In this way, you will follow my example as I did in the beginning at 26 2nd Ave. That is preaching, cooking, writing, talking, chanting, everything one man’s show. I never thought about the audience. I was prepared to chant even if there were no men present to hear me. The principle of chanting is …
Continue reading Chanting is to Glorify the Lord & Not to Attract a Crowd
In the spiritual field nobody can become a bona fide spiritual master by dissatisfying his spiritual master. It is said that one can satisfy the Supreme Lord simply by satisfying the spiritual master and one who dissatisfies the spiritual master has no place in the spiritual world. Kirtanananda wanted to become a spiritual master by …
Continue reading Nobody Can Become a Bonafide Spiritual Master by Dissatisfying His Spiritual Master
It is said, våddhatvaà vayasä vinä: one may be senior without being advanced in age. Even if one is not old, one gains seniority if he is senior in knowledge. Viçvarüpa was junior in relationship to the demigods because he was their nephew, but the demigods wanted to accept him as their priest, and therefore …
Continue reading Devotee Seniority is by Knowledge
Why does the Supreme Personality of Godhead permit sinful activities? The Supreme Lord does not want any living being to act sinfully, and He begs him through his good conscience to refrain from sin. But when someone insists upon acting sinfully, the Supreme Lord gives him the sanction to act at his own risk (mattaù …
Continue reading Why Does the Supreme Personality of Godhead Permit Sinful Activities?
One who approaches the Supreme Lord to render devotional service, but who is proud of his personality, envious of others or vengeful, is in the mode of anger. He thinks that he is the best devotee. Devotional service executed in this way is not pure; it is mixed and is of the lowest grade, tämasaù. …
Continue reading Devotional Service of the Lowest Grade
In Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura’s eight stanzas of prayer to the spiritual master, it is clearly stated that simply by satisfying the spiritual master one can achieve the supreme success in life, and in spite of executing all ritualistic performances, if one cannot satisfy the spiritual master, one has no access to spiritual perfection. SB 3.22.6
Continue reading If One Cannot Satisfy the Spiritual Master…
The word triù-saptabhiù means seven multiplied by three. In one’s family one can count back four or five generations—to one’s great-grandfather or even one’s great-grandfather’s father—but since the Lord mentions twenty-one forefathers, this indicates that the benediction expands to other families also. Before the present family in which one has taken birth, one must have …
Continue reading The Effect When a Vaisnava or Maha-Bhagavata Takes Birth In The Family
The servants of God come to propagate God consciousness, and intelligent people should cooperate with them in every respect. By serving the servant of God, one can please God more than by directly serving the Lord. The Lord is more pleased when He sees that His servants are properly respected because such servants risk everything …
Continue reading No One Dearer to Krsna Than a Preacher
ato guruà praëamyaivaà sarva-svaà vinivedya ca gåhëéyäd vaiñëavaà mantraà dékñä-pürvaà vidhänataù “It is the duty of every human being to surrender to a bona fide spiritual master. Giving him everything-body, mind and intelligence-one must take a Vaiñëava initiation from him.” CC Madhya 15.108
Continue reading Must be Fully Surrendered to the Bonafide Spiritual Master
adékñitasya vämoru kåtaà sarvaà nirarthakam paçu-yonim aväpnoti dékñä-virahito janaù “Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species.” CC Madhya 15.108
Continue reading Unless One is Initiated by a Bonafide Spiritual Master, All His Devotional Activities Are Useless