Writings related to "seva"

Master and Servant

Baladeva Dasa
Nov 27 2009 - Krishna Talk 99
We are encouraged to search for Krsna, yet we should never forget that on our own we can never find Him. It is He that must come to us. The path of bhakti is a descending process. It is super-subjective – it always has been and always will be. In the words of the German philosopher Hegel, “He is... » more

Tridandi

Sarasvati Thakura
Aug 31 2009 - Krishna Talk 87
To conquer the urge of the tongue and genitals is called dhrti. Those who have become tridandis have conquered their body, mind and words. News found in periodicals is full of mundane talks. It is impossible for tridandis to read such newspapers that report topics of the illusory world (maya-katha... » more

The Ultimate Encouragement

Sep 6 2008 - Krishna Talk 81
"Don’t feel discouraged, Krsna and His devotees are reaching out to you. They are reaching to embrace you. Their causeless mercy is our greatest fortune. For some reason unbeknownst to us, we have this opportunity. We are being canvased into that sankirtana , as He has appeared as Mahaprabhu." » more

Real Religion is not Man-made

Swami B.G. Narasingha
Sep 8 2006 - Krishna Talk 61
During a recent visit to Europe I had some informal discussions about religious conceptions with other Gaudiya Vaisnavas and I was surprised to hear some devotees speak about such groups as the Sufis, Whirling Dervishes, Jews, Christians, Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Muslims as being deeply '... » more

The Proof of Your Devotion

Swami B.G. Narasingha
Dec 31 2003 - Krishna Talk 48
I once heard a devotee say that the proof of when your devotion has become real bhakti is when you can take the betel-nut prasadam from the mouth of Krsna and place it in the mouth of Radharani. Is this the actual standard by which we are to measure or understand when we have real bhakti? » more

Is Sannyasa Forbidden in Kali Yuga?

Nov 27 2002 - Krishna Talk 34
Some time ago, a sannyasi who could not maintain his vows of renunciation wrote an apologetic letter on the internet addressed to his disciples and friends wherein he explained the numerous reasons why he could not continue in the renounced order of life. In order to excuse his weakness, the... » more

The True Spirit of Separation

Swami B.P. Puri
Nov 17 2002 - Krishna Talk 40
After Gaura Hari, who descended to purify this age of Kali, made Himself invisible to the eyes of the world, the preaching of His religion of love carried on more or less uninterruptedly up until the time of Baladeva Vidyabhushan. In the time that followed, though there were still many advanced... » more

More on prasadam

Swami B.G. Narasingha
Sep 19 2002 - Krishna Talk 35
In a recent Krsna Talk you mentioned that we should appreciate prasadam more deeply, but I have also heard you say that everything called 'prasadam' may not actually be prasadam. This seems to be inconsistent, so can you please explain this more clearly? » more

Paratma-nistha

Swami B.G. Narasingha
Sep 19 2002 - Krishna Talk 36
In the eleventh Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, we find the instructive story of the brahmana of Avantipura who had previously been a miserly businessman. He was so cantankerous and prone to anger that his wife, children, relatives and servants all despised him. In due course, the avariciousness of... » more

The disciples mentality (Art of Sadhana - Ch XV)

Swami B.P. Puri
Aug 17 2002 - Krishna Talk 33
The primary characteristic of a disciple who has received initiation and direction in the practice of worship from his spiritual master is visrambha, an honest desire for faithful and loving service to the spiritual master, the Vaishnavas and the Supreme Lord. The secondary characteristic is... » more

The internal meaning of rathayatra and nama-bhajana: Part 1

Swami B.P. Puri
Jul 19 2002 - Krishna Talk 30
Now today, after so long, there is a solar-eclipse here in Kuruksetra. It is as though a great holiday is taking place in our country. It has been so long since there has been a solar-eclipse. All this royalty has come to Kuruksetra on this occasion looking to fulfill their innumerable material... » more

Go Deeper

Swami B.G. Narasingha
Jun 6 2002 - Krishna Talk 28
There is a lot of history to our parampara. We cannot simply speak substantially on topics of Krsna Consciousness according to our whim, because it is always under lock and key. The keeper of the key is above us. According to His wish, a dumb man can eloquently speak the Vedas, or a blind... » more

This Sankirtana Movement Is the Lila of Mahaprabhu

Swami B.G. Narasingha
Mar 30 2002 - Krishna Talk 23
If you were to examine the list of personalities in the Caitanya Sarasvata Parampara, our Parampara, who would you find? Who is in the sankirtana movement? Who is Mahaprabhu? Who is Gadadhara; who are all these personalities? Then you would come to the six Goswamis; who are they? » more

To Be a Servant

Swami B.G. Narasingha
Mar 30 2002 - Krishna Talk 24
The truth should be spoken in a straightforward way, so that it will benefit others. I have heard that, in the greater Krsna consciousness movement, certain women clamor to be called Prabhu. Actually, all devotees are called Prabhu, but a real devotee clamors, "Call me your servant, call... » more

The Standard for Higher Lila

Swami B.B. Vishnu
May 3 2001 - Krishna Talk 18
In the recent controversies amongst some of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, those who present isolated and unusual examples of preaching as the rule, rather than as the exception to the proper Gaudiya conception, have simply increased the level of confusion. In particular the subject of the necessity of... » more