3/11/24

Dear Justin ______,

Dandavats.

We received your book order #14522 (Search for Sri Krsna: Reality The Beautiful) with payment.

It will ship via USPS Priority Mail to the following address with phone #.

[Omitted]

We expect the books to ship tomorrow and you should receive them within three days henceforth.

Recently we celebrated Lord Nityananda’s appearance.

In 1987 I completed work on the book Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura on Lord Nityananda’s appearance day and printed it soon thereafter.

I had originally intended to publish a different work — The Bhagavat Speech — by the same author. When I asked Srila Sridhara Maharaja for his permission to do so he said ”The more important work is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts” so I undertook the task of printing that instead. Your book order caused me to remember this. As a result I am including a copy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts in remembrance of Sri Nityananda Prabhu’s merciful dispensation of the teachings of his master Sri Krishna Chaitanya.

In this Kali Yuga there would be no ”Search for Sri Krishna” — either in the form of a book or otherwise — without the mercy of Lord Nityananda.… Read More...

2/27/24

Dear Darren,

You’ve asked me a few times about guru and at least once asked if I am a guru. I sidestepped the question a bit because my direct answer to such a question is not very relevant. Suppose, for example, I answered your question ”Yes, I am a guru.” So what? Would the answer mean you should accept me as your guru? No. That is a matter for you to decide, not me, nor anyone else.

The better question for you to ask is ”What is a guru?” That is a question I can easily answer. Then, after knowing what a guru is, you can search for a guru, when your knowledge is firm that you know what to look for and you feel an urgent need for the spiritual guidance that only a spiritual guru can give.

If you want to buy gold, you have to know what gold is. Only then will there be any profit in searching for it.

If someone offers to sell you gold and you ask him ”Is it really gold?”, of course he will say ”Yes.” whether it is or not. There is not much value in such a question and answer.… Read More...

Sri Nityananda’s Avirbhava

CC Ādi 1.35

mantra-guru āra yata śikṣā-guru-gaṇa

tāṅhāra caraṇa āge kariye vandana

Synonyms

mantra–guru — the initiating spiritual master; āra — and also; yata — as many (as there are); śikṣā–guru–gaṇa — all the instructing spiritual masters; tāṅhāra — of all of them; caraṇa — unto the lotus feet; āge — at first; kariye — I offer; vandana — respectful obeisances.

Translation

I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master and all my instructing spiritual masters.

In pursuance of the above formula—

I offer my humble obeisances to my initiating (nama and mantra) spiritual master His Divine Grace Thakura Bhaktivedanta Swami — a Shaktyavesa Avatar of Sri Nityananda Prabhu — who appeared in this world to dispel the darkness of ignorance, give relief to the sufferings of all jivas, enlighten and give spiritual joy to his devotees and help us realize the purport of this verse:

CC Ādi 1.2

vande śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-

nityānandau sahoditau

gauḍodaye puṣpavantau

citrau śan-dau tamo-nudau

Translation

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all.… Read More...