Writings

Srila Prabhupada Offering

So, the one message that I would like to give you today is: What service are you doing to please Srila Prabhupada? What will you do to show your love, your gratitude? You have gotten so much, it is such a great thing that we have, so let us do something.

Arati

The Sanskrit word arati literally means "before night." Ratri (night) when prefaced with the letter a indicates dusk. The waving of the lamp before the Deity thus implies the dispelling of the night of our material sojourn with the light of devotion through which God is revealed.

The Ontological Position of the Vaishnava over the Brahmana

"A brahmana must be perfectly religious. He must be truthful, and he must be able to control his senses. He must execute severe austerities, and he must be detached, humble and tolerant. He must not envy anyone, and he must be expert in performing sacrifices and giving whatever he has in charity. He must be fixed in devotional service and expert in the knowledge of the Vedas. These are the twelve qualifications for a brahmana."

Raganuga Bhakti

Question: I have heard people say that your guru, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, taught his disciples Vaidhi-bhakti, the path based on scriptural injunctions, and not Raganuga-Bhakti, the path of spontaneous love of God. Is that true?

Revelation Through Sound

The name must be of finite characteristic that can take away all that is undesirable in us. The name must have a spiritual conception not mere physical imitation, that can be produced only by the help of the lip and tongue. Krsna-nama, Hari-nama, Visnu, Narayana, all these are Vaikuntha-nama, it is necessary that They have spiritual existence, that is all in all. They must have spiritual depth, not imitation. Physical imitation is not the name proper.

Faith Is Our Real Wealth

Why does our consciousness come down to this plane? Why doesn't it have a higher conception of higher spiritual existence. Instead our attention is drawn to some material thing on the mundane plane. We think that some medicine, or some intoxication can help us.