suddhabhakti

 

  The Lord says in  Bhagavad-gītā  (9.29) : samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo ’sti na priyaḥ ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpy aham “I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” The Supreme Personality of Godhead is certainly equal toward all living entities, but a devotee who fully surrenders at the lotus feet of the Lord is different from a nondevotee. In other words, everyone can take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord to enjoy equal benedictions from the Lord, but nondevotees do not do so, and therefore they suffer the consequences created by the material energy. We can understand this fact by a simple example. The king or government is equal to all citizens. Therefore, if a citizen capable of receiving special favors from the government is offered such favors, this does not mean that the government is partial. One who know...

  The bhakti-yogī accepts the Deity of Kṛṣṇa as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguṇa or nirguṇa – of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguṇa worship, for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord. A crude example may be given here. We may find some mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in those boxes, they will naturally go to their destination without difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation which we may find somewhere but which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the work. Similarl...

  In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.1.9–10) Parīkṣit Mahārāja placed a number of intelligent questions before Śukadeva Gosvāmī. One of these questions was: “Why do people undergo atonement if they cannot control their senses?” For instance, a thief may know perfectly well that he may be arrested for his stealing, and he may actually even see a thief arrested by the police, yet he continues to steal. Experience is gathered by hearing and seeing. One who is less intelligent gathers experience by seeing, and one who is more intelligent gathers experience by hearing. When an intelligent person hears from the lawbooks and śāstras, or scriptures, that stealing is not good and hears that a thief is punished when arrested, he refrains from theft. A less intelligent person may first have to be arrested and punished for stealing to learn to stop stealing. However, a rascal, a foolish man, may have the experience of both hearing and seeing and may even be punished, but still he continues to steal. Even...

Sat-tila Ekadasi   ( Bhavishya-uttara Purana) 🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆 🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆 🔆🔆 Sri Dalbhya Rishi said to Pulastya Muni, “When the spirit soul comes in contact with the material energy, he immediately begins to perform sinful activities, such as stealing, killing, and illicit sex. He may even perform many other terrible deeds, such as killing a brahmin. Oh purest of personalities, please tell me how these unfortunate souls may escape the punishment of being sent to hellish regions of creation. Kindly inform me how, by giving even a little in charity, one may be easily be released from the reactions of his sins.” Pulastya Muni replied, “Oh fortunate one, you have asked me an important and confidential question, which not even Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva or Indra has ever asked. Please listen very carefully to my answer. “With the arrival of the month of Magh (January – February), one should bathe, carefully control his senses by giving up lust, anger, pride, jealousy, fault-finding, and ...

 

 

 

  PEACE AND UNITY IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH AN UNCLEAN HEART – THEREFORE CLEAN YOUR HEART BY CHANTING HARE KRISHNA By   His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Rupa Gosvami says auspicity means that which spreads for everyone, in all parts of the world. That is auspicity. Not partial. In politics or sociology or humanitarian activities, there is partiality for a certain section of human being, or certain section of living beings. But this chanting of Hare Krishna mantra, awakening of dormant Krishna consciousness, is meant for all living entities. Even birds, beasts, insects, they can also awaken. This is the recommendation of Haridasa Thakura – that if we chant loudly, the trees will hear, the birds will hear, the insect will hear, and they will be liberated. Therefore chanting of Hare Krishna mantra and awakening of dormant Krishna consciousness is the auspicious, welfare activity, for every living entity all over the world. Unity and Peace is possible only whe...

“TRUST IN GOD” IS NOT SUFFICIENT By      His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda Meditation means to absorb your mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is meditation, real meditation. In all the standard scriptures and in yoga practice formula, the whole aim is to concentrate one’s mind in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called  samādhi , ecstasy. So that ecstasy is immediately brought by this chanting process. You begin chanting and hear for the few seconds or few minutes: you immediately come on the platform of ecstasy. Therefore, Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended this process not only for India but for all the people of the world. He said that  pr̥thivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma . Pr̥thivī means “on the face of the world”;  ache , “when there is.”  Nagar  means “towns,” and  grāma  means “village” or “county.” So He said, “As many villages, towns, or counties, the human society, there are on the...

  Reporter:  What do you try and teach, sir? Prabhupāda:  I am trying to teach what you have forgotten. Devotees:  Haribol! Hare Kṛṣṇa! (laughter) Reporter:  Which is what? Prabhupāda:  That is God. Some of you are saying there is no God, some of you are saying God is dead, and some of you are saying God is impersonal or void. These are all nonsense. I want to teach all these nonsense that there is God. That is my mission. Any nonsense can come to me, I shall prove that there is God. That is my Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. It is a challenge to the atheistic people. There is God. As we are sitting here face to face, you can see God face to face. If you are sincere and if you are serious, that is possible. Unfortunately, we are trying to forget God; therefore we are embracing so many miseries of life. So I am simply preaching that you have Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. Don’t be swayed away by these nonsense waves of māyā, or illusion. That is my request....