All glories to my spiritual masters, Srila B.K. Giri Maharaja, Srila Govinda Maharaja, Srila Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Swami Maharaja.

Please accept my most humble obeisances.

We have all heard the popular saying “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” I’m not certain of the roots of this cliche, but it is one that has been repeated many times and is so commonplace most of its original meaning is lost. However, this is a powerful statement.

In  Elevation to Krsna Consciousness by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, we find the following in chapter six entitled “Taking to Krsna Consciousness”:

“If we are sincere, we will get a sincere spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. If, however, we want to be cheated, Kṛṣṇa will send us a cheater, and we will be cheated throughout our lives.”

We who have taken shelter under a bonafide spiritual master realize the gravity of this statement. Like attracts like. It is a universal law. A guru will be sent to us according to what is in our heart. One must first prepare and then go forth with a positive, constructive, yet humble attitude towards finding the right spiritual master.

We cannot understand the Bhagavad-gita or any of the Vedic scriptures on our own.… Read More...

Jagadananda das

Recently I came across a quote that I have read many times before throughout my life and has always remained with me. It is by Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford motor company. It reads:

“Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.”

—Henry Ford

Immediately I was reminded of the third text of the Nectar of Instruction: An authorized English presentation of Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Sri Upadesamrta:

utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt

tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt

saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ

ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

Word for word:

utsāhāt — by enthusiasm

niścayāt — by confidence

dhairyāt — by patience

tat-tat-karma — various activities favorable for devotional service

pravartanāt — by performing

saṅga-tyāgāt — by giving up the association of nondevotees

sataḥ — of the great previous ācāryas

vṛtteḥ — by following in the footsteps

ṣaḍbhiḥ — by these six

bhaktiḥ — devotional service

prasidhyati — advances or becomes successful.… Read More...

I offer my humble obeisances to Sri Guru, Sri Sri Guru Gauranga and all vaishnavas.

September 2, 2015

When I was growing up back in the mid to late 1970’s, I remember my father used to wear a mood ring on his right hand. This was a popular fashion at the time. These rings were oval shaped crystals set on a gold or silver band in various sizes. What was unique to this ring, was the crystal would change colors according to your mood.  Happy, sad, angry etc. Many people wore them and some rings could get quite expensive. The fad eventually died out and I have no idea whatever happened to that ring.

Unfortunately, however, this is how modern society has been influenced to approach the scriptures and the spiritual life. That religion and scripture should be a reflection of their mood. Not the other way around. Some groups have even succeeded in certain religions to modify doctrine to a more politically correct view. I used to be one of those types with that belief, so I can speak from experience about how poisonous that mindset can be.

In a personal letter to me from Srila Giri Maharaja, He told me:

“Under the influence of false ego, everyone thinks his opinion is valuable and meaningful.… Read More...

Nabadwip das walking with Srila Prabhupada in New York (1971). He is wearing the dark jacket.

The following was composed in 2009 by Sriman Nabadwip das Adhikari as a Vyasa Puja Offering to Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

namah om visnupadaya krsna-presthaya bhutale
swami sri bhaktivedanta prabhupadaya te namah
gurvajnam sirasi-dharyam sakyavesa sva-rupine
hare-krsneti mantrena pascatya-pracya-tarine
visvacarya pravaryaya divya karunya murtaye
sri-bhagavata-madhurya-gita-jnana-pradayine
gaura-sri-rupa-siddhanta-sarasvati nisevine
radha-krsna-padambhoja-bhrngaya gurave namah

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krsna on this Earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Taking the order of his guru on his head, he became empowered by Nityananda Prabhu to act as a saktyavesa-avatara. He distributed the Hare Krsna mantra all over the Eastern andWestern world, delivering and uplifting all fallen souls. He is the best of millions of jagat-gurus, because he is the personification of divine mercy. He has distributed the sweet nectar of Srimad-Bhagavatam and the transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad-gita all over the world. He is constantly engaged in exclusive devotional service to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. I offer my humble obeisances unto Srila Prabhupada, who is like a bumblebee always tasting the nectar of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Govinda.”… Read More...

Pусский

Date: Aug 20, 2015

The following question was posted to our “Contact” page by Valery Kishlaly:

Is it true that devotees of Krishna live on Shivaloka?

Dear Valery Kishlaly (Vaikuntha Nama dasa),

No, that is not true!

Please open Bhagavad-gita and read Chapter 9, verse 25.*
Then read—Bg 8.8, Bg. 9.34 and Bg 18.65.

With respect,

Correspondence Secretary

* Bg 9.25

yānti deva-vratā devān
pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ
bhūtāni yānti bhūtejyā
yānti mad-yājino ’pi mām

“Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with Me.”

I recently heard a short clip from a comedian once styled as “the dean of counterculture comedians.” His humorous satire drives home a point worth considering, man’s influence over the earth. I invite you to hear the clip, a coarse analysis, followed by a much more refined theistic one. Hat tip to “The Mark Levin Show” which provided the Carlin sound track.

George Carlin speaks about man’s egoistic thinking that he can “save the planet.” Click on the player to hear it:

Srila Sridhara Maharaja speaks on man’s inability to change the environment:

Sridhara Maharaja: Many years ago, a German scholar expressed his opinion that Bhagavad Gita is the highest spiritual literature. His point was that Bhagavad Gita clearly advises us not to try to correct our environment, but to correct ourselves, to adjust with the environment. That is the key to the advice of Bhagavad Gita: “Cure thyself.” We have no power to bring about changes in the environment. That is arranged by the divine will. Our environment, the sum total of all the forces acting outside us, is irremovable. We have no ability to interfere with our environment; that will only be a useless loss of energy. Rather, we must try to correct ourselves so that we can adjust with the circumstances outside us: this is the key to our success in life (tat te ‘nukampam susamiksamano).