Podcasts about iskcon

Nov 20, 1992 ISKCON, Mumbai-

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 56 śrī-gopa-kumāra uvāca tac chrutvācintayaṁ brahman vaiśyatve syāt sukhaṁ mahat prabhor eṣāṁ ca viprāṇāṁ tad-bhaktānām upāsanāt TRANSLATION Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: Hearing this, O brāhmaṇa, I thought I would be much happier staying a vaiśya, for then I could keep worshiping both the Supreme Lord and those brāhmaṇas, His devotees.

When you inquire, there's going to be a response, because Kṛṣṇa is fully responsive. So it's quite natural when one evolves. It's not Darwinian evolution that matter evolves, but we, the soul, evolve through different species by the law of karma. When we come to the human form of life, there's a natural sense of inquiry. And when one exercises that inquiry, then Kṛṣṇa, who's the Antaryāmī within everyone's heart, He says in the Gītā: "Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam yena mām upayānti te," that if you are sincere and you inquire, then I'll guide you from within the heart. So because Brahmā was deeply self-searching, even though he was born into ignorance, he did have that impetus to ask. And Kṛṣṇa fulfilled his desire: "uvāca puratas tasmai tasya divyā sarasvatī" (Bs. 5.24). Divyā Sarasvatī appeared before him as a representative and gave him a mantra: "tapas tvaṁ tapa etena tava siddhir bhaviṣyati" (Bs. 5.25), and she said, "You take this mantra and you'll have all perfection." Then Brahmā chanted the mantra; he got clear knowledge. He also met personally with Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa gave him, heart and soul, all the knowledge that he needed, which is the truncated version of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in four verses. Does everyone know the catur-ślokī Bhāgavatam? ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 51 apūrva-labdham ānandaṁ paramaṁ prāpnuvaṁs tataḥ kāruṇyātiśayāt tasya saṁsiddhāśeṣa-vāñchitaḥ TRANSLATION By that Lord's abundant mercy, I attained an exceptional bliss I had never known before, and all my desires were fulfilled.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 46 tat saṅkalpya japaṁ kurvann acirād ūrdhvam utthitaḥ vyoma-yānena taṁ prāpto lokaṁ tatra vyalokayam TRANSLATION I made this my intention and chanted my mantra. And soon a celestial airplane picked me up, and I found myself transported to Maharloka.

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Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 42 śrī-bṛhaspatir uvāca ata ūrdhvaṁ mahar-loko rājate karmabhiḥ śubhaiḥ prāpyo mahadbhir yo naśyet trai-lokya-pralaye 'pi na TRANSLATION Śrī Bṛhaspati said: Above this realm shines the world called Maharloka, attainable through the best of pious works. Even when the three worlds are annihilated, that world is not destroyed.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

ISKCON Ljubljana - 07.06.2025

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.

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.

When I was a new devotee, we went in to meet Prabhupāda in his room. The Temple President very proudly introduced us as his saṅkīrtana team and told the scores for book distribution. Prabhupāda immediately said to us, "You must also read my books. I've not written them just for selling." He went on from there and said more, but I got from that that he wanted us to balance our lives, and we have to be self-determining. That one statement he made so directly and sternly empowered me a lot through a lot of the times, especially in the early days, when everyone was in emergency mode 24/7. I always took my time to read because Prabhupāda told me to, and to have a dose of that is helpful. Now, ISKCON is a community, it's a society, and we want to do a lot of service. It's nectarian to do service, and there's unlimited service to do. Unless you're in a situation where somebody is very thoughtful in meting out service that you take, you have to be a little careful yourself to make sure you don't take on too much and you don't take on too little either. If you take on too little and you get in the mode of, "Well, I'm a Bābājī now," then that can turn into something else. So you have to balance, self-regulate, and be careful if you don't have that already. One of the reasons is, from my own experience, if people notice that you're talented in some way (of course, it couldn't apply in my case, but I'm talking about other people), if they notice that you can get things done in a certain way, you have some life, they'll just say, "Hey, can you do this? Can you do that?" Rarely do they say, "Do you have a timesheet that tells how much time you're using already?" And so, you have to learn some techniques of saying "No" first, and then think about it and see if it fits into your schedule. After all Kṛṣṇa says: "yukta-hāra-vihārasya yukta-ceṣṭasya karmasu yukta-svapnāvabodhasya yogo bhavati duḥkha-hā." Yukta means to be balanced in the way that you approach everything in your life, and that can change from era to era, and obviously from community to community. So the fact that you feel a little confused about it is not out of the ordinary. The human condition is quite confusing anyway. There's never a time when there's not some conundrum causing a spin in your head where you're trying to figure out how to manage, because we're really in a liminal state here in human life, and it always requires repositioning constantly to try to figure out how I should do now. Besides that, just someone once told Prabhupāda... Verse: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/2/10/10/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------

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.

How to participate in God's plan for us 3 guidelines ISKCON Ottawa __ Chaitanya Charan by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

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.”

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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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

We've noticed here at ISKCON of Silicon Valley, which is a small little laboratory somewhere tucked away in California where we experiment. We experiment and see how far can we push the goals and how far will Krishna meet us? And every single time we make a new goal, we're not sure how we're going to make it. In fact, it seems like last time it worked, but this time, everything's different. So how will we possibly do it this time? I propose that that's where real life is. It's in that gap where we know what we want to do for Krishna and we have that ambition, but we're not sure how we're going to do it, and we decide we're going to do it anyway, no matter what happens. We're going to try for it with all our heart. And then miracles happen, and right after they happen, and we reach the goal, then we say, or somebody says, "Yeah, but can you do it again next year?" And we have the same feeling all over again. Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura used to ask His devotees to spend money when they got it; someone would come along and give a big donation, and then he'd say, "Spend it all on a festival." He wanted them to feel this sense that "we're broke. And now what are we going to do? Depend on Krishna." When the devotees lived in Ulta Danga Junction Road, apparently they were very poor because someone, maybe it was Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta, or one of his disciples, said, "We were so poor. Now, remember, you're in Bengal, it was hard for us to even buy rice." That's hard to believe, because it's Bengal, where you can't not find rice. But that's how poor they were, and when they moved to the big temple in Bagh Bazar, with all the marble that somebody had already paid for, mortgage was clear, everything, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī said, "We were better off in old Danga, because there we had that sense of adventure, what's going to happen next?" And he noticed that devotees were starting to feel that "we're entitled. I've got my room now, and plus, I get to use the car." And then they start.. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 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.”

“Bow Down to Rise Up”, SB 8.22.24, ISKCON Melbourne, Feb 2025 by Wisdom That Breathes by Keshava Maharaja

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.

As we make progress in devotional service, it's vital to be aware of who we're tuned into, and to that degree, Prabhupāda was meticulous in instructing us about the process of hearing. And I'll just give a couple of examples, and I will stop in a moment. One was when the devotees first went to India, they came to understand that there was a bigger universe, spiritual universe, outside of ISKCON. Prabhupāda had a few books: Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, The Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was coming out volume by volume. Prabhupāda brought a bunch of devotees to India because he was eager to get the movement started there. So when they came there, they started to notice things. For instance, wow! there are other devotees in the world. There is Prabhupāda's own origin from the Gauḍīya Maṭh. And then there were books from the Gauḍīya Maṭh, what to speak of even then there was Gita Press. You could go get anything, if you could read Devanāgarī, that is. Of course, nowadays, there's Rāsi Bihārī Lāl's; that's a more recent thing that wasn't there in the 70s. Rāsi Bihārī Lāl is the biggest little bookstore in the world. So if you walk up the stairs, you'll notice one floor after another. I hope they have strong beams in there, because that's all they have, is books all the way to the rafters. And you can find books from anybody, because they're indiscriminate. They're not promoting Guru Paramparā and such; they're promoting the sale of books. So anybody could walk in there and pick out any stack of books they wish and go home and read it. It could have mistranslations, it could have misconceptions. It could have anything. As Śivarāma Mahārāja once commented, anybody could go buy books in the cloth market in India. He was referring to Rāsi Bihārī Lāl's, and if you're listening, Rāsi Bihārī Lāl Prabhu, no offense, I still want to buy tilakas sometimes. So a controversy came up, because devotees did find some books that they could read from the Gauḍīya Maṭh, and the temple president had understood from Prabhupāda that being exclusivistic in one's hearing is not limiting. It's the opposite. Counterintuitively, the more you refine your hearing to the Guru Paramparā specifically, and you're careful to hear from those who are authorized. And one may say, "Authorized, everybody's authorized." Well, you can take that point of view, but that it's not very refined. In fact, that goes to who can come into the circle of devotees who are cultivating a particular mood and speak? And some people would say, "Well, they're followers of Lord Caitanya, it doesn't matter," okay, but it does. Prabhupāda said it himself when Mukunda Mahārāja had wondered what would happen if Prabhupāda left, because early on, Prabhupāda had severe health problems, and he was going to go back to India. And Mukunda Mahārāja, this is in the Līlāmṛta, had brought up to him, "Well, maybe we'll bring over some senior devotee from the Gauḍīya Maṭh to take your place." Prabhupāda was quiet about it until later, and then, in a more parokṣavād, indirect way, he had indicated that that was not a sanguine idea.He mentioned at that time the famous mantra, which was, "If they say one word different, then it will cause confusion." (excerpt from the talk) Verse for discussion: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/4/20/31/ 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

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.

So he (Lord Caitanya )went back to His spiritual master, and he said, "Did you give me the right mantra? Because when I chant this, I go crazy." And the spiritual master said, "Very good, very good, very good." And there in the purport, Prabhupāda said, "A spiritual master isn't interested in donations or any material facility. What he wants to see is that the disciple gets the freedom of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and gets a taste for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa." Prabhupāda—the first time I had the fortune of sitting in his presence, it was in 1973 in San Francisco, a kid from the suburbs. Here's a paramahaṁsa. I went in with a group, got whisked in, sat down, and when the devotees read Prabhupāda the saṅkīrtana results for the day, he looked right at us, and he said, "You must also read my books. I've not written them just for selling. I've written them for you to read, become pure devotees, and go back to Godhead." That's what Prabhupāda wanted. He says so in his books. So he wanted us to read his books. And after that time, I felt full permission to read Prabhupāda's books as much as possible, and I still do, and it's the mainstay of our movement—that is the sound vibration, that is the books. Prabhupāda's books are the primal vibration of ISKCON, and taking full advantage of that vibration by going deeply within them, reading them regularly, reading all of them completely, all the way through as many times as possible in his lifetime—that gives one this internal spiritual strength, and one can understand exactly what Kṛṣṇa wants, what Prabhupāda wanted, hearing from his purports. He said, "Everything I had to say, I said in my books, so please read them carefully and discuss them." He said in his final purports before he left the world that if there's ever any difference or problems, he said, "Sit together and read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and you could work it out." So that's what he wanted us to be internally, to be deeply in love with the Bhāgavatam. And that's not hard to do because it's so beautiful. The Bhāgavatam solves all the problems. Kṛṣṇa mentions in the Bhagavad-gītā vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ—there are these three main stumbling blocks in the material world: rāga, bhaya, krodha. By reading through the whole Bhāgavatam, there's a way in which the Bhāgavatam helps us overcome all of the psychological anomalies that hold us back from giving our full heart to Kṛṣṇa. And that's what Kṛṣṇa wants. That's what Prabhupāda wants. That's what any Vaiṣṇava wants. They want to see everybody happy. And a Vaiṣṇava knows you can't be happy unless you're with Kṛṣṇa. I mentioned in a class this morning, I just read in the 11th Canto of the Bhāgavatam that the emptiness that people feel in the material world because they're not in contact with Kṛṣṇa is worse than death and hell. The pain of struggling through life and then dying and going to hell is not as great as the emptiness that one feels by not being connected to Kṛṣṇa. And you can directly connect to Kṛṣṇa by reading the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because that's the sound incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. So that's what Prabhupāda wanted. He wanted us to take advantage of what he painstakingly presented for 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 ------------------------------------------------------------

I started noticing at our community that there where kids, and my first notice of them would be that they would trump through the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class while we were conducting it, without a care in the world, or noticing that they were walking through a group of devotees who were hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then I started noticing that they were exceptional. Little by little, I noticed that, and I got fascinated with how they were born into families where the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, where the devotees were chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And I saw they must be some special souls. Then I started realizing more and more that they were, and then I started realizing more and more that they were one of the main pillars of the community. So I gave more and more attention to the young people, partly because they were non-judgmental, and it was really easy to be around them and have programs. And then I started doing more research about how to give more facility to young people. I wanted to know what they thought when they were growing up, and what it felt like to be an adolescent in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. In fact, I called some devotees who were already grown up, but they had been through that, like Jhanavi Harrison, that I talked to for some time, and she told me how she had met Jamunā and had been deeply inspired by her. And when she was leaving her home and driving away, she thought, "Yeah, I'm going to be a devotee." Then I got together a group of young people who were my godbrothers and godsisters who had been initiated at a young age—some of them at 12, Prabhupāda gave initiation to—and I wanted to know from them what inspired them and what was a hindrance in their progress. After some conferences, they came up with these two mantras. One of them was in the middle of this pentagon that you see there. What helped them the most was seeing peers doing great, and the thing that held them back the most, they said, was not having upward mobility they felt at the time there. There wasn't any opening for them for taking on service or management or anything like that. Then I started noticing that young people gravitated, oftentimes and in many places around ISKCON, to kīrtana. And I started some interaction with the kids, where we had not just kīrtana, but also some of the other things you see here: ślokas, śravaṇam (hearing from Prabhupāda's books), then of course kīrtanam, and then visits to the Deities' rooms, and also learning book distribution. I saw those as five points that could be really helpful, and we started several programs like Youth Jam, Śāstra Jam, Japa Jolt, and Youth Yatra. Why am I bringing this up regarding community? Because people care about their kids right? now, really say, "Yes, yeah." I mean, and when the kids are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious and well-rounded, and they actually cross that threshold where they say, "No, I want to be a devotee. It's not that I was a devotee. Now I'm growing up, and I'm going to move on and do something else." They feel part of the mission, and they start taking responsibilities like initiation and also wanting to do service. And they're really smart, too, and they bring in everybody else. They bring in the rest of the community. It enlivens them. So I made these two pentagons. One of them is a reminder that it all comes back to śravaṇam-kīrtanam. There's no point to coming together for niceties if there's no transcendental sound vibration, and the community is all based on hearing and chanting and then distributing to as many people as possible. If we have those as a center point, and if we feel that we're flagging in one way or another, we can always remember that the antidote to that is to hear and chant more and increase the transcendental sound vibration. That's helpful to know. And it's the verdict of the śāstra that that's our main process.

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.”

As a teenage art student in 1960s New York City, Srimati Syamarani Dasi became one of the first disciples of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the world-renowned founder-acharya of ISKCON. In those historical times, the ancient tradition exploded across the West and became colloquially known in popular culture as the “Hare Krishna movement.” Under Srila Prabhupada's guidance, Syamarani Didi painted some of the most recognizable illustrations in his translations and commentaries, including the Bhagavad Gita As-It-Is. This volume alone, featuring Didi's work, has been translated into more than 60 languages since 1972, sold more than 40 million copies, and has become the most popular version of the key Indian spiritual text, the Bhagavad Gita. In November 1977, Srila Prabhupada departed from the vision of the world. In 1992, Syamarani met his spiritual successor and intimate friend, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. Just before his divine departure, Srila Prabhupada had requested Srila Narayana Maharaja to continue his mission. Under the latter's tutelage, Syamarani painted one of the most iconic images in Bhakti yoga, Seva-Kunja. The painting was installed with an elaborate ceremony at the pilgrimage site of Śrī Rūpa-Sanātana Gauḍīya Maṭha in the holy city of Vrindavan, India. Syamarani Didi's artistic prowess is only matched by her profound devotion and humility. As one of the few female gurus in her lineage, she gives initiation into the chanting of the maha-mantra (“the Hare Krishna mantra”) and other spiritual and priestly rites. She also fully engages in educating students and seekers in the beautiful truths of Vedic culture. This system of ancient spiritual, philosophical, and cultural traditions is based on the sacred texts known as the Vedas, propounded in such volumes as the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. Title of Session: The Art of Spiritual Life Connect with Srimati Syamarani Dasi: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/syamaranidasi/ GET BOOK: https://theartofspirituallife.com/ #SrimatiSyamaraniDasi #BhaktiYogaConference #HarvardDivinitySchool This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

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.

Bhakti Rasamrita Swami is a sannyasi in the ISKCON tradition. He teaches the eternal message of sanatan dharma all over the world including in India, Singapore, UK, USA, Australia and Russia. He is presently one of the trustees of ISKCON India. He is a member of the Vrindavan Executive Board which oversees the management of ISKCON, Vrindavan. He has previously served as temple president of ISKCON, Chowpatty in Mumbai and ISKCON, Vrindavan. He also oversees the management of ISKCON Belgaum ( Karnataka State, India) where he is inspiring and nurturing a large community of local devotees to practise Krsna consciousness. In line with the principle of simple living and high thinking, he is actively involved in the development of a self-sufficient Vedic eco village, 40 kms from Belgaum, called “Gokul Dham” spread over 450 acres of lush green forest. Apart from regularly lecturing at a wide variety of forums in India and abroad, he also guides aspirants on the practical application of Vedic wisdom in day to day life. Title of Session: 'Krishna — the Blue Musician Who Takes Away our Blues Connect with Bhakti Rasamrita Swami: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bhaktirasamritaswami/DAILY QUOTES & CLASS UPDATES: https://linktr.ee/BRSmediaseva WHATSAPP: https://rebrand.ly/BRSWAEng TELEGRAM: https://t.me/bhaktirasamritaswami #BhaktiRasamritaSwami #BhaktiYogaConference #HarvardDivinitySchool This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

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.

 Cult survivors often have the instinct to want to save as many people as possible from the cult they survived. However, healing from the things they encountered while in the cult is often a first step before a survivor can help others escape. Cult survivors usually seek to heal with some form of therapy and move on. Nori was a member of ISKCON from 1978 to 1988. As a member of the PR office, Nori lived in a bubble with some of the cult's abuses hidden from her so she could maintain her positive opinion of the cult as part of her work. After leaving the cult, Nori learned about the abuse of women and children in the cult. The University of Illinois Press published Nori's memoir, Betrayal of the Spirit, in 1997. After that she wrote and self-published Child of the Cult and Cult Survivor's Handbook For a more detailed look at the atrocities the Hare Krishnas committed, check out the documentary Monkey on a Stick: Murder, Madness, and the Hare Krishnas. Nori Muster and Steve Gelberg are two former members interviewed in this well-done film. Join us for a fascinating discussion that includes art therapy and other expressive therapy approaches to healing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

Atreya Rishi Das (Marz Attar) Born in Iran 1942 Harvard Business School 1965 Met devotees 1968 ISKCON member 1970-1987 Former ISKCON GBC member Opened temple in Tehran, Iran Practicing Sufi Activist Dear friend Title of Session: Living the Life of Bhakti in this Domain of Separation Teachers/books recommended by Atreya Rishi Das: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Shaikh Sidi Mohammad al Jamal Rumi This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

enechi auṣadhi māyā nāśibāro lāgi' hari-nāma mahā-mantra lao tumi māgi' 4) I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this maha-mantra-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare." (excerpt from the song) ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

In the heart of Vraja, where every stone is sacred and every step a meditation, Govardhan Parikrama is more than just a ritual—it's a transformational experience. In this Wisdom of the Sages Q & A episode, Raghunath and Kaustubha explore the profound meaning of circumambulating sacred places and why yogis across generations have honored Govardhan Hill as Krishna Himself. Why do Bhakti yogis walk barefoot around Govardhan? What happens when we physically express our devotion? And how does this practice align with the deepest truths of the yoga tradition? Raghunath & Kaustubha take on these and other interesting questions.