Podcasts about prabhupada

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 129 śrī-gopa-kumāra uvāca tac chrutvā tatra gatvā taṁ mahā-puruṣam īkṣitum japaṁ kurvaṁs tapo-loke niviṣṭo 'ntaḥ-samādhinā TRANSLATION Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: Hearing this, I wanted to go to that planet and see the Mahāpuruṣa. Seated on Tapoloka, I chanted my mantra and focused my attention in samādhi.

It's such an important part of the culture, and that is that devotées are recommended. After seeing the character of a certain person as you said, then an elevated Vaiṣṇava will accept and appreciate based on that. When Prabhupāda got initiated in Allāhābād from Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur, the local devotees there recommended him to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta. Because he came there and uplifted the whole Yātrā—he was a business person—but then, when he was there, they saw he could do everything. He was expert at bhajan, harmonium, mṛdaṅga, giving class, leadership, management, everything. They recommended him. And Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta said, "Yes, I have marked him," because he had come to the Yātrā of his spiritual master. And Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta noted that he liked to hear. He said, "I've marked him that he likes to hear, and he doesn't go away." He initiated him (Prabhupada) there. Verses covered: Cc Madhya 7.65-113 https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/madhya/7/advanced-view/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #sricaitanyacaritamrita #govardhanreadings #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 119 kadācit sanakādīṁś ca dhyāna-niṣṭhā-vaśaṁ gatān vindatas tāni rūpāṇi dṛṣṭvāpnomi parāṁ mudam TRANSLATION Sometimes when Sanaka and his brothers were absorbed in meditation they would assume those forms of the Lord. Seeing this, I would relish extreme pleasure.

A devotee asked Prabhupāda, "what's the difference between mental speculation and philosophical speculation?" Prabhupada said, "If the conclusion is Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it's philosophical speculation. If it is that there is no God or Kṛṣṇa is not the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it's mental speculation." So, one of the main points here, in these three verses, is svataḥ-pramāṇa. In any philosophical system, there has to be axiomatic truth. Otherwise, you have no place to stand. If you start to solve mathematical problem—you have to solve for x. You have to have a basis to start from. Otherwise, you get infinite regress and infinite deconstruction of everything you're talking about, and you have nowhere to go except for backwards, meaning that everything is up for interpretation. There has to be a place for svataḥ-pramāṇa—it's automatically revealed, just like the sun. You don't have to speculate when the sun came out; it's obvious. And so the śāstra reveals itself, and it's considered apauruṣeya. It's the ultimate word in everything, the Vedic word. So, that's what Caitanya Mahāprabhu was pointing out. (excerpt from discussion) Verses covered: Cc Madhya 102-144 https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/madhya/6/ ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #sricaitanyacaritamrita #govardhanreadings #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

It's hard to meet a famous person, but if that famous person writes a book, you get the best of that person, and you get to sit there in the comfort of your own home and that's like, 'How am I with this person that's telling me all their secrets?' They put everything in the book, and so Prabhupāda did the same thing. He said, 'If you want to know me and everything I had to say, read my books.' And he personally told a few of us—I was there with Keśava Bhāratī Mahārāja and myself and a couple of other devotees in San Francisco circa 1974—and our temple president gave the book distribution report, and then Prabhupāda looked at us, and he said, 'You must also read my books. I have not written them just for selling. I have written them for you to become a pure devotee and go back home, back to Godhead.' Thunderbolt! So that's what we're doing, purposefully coming to 'THE' place on the planet, which our authorities say is better than Rādhākuṇḍa, in a way, because from here we're like this (folded hands) 'to Rādhākuṇḍa. We stay here at Rādhākuṇḍa with Śrī Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja and his exalted devotees, and we just hear from Prabhupāda's books, and we discuss- 'smarantaḥ smārayantaś ca, 'and from that sādhana, then comes the emergence of bhāva. It comes naturally, so that's why we are here. At least, that's my idea of it. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 108 antar bahiś ca paśyāmas taṁ samādhi-parāyaṇāḥ nāto viccheda-duḥkhaṁ syād ity agāt tatra sa prabhuḥ TRANSLATION We devotees of yoga-samādhi see Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa both within ourselves and without. And so, there being no danger of our suffering pain due to separation from the Lord, He went to Gandhamādana.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 109 loka-śikṣā-hitārthaṁ tu kurvann āste mahat tapaḥ dhanur-vidyā-gurur brahma- cāri-veśo jaṭā-dharaḥ TRANSLATION Living there as a guru in the science of weaponry, He dresses as a brahmacārī, His hair in matted locks, and performs severe austerities as an instruction for the benefit of the world.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 101 bhaktau nava-vidhāyāṁ ca mukhyaṁ smaraṇam eva hi tat samagrendriya-śreṣṭha- mano-vṛtti-samarpaṇam TRANSLATION Of the nine kinds of devotional service, remembrance is the chief. It is an offering of the activity of the mind, the most important of all the senses.

Bhūri-dā janāḥ means the most munificent, the person who is giving the best, the best giver in the world. That's what we're coming to in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because here we start with Kṛṣṇa saying in the Bhagavad Gītā, "Be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious" (Chapter 12). If you can't do that, practice thinking of Kṛṣṇa through the rules and regulations. If you can't do that, then just try to work for Kṛṣṇa. Give! If you can't give to Kṛṣṇa for some reason—and Prabhupāda gives definition to that, like your family won't let you: "I'm sorry, I can't give a check, but it has ISKCON on it. I'm toast."So then he says, "Well, just volunteer somewhere. Go and volunteer in a national park and try to do good for others. That'll raise your awareness that the more I give, the happier I become, the more fulfilled I am." That's a revelation to all living beings in the material world who are just trying to take for themselves. That's: ahastāni sahastānām apadāni catuṣ-padām phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ jīvo jīvasya jīvanam (SB 1.13.47) This statement early in the Bhāgavatam says that living beings are just trying to eat each other. Everyone's stealing everyone else's property; whatever wealth other people have, they try to siphon it off somehow. And ultimately, you know, "You've got a body, I think I'll just eat your body to stay alive." That's the material world, and it's scary, but it's the reality of the world. So then we have this flip towards the spiritual world. How does it happen? Etāvāj janma sāphalyam: You want perfection in your life? Then learn how to give everything in a way of Śreyas—of doing good for others. That's how you become happy. tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalmaṣāpaham śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmad ātataṁ bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ (SB 10.31.9) When Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this verse, He became so enlivened that He embraced Pratāparudra Mahārāja at this point, when he said this verse, and He said, "You are the most munificent. You are the most munificent," He was saying over and over again to Pratāparudra Mahārāja for reciting that verse and letting that vibration out into the world. Those who are giving Kṛṣṇa-kathā, those who are teaching others about Kṛṣṇa, they are the most munificent in the world. So this principle escalates throughout the Śrīmad-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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #prabhupadapicks #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

The best way is to, as Prabhupada said, train your eyes to spot offenses and take the ten offenses as very important. Don't take it as rote, that it's something we recite early in the morning before we start chanting. Instead, look into it and see how you can integrate those prohibitions into your lifestyle. And that's the only blockade between us and śuddha-nāma. As Bhaktivinoda points out in the Harir Nāma Cintāmaṇi, there are clouds and mist that block us from getting the full effect of the holy name. Those come in the form of aparādhas. Apa- rādha means we're not worshiping properly; we're making some offense. So, there are offenses to the holy name, offenses to devotees, and offenses in worshiping Krishna. If we study these very carefully and practice avoiding them as much as possible, then we move very quickly into the nāmābhāsa stage. In fact, just the endeavor to remove offenses means that we are in nāmābhāsa. When we're not, when we don't care for the offenses—in other words, we're not thinking about it, we're just chanting and we don't attend to the offenses, meaning we don't try to remove them, we are not vigilant—then we are a nāmāparādha. So, cultivate those and try to vigilantly avoid them. Then the holy name starts shining through much more quickly, and we can rise to the point of śuddha-nāma by that process: chanting and avoiding offenses. This is confirmed by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who says it's not just chanting Hare Krishna through which we attain perfection, but it's chanting Hare Krishna and avoiding the offenses at the same time. Of course, if one is offensive and you don't know how to avoid offenses, then the Padma Purāṇa says: nāmāparādha-yuktānāṁ nāmāny eva haranty agham aviśrānti-prayuktāni tāny evārtha-karāṇi ca Then, just chant non-stop. Don't stop chanting so that your mouth says some offensive thing. Just keep chanting and don't stop, and then you'll develop the intelligence to avoid offenses. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

In today's sanga, Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations from his recent studies.

The following is a recording of Srila Dhanurdhara Swami's Vyasa-puja address and initiation, given on Saturday, September 20, 2025.

In today's sanga, Śrīla Dhanurdhara Swami shares his realizations from his recent studies.

There is also a saying that it's impossible to understand the mindset of a pure devotee, so there is not always an exact, clear answer. And one of the ways the Bhagavatam also teaches us is because when do you ever get a completely clear answer when you're making decisions absolutely this and not that? Maybe when it's "take the Krishna consciousness," but then come all kinds of other decisions: Should I go back to school? Should I get a job and do Krishna consciousness? Should I get married, or should I just be a Brahmachari? It goes on constantly until the time of death. And at the time of death, you're thinking, "Okay, these people from Delhi say they have some new cure. Should I take it, or should I just settle into leaving my body?" And as long as we are in the material world, there's a complication. Even if you are a pure devotee, it's not always straightforward that, like, I understand how everything works, and there's some idea that there are no decisions to make, or that they're clear-cut. There's a little ambiguity involved, even for the pure devotees. Prabhupada says, "When he had taken sannyas and he was walking along in a village, he got to watch out for cows, because if you get too close, you think, 'Oh, what a nice cow,' and they swing their heads. They swing for the fences. And if there's a horn there, it can slam you." I saw it right in front of me one day. I was standing out here, and some man was, you know, like, "nicey-nicey" with the cow, and she just swung and slammed him right in the belly. He was down. They had to call the ambulance. And it happened to Prabhupada right after he took sannyas, and Prabhupada says in a lecture that he was hit by a cow like that, and that he said when he hit the footpath and he was lying there, he said, "Krishna, what is this? I just took Sannyas. Now what happened?" So, I bring that up as a point that you may say, "Okay, in the life of a pure devotee..," Prabhupada is a pure devotee, and he mentions in an assembly of devotees that "Krishna dismantled everything. He took away everything I had," and the devotees had a lighthearted response to it because they thought, "Well, what's it to you? You're a pure devotee. What do you care?" Because they only saw him as a paramahamsa in that stage of his life. But then Prabhupada retorted that, "No, when Krishna takes away everything, you become very morose." So Dhruva Maharaja is a pure devotee, but he's young. He hasn't gone through his whole life. And there are various ways in which you maneuver in the material world, even as a pure devotee. So that's part of the beauty of the Bhagavatam—that it's got nuance, it's subtle, and it's relatable also. And we can see that, yeah, pure devotees go through stuff, and when you go through something, and then you think of Dhruv Maharaja, and you think of him, "Yes, this, but then no, I shouldn't do it," then come back. Then you can understand that that's the way to make it through the world: is to constantly be coming back to the center. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------

So he (Lord Brahmā) says, "jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām." Jīvanti means "to live"—if all you do is somehow or other stay alive. Jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ, just so you can attend the Bhāgavatam class, that's all you do. What do you do? Just try to stay alive all day long so the next day I can go to the Bhāgavatam class. That's all you do. "Yeah, that's all I do." Brahma says, "That's alright, jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām," because by doing that—in whatever position you're in now—you don't have to change anything. It'll change from the inside out. "Sthāne sthitaḥ śruti-gataṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ," because if that's your dedication, just to hear about Krishna, then ajita—jito—the unconquerable Ajita, becomes conquered by that person, praṇaya-rasanayā. They begin to love Kṛṣṇa so much just by hearing about him. That was the case with Rukmiṇī Devī. She never saw Kṛṣṇa, but she wrote this letter, "yasyāṅghri-paṅkaja-rajaḥ-snapanaṁ mahānto vāñchanty umā-patir ivātma-tamo-'pahatyai yarhy ambujākṣa na labheya bhavat-prasādaṁ jahyām asūn vrata-kṛśān śata-janmabhiḥ syāt" (SB 10.52.43) She never met Kṛṣṇa, but she heard about him in the court of her father. She's a princess, so they were talking about Kṛṣṇa. It's said the more she heard about it, it was like, "That's who I'm going to marry. I'm going to marry him." And she was so determined that she wrote this note to Kṛṣṇa and sent it to him. It was like, "Look, you marry me, or I'm going to kill myself through austerities." That's what this verse says. "Yasyāṅghri-rajaḥ-snapanaṁ mahanto" says, "Great souls like Lord Shiva, they purify themselves by taking the dust of Your lotus feet and putting them on their heads." She said, "If I cannot attain your mercy, I'm going to perform such severe austerities that I'll be forced to give up my life. And then maybe, after many lifetimes of doing this, you'll give me your mercy and marry me." All she did was hear about it. And then the wives of the brāhmaṇas—all they did was hear about Kṛṣṇa from the marketplace. They went to the weekend market. What's that called? A farmers' market. They went to the farmers' market, and they were buying ingredients to assist their husbands in these yajñas. And there were some residents of Vṛndāvan there, and they were like, "Kṛṣṇa, this... Kṛṣṇa, that..."—Kṛṣṇa-kathā going on in the marketplace. They heard it. They overheard it. They discussed it. They fell in love with Kṛṣṇa, so much so that they're exalted way above their husbands. It's way above this so-called Brāhmaṇism, performing yajnas. It becomes a fact that one understands everything by Kṛṣṇa-kathā. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #prabhupadapicks #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Texts 103-105 aśeṣa-sādhanaiḥ sādhyaḥ samastārthādhikādhikaḥ yo vaśī-karaṇe gāḍho- pāyo bhagavato 'dvayaḥ tat-prasādaika-labhyo yas tad-bhaktaika-mahā-nidhiḥ vicitra-paramānanda- mādhurya-bhara-pūritaḥ mahā-nirvācya-māhātmyaḥ padārthaḥ prema-saṁjñakaḥ pariṇāma-viśeṣe hi ceto-vṛtter udeti saḥ TRANSLATION There is one goal of all disciplines, one highest attainment of all, the one potent means to bring the Supreme Lord under one's control. Only by the mercy of the Lord can it be gained. It is the rare, exclusive treasure of His devotees, a treasure rich with every sort of transcendental ecstasy and sweetness. Its wonderful glories are beyond the power to describe. That attainment is called prema. It arises from special transformations of the functions of the mind.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 100 ānandaka-svabhāvo 'pi bhakti-māhātmya-darśanāt bhaktān harṣayituṁ kuryād durghaṭaṁ ca sa īśvaraḥ TRANSLATION The Supreme Lord, by nature the bestower of ecstasy, creates such unlikely situations to delight His devotees by showing them the greatness of devotional service.

When we meditate on Kṛṣṇa, we avail ourselves to everything. As parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa, that meditation on Kṛṣṇa is not only fascinating but it is also completely satisfying. So, those who are overly attached to the material varieties for their own enjoyment can't do that- rāga .Bhaya means people become discouraged because of their experience in the material world. They have been let down one too many times in their relationships; therefore, they have fear of personal relationships. It's a psychological anomaly. And thirdly, people become angry. I met such an angry person two days ago when we went on saṅkīrtan. That was Saturday, I think. There were two young men standing near where we were distributing books. I was searching the area for somebody to talk to, and two young men were there, and one of them was decidedly angry. Krodha, that's the third anomaly: they become angry. He was a bystander; I was showing book to his friend but the bystander had a scowl on his face. When I asked about karma, 'You believe in karma?' he said he didn't believe in it. And he said, 'Because it judges people. Is this book telling what's good and bad and what's morality?' He became indignant by the fact that we were presenting something that we were calling authoritative. He was resisting that idea vehemently, so much so that I could see he was angry. When I asked him a few questions about it, he became disturbed, and he walked away. End of conversation, but I felt the anger. So these three things: rāga—attachment to the material world, which is a big mistake because we can't really experience the elements of the material world. They are only reflected on the imagery on the screen of our mind. And then we watch them and think that we're interacting with them, but it's the interaction of watching a movie screen and feeling emotion, we are not really part of that. It's illusory. And then the fear that we experience because of disappointment with personal relationships over many, many lifetimes, that's also not necessary. Krodha comes from overthinking. Too many people go off-road and try to find their own philosophy due to a sense of false ego, that they want to come up with something original. Everybody's a muni, but not a very good one, especially nowadays. And Prabhupāda, I heard him say just two days ago when I was listening to my little red box early in the morning, he was saying, 'We're safe because we don't make anything up. We just follow Kṛṣṇa.' So these three things, Kṛṣṇa says, "Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodha": you have to give up this inordinate attachment to the variety of the material world. Yeah, it's nice because it's a reflection of reality, but learn the difference: reality distinguished from illusion. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 2 Texts 98-99 parānanda-ghanaṁ śrīmat sarvendriya-guṇāñjanam nārāyaṇasya rūpaṁ tat sākṣāt sampaśyatām api madhu-kaiṭabha-mukhyānām asurāṇāṁ durātmanām na līno duṣṭa-bhāvo 'pi sarva-pīḍā-karo hi yaḥ TRANSLATION The beautiful, all-opulent form of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the concentrated essence of supreme bliss, refines the functions of all the senses. Yet demons like Madhu and Kaiṭabha, even after seeing the Lord in person, did not lose their evil disposition, distressing to all.

2025.08.17 Goloka Dhama EN

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 93 tasya kāruṇya-śaktyā vā dṛśyo 'stv api bahir-dṛśoḥ tathāpi darśanānandaḥ sva-yonau jāyate hṛdi TRANSLATION And even if by the power of His mercy He becomes visible to external eyes, the bliss that arises from seeing Him has its natural source in the heart.

We have books that have changed the world. We can name many others, but the fact is, books have been extant in human society for many years. When people decided to write, and they have been for generations—they would find any surface they could write on. In India, the chosen surface was palm leaves. Painstakingly, they would copy things onto these palm leaves using a stylus; they'd have to expose it to the sun so you get that darkened area. Isn't that beautiful handwriting? And how long would it take you to copy the Bhagavad Gita by hand? Audience: A year! That would take a while to generate enough to try to win the marathon for book distribution. So other people realized, as technology advanced, that books could be printed. The first thing was the Gutenberg Press. That's not it. There was a Gutenberg Press. A man named Gutenberg invented it to spread the Bible. You can trace Christianity and see how it expanded through the distribution of the printed book. Then came other printing presses. This one is a replica. It's a picture of the kind of printing press that Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur brought to Calcutta and kept running 24/7, along with two others. They had them lined up near the altar because he kept them near the altar to show that they were also Deities. Anybody here from Ohio? One, two. You know where these printing presses came from? Ohio is a good export state. These printing presses came from Ohio. He shipped them all the way to India. And Prabhupada had expressed to us, when he started his mission, that he was following the instruction of his spiritual master, whom he asked several times for direction about what kind of service he would like him to do. I'm wearing a wristband right now. It says, "If you ever get money, print books." Who said that? Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. And where did he say it to our founder-acharya? At Radha Kund! At that sacred place of Radha Kund, our Prabhupada had asked Srila Bhakti Siddhanta, "What can I do?" And Srila Bhakti Siddhanta said that, "I've got this big temple, the Bhagbazar marble temple, and I wish now that I could take the marble from that temple, sell it, and print some books." Then he said, "If you ever get money, print books." Prabhupada said, "I took this from his mouth that he was very fond of books." So when he began his campaign, he extended that same mood to all of us, and it remains. Now, I'm going to teach you a few points that have come by Krishna's mercy to the minds and hearts of devotees who have been distributing books for many years that will save you a lot of time and grief. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

A godbrother and friend asked me, as we sat down together for lunch one day at Govardhan Ashram. "Yes, please," I replied. He leaned toward me, placing his left hand on the floor. "Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead," he continued, 'is not only all-powerful, but he's also all-merciful." He went on, 'If he were all-powerful but not all-merciful, we'd be in trouble. And if he were all-merciful but not all-powerful, then what could he do for us?' His point was that Krishna is all-good. He wants to help us in every way, and he is the one person who can help us. "Then why isn't my life better than it is?" people often ask. Srila Prabhupada explains, 'The sun is equal toward all, and one simply has to take advantage of it. The sunshine is available, but if we close our doors and want to keep ourselves in darkness, that is our decision. Similarly, Krishna is everywhere. Krishna is for everyone, and Krishna is ready to accept us as soon as we surrender," Prabhupada wrote, 'But how can I surrender? How may I take advantage of the sunshine, and exactly what's in it for me?' are often the next questions. The answer is that chanting your daily 16 rounds of japa places you directly in the sunshine of Krishna's grace. And here is a summary list of what's in it for those who do, and it's based on the verse from the Padma Purana. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

Let the story unfold, About a swami from India, brave and bold. Seventy years young, with a mission in his soul, Prabhupada's tale, let the rhythm take control. (Verse 1) Nineteen sixty-five, a voyage on the sea, Heart attacks strikin', but his spirit runs free. Seven dollars in his pocket, that's all he had, New […] The post Song: Swami from India appeared first on Radha Krishna Temple in Utah.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 86 śrī-pippalāyana uvāca idaṁ mahat padaṁ hitvā katham anyad yiyāsasi kathaṁ vā bhramasi draṣṭuṁ dṛgbhyāṁ taṁ parameśvaram TRANSLATION Śrī Pippalāyana said: Why do you want to leave this exalted place and go somewhere else? And why are you wandering around just to see the Supreme Lord with your eyes?

“Prabhupada Picks” refers to a selection of verses from the 10th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam that Srila Prabhupada memorized himself and quoted very frequently in his teachings. List of verses: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/13/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/16/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/30/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/32/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/36/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/37/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/8/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/9/21/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/12/11/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/3/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/4/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/8/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/29/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/58/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/22/35/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/29/15/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/31/9/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/33/29/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/33/39/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/52/43/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/81/16/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/82/44/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/82/48/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/84/13/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/88/8/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/90/48/ ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 10 Chapter 30 Text 28 anayārādhito nūnaṁ bhagavān harir īśvaraḥ yan no vihāya govindaḥ prīto yām anayad rahaḥ TRANSLATION Certainly this particular gopī has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.

Nārada says, "Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ." He mentions that things come and go in this world, and we are also visited by distress, distressful situations. Yes, sometimes, he said, you didn't invite it. You didn't put anything out on the internet that said, "If anybody wants to bug me, please feel free. Here's my number. Call me any time of day or night and just try to give me grief." Did anybody do that? But still, people call you in the middle of the night and give you grief, right? Maybe innocently. They just call you to tell you about something that went wrong, and now you're accountable for it for one reason or another. So, Nārada said those things come of their own accord, and the reason they come of their own accord, he says, is "gabhīra." It's very deep. It's mixed into our experience of the material world. Because if we wrote an autobiography for the soul, that would be a nice book, right? "The Autobiography of a Soul." How many lifetimes would you have to go back to have a complete memoir of your time in the material world? It could be many creations—a creation is 311 trillion years—times who knows what? It could be thousands or millions or trillions of those. How would you trace it out? So that's why it's gabhīra, because we interact with the material world. Knowingly or unknowingly, we contact good and evil even beyond our control; therefore, it all comes out in this lifetime. So he says, just as grief visits you without you asking for it, he said, gain or happiness, it will visit you, even if you don't ask for it. He gives a comparison: you didn't ask for grief, right? How did it come to you? By the impeccable arrangement of the energy of The Lord. And how does good come to you? By the impeccable arrangement of The Lord, it comes automatically. He said, "So therefore you shouldn't spend so much time trying to hyper-arrange for your maintenance." Live a balanced life, take what you need, but don't become overheated in the process. Know that everything's coming from God, and if you know the secret of life—that the more you give, the more you grow. That's what yajna is. Yajna means you've discovered the secret of life: the more you're able to give to the Supreme, the more you gain, the more you become happy, the more you're satisfied, and have everything you need. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #prabhupadapicks #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

Our message today is that “if you can dream it, Krishna can do it.” Prabhupada was talking about the freedoms enjoyed by Narada Muni, “Every living being is anxious for full freedom because that is his transcendental nature. We, parts and parcels of God, are more than dull dead matter, we are created above time […] The post Krishna Can Make It Happen appeared first on Radha Krishna Temple in Utah.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 2 Chapter 2 Text 83 tatrāthāpy avasaṁ teṣāṁ prabhāva-bhara-darśanāt guru-vāg-gauravād dṛṣṭa- phalatvāc cātyajañ japam TRANSLATION Nonetheless, I stayed there for some time, attracted by the display of great power. Out of respect for my guru's order, and because I had seen how effective my mantra was, I kept on chanting.

For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is paraṁ padam, Vaikuṇṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step. SB 10.14.58 https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/58 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #prabhupadapicks #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

If you can get a leśa, a whiff, a molecule, something tiny, mercy from Kṛṣṇa, the smallest amount, a leśa—then you can understand everything about him. The whole process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to receive this mercy. “Prabhupada Picks” refers to a selection of verses from the 10th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam that Srila Prabhupada memorized himself and quoted very frequently in his teachings. List of verses in the description here: https://youtu.be/8teL06bAL1o Verse for discussion: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/14/29 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

Would you like to inherit the kingdom of God? Just say, "Yes." Brahmā says, there's one technique, and that is whatever happens to you in this world—and the same kinds of things happen to all of us, understand that this is the mercy of God, because this world is not for enjoyment. It's an Airbnb, it's an Uber. You don't own it. You don't get to keep it. You don't get to stay. So why are we here? It's a classroom. We're meant to learn something. And if you accept that God's creation is perfect, and the way that He interacts with His devotees is for their ultimate good, and you accept that in your life, and you tolerate whatever miseries come as the special gift of God to purify you of your last vestiges of attachment to the material world, he said, then you inherit the kingdom of God ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #prabhupadapicks #backtogodhead #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

If you hear about the bhakti process and you have access to the bhakti process, but you abandon it for some more sophisticated, complicated process, then Brahmā says, you're like somebody who goes to a grain field and you find some husks. The grain is already taken out—that's what the husk is—and then you take that home instead, and you beat it over and over again to try to get something out of it. He said, "There's nothing to get here in this world, only bhakti." ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

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When Brahmā saw this little child in Vṛndāvan playing with his friends, some of them were stealing food from one another, putting it in their mouths, taking it out, and giving it to another, like kids do sometimes, he thought, “Why is everybody making a big deal? This couldn't be the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” So he played a trick and stole the calves and cowherd boys. Kṛṣṇa re-manifested them exactly the way they were, and Brahmā became extremely bewildered and offered prayers to Kṛṣṇa. One of the first prayers, which is very famous, is: jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām (SB 10.14.3) You're going to be happy to hear this, because in this verse spoken by Lord Brahmā, he says, “Forget about trying to understand God with your intellect, completely forget.” He's the smartest person—he got 16 million on his SAT—and he said, “Forget about trying to understand God with your intellect.” Jñāne prayāsam udapāsya! 'Jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām.' Jīvanti means, “If all you do is stay alive somehow or other so you can make it to the Bhāgavatam class and hear about Kṛṣṇa, if that's all you do, “What do you do?” “I just try to stay alive.” “Why?” “Because I want to go to the class. I just want to hear about Kṛṣṇa.” 'Jīvanti san-mukharitāṁ bhavadīya-vārtām.' He said, then your life was perfect. You don't have to do anything else. And then Brahmā says: 'Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir.' This means you don't have to quit your day job. No moving to the Himalayas. "Sthāne sthitāḥ.” Sthitāḥ means, “Stay, stand, don't move. Just stay in your position and hear about Kṛṣṇa and worship that vibration with your body, mind, and words.” And then he says something remarkable and that is just by that simple process of bhakti—of hearing about Kṛṣṇa, revering the transcendental vibration, the līlā of Kṛṣṇa, the instructions of Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad Gītā— 'sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhir ye prāyaśo 'jita jito 'py asi tais tri-lokyām." Kṛṣṇa is known as ajita, which means he's unconquerable, but he becomes conquered by the love of his devotees. He's submissive to his devotees' love, and one develops this love by hearing about Kṛṣṇa from the Śrīmad 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 74 śrī-gopa-kumāra uvāca tato 'kārṣam ahaṁ citte tatrāho kīdṛśaṁ sukham īdṛśāḥ kati vānye syur eṣāṁ pūjyaś ca kīdṛśaḥ TRANSLATION Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: I then wondered, “Indeed, what kind of happiness do they enjoy on Tapoloka? How many more are there like him? And what kind of Lord do they worship?”

This is bhakti, how The Lord can become one's little child and drink breast milk from the mother. And our ācāryas say, "Yes, Nanda Mahārāja was very fortunate. He became the father of Kṛṣṇa, but Yaśodā is the most fortunate because Kṛṣṇa never left her. He was with her 24 hours a day as a child. No one was closer to Kṛṣṇa than Yaśodā." In the same section of the Bhāgavatam, we hear the admonition that was much repeated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His teachings. When He went to South India, He talked to Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa. Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa was in the Rāmānuja-sampradāya, the Śrī-Sampradāya, and they were having a discussion—Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa, the great ācārya there. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was telling him, "Actually, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you worship as Lord Nārāyaṇa." So Veṅkaṭa wanted to know, "Well, how can you say He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead?" And Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, "How is it that the consort of Lord Nārāyaṇa came to Vṛndāvana and performed severe austerities to enter into the rāsa dance?" And Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa said, "You please tell me." It's because the quality of devotion in Vṛndāvana is topmost. There is no more intimate relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees than in Śrī Vṛndāvana, and of all the devotees, Mother Yaśodā has the most intimate connection with Kṛṣṇa in His childhood. And therefore Śukadeva Gosvāmī says: "nāyaṁ sukhāpo bhagavān dehināṁ gopikā-sutaḥ jñānināṁ cātma-bhūtānāṁ yathā bhaktimatām iha (SB 10.9.21)." And this is the verse quoted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to Veṅkaṭa Bhaṭṭa from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. There are many approaches. One may try to cultivate knowledge to understand God; one may perform yoga, haṭha Yoga, aṣṭāṅga Yoga; one may be a karmī, trying to position oneself in the material world in such a way as to have the best of everything. And Śukadev says, "None of these ways will attract Kṛṣṇa. Only simple bhakti will. "Nāyaṁ sukhāpo bhagavān dehināṁ gopikā-sutaḥ jñānināṁ cātma-bhūtānāṁ yathā bhaktimatām iha." In this world, only by bhakti, following in the footsteps of the residents of Vṛndāvana,... This is later written by Rūpa Gosvāmī, the process of devotional service: "tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu- smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgī-janānugāmī kālaṁ nayed akhilaṁ ity upadeśa-sāram (NOI 8)." He said, "This is the essence of all advice. One should take to the practice of hearing, chanting, and remembering, etc. Śravaṇam, kīrtanaṁ Viṣṇu, smaraṇaṁ, pāda-sevanaṁ, arcanaṁ, vandanaṁ, dāsyaṁ, sakhyaṁ, ātma-nivedanam —the nine processes of devotional service continuously. Then one will come to appreciate the devotional service of the residents of Vṛndāvana." And when one develops this appreciation for the devotion of the devotees in Vṛndāvana, one may become intrigued by that. This is the beginning of one's relationship with Kṛṣṇa in a particular mood. This cannot be artificially stimulated. It comes only by copious hearing over many lifetimes to come to this position of bhakti. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 the spiritual world, this is the norm: that every gait is a dance, every word is a song. So the spiritual world is not void, and Kṛṣṇa is not alone, but the spiritual world is where all the living entities who are enlightened and in love with Kṛṣṇa reside. The material world is a little lonely because we are separated from the light of the spiritual worlds and from Kṛṣṇa. So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam brings our attention to the portals through which we can see the spiritual world and understand it. It's not illogical. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa says, "ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit," that this material world is a reflection of the spiritual world. We see variety here, but the variety here is temporary. It has a shelf life. Whatever we want to embrace here, whatever we want to taste here, has a beginning and an end. It's a temporary world because it's a reflection of the spiritual world. So the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says that the mission of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is "reality distinguished from illusion for the benefit of all." If I try to embrace an illusory apple, a reflection on the water, this is folly; I won't be able to eat it. But the substance is there in the spiritual world. So Brahmā gives this explanation of how one can see Kṛṣṇa. He says, "Although Kṛṣṇa is transcendental form is presented as black." Devotees who are in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead appreciate the Lord as Śyāmasundara, having a very beautiful, blackish form. The Lord's form is so beautiful that the Brahma-saṁhitā also states, "veṇuṁ kvaṇantam aravinda-dalāyatākṣaṁ barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam / kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ / govindam ādipuruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi... I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord who plays on His transcendental flute. His eyes are like lotus flowers. He is decorated with peacock plumes, and his bodily color resembles the color of a fresh black cloud. Although his bodily features are more beautiful than millions of Cupids, this beauty of the Supreme Lord can be seen by devotees who are in love with him, devotees whose eyes are anointed with the love of Godhead: 'Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena.' ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #prabhupadapicks #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

'Mahāt' means those who are great souls. They are perfectly situated, and kṛtena means they devise a method to live in this world and at the same time, practice spiritual life. They do it for themselves, but they also leave behind them the process so that everyone can take it up. For instance, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is The Supreme Personality of God. He appeared 500 years ago, and had many disciples. They listened to everything Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, and then they codified it. They wrote it down in books like Śrī Upadeśāmṛta, which is the primer for bhakti yoga, written by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. I was in the San Francisco Airport some time back; the airport had given me a space to distribute books from. One of the books I had in ample quantity was the Upadeśāmṛta, so I used to distribute it a lot at the airport. It was in Terminal Two, which used to be the International Terminal at San Francisco Airport. Any airport in America—I'll tell you anything about it. I grew up in one. And they gave us what used to be an insurance counter. It was a round, actually octagonal, booth. They used to sell flight insurance there, but then they got a machine that replaced the people who worked there. So they gave us the booth and said, "If you would like to sell your books, you can use this booth." So I used to stand behind that booth, and people would come over asking for directions. I would give them directions to their flight, and then I would give them directions to the spiritual world. And I particularly remember one day I met a young man from Taiwan, a student who had finished his education here. He was on his way home, and I told him about the Upadeśāmṛta and how it was written 500 years ago by a great saint named Rūpa Gosvāmī. I said, "There are instructions here for life, how you can make spiritual progress." He said, "Oh, very nice. I'd like it." He offered a donation so we could print more books. He opened his carry-on bag, which had a zipper on top. He put the book in and zipped it closed. I watched him as he walked toward his gate, and I was thinking, "I wonder if Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī envisioned this 500 years ago, that there would be airports, or that this young man from Taiwan, so far from Bhāratavarṣa, would somehow meet another young man (I was young at that time) from California, and we would have an interaction where I'd give him a book written 500 years ago by a saint named Rūpa Gosvāmī, who wrote the book in Vṛndāvana at a place called Ter Kadamba? And he would take it home to Taiwan and read those instructions. “Prabhupada Picks” refers to a selection of verses from the 10th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam that Srila Prabhupada memorized himself and quoted very frequently in his teachings. List of verses are in the description here: https://youtu.be/8teL06bAL1o Verse for discussion: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/30 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

'Mahāt' means those who are great souls. They are perfectly situated, and kṛtena means they devise a method to live in this world and at the same time, practice spiritual life. They do it for themselves, but they also leave behind them the process so that everyone can take it up. For instance, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is The Supreme Personality of God. He appeared 500 years ago, and had many disciples. They listened to everything Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, and then they codified it. They wrote it down in books like Śrī Upadeśāmṛta, which is the primer for bhakti yoga, written by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. I was in the San Francisco Airport some time back; the airport had given me a space to distribute books from. One of the books I had in ample quantity was the Upadeśāmṛta, so I used to distribute it a lot at the airport. It was in Terminal Two, which used to be the International Terminal at San Francisco Airport. Any airport in America—I'll tell you anything about it. I grew up in one. And they gave us what used to be an insurance counter. It was a round, actually octagonal, booth. They used to sell flight insurance there, but then they got a machine that replaced the people who worked there. So they gave us the booth and said, "If you would like to sell your books, you can use this booth." So I used to stand behind that booth, and people would come over asking for directions. I would give them directions to their flight, and then I would give them directions to the spiritual world. And I particularly remember one day I met a young man from Taiwan, a student who had finished his education here. He was on his way home, and I told him about the Upadeśāmṛta and how it was written 500 years ago by a great saint named Rūpa Gosvāmī. I said, "There are instructions here for life, how you can make spiritual progress." He said, "Oh, very nice. I'd like it." He offered a donation so we could print more books. He opened his carry-on bag, which had a zipper on top. He put the book in and zipped it closed. I watched him as he walked toward his gate, and I was thinking, "I wonder if Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī envisioned this 500 years ago, that there would be airports, or that this young man from Taiwan, so far from Bhāratavarṣa, would somehow meet another young man (I was young at that time) from California, and we would have an interaction where I'd give him a book written 500 years ago by a saint named Rūpa Gosvāmī, who wrote the book in Vṛndāvana at a place called Ter Kadamba? And he would take it home to Taiwan and read those instructions. “Prabhupada Picks” refers to a selection of verses from the 10th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam that Srila Prabhupada memorized himself and quoted very frequently in his teachings. List of verses are in the description here: https://youtu.be/8teL06bAL1o Verse for discussion: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/2/30 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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

How would you feel if you were cursed to die in seven days? Not very good. But Parīkṣit Mahārāj said, ‘Let the snake-bird, or whatever magical creature this boy has conjured, bite me at once. All I want is to go on hearing the transcendental vibration about Kṛṣṇa.' He wasn't disturbed by it. In fact, there's a list of symptoms given in the Madhya-līlā of the Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta, which is the teachings and pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That's another book besides the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. It's a must-have, by the way. And within that, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches Sanātana Gosvāmī the tenets of bhakti-yoga. In one section, he describes what symptoms one would have when one becomes spiritually advanced. He gives Parīkṣit Mahārāj as an example of a highly advanced person. The first symptom of the heart being spiritually enlivened, otherwise known as bhāva, is that he didn't mind being cursed. It was called kṣāntir, a kind of immediate forgiveness of the situation. He said, ‘You're cursed.' A little boy cursed you, and it's effective. So it's coming. There's a snake-bird coming for you. And he said, ‘Let it come. It's the arrangement of the Lord.' In fact, his opinion was that this is Kṛṣṇa's arrangement for me. He said, "I was a king. I was so attached to all my things. How else would I have given them up? But now I have an excuse. A perfect excuse." Who else got an excuse in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam to walk out on his family? Vidura. Vidura was not cursed, but he was insulted severely by Duryodhana. You remember this? Vidura was trying to stand up for the Pāṇḍavas, and Duryodhana said, ‘Who is this guy, anyway? He's not even full-blooded, part of our family. He's a mutt. Get him out of here! I'll beat him up! I'll beat him out of here!' In that very moment, Vidura felt, ‘This is Kṛṣṇa's opening for me to go out and just be absorbed and go on pilgrimage.' This is what you do when nothing else works out. You just go to the Dhām. He went on pilgrimage for many years. He walked outside that palace, laid down his bow and arrow right on the doorstep, and then he was unrecognizable after that. No one could tell where he was, or they couldn't see him anymore. So, the times in which we're tested most deeply in this world are the times when we can understand, 'How spiritually advanced am I?' One of the first symptoms is called kṣāntir. It means the heart is forgiving. It's like, 'Okay, it's Kṛṣṇa's arrangement.' This is embodied in one of the most famous verses that we're going to visit today, in the 14th chapter of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. “Prabhupada Picks” refers to a selection of verses from the 10th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam that Srila Prabhupada memorized himself and quoted very frequently in his teachings. List of verses are in the description here: https://youtu.be/8teL06bAL1o Verse for discussion: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/16 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 2 Text 67 vihāya yajña-karmāṇi bhaktyotthāya maharṣibhiḥ praṇamya dhyāna-niṣṭho 'sau yajñeśvara-vad arcitaḥ TRANSLATION The great sages put aside their sacrificial rituals, stood up with devotion, bowed down to the boy, who was absorbed in meditation, and worshiped him as if he were the Lord of sacrifice Himself.

“Prabhupada Picks” refers to a selection of verses from the 10th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam that Srila Prabhupada memorized himself and quoted very frequently in his teachings. List of verses are in the description here: https://youtu.be/8teL06bAL1o Verse for discussion: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/13 ------------------------------------------------------------ My friend, Dave Dibberne, I forget which birthday it was. He was so fanatical about music that for his birthday he asked for a particular record. Unfortunately, he asked everybody for it. Kids, in the old days, there used to be records. There were no computers, live streams, or anything like that. You would get a vinyl disc, this big. It was called a 45. It had to play on a turntable, just bringing it up to speed. It's a physical object. It had two songs, one on each side. That's all you got. It cost a couple of dollars, and that was a lot of money back then. He got the same song from seven people. It was called “Monday, Monday.” He tried to listen as much as he could, but after a while, he just got really tired of it, and he didn't like the song anymore. He wished he had asked for something else. And that's what happens in the material world. Everyone wishes they asked for something else after a while, because whatever we get here, it gets old, fast or slow. Either way, it runs out. We run out of thirst for it. But spiritual thirst, you can go on drinking. You can go on hearing that is over and over again, and it never gets old. No one's ever complained that the Bhagavad Gita is boring because every time you hear it, it has new meaning. Srimad Bhagavatam is something you can embark upon for your lifetime. This lifetime, if you would like, you can volunteer today. We're going to put it out there on the table, to read and dedicate the rest of your life to hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam. Get a PhD in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Am I making sense? And I guarantee you won't come to the end of it, even if you spend the rest of your life studying the Srimad Bhagavatam very deeply every day with full concentration, you will have bouts of ecstasy in reading The Bhagavatam, listening to the verses, the poem, the poetics of it, and also the very contact with the sound vibration will enliven you. This is the beautiful statement of Srila Prabhupada that: "The entire world is suffering because of spiritual thirst." And so you can make it your mission if you want to do something good for people — to help quench their thirst spiritually. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this sacred day of your divine appearance, I offer my humble obeisances again and again at your lotus feet. I pray for the humility to accept correction, the zeal to share Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and the patience to serve others in their spiritual journey. May I always remember that devotional service is about service, not status. Please bless me to purify my heart, to improve my chanting, and to remain forever protected at your lotus feet. My beloved Gurudev, everything meaningful in my life comes from you. Without your guidance, I would be lost in the waves of material desire, but by your mercy, I have found purpose, hope, and joy in serving Kṛṣṇa and his devotees. On this day of Vyāsa Pūjā, I renew my dedication to your mission. I pray that your books illuminate every home, that The Holy Name echoes in every heart, and that your movement thrives forever. May my life, every thought, word, and action, be a token of gratitude to you. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, all glories to your ISKCON, and all glories to The Holy Name. ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #vyasapuja #srilaprabhupada #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

Verse for discussion: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/10/1/4 So, my point was, when they (western devotees) went back to India, there was an inordinate response. People came running out. Where was it? In Gujarat? Audience:Surat. Surat, most pious place on Earth. What can you expect? But they went there, they're having a kīrtan down the road. People came running out. They were grabbing the dirt on the road where the devotees had performed kīrtan and smearing it on their bodies. And the devotees were shocked actually, like, "Hey, we're just mleccha-yavanas and whatnots," as Prabhupāda says. "And why are they doing this?" Prabhupāda said later, "Because you follow four regulative principles and chant 16 rounds." He said, "You'll be famous all over the world." And so, you know, it's not a cheap thing: 'nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād.' What do you have to do for this? Just die to the material world. Just give up everything, that's all. Just have no other interest except for Kṛṣṇa. Then you'll be fine. "Sure, no problem." But those who do that and then represent in a straightforward way what has already been presented... Prabhupāda gives a clear definition of that in the first canto, fourth chapter, first paragraph describing what it means to represent. He says, "You should not try to screw out any new meaning from what the previous ācāryas have said. Don't try to be a Muni and say, 'I have a different idea.'" Same thing, but he said, "You should adjust the language to accommodate the local people, the local vernacular, how they can understand, build context. Say it in your own language, but say the exact same thing." Prabhupāda said, "That is what is known as realization," and that's the great need. Notice that Prabhupāda uses words in his commentaries like "Superspirit," "Supersoul." Where do these things come from? Prabhupāda's realization of how to present to a world population so that they can accommodate the concepts and the language and so forth. Straightforward, but in a way that people in a context, they can understand it. Date: 16 Aug 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #spiritualawakening #soul #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

And the second verse—one of the two Prabhupāda's most-quoted verses, there are only two out of that whole chapter (SB 10.33: The Rasa Lila) —is: "vikrīḍitaṁ vraja-vadhūbhir idaṁ ca viṣṇoḥ śraddhānvito 'nuśṛṇuyād atha varṇayed yaḥ bhaktiṁ parāṁ bhagavati pratilabhya kāmaṁ hṛd-rogam āśv apahinoty acireṇa dhīraḥ (SB 10.33.39)." The topics of Kṛṣṇa, especially His consorting with the gopīs of Vṛndāvan, have so much spiritual potency that, śraddhānvito 'nuśṛṇuyād, if somebody faithfully hears them, if they have the context and they understand the other verse, then, such a person very quickly, acireṇa dhīraḥ, that person becomes dhīra. He's not affected by the material world anymore, which is interesting because it's a love story. But by hearing that story, one becomes immune to the so-called "love story" of the material world that everyone is affected by. Everyone is overtaken by Cupid in the material world; nobody can get out of it. It's too powerful. But the potency of Kṛṣṇa kathā is such that if one hears that and understands Kṛṣṇa's position—"dharma-vyatikramo dṛṣṭa īśvarāṇāṁ ca sāhasam"—He's an Īśvara. He's like fire; he can't be contaminated. So, what is taking place there? If one could understand that topic, then 'acireṇa dhīra,' very quickly, one becomes sober and not affected by the material world. What to speak of, 'bhaktim, Param Bhagavati, pratilabhya kama,' he attains the highest level of bhakti and overcomes the "dread disease of the heart," which is Kāma, the lust of the material world. What do you think? Audience: That's very powerful. It's very interesting because if you look at the selected verses throughout the 10th Canto, you can gain something by seeing which ones Prabhupada quoted the most and which topic he was on, what was his thread when you go through. But I just noted that those are the two from the Rasalīlā chapter. He could have quoted something more rasika on a regular basis, but he gave these verses that give context so that one could enter into them properly. Any other realizations or thoughts? ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------ #japawalk #spirituallessons #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

Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have shown us the real wealth of life: the joy of cooperating together in devotional service to a pure devotee. You have given us the ultimate formula for fulfillment—not tit-for-tat exchanges or transactional relationships, but the mood of selfless giving, free from ego and ambition. You taught us that cooperation among devotees is not merely a strategy for organizational success; it is the very symptom of spiritual advancement. In a world torn by division, the ability of devotees to serve together in harmony is nothing short of miraculous. At ISKCON of Silicon Valley, we witness this miracle every day. Devotees come together not only to distribute your books, but to cook and serve prasādam with devotion, to dress and worship The Deities with care and attention, to clean the temple joyfully as an offering to you, to chant the holy names together, to teach and nurture the children of our community in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and to give newcomers a chance to catch hold of your mood and method of serving Kṛṣṇa. Each of these services is powerful on its own, but when we perform them without a sense of entitlement or desire for recognition but rather, when we execute them in the mood of cooperation for the sake of maintaining unity and purity of purpose in service to your mission—they become transcendental expressions of love. Obstacles dissolve, spiritual joy increases, and the power of sādhu-saṅga becomes tangible. In a letter to Gurukula teachers, you wrote, "We are persons and Kṛṣṇa is a person, and our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is always open as a voluntary agreement. That voluntary attitude, 'Yes, Kṛṣṇa, I shall gladly cooperate, whatever You say,' that ready willingness to obey is only possible if there is love. Forcing will not make me agree. But if there is love, oh, I shall gladly do it. That is bhakti. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness." A medicine tablet, which contains fillers, is effective only because it contains an active ingredient. The active ingredient of your movement is voluntary service based on love, stimulated by loving exchanges in the process of hearing and chanting about Kṛṣṇa. In you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we find no filler. Even a small dose of your vāṇī therefore can cure the disease of material life. You have given us the most precious gift: the knowledge that real happiness comes not from consumption but from contribution, not from income but from surrender, not from being served but from serving. That clarity of purpose—śuddha-bhakti—shines like a jewel amid the refuse like distractions, and entanglements of this world. And it is this essence that unites and inspires our community at ISKCON of Silicon Valley to continue your mission with enthusiasm and conviction. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we pray to imbibe even a fraction of your selfless spirit. Please bless us with the humility to put service before recognition, to put unity before individual ambition, and to put your pleasure before our own comforts. Let ISKCON of Silicon Valley always remain a beacon of cooperation in your service, a family that mirrors the miracle you began. Link to the entire festival: https://youtube.com/live/s6rAQPwDWdE?feature=share ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------

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When one becomes completely purified, one no longer identifies with the material body, what's more, the ways in which we're attracted to the material world become completely superfluous to us. So in essence, the subtle body and all its predispositions towards the world, it's more that we become uninterested in them, and that we're not pushed by them anymore. Karma really means that what we've done in the past is pushing us forward right now in a certain way, like there's choices. We may say we have free choice, but then, because of our past activities, although we have two choices, we pick the wrong thing because of what we did in the past. And when we're purified of that impulse that pushes in a certain way, we're freer to make better choices, and one becomes freed from the influence of the subtle body that impels one to make predictable choices, predictable because one's conditioned by the modes in nature. When you're non conditioned, you're free to not engage according to the impulses of the subtle body anymore. So karma gradually gets diminished, and that's what this verse is talking about, the impulse to again and again act in the material world, and you feel as if you're pushed into it, even if you don't want it. And you say, I thought I gave that up. And it comes back again that the very source of that impulse becomes neutralized by the power of devotional service, and then one's not obligated to take another material body. There is a time at which karma stops. So when you leave this material body for the last time, when you're no longer engaged in karma in your mind or compelled or impelled by it, your only attraction is to devotional service then you don't get a material body again, forest fire is put out, and you get a spiritual body. One of the very practical ways is to say that sounds unattainable, but if you become engaged in devotional service in such a way that you don't want to do anything else, nor do you have time for anything else. Often times, when devotees are doing devotional service, they're thinking, I wish I could do more, but I'm limited by my material body. Have you ever felt like that? I want to do more service, but I have to take rest now. I read a letter just the other day Prabhupada wrote. He said, "I want to spend more time writing my books but I also have to manage the movement." And He said in the letter, "Sometimes I have to sleep four hours a night, and I have to use that time." When you have this kind of inclination that you're so eager to do devotional service, then what is the accommodation for that in your next life? Well, there's only one way to keep doing devotional service without being interrupted, and that's get a spiritual body, so that gets accommodated. And that subtle body that was impelling you to keep working in the material world, it's no longer there, it's no longer effective, it becomes neutralized. Verse For discussion: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/25/33 ------------------------------------------------------------ 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 #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose