State of today's religion

The common and prevalent understanding is that religion is the cause of wars, bigotry and sectarianism. Therefore religion is not discussed in a public forum. Actually, people in general think God and religion is primitive especially in view of modern science. But this sort of awareness amongst people exist because religious leaders and their followers have made religion on the physical and mundane platform without any knowledge of the identity of God. What we see today as religion is simply another form of materialism. Real religion is something else. Below are some thoughts by Srila Prabhupada on this point. 

Real religion should be taken. Simply because religion has not been properly executed by the so-called priests, that does not mean religion should be rejected. If my eye is giving me some kind of trouble on account of a cataract, that doesn’t mean my eye should be plucked out. The cataract should be removed. So that is the idea of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement – to remove the cataract from people’s religious vision. Generally, modern so-called religious leaders have no conception of God, and yet they are preaching religion. What good is that religion? People are simply being misled. Real religion means God’s order: dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam [SB 6.3.19]. If your religion has no conception of God, where is the question of religion? Still, without any conception of God, they are professing some religion. How long will it go on artificially? It will deteriorate. That ignorance about God has resulted in the present condition.

Real religion is the source of true happiness and as humans we have the ability to understand God who is all-pervading, within and without. We should not waste this opportunity of human existence!

Hare Krishna

Words of encouragement

Today is HH Radhanath Swami Maharaja's birthday so I would like to copy his words to his disciples in Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, something for all of us to meditate upon.

Hare Krishna

To the Worshipable Devotees of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Brahmacari Ashram and Congregation, 
Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I am very grateful to receive the very kind letters, which many of you have sent to me. Thank you very much. I have been traveling quite extensively. At present I am at Purandara Misra Prabhu's home near Viareggio in Italy. Last night we had a program on a high mountain in a dense forest of olive trees. We were gathered amidst large ancient rocks and beautiful caves. I was very much remembering Gahvarvan in Vrajadham. In that natural, austere atmosphere everyone was very pleased to worship Sri Radha Vrajasundara by hearing Their glories and chanting Their Sacred names. 

I cannot properly express to you the major impact that all of you are having on thousands of peoples lives all over the world. It is certainly difficult to believe how Srila Prabhupada is allowing you to be so very instrumental in inspiring faith and hope in devotees hearts. I beg of you, be very careful to protect the sacred service, which you are being blessed with. Please remain humble and united under all circumstances. Kali will present every possible reason for you to disagree and feel enmity for each other. We must take shelter of the higher principle of bhakti. The root cause of all of our problems is that we want to be the enjoyer. We must humbly surrender to the precious jewel that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has blessed us with. The divine consciousness of being the sincere servant of the servant of the servant. 

While performing japa, bhajan and kirtan strive to be enthusiastic and attentive. Carefully guard against the ten offences. They are like highway robbers always waiting to plunder you of all the fruits of your devotional service. Seek shelter of the Holy Names from the core of your hearts. Desperately beg for humility, honesty and a deep desire for pure bhakti. Continuously, allow the nectarean Ganga of the Holy Name to wash away all sins and water the seed of Divine Love. May your sincere chanting of the Maha Mantra attract the most precious mercy of Sri Radharani. Hari Katha will nourish your heart with the unlimited mercy of Sri Guru and Gauranga. Each day bathe your consciousness in Srila Prabhupada’s books and our Vaisnava Sastras. Earnestly pray for genuine eagerness to hear and chant the divine messages of our Worshipable Parampara. Absorb your consciousness for Krishna's pleasure in everything you do at every moment of your lives. Be enthusiastic to perform each and every service you are given with sincere gratitude. 

Complaining is the pastime of the mind immersed in petty selfishness. Meditate upon the humility of our beloved Acaryas. Although they are eternally immersed in the sweetest rasas of Vrindaban’s Lila, they consider themselves lower than the worm in stool, paying their heartfelt dandavats to every devotee, feeling themselves to be the most fallen, praying with the heart of an insignificant beggar. Without sincerely striving to imbibe this sacred mood of humility, our knowledge will remain theoretical and will expect to be worshipped while seated on the ornamented throne of the material intelligence. 

Please, never forget the infinite causeless mercy that Srila Prabhupada has bestowed upon you. He is your eternal well wisher. His mercy is all that we are made of. As the preeminent Guru of your life, Srila Prabhupada is eager to shower His Divine Grace upon you. Always remain faithful to his Divine Mission. Never lend your ears to those who try to delude you by the propaganda that they possess the key to something higher. Dance and chant together in great joy. Study together. Preach together. Honor prasadam together. Worship the mood of being a servant and see all others as your master. Honor all vaisnavas and vaisnavis with great care and from the heart. 

In a hundred year old building in Chowpatty, Bombay, Srila Prabhupada is miraculously revealing the transcendental abode of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath. Please, remain united, faithful, humble and pure. Throughout the world; many are depending upon you. With whatever insignificant sincerity I have, I place my lowly head at your holy feet and beg you to take these words as your life and soul. I pray that Sri Sri Radha Gopinath may forever bless you with Their causeless mercy. I hope this letter meets you in the best of health. 

Your servant, 
Radhanath Swami

Purushottama - The Supreme Person

I have copied verses from the Bhagavad Gita that categorically claim Krishna as the Supreme Perso. Any doubt that may arise in the mind's of people as to what the Bhagavad Gita represents, these verses should quell that doubt.

In my knowledge, there is absolutely no scripture (west or east) existing in this world that can counter these emphatic statements of Krishna. Yet, people says there is no God or searching after God or Krishna is a Hindu God. No where Krishna (you will see in these verses) that Krishna says He is for the Indians or Hindus. He categorically claims His supreme dominion of all that be.

Unless one is biased or dull or stubborn, he or she cannot deny that Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth.

The following verses are spoken by Krishna;

Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all sentient beings, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form. – 4.6

The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries. – 5.29

A true yogi observes Me in all beings, and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere. – 6.29

The yogi who knows that I (Krishna) and the Supersoul within all creatures are one worships Me and remains always in Me in all circumstances. – 6.31

Of all that is material and all that is spiritual in this world, know for certain that I am both its origin and dissolution. O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread. I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man. I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics. O son of Prtha, know that I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men. - 7.6-10

O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows. – 7.26

Those who know Me as the Supreme Lord, as the governing principle of the material manifestation, who know Me as the one underlying all the demigods and as the one sustaining all sacrifices, can, with steadfast mind, understand and know Me even at the time of death. – 7.30

By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them. And yet everything that is created does not rest in Me. Behold My mystic opulence! Although I am the maintainer of all living entities, and although I am everywhere, still My Self is the very source of creation. As the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, always rests in ethereal space know that in the same manner all beings rest in Me. – 9.4-6

The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated at the end. – 9.8

This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kunti, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again. Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be. – 9.10-11

I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support, and the grandsire. I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed. O Arjuna, I control heat, the rain and the drought. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both being and nonbeing are in Me. – 9.17-19

I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts. – 10.8

I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all creatures. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings. – 10.20

Of all creations I am the beginning and the end and also the middle, O Arjuna.– 10.32

Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being-moving or unmoving-that can exist without Me. – 10.39

But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe. – 10.42

The Blessed Lord said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. – 11.32

It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father. – 14.4

And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness, and which is immortal, imperishable and eternal. – 14.27

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind. – 15.7

The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me. I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables. I am the fire of digestion in every living body, and I am the air of life, outgoing and incoming, by which I digest the four kinds of foodstuff. I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I am to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas. – 15.12-14

Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person. Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is to be understood as the knower of everything, and he therefore engages himself in full devotional service, O son of Bharata – 15.18-19

The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.- 18.61

The following verses are spoken by Arjuna;

You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. 10-12-13

Indeed, You alone know Yourself by Your own potencies, O origin of all, Lord of all beings, God of gods, O Supreme Person, Lord of the universe! – 10.15

O great one, who stands above even Brahma, You are the original master. Why should they not offer their homage up to You, O limitless one? O refuge of the universe, You are the invincible source, the cause of all causes, transcendental to this material manifestation. – 11.37

You are the original Personality, the Godhead. You are the only sanctuary of this manifested cosmic world. You know everything, and You are all that is knowable. You are above the material modes. O limitless form! This whole cosmic manifestation is pervaded by You! You are air, fire, water, and You are the moon! You are the supreme controller and the grandfather. Thus I offer my respectful obeisances unto You a thousand times, and again and yet again! Obeisances from the front, from behind and from all sides! O unbounded power, You are the master of limitless, might! You are all-pervading, and thus You are everything! - 11.37-40

You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, the worshipable chief, the spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. Within the three worlds, You are immeasurable. You are the Supreme Lord, to be worshiped by every living being. Thus I fall down to offer You my respects and ask Your mercy.– 11.43-44

After reading this, with a focused mind and heart filled with gratitude, let us do what Krishna asks from us;

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear. – 18.66

Hare Krishna

ISKCON has to be a friendly movement

I am copying Maharaj words.

(HH.Kadamba Kanana Swami, 18 October 2017, Melbourne, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 4.3.17)

ISKCON has to be a very friendly movement. A very accommodating movement that is ready to give everyone a chance; ready to not find fault in others. To not find fault in others is hard. We may catch someone lying and say, “He is a liar! Shame! This person needs to be rejected!” Well, have we ever lied? Never, ever? That is a lie! So yes, even if we catch someone lying, it does not mean that that person has some weakness. It does not mean that we can say, “This person is a write-off! I do not want to deal with such people!” Because then, we cannot deal with ourselves either. We are all fallen. We are all simply here by the mercy of great devotees and by the mercy of Lord Krsna.

But then, “How do you correct someone?”

Chanakya Pandit has mentioned that you cannot correct anyone unless you are in a senior position to that person. And even when you are in a senior position to that person, you cannot correct them unless you have a heartfelt friendship with them. If you are not senior and do not have a heartfelt relationship, then you do not correct them. Instead, you go to someone who has that relationship and say, “Well, these things are going on. I do not know what to do, but if you think something should be done…  I just want you to know.” That is all!

It is not that we go around, “That is not really right, Prabhuji. That is not our standard… That is very offensive!” Through this, we just create a movement that nobody wants to be a part of it for a long time. If it is fine to tell everyone off then we cannot live in such a movement for a long time.

We need a movement which is based on deep friendship and deep appreciation. We do not need a boarding school. If we create a movement which is like a boarding school where everyone is looking at everyone else like, “Prabhuji, are you doing this correctly? That should go over there!” Then, in one’s mind, one may start to think, “I want to break loose. I want to run free. I want to go.”  

We become split personalities in such an environment. We have a façade and the façade is all external rules, regulations and standards. And behind the closed curtains, the real self comes out. No, we do not want that. We want a very mature movement. A movement with deep friendships amongst everyone. And then, we help each other and we realise, “Today I help you and tomorrow you help me.”

Hare Krishna

Who is awarded the title Mahā-Bhāgavata

alabdhe vā vinaṣṭe vā
bhakṣyācchādana-sādhane
aviklava-matir bhūtvā
harim eva dhiyā smaret

Even if a devotee is frustrated in his attempt to eat properly or clothe himself properly, he should not allow this material failure to disturb his mind; rather, he should use his intelligence to remember his master, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus remain undisturbed. - Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.114). As one becomes mature in this process of remembering Kṛṣṇa in all circumstances, he is awarded the title Mahā-Bhāgavata. - SB 11.2.49 Purport

Certainly not easy in this day and age!

Hare Krishna

The esoteric meaning of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra

Why did Chaitanya Mahaprabhu choose this Hare Krsna mahamantra? And the reason is very important and if you understand  this you will have very deep appreciation for maha mantra.You see according to the shastra there is a rule, that when something is presented in an indirect way, it  actually  has more intimacy and sweetness than when you do it in a direct way. Rama means one whose life is utterly surrendered to giving pleasure to his divine pleasure potency Srimati Radharani. That is the meaning of Rama as lord Chaitanya chanted it. Shyama means Krsna who has a beautiful blackish complexion. And Hare comes from the word Hara which comes from the word Harana which means one who steals.

Srila Rupa goswami, Srila Raghunatha das Goswami and lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu explained this word harana means that it is Sri Radharani who steals the heart of Krsna. And Hare is the calling out of Radharani who has that devotional power to steal the heart of Krsna and Krsna is that one who steals the heart of all living beings. So when we are calling out the name Hare, we are praying to the divine mother, the supreme reservoir of all bhakti, and when she favors us ,the Goswamis explain when she favors us then  because she steals the heart of Krsna, Prabhupada said when she says "Krsna look at what a nice devotee this person is", then Radha and Krsna  they steal our heart.

- H.H.Radhanath Swami

In Jesus we believe...

In Jesus, we see a lot of Vaishnava teachings as given by Krishna and great acharyas. Below are some of the sayings that I know from Jesus that align with the teachings of Srimad Bhagavatam.

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments
• Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name
• Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
• So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
• Be in the world, but not of the world
• No one can serve two masters (referring to God and materialism)
• So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God
• Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy.
• Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
• Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
• Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
• Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

All glories to Jesus Christ!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krishna

Adhokshaja

I like this description, Such clarity!

In his Sat Sandarba, Srila Jiva Goswami defines adhokshaja like this: The Godhead,Krishna,is He who has reserved the absolute right not to expose Himself to mundane human senses. Adhokshaja refers to that which cannot be measured by one's material senses. When that transcendental knowledge reveals itself to our service-inclined senses, only then will we realize it; otherwise, even the best students in the world cannot even partially know the science of Krishna. That science cannot be learned through sadhana, by the best forms of intelligence, or the best powers of deliberation.

Despite this, many people rush to discuss it with an enjoying spirit, considering it a mundane philosophy or text. The Absolute Truth is never revealed to such people. We cannot measure objects of the fourth or fifth dimension with our present material sense devises. Being unable to do so, we often heave a sigh of relief with phrases like "To the infinity." Vaikuntha, or the transcendental object, is of the fourth dimension. Because we are unable to perceive Him, we want to turn Him into something "impersonal." But the transcendental Absolute Truth is never impersonal.

- by His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Takur Prabhupada, Sarasvati Samlapa, page 77

Hare Krishna

Give her a garland!

One time Jadurani painted a picture of Krishna/ Radha Krishna, and Radharani is holding a garland for Krishna and Krishna is playing his flute, but when Prabhupada saw the picture, he saw that Radharani is not looking towards Krishna. So Prabhupada said what is this? he said, 'it looks like Radharani is looking for another boyfriend?.

But seriously you know, Prabhupada was like criticizing this picture, that, this is not correct. And of course she worked hard on this picture and she was crushed, you know, I did all this to please Prabhupada and Prabhupada is rejecting it. When Prabhupada would say something like that, looking for another lover, that means like biting sarcasm. Not like that, you know, funny joke. It means that you know you are nonsense, you painted Radharani like she is looking for another lover or something. He rejected the picture. So, not so quite harshly but then he said this is not good. So Jadurani was very naturally unhappy.

Then the next day Prabhupada called her and said actually the picture is alright. Krishna told Radharani that that girl Jadurani is a nice girl; you should give her a garland!!

- From "Lecture on pastimes of Srila Prabhupada" By HH Jayadvaita Swami

Devotee means...

Vaiṣṇava devotee means give me simply a place to lay down, little prasādam, whatever little service you have got please give me, that's all. -Śrīla Prabhupāda's Letter to: Gurudāsa, Yamunā — Bombay 19 December, 1972

Devotee means he is able to tolerate all kinds of discomfort and whims of the material nature, and because he is so much absorbed in serving Kṛṣṇa, he takes no time to become angry or take offense with others or find out some fault. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Letter to: Haṁsadūta — Ahmedabad 10 December, 1972

Devotee means very liberal and kind to everyone, always gentleman under all kinds of conditions of life. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Letter to: Haṁsadūta — Ahmedabad 10 December, 1972

Devotee means one should be firmly convinced of his being the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.  -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Letter to: Mr. Kair — Los Angeles 8 July, 1969

So to become devotee means to do the best service to the family. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay

A devotee means he knows everything. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)

Devotee means the first sign will be happy, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā [Bg. 18.54]. If he's not prasannātmā, he's a rascal. He has not entered even devotional life. He's outside. That is the test.-Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne

Devotee means tattva-darśī. He has seen the real truth. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi

Devotee means who follows Kṛṣṇa. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi

Devotee means sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]. He is above these material laws. That is devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- March 25, 1976, Delhi

Devotee means brahmacārī. Pure devotee means brahmacārī. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. He has no other desire. That is brahmacārī. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- November 3, 1975, Bombay

Devotee means serious devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Conversation with Professor Hopkins -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia

Devotee means he has no sense gratification. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Room Conversation with Tripurāri -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta

Devotee means one who has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Morning Walk -- June 13, 1974, Paris

Devotee means he does not know anything better than Kṛṣṇa, that's all. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Room Conversation -- November 4, 1973, Delhi

The devotee means who is always pleasing Kṛṣṇa. He has no other business. That is devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Māyāpura

Devotee means to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to chant the glories of Kṛṣṇa, to think of Kṛṣṇa, to offer fruits and flowers to Kṛṣṇa. -Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Departure Address -- Los Angeles, July 15, 1974

Devotee means to become fully qualified with all the noble qualities. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.119-121 -- New York, November 24, 1966

Devotee means he must be sinless.-Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.1 -- Madras, January 2, 1976

Devotee, means he is prepared to do anything for God. That is pure devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.22-30 -- London, September 8, 1971

Devotee means not with four hands or four legs, no. The hands, legs are the same. But his mode of thinking different. That's all. That is devotee. Devotee does not depend on the country, color or religion or circumstance. Devotee means the mind. Anyone who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa, he is devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.50 -- Detroit, June 16, 1976

Devotee means he's not blind.-Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam1.7.40 -- Vṛndāvana, October 1, 1976

Devotee means he does not ask anything from God.-Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972

A devotee means who is abiding by the laws given by God. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam1.1.2 -- London, August 17, 1971

Devotee means complete spiritual. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 4.2, Bombay, March 22, 1974

Devotee means he is firmly convinced about his relationship with God.-Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 4.1-6 -- Los Angeles, January 3, 1969

Devotee means servant—not paid servant—but servant by affection. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 -- Delhi, November 10, 1971

Devotee means he can act anything and everything for the Lord. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 4.1 -- Montreal, August 24, 1968

Devotee means one who has engaged his senses cent percent for the service of the Lord, he is devotee, pure devotee. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 3.6-10 -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968

Devotee means although he is very, very powerful, he never thinks that "I am powerful." He thinks that "I am acting simply by the order of the powerful." -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Bhagavad-gītā 2.15 -- London, August 21, 1973

Devotee means to finish all miserable conditions of materialistic life. -Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.46

Hare Krishna

Vaishnava dharma is the only supreme religion

Once, I met Reverend Ridley De. After he quietly listened to my lecture for two or three hours, he said, “Since you are saying things that are so similar to Christianity, why don’t you declare yourself a Christian?” To this I said, “Christianity is only a partial representation of – or a step on the ladder of – Vaiṣṇava dharma. Apart from that, we have more, which supplements what Christianity teaches. Things that have not been said in Christianity because qualification is there in a fuller extent in Vaiṣṇavism. Vaiṣṇava dharma is the only supreme religion for all living entities. The other religious systems are either stages of Vaiṣṇavism or perversions of it. To the degree that they are stages, they can be accepted for particular classes of people; if they are perversions, they should be rejected.

- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, Uncommon Dialogues,pg 83

The Indian Disease

In India, “Oh, Vasudeva, we know everything of Vasudeva,” “Hare Krsna, oh, What you can teach? We know everything.” This is the Indian disease. Because familiarity breeds contempt. Because Indians are familiar with the name of Vasudeva, with the name of Hare Krsna, they think… Just like in Europe and American cities these boys and girls, they go for sankirtana, and the Indian people, they say, “Oh, we know everything about it. We have now come here to learn how to eat meat, how to drink wine.” This is the condition. And the leaders, they are also leading in that way: “Give up this Vedic culture. Throw away.” The leaders say openly that “Throw away your sastras in the water. No more sastra. Now you take to industry, technology, if you want to become happy just like the Americans, like the Europeans.” So the leaders, such leaders have been described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, andha. Andha means blind. They do not know how to lead people, what is the aim of life.
- Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.26.26 – January 3, 1975, Bombay

Oneself - truly speaking is spirit

Hare Krishna

Transience

Hare Krishna

The power of chanting

Your mind is wondering all over the universe when you chant. Chant anyway!
Your mind is wondering to the past and future when you chant. Chant anyway!
You are not able to concentrate on Krsna's names while you chant. Chant anyway!
You have no taste for chanting. Chant anyway!
You have lusty desires. Chant anyway!
You are making offences in chanting. Chant anyway!
You are not praying to Krsna to help you chant better. Chant anyway!
You often chant late at night. Chant anyway!

Why should you chant despite all the above obstacles? 

This is why: There is no vow like chanting the holy name, no knowledge superior to it, no meditation which comes anywhere near it, and it gives the highest result.

No penance is equal to it, and nothing is as potent or powerful as the holy name.

Chanting is the greatest act of piety and the supreme refuge.

Even the words of the Vedas do not possess sufficient power to describe its magnitude.

Chanting is the highest path to liberation, peace and eternal life.

It's the pinnacle of devotion, the heart's joyous proclivity and attraction and the best form of remembrance of the Supreme Lord.

The holy name has appeared solely for the benefit of the living entities as their lord and master, their supreme worshipful object and their spiritual guide and mentor.

Whoever continuously chants Lord Krishna's holy name, even in his sleep, can easily realize that the name is a direct manifestation of Krishna Himself, in spite of the influences of Kali-yuga. -

- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Saranagati (quoted from Adi-purana)

There are four things for a preacher

For a preacher, there are four things:

īśvare tad-adhīneṣu
bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu ca
prema-maitrī-kṛpopekṣā
yaḥ karoti sa madhyamaḥ -SB 11.2.46

When in the lower stage of devotional service, he cannot become preacher. When he's in a little upper, second stage, he can become preacher. So preacher has to see four things. First of all God, īśvara, and tad-adhīneṣu, and those who are devotee. God, His devotees, and bāliśa, innocent, he does not know anything about... So three = God, devotee, and the innocent. And dviṣat, and envious, atheist class. He has to see four things, and he has to deal with four persons differently.

1. With God, īśvare prema: how to advance my love for God, these dealings. 
2. Prema-maitrī: and to the devotees, we have to make friendship with them. Prema-maitrī. 
3. And to the innocent, we have to preach, kṛpā: "Oh, here is an innocent person. He does not know; he's eager to learn." There teaching is required. Teaching, you cannot teach God or you cannot teach God's devotee. But you can teach only the innocent. 
4. And those who are dviṣat, atheist, upekṣā, don't go there, save yourself. These are the four things. So when one is not open to hear, then don't bother yourself. That requires very strong preacher to convince the atheist class, provided he is reasonable also. If he's stubborn, obstinate, then it is also very difficult. 

But preaching is meant, innocent; that one who is actually sincere but he does not know what is God, what is my relationship with God, there is necessity of preaching. Not to the envious or those who are already advanced, or to God.

- Lecture July 5 1976, Washington DC, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.100 by Srila Prabhupada

Two or Two Hundred

Yamuna Devi: Srila Prabhupada, although we are very happy where we are, we are prepared to go wherever you would like to send us in order to have your blessings.

Srila Prabhupada: You westerners are always are restless. Why can’t you stay where you are?

Yamuna Devi: But we have been told that because we don’t have the association of devotees, we cannot make any advancement.

Srila Prabhupada: Association can be two or two hundred. But you must be compatible. If you are two and you are compatible, you can go back to Godhead. But if you are two hundred and not compatible (his eyes opened widely), then no one will make any advancement.

Yamuna Devi: But Srila Prabhupada, some of the leaders are saying that we have lost your mercy because we left ISKCON, and without your mercy, there is no meaning to our lives.

Srila Prabhupada: ISKCON is where you are chanting the Holy Names of Krishna. This is ISKCON

-Yamuna Devi, A Life Unalloyed Devotion, Offering the Gift of Bhakti to Others, ch 9 p68,by Dinatarini Devi

Narasimha Bhagavan ki jay!

Today is the most auspicious appearance of Lord Narasimha Bhagavan who mercifully came just to protect His five year old devotee Prahalada. On this day, I fervently pray at His divine Lotus feet of the Lord to remove all obstacles that is in my heart causing me to be distant from the Lord. Haribol!

oṁ namo bhagavate narasiṁhāya
namas tejas-tejase āvir-āvirbhava
vajra-nakha vajra-daṁṣṭra karmāśayān randhaya randhaya tamo grasa grasa om svāhā;
abhayam abhayam ātmani bhūyiṣṭhā oṁ kṣraum.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, the source of all power. O my Lord who possess nails and teeth just like thunderbolts, kindly vanquish our demon like desires for fruitive (selfish) activity in this material world. Please appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance so that by Your mercy we may become fearless in the struggle for existence in this material world. - SB 5.18.8

Hare Krishna

Instrument of previous acharyas

The author of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, very humbly submits that he is just trying to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, although he humbly thinks himself unfit for this work. That should be the attitude of all preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. We should never think of ourselves as great preachers, but should always consider that we are simply instrumental to the previous ācāryas, and simply by following in their footsteps we may be able to do something for the benefit of suffering humanity.

- Introduction Nectar of Devotion by Srila Prabhupada

Hare Krishna

Hodgepodge institution of various concocted ideas - Hinduism

This analysis by Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, supporting the statements of Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, depicts the position of the present so-called Hindu religion, which, being predominantly conducted by the Māyāvāda philosophy, has become a hodgepodge institution of various concocted ideas. Māyāvādīs greatly fear the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and accuse it of spoiling the Hindu religion because it accepts people from all parts of the world and all religious sects and scientifically engages them in the daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma. As we have explained several times, however, we find no such word as “Hindu” in the Vedic literature. The word most probably came from Afghanistan, a predominantly Muslim country, and originally referred to a pass in Afghanistan known as Hindukush, which is still a part of a trade route between India and various Muslim countries.

- CC Adi Lila 12.73 Purport by Srila Prabhupada