindavan—especially the gopīs—their hearts then become bound to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa also becomes bound to them. And although Kṛṣṇa is unconquerable, he's conquered by the love of his devotees. This is the greatest quality of Kṛṣṇa: he becomes conquered by the love of his devotees. In Vrindavan, there's no life without Kṛṣṇa. And after Kṛṣṇa leaves Vrindavan—apparently, although mysteriously or very esoterically at least—he's there in his bhava feature. The surroundings of Vrindavan are important, because the backdrop of Vrindavan is the way that Kṛṣṇa dresses in Vrindavan, the way he interacts with everybody. That's the mood of Vrindavan, where we say God is at home. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #rathyatra #jagannath #vrindavan #bhakti #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
I like the metaphor, "leaning in." It's like crossing through a doorway where we have no other awareness except for The Holy Name. I was thinking back to what I read at the beginning—that there are states of consciousness that we cycle through, and one of them is the deep sleep. Even then, we have proximity to Kṛṣṇa. If we can learn to cross beyond the chatter of our minds and enter that door, lean into it—where we're enveloped by Kṛṣṇa, then our lives will become enriched by this internal potency of Kṛṣṇa. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
The general theme of all these literatures is that anyone can rise in due course of time. And if you do it step by step, first by getting knowledge and then having practice, these are the two things you have to have. First, you have to have knowledge; then, you have to practice. Ignorance doesn't help. Ignorance could also mean "ignore- ance." This is the story of a famous musician. His name was Warren Zevon, and from the time he was a child, he was always afraid that he might die of cancer. He did die of cancer, but the fear caused him to ignore any symptoms he had when he was an adult. Because he was so afraid of going to the doctor and hearing that he had cancer, he didn't go. And he missed the timeframe when it was at stage one and two, when he could've cured it. But he let it go, and then it was too late. So, yeah, it's a little scary to hear the "C word." But if you're proactive, and you go in early and say, "Yeah, I understand I have some of these symptoms. So what can I do about it? How can I start now?" Little bit at a time one can catch it in the beginning and make progress. That's the optimistic part about it. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Kṛṣṇa. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions. (SB 11.5.32) ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Devotional service and taking up spiritual practice can be heroic. You actually take a stance. You take a stand. If you don't stand for something, as they say—sorry about this—you'll fall for anything. And Krishna invites us to stand up, be strong. In another language, in the Third Chapter of the Gita, he says, "evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam" (BG 3.43). He's telling Arjuna, "You stand up and fight for conquering over the lower self by the higher self." So, "nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣā"—give up false association with the world—and "adhyātma-nityā"—find out about transcendental knowledge. What that means is, read the Bhagavad Gita every day. If you want to have a nice day, read the Bhagavad Gita. If you'd like getting confused and disturbed, then just don't read it. "Adhyātma-nityā vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ." Kāmaḥ means desires that can't be fulfilled, and that's also the craziness of this world, is trying to fulfill a desire that will never be fulfilled. So he says, "Give this up." It's a permission to not engage in what most people do. "Dvandvair" means duality. It means don't see anything separate from your highest interest in life, which is to serve Krishna. Don't have a dual identity. Don't have cognitive dissonance and try to play both sides. Just be absorbed in Krishna and get everything from Krishna. Consider Krishna your protector, and consider him your maintainer. And whatever you do, do it for Krishna. You don't have to do it for anybody else. Even if you do have to do something for anybody else, consider that you're doing it for Krishna. Dvandvair, give up that sense of duality in the material world that causes consternation. And then "vimukta" means to be liberated. Be a liberated soul. "Sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair gachanti" means now... Gachanti means you can go. "Yānti devavratā devān, pitṟn yānti pitṛvratāḥ, bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā, yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām" means you can go wherever you want. Little jīva, free to move about the universe. You can go wherever you're able to point your attention; you can go there. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Disappearance Day Celebrations | HG Vaisesika Dasa | ISV | 07 Jul 2013 by Vaisesika Dasa
Get consistent and stay on a program. And once you feel confident that you've got it down at the level that you can do it now—whether it's coming to the temple every day or whenever you can do it on a regular basis, say, once a month, or whatever you can add into your schedule—once you've achieved consistency in a certain level of practice, then move your foot to the next rung. That's Bhaktivinoda's advice in the Caitanya-sikṣāmṛta. He said, "If you try to run up the ladder too fast, you're going to slip and fall off. If you're too timid and you don't put your foot on the rung, and you say, 'Oh, I can't do it,' that's illegal." Yes, yes, you can! Just get comfortable. At least put your foot on the first rung. We say, "Something more than zero, not less than one." And once you're confident there, he says, "Then move your foot to the next rung and move up." There's no fun staying down at a lower level and wallowing in it. Sometimes people who beg for a living have to look forlorn all day long, because otherwise people won't give them money. And then they have to stay in that position because that's their livelihood. So, don't make a livelihood out of being non-advanced. Just genuinely advance and be humble, and then appreciate the fact that you've got unlimited steps you can take, and try to move up. That's the excitement of life with devotional service. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
In the next verse, he says: "Kavim Purāṇam anuśāsitāram, aṇor aṇīyāṁsam anu smaret yaḥ, sarvasya dhātāram acintya-rūpam, āditya-varṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt, (BG 8.9)" starting with the first word, which is Kavim, which means "the one who knows everything." So he knows everything; he knows everything about us. And this is a very powerful meditation, because mostly we have difficulty with our relationships because people only partially know us, and sometimes they misunderstand us. But when we're standing before the one who knows everything about us, it's a kind of light where we can be ourselves and just say, "All right, you already know everything about me, so why should I try to make a mask here? I'll just reveal myself to you." It's a way of letting when we chant, is to say, "Kṛṣṇa knows everything. He knows everything about me. He's the closest one to me." He confirms that in another chapter: "Vedāhaṁ samatītāni, vartamānāni cārjuna, bhaviṣyāṇi ca bhūtāni, māṁ tu veda na kaścana." Basically, he says, "I know everything. I know everyone." This is a solace that we can take when we're chanting Hare Krishna—just to be aware that Krishna is aware of us. He's supremely aware of every living being, but as far as our personal relationship, he knows us. And when we're chanting, he knows the mood we're chanting in, so we could practice refining the mood we chant in and just being vulnerable: "Kṛṣṇa, you know me. You know everything about me. Please shine your light on me and just reveal everything so that I can be ananya-cetāḥ - my consciousness can just be unalloyed in my mood towards you. You are my master. I'm your servant. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Rūpa Goswami says, "Just as young boys are naturally attracted to young girls, and young girls are naturally attracted to young boys"—if you unload a busload of teenagers in front of the Grand Canyon, they won't see the Grand Canyon because they're in samādhi. He said, "In the same way, may my mind be drawn to you." So when Prabhupāda said, "This is a feeling festival, the Ratha-yātrā," there is a story behind it, a love story. But it's THE love story; it's not any love story, it's THE love story. It's the ādi-rasa that gets perverted in this world as what's called āhlāda-tāpa-traya—the love affairs of this world that end in misery and strife and difficulty and complications. Of course, there are complications in the love story of the spiritual world, but they're all ānanda. And this Ratha-yātrā is so remarkable because what we have here is an apparently ordinary parade, but we're pulling the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and not just an image of God. And we say, "God is great, and we're all small and we're all servants," but there's this very specific story of Lord Kṛṣṇa meeting again the residents of Vṛndāvana, and the depth of their separation from him, which is never broken, because true love is never broken. Even Shakespeare says that. And that's all encapsulated within the Ratha-yātrā festival. So brilliant was Prabhupāda to bring it out to the world that both aspects are there: kevalānanda-kāṇḍa—the bliss of the chanting, the prasādam, the display of booths, and "Here's Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll get inner peace." But beyond that, there's the most esoteric of all stories that highly advanced paramahaṁsas relish again and again, and tell over and over again, which they go into the details of again and again, and relish it unlimitedly. So we're part of that legacy to bring Ratha-yātrā to the world, and along with the Ratha-yātrā, we may also distribute Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. For anyone who has such an intervention in his or her life by seeing the Ratha-yātrā and then receiving transcendental literature, what to speak of prasādam and the association of devotees, can then take to the path of devotional service. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #rathyatra #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Māyā gives combinations and permutations of apparent enjoyment to every soul to exhaust that person's idea that "I can enjoy separately from Kṛṣṇa." Queen Kuntī says: 'janmaiśvarya-śruta-śrībhir edhamāna-madaḥ pumān naivārhaty abhidhātuṁ vai tvām akiñcana-gocaram (SB 1.8.26).' We should be very, very humble, because Māyā can sneak into our lives at any time, and one of the ways she sneaks in is through the door of pride. There are some attitudes that we can be very careful about and avoid, like "My preaching is better than everybody else's," or "In general, I'm just better than other people," and become proud. Another one is, "I'm liberated. Why am I liberated? I'm in ISKCON. I'm initiated. I'm beautiful. I'm smart. I'm a Brahmin." I may also justify cheating: "Although there are these principles, I've been here a long time, I've seen many things. Give me a break. I know these things, and I am okay. I'm liberated, I'm entitled." So pride opens the door for Māyā, and then justification allows her to stay inside. It's like, "It's okay, because I'm liberated. It doesn't matter. Who are these people? Mangal Arti, going 16 rounds. Who do they think they are? I know everything. And laxity—being lazy, lazy about following the regulative principles, not strict. Here's a way to close the door on Māyā: "I am not liberated." Say that, "I'm not liberated." "I am a servant of the servant of the servant a million times removed." Prabhupāda says, "When you think, 'I'm the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant, a million times removed,' then you're liberated." But always say, "I'm not liberated." Always say, "I'm not liberated." And also, we shouldn't justify, and don't be lazy. Be careful. Prabhupāda says that besides practicing the rules and regulations in devotional service, you should also be careful. And we should also fortify ourselves by very strong sādhana. Prabhupāda writes in the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that if we don't read all the books, then we'll fall down. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
There are various ways in which we can organize our lives so that we elevate our consciousness. Now, the first and most important is to take an inventory of what we call the soundscape, or the soundtrack, of your life. Do any of you have a soundtrack in your life? If any of you have ever been to a movie, they have soundtracks. That's what defines the era of the movie, isn't it? Yeah, you look at a movie, you can also understand from the very beginning, after the opening credits, when the movie comes on, you can tell if it's a comedy. If it's kind of whimsical music. "Oh, this is going to be funny." If it's very—there's a dark "uh oh, somebody's getting killed here"—mystery. You know, this is all defined by the soundtrack. And so there's a way in which we also have a soundtrack in our life. And Sūta Goswami addresses this. He's talking about elevation of consciousness, and then he describes a series of practices, or one practice, that evolves our consciousness. One practice that sounds simpler, doesn't it? Technically, it begins with meeting somebody who has a better soundtrack than we have. So he says, and I'll quote what Sūta Goswami spoke to the sages: śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt (SB 1.2.16) That means, if you can meet somebody who's spiritually awake and their taste in hearing is transcendental sound vibration, they like it. They're absorbed in it. What's more, they've been around others who like it, and they've evolved their consciousness. So he says, if you can get around such people, high-minded souls, and do some sevā—means, try to assist them in their life, in whatever they're doing. If you do that, that rubs off on you. It's a technique that Kṛṣṇa mentions in the Bhagavad-gītā also about getting knowledge from a wise person. He says, "Tad vidhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ." When you want knowledge, approach a person who already has it, but do it in a mood of submission. Don't go there saying, "Yeah, I heard that before, yeah, I know that." It'll close the person down. Just be really open. Don't say, "I already know that," ever. Then also render some service. Back when I was a kid, it was cliché that you would bring the teacher an apple. I don't know if they have that here in New York. Are you supposed to bring your teacher an apple? Did you know that ? ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad Gītā asked us to manage our expectations, and he tells us that the material world is a place of suffering. I know this is a family show, and I don't mean to bring a downer to everybody, but it's just a fact. It's there in the Bhagavad Gītā, where Kṛṣṇa says, "duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam." "Duḥkha" means what? Duḥkha, misery, and "ālayam," it's a place. So duḥkhālayam is the place where you go to get misery. So if you manage your expectation and you know that this is a place of misery, when various inconveniences come to you in your life, you won't be so disappointed, because you'll know that's what happens here. So there's a way that we deceive ourselves, and we say that when my circumstances change, I will become happy. When my circumstances change. What kind of circumstances need to change in order for me to be happy? (Audience: job) I've got to get a different job. What else, to be happy? I've got to have more money or less, because if it's less, see me afterwards, I can help you out. What else? (Audience: Weather) If the weather, if the weather changes, then I'll be happy. What else? (Audience: clothes) If I just had the right clothes, I don't have the right clothes yet. (Audience: car) I need a new car. Yeah, to be happy, I need a new car. I need to be immortal, yeah, then I'll be happy. The problem is the circumstances are always changing, and from moment to moment, when I depend on the circumstances, then my fortune changes and my mood and attitude change. So here's the healthy outlook. Would you like to hear the healthy outlook? Okay, only half of you said yes. The rest of you, cover your ears. When I purify my heart, I'll become happy. You can say that, it sounds nice. When I purify my heart, I'll become happy. Here's a limited outlook: The world is an opportunity for my enjoyment. It's a very limited opportunity. Here's the unlimited opportunity. Are you ready? The world is an opportunity for service. Yes, so devotees learned from reading Bhagavad Gītā that every circumstance is an opportunity to improve my devotion to to Kṛṣṇa. And this is possible because we're human, to make changes in our life, to adjust. So we have voluntary life changes versus forced life changes. Have you ever been forced to change something in your life? Were you happy about it? Not so much, maybe. But you can make your own list and say, "These are the items that I'd like to change in my life so that I can be on the right track." And these are called voluntary life changes, or VLCs, or there's reactionary life changes, which means
This is the sensitivity of the heart of a Vaiṣṇava—that he or she will see within everyone the good qualities. What to speak of a dog who wants to join the party, and he considers him part of our group and Prabhupāda had such quality, he would invite people to stay. Of course, he said it is not a hotel for lazy people, the āśram, but there were some devotees who were slightly dysfunctional, and devotees would complain. And Prabhupāda was very tolerant because he said, "They have not understood the mercy of Lord Nityānanda." So we can remember Śivānanda Sena and how accommodating he was. We don't know what is inside people, what that flame is for devotional service that we can fan, that can grow into something. And that's one of the great exhibitions of life, is to see that grow within somebody's heart. We can always make a facility to give people something so they can be connected. Prasādam is very nice. Distributing books is the heartbeat of our Sampradāya. Chanting the holy names everywhere is very important. Writing articles on science and producing short presentations to give people an idea of how to interpret various scientific theories, to understand the context of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Braja Rasa Bhāvana Prabhu has done a presentation on the big bang that was well received. He followed the footsteps of Sada Puṭa Prabhu and put together a nice presentation. I haven't seen the second one, which was about Darwinism or Darwinian evolution, but I heard that was well received also. These are important presentations. People are aimless or misguided, and all of you have a great opportunity as young people who are Kṛṣṇa conscious and also highly educated to give guidance to people all over the world. So please remember that the Vaiṣṇavas are welcoming of every living entity, and that the more you give yourself to Kṛṣṇa, the more He takes care of you. He takes care of you anyway; He takes care of all animals and everyone. But it's a very personal duty for Kṛṣṇa, a duty of love, to take care of His devotees. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
I took some devotees from a faraway land who visited California into a forest called Muir Woods, and it's got a stream going through it. One day, when we were walking through, we saw a ranger in there pulling out something: these long tongs, in gaiters on boots that go up to your hips. And so, we stopped by to talk to the friendly ranger. That's what you should do: always talk to a friendly ranger. And we asked him, "So, what are you doing?" And he said, "I'm taking micro trash out of the river." And I said, "What's micro trash?" He said, "You know how people open a pack of gum and that little piece that's left over somehow blows away in the wind and ends up in the water? Or somebody else throws pennies in because they think it'll bring them good luck? Everything everyone does ends up in the water, and it disturbs the sensory perception of the fish. And the fish are an important part of the ecology here," he said. And then he told us the story of the Coho Salmon who lived there. He said, "They're born here in this little area, and then they migrate downstream from the fresh water all the way to the ocean. And they swim around in the ocean for thousands of miles for several years, and then they come back to the very stream in which they were born. Not only do they do that, but they also swim upstream to find the very pond where they were born." And I said, "How do they do that?" And the ranger—and rangers know stuff—he said, "It's by smell. They can smell their way back. Of course, there are various theories, but that's a prevalent theory," and he presented it to me that day. And when I walked away, I was thinking, "Aha, this is our process too! Not by smell, but by hearing. We can hear the spiritual world. Golokera Prema dhana Harinama Sankirtana." When we chant Hare Krishna, and we can hear that, the sound of "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare" doesn't sound like anything else in this world. When your ears become so sensitive that you realize this is a different sound that comes from the Spiritual World, and you listen to it, the more you listen to it, the more you're drawn naturally to the spiritual world. It compels you. It changes your heart. 'Ceto-darpana-marjanam' – it cleanses the mirror of your mind, all at once, because Krishna is wonderful, and He's all-powerful, and He loves us. And if we chant His name over and over again and listen, then we will be drawn to the spiritual world. So we're endeavoring for this, and we know that if we're minding our own business, one day, Krishna came and knocked at our door, and we opened it, and He said, "Let's go right now, back home, back to God." He puts out His hand. Would you go? ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna
We don't have to be envious because Kṛṣṇa is so opulent that if you just have your own bhajan, it's enough, because Kṛṣṇa gives everything to everyone, all at once. You don't have to worry that somebody got more fame than you do, or they can sing better, or they have better association. We all have an eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa, who's the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And there's no lack ever—that feeling of, "Oh, I didn't get it," or "Somebody else is better than me," or something. We don't have to have that; it's not necessary. We can just be sincere and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and be very, very, very grateful. And I see the devotees who are most advanced: they're joyful when they see other devotees advancing, when they see others that have shining qualities, they become gleeful. And that's real life. There's no end to the happiness that we experience when we feel grateful for devotees. And we love devotees because they're loved by Kṛṣṇa. That's real life. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose
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