“Damodara was not bound by ordinary ropes, but with the ropes of His mother’s unmatched love”
“Because mother loves the most…in this material world, there is no comparison of mother’s love. Without any exchange. Even in this material world. Mother loves the child without any expectation of return generally…that is called unalloyed love. Anyabhilasita-sunyam, free from all material gain.”- Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam1.8.31 lecture, Los Angeles, April 23, 1973
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- 13 Oct 2022
Krishna’s merciful hand is behind everything. HH Sacinandana Swami: Yesterday I experienced something extremely shocking at first. Maybe it was a wake-up call.
...- 13 Oct 2022
- 12 Oct 2022
Unconditional love.
BB Govinda Swami: We should be prepared to open ourselves up. We should be prepared to take down our guards. We should be prepared to dismantle our protective fences that we have around us. And we should say:
“I’m ready to serve You. So You just please do to me whatever is necessary so that I would serve You purely”.
- 12 Oct 2022
Siddhanta Prabhu’s Story
Siddhanta dasa: My first contact with the Hare Krishna movement came in the summer of 1969 when I saw its members chanting on the streets of Hollywood. My initial reaction to the shaven heads, saffron-colored robes, and seemingly strange activity was one of bewilderment and, to some degree, comic relief.
- 12 Oct 2022
Cobras in Srila Prabhupada’s Quarters
As I walked past the first toilet stall a huge six feet long cobra quickly slithered past me into the stall. Terrified I raced out of the bathroom as fast as my shaking body could take me. I was not sure what kind of snake it was. I didn’t want to create a big scene and interrupt Srila Prabhupada’s darshan…
- 12 Oct 2022
The mantra to attain perfection in our chanting. Krishna is self-sufficient because all the ingredients for creation are within Himself. First Krishna creates time, for without time there cannot be a beginning of anything. Sukadeva Goswami speaks to Maharaja Pariksit Krishna’s pastimes to bring Him to the point of complete resolute faith and absorption in Krishna.
...- 11 Oct 2022
The Lord: A long-time passed and there was not a single sign that you would ever look in My direction!
HH Sacinandana Swami: Krishna is very eager for the company of each and every one of us.
As I sit here in Vrindavan, I sometimes ask myself, “Does Krishna see my efforts? Does He care for such an insignificant and useless person?” I’ve seen many sincere practitioners of bhakti ask this question.
- 11 Oct 2022
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami was a spiritual master and a Governing Body Commissioner (GBC) in the International Society for Krsna Consciousness (ISKCON). He was a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and was regarded as one the most advanced devotees in the movement today.
...- 10 Oct 2022
“Don’t Think God Has No Feeling” by Srila Prabhupada (SB 7.9.5) 24 min. class recorded in Mayapur, February 25, 1977.
- 10 Oct 2022
Judging others? (15 min video) by HH Radhanath Swami.
Judgment shuts us down and keeps us from understanding the full situation. If we’re being honest, most judgments about people are based on incomplete information.
- 10 Oct 2022
When a budding sculptor approached his master for guidance, he received some cryptic advice. After quizzing him on his purpose, the young craftsman replied: “More than anything else, I would like to sculpt a beautiful elephant.” Without the blink of an eyelid, the master set a block of stone and some tools in front of the young boy. “Here is some marble, a mallet, and a chisel” the master said, “all you have to do now is carve away everything that does not look like a beautiful elephant!” Simple as that.
- 10 Oct 2022
In his commentary to the Gita 9.30, wherein Krsna says his devotee is a sadhu even if he commits an abomination, Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura says that Krsna becomes a little angry thinking that someone is faulting a devotee. If a devotee feels he is bad and lowly, Krsna will repeatedly overlook that offense. If a devotee’s action is bad but his intention is good, Krsna will ignore/forgive the action and accept the intention.
- 10 Oct 2022
How many of us hide behind the will of God as an excuse for inactivity or laziness? And how many of us attribute our successes to our efforts alone? The Vedic scriptures teach us that nothing in this world moves without the will of God. He is the creator, controller, overseer of multifarious universes, the benefactor of speech, intelligence, talent, and everything else without which we would be considered useless; however, do we just sit back, waiting for God's will to save or direct us without endeavor, or do we activate His will?
...- 10 Oct 2022
DIY Kartik Lamps (Album of photos)
Kurma Dasa: Fed up with dripping paraffin wax all over the floor from nasty cheap candles?......
- 9 Oct 2022
Kadamba Kanana Swami: In the Bhagavad-gita 10.35, Krsna says that of all the months, “I am marga-sirsa,” which is a name for the November-December period. It is said that before Krsna, first comes Radha… Radha-Krsna, Radha-Syam, Sita-Rama, like that. First the consort of the Lord is mentioned. Therefore the month of Kartik, which comes before this month of marga-sirsa, is a month of Radharani. It is a month when we are meditating on pure devotional service because she is the proprietor of pure devotional service! No compromise at all, ...
- 9 Oct 2022
Whatever your situation—even if you live far from a Temple–try to be Krishna conscious as best you can, and pray for the mercy of Krishna and his devotees. There will be special benefit during this month. That can be an impetus for us for this month, but the idea is to make our entire life, day after day, month after month, and year after year centered around devotional service so we can offer our whole life to Krishna. Then we will go to a plain where the only activity is Krishna bhakti, performed with love and devotion.
- 9 Oct 2022
Ananda Vrindavaneswari Devi Dasi: As my bare feet hit the cold marble floor of the altar during the early morning service hours I whispered, ‘Oh, so cold!’. My fellow pujari turned and smilingly whispered back, ‘Austerity!’
It wasn’t the first time I was reminded that there is a sweetness to doing something difficult for Krishna. Actually, it’s only by intentional practices that we can begin to access spiritual tastes and emotions that are less obvious and more refined.
- 9 Oct 2022
Just as there is no yuga equal to Satya-yuga, no scripture equal to the Vedas, and no place of pilgrimage equal to the Ganges, so there is no month equal to Kartika. Even unserious persons who execute devotional service according to the regulative principles during the month of Karttika, and within the jurisdiction of Mathura (or Vrindavana) in India, are very easily awarded the Lord’s personal service". During the Kartika month millions of devotees worship Damodara Krishna with ghee lamps and devotional bhajans, glorifying His playful childhood pas...
- 9 Oct 2022
- 8 Oct 2022
A very nice explanation about the 3 levels of happiness and their symptoms by HH Gopal Krishna Goswami
- 8 Oct 2022
Kripamoya Das: Krishna is the Original Soul. If they were able, all souls could trace their ultimate origin to Krishna, the origin of everyone and everything. Just as the body has a soul within, so the soul also has a soul. The Soul of the soul is known as Atma-atma. But this Soul is never trapped or compromised as the individual soul is. This Soul remains ever free and above all. He is therefore known as the Over Soul or Superior Soul, or Supersoul, the Param-atma.
- 8 Oct 2022
Srila Prabhupada: People are running around–“Oh, I am the manager. I am the factory owner. I am this. I am that. We know his politics, we have to defeat our competitors.” All these things are created just like a man creates a situation in a dream– svapna–drastur ivanjasa.
So when someone asks, “When did we come into contact with the material nature?” The answer is that we have not come into contact. By the influence of the material energy, we THINK that we are in contact. Actually, we are NOT fallen. We cann...
- 7 Oct 2022
Sacinandana Swami: Why bother? Considering how short life is, why should we bother about taking care of the different aspects of health? In the Sri Caitanya-siksamrta (chapter 2.1, p. 67-68) Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains why: “If people do not follow these rules [regarding health of body and mind], they cannot pass through life smoothly. […] One will not be able to take the mind from material thoughts and direct it to thoughts of God. As a result, sinful thoughts and an atheistic attitude will dominate the mind. Finally, a person will ...
- 7 Oct 2022