Podcasts about caitanya

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 ------------------------------------------------------------

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

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 35 evaṁ nivasatā tatra śakratvam adhikurvatā brahman saṁvatsaro divyo mayaiko gamitaḥ sukham TRANSLATION O brāhmaṇa, thus I lived in Svarga, ruling in the post of Indra, and happily spent one celestial year.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 33 tato yo jāyate śokas tena nīlācala-prabhum acalāśrita-vātsalyaṁ draṣṭum iccheyam etya tam TRANSLATION And so the distress I felt would make me want to go back to see the Lord of Nīlācala, whose affection for those who take shelter of Him never wavers.

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

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/

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 12 tad-darśane jāta-manorathākulaḥ saṅkalpa-pūrvaṁ sva-japaṁ samācaran sv-alpena kālena vimānam āgataṁ mudāham āruhya gatas tri-piṣṭapam TRANSLATION Eager to see Him, I chanted my mantra specifically for that purpose. In a very short time a celestial airplane arrived. I climbed aboard and joyfully flew to the heavenly kingdom.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 12 tad-darśane jāta-manorathākulaḥ saṅkalpa-pūrvaṁ sva-japaṁ samācaran sv-alpena kālena vimānam āgataṁ mudāham āruhya gatas tri-piṣṭapam TRANSLATION Eager to see Him, I chanted my mantra specifically for that purpose. In a very short time a celestial airplane arrived. I climbed aboard and joyfully flew to the heavenly kingdom.

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

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

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 1 śrī-gopa-kumāra uvāca māthurottama viśrāntau snātvā vṛndāvanaṁ gataḥ atra govardhanādau ca yathā-kāmaṁ paribhraman TRANSLATION Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: O best of the Mathurā brāhmaṇas, after bathing at Viśrānti-ghāṭa I came to Vṛndāvana. Here I wandered freely in such places as Govardhana.

Jun 22, 2000 AlachuaContinued from Part 1

Jun 22, 2000 AlachuaTo be continued in Part 2

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 214 evaṁ saṁvatsare jāte mayā tatraikadā śrutam mathurāyāḥ prāyātebhyo 'tratya-vṛttaṁ viśeṣataḥ TRANSLATION Thus one year passed, and then one day I heard some detailed news of Mathurā from visitors who had come from there.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 213 gantuṁ vṛndāvanaṁ prātar ājñārthaṁ purataḥ prabhoḥ gataḥ śrīman-mukhaṁ paśyan sarvaṁ tad vismarāmy aho TRANSLATION Early in the morning, I went before Lord Jagannātha to ask His permission to leave for Vṛndāvana; but oh, when I saw His beautiful face I forgot all my plans.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 206 nāma-saṅkīrtana-stotra- gītāni bhagavat-puraḥ śrūyamāṇāni dunvanti mathurā-smārakāṇi mām TRANSLATION When I heard the songs, prayers, and congregational chanting of the Lord's names in front of Lord Jagannātha, I was disturbed because they reminded me of Mathurā.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 201 rājyaṁ rājopabhogyaṁ ca jagannātha-padābjayoḥ samarpyākiñcanatvena sevāṁ kurve nijecchayā TRANSLATION I offered the kingdom, with all its royal enjoyments, at the lotus feet of Jagannātha. In a completely dependent mood, I took my pleasure in simply serving the Lord.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 190 śrī-jagannātha-devasya sevā-rūpaṁ ca viddhi tam evaṁ matvā ca viśvasya na kadācij japaṁ tyajeḥ TRANSLATION “This chanting, please understand, is another form of service to Lord Śrī Jagannātha. Have faith in this and never give up your japa.”

Sometimes, at a certain age, devotees wonder, "Am I really going to be a devotee? What about the rest of the world? What about my other opportunities and so forth?" These thoughts are all going through a person's head. Jhanavi Jivan talks about how she and her family went to Sharanagati. You know where that is: it's a farm up in Canada, not too far from Vancouver, I believe. And it's a big devotee farm, obviously. Living there was a very famous sādhvī, a female sādhu. Her name was Yamunā Dāsī. She was one of Prabhupāda's earliest disciples, a very famous devotee not just for singing but also for cooking, and most of all, known for her guru-niṣṭhā. She was determined to serve her guru and totally fixed in service to the lotus feet of Śrīla Prabhupāda as her eternal spiritual master. So she, like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who describes in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, had the assets of a sādhu. And what do sādhus have? According to Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they have hymns and instructions. And they're doctors. You know, doctors carry a little black bag. What do they have inside? For the devotee doctors, they have hymns - mantras and also have instructions - how to work the mantra. So when they went and stayed at the home of Yamunā Dāsī, Jhanavi Jivan describes how after a few days of watching this sādhvī, this devotee who was fully dedicated, she never stopped chanting. She was always engaged, always praying to Kṛṣṇa, offering to Kṛṣṇa, teaching how to cook—everything about Kṛṣṇa. In that environment. When she came out, she got into the car. They were leaving. She was sitting in the back seat, and it came through her in a visceral way. She could feel it through her whole body, up her spine, throughout her system that, "I've met the person who's my ideal in life. I want to be like her. I want to be a devotee." And this is the power of association with sādhus. They give us the most valuable asset, which is śraddhā, faith in Kṛṣṇa, that "if I become like this, then I'll be perfect. If I could just be like this person, then everything will be good in my life. I'll be fully satisfied and happy. I want to be that person, I want to follow in his or her footsteps and become a devotee." So this is the most valuable asset. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

'Māyā-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvat' - Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chases after the conditioned souls to embrace them and bring them back to Godhead. He'll take anybody back to God who wants to go. But Lord Nityānanda will even take those people who don't want to go. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Nityānanda are the most merciful of all incarnations in the world. Even māyāvādīs with stone-like hearts, when they hear the names Nitāi and Gaura, begin to cry and dance in ecstasy. Let the whole world hear the sound of their Holy Names by going door to door, everywhere we go, every person we meet, give them an opportunity to take this train back home, back to Godhead. And already, if we listen very carefully, we can hear people who have been weeping in their apartments, lonely after hearing about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu there's a sound vibration coming up. If we listen really carefully, we can hear it now: Gaura Kṛpā Hole he, Gaura Kṛpā Hole he, oh, for the mercy of Lord Caitanya! ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualmusic #soulfulmusic #gauranitai #kirtan #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-mṛgaṁ dayitayepsitam anvadhāvat' - Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu chases after the conditioned souls to embrace them and bring them back to Godhead. He'll take anybody back to God who wants to go. But Lord Nityānanda will even take those people who don't want to go. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Nityānanda are the most merciful of all incarnations in the world. Even māyāvādīs with stone-like hearts, when they hear the names Nitāi and Gaura, begin to cry and dance in ecstasy. Let the whole world hear the sound of their Holy Names by going door to door, everywhere we go, every person we meet, give them an opportunity to take this train back home, back to Godhead. And already, if we listen very carefully, we can hear people who have been weeping in their apartments, lonely after hearing about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu there's a sound vibration coming up. If we listen really carefully, we can hear it now: Gaura Kṛpā Hole he, Gaura Kṛpā Hole he, oh, for the mercy of Lord Caitanya! ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

Here's an excerpt from the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, chapter four, in which Prabhupāda quotes from the Bhakti-sandarbha. This is the verdict of Jīva Gosvāmī in describing the process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa: "Chanting the holy name is the chief means of attaining love of Godhead. This chanting or devotional service does not depend on any paraphernalia, nor on one's having taken birth in a good family. By humility and meekness, one attracts the attention of Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of all the Vedas. Therefore, if one becomes very humble and meek, he can easily attain the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa in this age of Kali. This is the fulfillment of all great sacrifices, penances, and austerities, because when one achieves ecstatic love of Godhead, he attains the complete perfection of life. Therefore, whatever one does in executing devotional service must be accompanied by the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.' ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 180 śārīraṁ mānasaṁ vā syāt kiñcid duḥkhaṁ kadācana tac ca śrī-puṇḍarīkākṣe dṛṣṭe sadyo vinaśyati TRANSLATION And even if I sometimes underwent some physical or mental distress, as soon as I saw the lotus-eyed Lord the pain disappeared.

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Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 171 saṁjñāṁ labdhvā samunmīlya locane lokayan punaḥ unmatta iva taṁ dhartuṁ sa-vego 'dhāvam agrataḥ TRANSLATION I came to my senses, opened my eyes, and gazed upon Him again. Like a madman I ran forward quickly to catch hold of Him.

2025.05.04 Amsterdam EN

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 165 tad-didṛkṣābhibhūto 'haṁ sarvaṁ santyajya tat-kṣaṇe saṅkīrtayañ jagannātham auḍhra-deśa-diśaṁ śritaḥ TRANSLATION Overcome by desire to see Lord Jagannātha, in a moment I abandoned everything and set off in the direction of Orissa, chanting Lord Jagannātha's glories.

Many religious and spiritual traditions consider renunciation of the world important.But is living in an ashram or temple really more spiritual?We examine the fact that true spirituality is not determined by physical location or external appearances, but rather by one's consciousness and how one lives. We will learn that the ‘world' (the material energy) is neutral, and the real challenge lies in one's consciousness and relationship with the world. True renunciation (tyāga) is not about physically giving up worldly activities and possessions but rather about performing actions without attachment to their fruits. The Bhagavad Gita illustrates that genuine spirituality involves seeing everything as connected to God and performing all actions as service to the Supreme Soul.If you would like to do a more in-depth course on the essential teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, it is here: https://acharyadas.com/series/bhagavad-gita-chalisa/ The verses I quote were:In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of loving service to the Supreme Lord does not take place. - Bhagavad-gītā 2.44Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection. - Bhagavad-gītā 3.4One who restrains the senses and organs of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender. - Bhagavad-gītā 3.6Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong. - Śrī Īśopaniṣad mantra 1The Blessed Lord said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work. - Bhagavad-gītā 6.1What is called renunciation is the same as yoga, or linking oneself with the Supreme, for no one can become a yogi unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification. - Bhagavad-gītā 6.2“I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of the Lord ….” - Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya-līlā 13.80For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me. - Bhagavad-gītā 6.30The Blessed Lord said, To give up the results of all activities is called renunciation [tyāga] by the wise. And that state is called the renounced order of life [sannyāsa] by great learned men. - Bhagavad-gītā 18.2It is indeed impossible for an embodied being to give up all activities. Therefore, it is said that he who renounces the fruits of action is one who has truly renounced. - Bhagavad-gītā 18.11The wise, engaged in loving devotional service, take refuge in the Lord, and free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action in the material world. In this way they can attain that state beyond all miseries. - Bhagavad-gītā 2.51Unless one is engaged in the loving devotional service of the Lord, mere renunciation of activities cannot make one happy. The sages, purified by works of devotion, achieve the Supreme without delay. - Bhagavad-gītā 5.6O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me. - Bhagavad-gītā 9.27In this way you will be freed from all reactions to good and evil deeds, and by this principle of renunciation you will be liberated and come to Me. - Bhagavad-gītā 9.28

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 159 dāru-brahma jagan-nātho bhagavān puruṣottame kṣetre nīlācale kṣārā- rṇava-tīre virājate TRANSLATION “At Puruṣottama-kṣetra, on the blue mountain on the shore of the salt ocean, Jagannātha, the Lord of the universe, the Personality of Godhead, is present as the Absolute Truth manifest in wood.”

Lord Caitanya's Heart | RISE Retreat, UK | HG Kripamoya Das by Wisdom That Breathes by Keshava Maharaja

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself, and He also comes as the ācārya. He's both devotee and Kṛṣṇa at the same time. So there's a double benefit. He's teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness as a devotee, but He's also Kṛṣṇa. If one dedicates him or herself to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, which means to—in service, what it means to dedicate oneself to the lotus feet, it means to become a servant and think, 'How can I do something to assist the Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu? What is His desire and how can I help Him?' And if one does this, then the person will know the true essence of devotional service. Then He goes on to say that the heart of anyone who gives submissive aural reception to the pleasing and sweet pastimes of Lord Caitanya immediately becomes cleansed of all material contamination— 'hṛdoya nirmala.' This contamination in the heart is completely cleansed if one gets on a regular schedule of hearing about Kṛṣṇa and about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then He says, 'Anyone who simply chants the name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya will immediately develop love of God.' So try 'Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya.' As I was doing āratik in my home this morning, and I offer the incense, and then I have to walk out on the porch to plant the incense, and then when I offer the lamp, I had to walk in the other room to find Nirakula to let her touch the lamp. And all the time I was still chanting the 'Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Nityānanda' mantra. And I was remembering that the first time I came in contact with the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Movement, I got a magazine that had a picture of Lord Caitanya on the front, and then it had the mantra of 'Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Nityānanda.' Also there was an article where Prabhupāda said we are following in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya. And I became fascinated by the form of Lord Caitanya. I didn't know exactly who He was, but I started reading. I always felt that whenever, after I joined the temple, we'd chant the 'Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya' mantra, or I'd hear somebody else chant it, there was special mercy coming from that mantra. And then I confirmed it. It's in all the śāstra saying that the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is especially merciful. The name of Kṛṣṇa and all the names of God are known to be fully potent, but the name of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, says Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, is especially merciful because Caitanya Mahāprabhu doesn't consider any offenses when you chant.So if you chant the name of Sri. Chaitanya, then you'll immediately develop love of Godhead. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 142 antaḥ-pure deva-kule jagad-īśārcana-dhvanim apūrvaṁ tumulaṁ dūrāc chrutvāpṛccham amuṁ janān TRANSLATION Within the inner precincts of the city, from a distance I heard the sound of temple worship of the Lord of the universe. I had never heard such a tumult, so I asked about it from people nearby.

The Lord's devotees have a special qualification in that, as Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (6.32): "ātmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ paśyati yo 'rjuna sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ sa yogī paramo mataḥ." They're the parama yogīs because, He says, they have compassion. Atmaupamyena means they feel empathy towards others because they've been through it themselves, and they know what the material world's like. Although Kṛṣṇa oversees the material world and there's a sense of the suffering of the living entities, the ones who feel it most intensely are those who've been in it and then have been saved by the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are given the opportunity, then, as a lifetime occupation, to go out and give mercy to others. And He describes, as everyone knows, several ways in which this potency of Kṛṣṇa appears through the devotees in this world, through the seemingly incidental way in which someone may introduce somebody to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—the vartmana pradakṣaka guru, somebody who shows you the path. Kṛṣṇa works through that person. There's serendipity there. Interestingly, that person who introduces one to the path may not even be fully aware that he or she is doing it. For instance, Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura is mentioned in the first chapter of the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and his girlfriend is the one he accredits for introducing him to the path of pure bhakti. He was just going to hang out, and she said, "What are you doing with your life? Couldn't you, like, get it together? You'd actually be a great devotee if you just use some of this energy for God." And it woke him up. So he eternally gives her credit as Kṛṣṇa is speaking to him through an agent called the vartmana pradakṣaka guru—guru, one who opens one's eyes from darkness into light. Then he describes how there are many instructors who speak on behalf of Kṛṣṇa, and then there's one who gives the mantra. And all of these, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī describes as manifestations of Kṛṣṇa. It's the way that He appears in this world. Uddhava mentions at the end of the Uddhava-gītā: "naivopayanty apacitiṁ kavayas taveśa brahmāyuṣāpi kṛtam ṛddha-mudaḥ smarantaḥ yo 'ntar bahis tanu-bhṛtām aśubhaṁ vidhunvann ācārya-caittya-vapuṣā sva-gatiṁ vyanakti (SB 11.29.6)." He says to Lord Kṛṣṇa, 'That I cannot offer enough gratitude. I cannot express enough gratitude to You, because You appear in this world as the ācārya to sva-gatiṁ vyanakti, to show the path to You. And You also appear as the antaryāmī, the Supersoul within the heart.' As we know, and Kavirāja Gosvāmī quotes this in the first chapter of the Ādi-līlā: "teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te" He uses the metaphor that 'I'm there ready to light a lamp and show you the direction if you become interested in Me.' He said, 'So You're there as the antarayāmī to show the path.' And then he said, 'You manifest externally as the different gurus who will show me the path. Externally walk me by the hand along the path of devotional service,' called anugraha. As graha means a grabber, and anu means follow. So somebody who makes you follow, like, 'No, no, come here. Hold on there, little fella, come over here for a second. We have a little something for you,' and that the devotees who are representing the Lord in the material world, although The Lord doesn't get involved; the devotees do that. They're little grabbers. People feel a little bit roughed up for a minute or two, and then they realize later on, "Oh, saved me from falling on the railway track, pulled me up, grabbed me from falling off the roof." As Prahlāda Mahārāja says.. 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/

In today's sanga, Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations from his recent studies, including Mother's Day (US) and Nṛsiṁha-caturdaśī, the appearance day of Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 146 paramānanda-pūrṇo 'haṁ praṇaman daṇḍa-van muhuḥ vyacintayam idaṁ svasyā- paśyam adya didṛkṣitam TRANSLATION “Filled with supreme bliss, I repeatedly fell flat on the ground. “Today,” I thought, “I have seen what I always wanted to see.”

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 140 hṛt-pūrakaṁ mahānandaṁ sarvathānubhaviṣyasi idānīm etya mad-gehe bhuṅkṣva viṣṇu-niveditam TRANSLATION “You will feel great ecstasy, fulfilling all your heart's desires. But for now please come have lunch in my house from the remnants of what has been offered to Lord Viṣṇu.”

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 126 tan-mahā-puruṣasyaiva prabhāvāt tādṛśena ca japena citta-śuddhir me tatra śraddhāpy ajāyata TRANSLATION By the influence of that great person, even such aimless chanting purified my mind, and I developed faith in the mantra.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 126 tan-mahā-puruṣasyaiva prabhāvāt tādṛśena ca japena citta-śuddhir me tatra śraddhāpy ajāyata TRANSLATION By the influence of that great person, even such aimless chanting purified my mind, and I developed faith in the mantra.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 115 vikrośantaṁ kvacid bhūmau skhalantaṁ kvāpi matta-vat luṭhantaṁ bhuvi kutrāpi rudantaṁ kvacid uccakaiḥ TRANSLATION Sometimes he shouted, or loudly sobbed, or stumbled and fell to the ground, or rolled about on the ground like a madman.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Text 110 śrī-gopa-kumāra uvāca atretihāsā bahavo vidyante 'thāpi kathyate sva-vṛttam evānusmṛtya mohādāv api saṅgatam TRANSLATION Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: There are many relevant historical accounts, but I am going to tell you my own story, including recollections of what occurred at times when I was bewildered by ecstasy and other distractions.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Texts 93-94 śrī-parīkṣid uvāca niśamya sādaraṁ tasya vacanaṁ sa vyacintayat etasya kṛta-kṛtyasya jātā pūrṇārthatā kila TRANSLATION Śrī Parīkṣit said: Respectfully having heard the brāhmaṇa's words, the young cowherd thought, “This person has done everything he needs to do. Indeed, his life is a complete success.”

When Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked, "What is the most unbearable pain in this world?" He said, "The most unbearable pain in this world is separation from the Vaiṣṇava." There's nothing more severe than that, which indicates that the way that one finds this thread of connection is to become very deeply attached to a Vaiṣṇava. The way to become most definitely connected is through service necessity. The service is passed down through the disciplic succession. If one can find a Vaiṣṇava who's fully engaged in service, having had that bequeath to him or her, and then one is able to take that same service mood, then one also, even more readily, becomes attached to Kṛṣṇa through that service from the Vaiṣṇavas. And we find the same taste and association with the Vaiṣṇavas when we're able to associate and serve Vaiṣṇavas. Prabhupāda writes in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, first chapter, that in the absence of one's spiritual master, one should take the instruction of the spiritual master as one's life and soul; even if there's some physical separation, one never feels separated. I had experienced this when Prabhupāda left the world, and I was in New York at the time, at 340 West 55th. And every day, I was going to LaGuardia Airport with my godbrother Praghoṣa. As we heard the news that Prabhupāda left there in the temple, we stayed up all night chanting, and there was a feast the next morning. Everyone was emotionally and physically exhausted, but Praghoṣa came to get me, and he said, "Of all days, today we have to go out and do our service." And we got in our station wagon, and we drove to LaGuardia Airport rather dazed. As I went up the escalator to approach the place I usually would distribute books, I felt disconnected from the world. But as soon as I stepped on that little area where I was supposed to stand every day going to the airport, I suddenly felt this acute sense of connection to Prabhupāda that I had not felt so acutely throughout my devotional life. Because I put my foot on the floor, there was a sense of spiritual electricity coming through, and a revelation that you'll never be separated, because that service is there. And through our service, we can actually take the power of Kṛṣṇa's presence. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #service #caitanyacaritamrita #caitanya #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Texts 93-94 tato jāta-bahir-dṛṣṭiḥ sa sarva-jña-śiromaṇiḥ jñātvā taṁ māthuraṁ vipraṁ kāmākhyā-deśa-vāsinam śrīman-madana-gopālo- pāsakaṁ ca samāgatam niḥsṛtya kuñjād utthāpya natvāliṅgya nyaveśayat TRANSLATION This young cowherd was the crest jewel of those who know everything. As the brāhmaṇa regained external consciousness, the cowherd recognized him as a Mathurā brāhmaṇa living in the district of the goddess Kāmākhyā and worshiping Śrīmān Madana-gopāla. The cowherd then came out of the grove, raised the brāhmaṇa, bowed down to him, embraced him, and made him sit down.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 1 Texts 93-94 tato jāta-bahir-dṛṣṭiḥ sa sarva-jña-śiromaṇiḥ jñātvā taṁ māthuraṁ vipraṁ kāmākhyā-deśa-vāsinam śrīman-madana-gopālo- pāsakaṁ ca samāgatam niḥsṛtya kuñjād utthāpya natvāliṅgya nyaveśayat TRANSLATION This young cowherd was the crest jewel of those who know everything. As the brāhmaṇa regained external consciousness, the cowherd recognized him as a Mathurā brāhmaṇa living in the district of the goddess Kāmākhyā and worshiping Śrīmān Madana-gopāla. The cowherd then came out of the grove, raised the brāhmaṇa, bowed down to him, embraced him, and made him sit down.

In today's sanga, Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations on Śrī Rāma-navamī, the appearance day of Lord Rāmacandra.

One has to become an expert gardener to know what weeds look like when they come up under what circumstances, and one has to protect the creeper. Going around on Govardhana parikramā. You see very frequently that people try to plant things, and when there are new plants, you'll notice that there's more fence and barbed wire around each plant than there is plant, and it takes years for it to grow up, because everybody wants to eat that plant. The monkeys will come and break it, just for fun, the cows will eat it. Others will deface it one way or another. So we can remember that we're under assault from all different directions, and we have to be very careful to protect the creeper. And then we also, as Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura elaborately explains in the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, in the matter of cleansing the Guṇḍicā Mandira, that there are categories of offenses that one might not even have thought of as an offense that one should catalog and become aware of in order to be an expert mālī, an expert gardener, and he names the various ways that one can impede the growth of the bhakti-latā. It's worth studying again and again and looking at very carefully. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Kṛṣṇa, in the 11th canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, says to Uddhava, "sve sve 'dhikāre yā niṣṭhā, sa guṇaḥ parikīrtitaḥ, viparyayas tu doṣaḥ syād, ubhayor eṣa niścayaḥ" (SB 11.21.2)—that it's a good quality to know what you can do, what your adhikāra is, what you're capable of doing. He calls it a guṇa, a good quality. And he said "viparyayas tu doṣaḥ syād." Viparyaya means the opposite. If you try to do more than you're qualified for, then he said, it's not a good quality. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura quotes this and comments on it in Śrī Caitanya-śikṣāmṛta, and he said that the process is like climbing a ladder. If you try to run up the ladder too fast, it's likely that you're going to slip and fall off. Then he said if you're too slow, which means you step on a rung and you know you're there, but then you hesitate to take the next step, he said, then your advancement is going to be slow. He said, so take a steady pace. Remember climbing a ladder—you want to put one foot on, and then take the next step when you feel steady at it. Birds fly in the sky as high as they're able, but the sky is unlimited. So where you are is inconsequential. What is consequential is your sincere desire to advance. Because it's all Kṛṣṇa. It's coming from Kṛṣṇa anyway. The capacity that we have will be bestowed upon us as we increase our sincerity. We can't really do anything on our own anyway, except for try as best we can and really focus on and pray to Kṛṣṇa with our sincerity. And another example that's given in the śāstra about Yaśodā.When she was trying to tie up Kṛṣṇa, the rope was two inches too short. So Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says that two inches is significant because one inch means our own sincere endeavor to try to meet Kṛṣṇa, and then the second is Kṛṣṇa seeing that we're trying, and then He reaches out to us. https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/11/21/2/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #japajolt #makejapagreatagain #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #mantrameditation #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

There's a way in which Prabhupāda talks about in the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that our real project in life is to establish a temple within our hearts. And he says, once you're able to cleanse that temple, of all the anarthas, as one would clean an area and thus build a proper place for the Lord to sit, then once you've established the Lord there, you can hold a festival and distribute prasāda to everybody. So in the Bhāgavatam, Nārada Muni says, iti mūrti abhidhānina mantra mūrti amūrtikam (SB 1.5.38) —The Holy Name itself is our Deity, mūrti, directly Kṛṣṇa, full form. And if we have the opportunity, we can establish, we should establish The Deity as soon as possible, by chanting properly, avoiding all offenses and not hesitate, because if we leave the land open, someone will come build something else there instead of a temple there'll be a 7-Eleven, or it won't be worse. All I could think of worse would be Home Depot. And so we have a short amount of time in human form of life to build that temple in our heart. And any time we have the opportunity, we should immediately take it to capitalize on whatever inspiration we have to chant, otherwise after five minutes or five days or five years, our intention may be different and we may miss the opportunity. https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/5/38/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 #mantra #chantharekrishnaandbehappy #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose #makejapagreatagain #mantrameditation #mantra #chantharekrishnaandbehappy

If we can know what the heart of God is, what He likes particularly, and if somehow or other, we could contribute to that to please Him, what would our life be like? Well, according to the logic of the scriptures, which talks about watering the root of a tree, if we figure out that by watering the root of the tree, the whole tree becomes nourished, and we also, as we discussed yesterday, Prahlāda Mahārāja, points us to a principle through which we can be fully satisfied—not partially, not temporarily, but fully and eternally satisfied—naivātmanaḥ prabhur ayaṁ nija-lābha-pūrṇo, mānaṁ janād aviduṣaḥ karuṇo vṛṇīte, yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhīta mānaṁ, tac cātmane prati-mukhasya yathā mukha-śrīḥ (SB7.9.11). And that is that if you satisfy the Lord, or at least you even attempt to satisfy Him, you have an idea in your heart that "I would like to please God," and you can find the ways and means to do that, then you'll become satisfied, because we're parts of God. And Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's innermost desire, as we learn from our most esoteric scripture, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, is... (excerpt from the talk) https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/7/9/11/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose