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Further Dangers of Rittvik
Here Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada contrasts the guidance received from a physically departed spiritual master, Jesus Christ (or Srila Prabhupada), and a physically manifest guru. This is not only applicable to current rittvik advocates but all current followers of Srila Prabhupada since there is no known physically manifest pure devotee. From Amrita Vani, the Spiritual Master by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 40. If Jesus Christ was a jagad-guru and his instructions capable of bringing us deliverance, why do we need a spiritual master? We accept both the universal spiritual master and the initiating spiritual master. By accepting only the jagad-guru, we may…
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Glories of the Holy Name by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada
From Amrita Vani, Achieving Perfection, 47. According to Mahaprabhu, what is a human being’s most important duty? by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa Sri Caitanyadeva inaugurated the sankirtana movement and delivered the fallen souls of this age. He is the most magnanimous personality. In the verse beginning trnad api, He taught that chanting Krsna’s holy name is our only duty. Those who desire liberation and eternal happiness, as well as those who desire the treasure of love of God, should always chant the Lord’s holy name. The Lord’s name is nondifferent from Him. It is capable of delivering us from material existence and awarding us…
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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta on Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Appearance
From Amrita Vani, Sri Chaitanyadeva by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 9. How does the Supreme Lord perform His appearance pastimes? Since mother Saci and Jagannath Misra are eternally perfect devotees, their hearts and bodies consist of pure goodness. They are never to be considered ordinary jlvas. Pure goodness is also called vasudeva. Lord Vasudeva, who enjoys transcendental pastimes, appears only in pure goodness, or vasudeva. Mother Saci’s pregnancy did not occur through lusty association with her husband, as if they were a mundane male and female interested only in sense gratification, whose bodies were made of flesh, bones, and blood. Even to think…
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A Glimmer of His Causeless Mercy
From Amrita Vani, Material and Spiritual Topics by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 2. Does lack of faith in God cause distress? Wherever there is an absence of complete faith in the most auspicious personality, there is bound to be inauspiciousness. Therefore, the ascending or unauthorized path should be totally rejected and the descending or authorized path of disciplic succession accepted. If we really want to benefit, we will have to offer everything we have accumulated since birth to the Lord’s lotus feet without reservation and await His causeless mercy. Until we are favored by a glimmer of His causeless mercy, we will not…
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Fault-find Yourself First!
From Amrita Vani, Devotional Service by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 49. Is anger toward those envious of devotees a limb of devotional service? We should display anger toward those who are envious of devotees. This is a particular limb of devotional service. A lack of anger against blasphemers is unjustified. But we need to understand who is actually envious of devotees. Those who do not serve the Supreme Lord, the Supersoul and most blissful friend of all living entities, do not benefit themselves but instead invite trouble by their envy of Krsna and the Vaisnavas. Such people are branded as envious, and we…
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Selection From Amrita Vani, The Spiritual Master
by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, English translation by Bhumipati dasa 60. Who can act as our spiritual master? Only that great personality who has been sent by the Lord from the spiritual world into this world to deliver fallen souls like us, who delivers people who are afflicted with the threefold miseries and sends them back to Godhead, who is most dear to the Supreme Lord and who represents Him, and who is the messenger of transcendental subject matter, is capable of acting as our spiritual master. He is an actual devotee and an actual spiritual master whose ax-like words remain always sharpened to sacrifice our propensities for material…
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Brahmana and Vaishnava by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada
Bhaktisiddhanta_Sarasvati_Thakura_Brahmana_and_Vaisnava Click link to view pdf. My Brijbhasi friend Krishna Balarama Swami preaches that for one to be a guru they must be born in a brahmana family. Brahmana and Vaishnava largely refutes that. For Krishna Balarama Swami’s position – Guru Nirnaya Dipika For point for point refutation – The Sarasvata Parampara and The Caste Brahmana Guru by B.V. Giri Maharaja
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Lesser-Known Verse Predicting Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Cited by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada in Commentary to Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat, Antya Kanda, Chapter 1, Texts 262-265 (English translation by Bhumipati dasa): In the Visnu-sahasra-nama of the Atharva Veda, Third Kanda, it is stated: ity aham krta-sannyaso ‘vatarisyami kalau catuh-sahasrabdopari pancasahasrabhyantare gaura-varno dirghangah sarva-laksana-yukta isvaraprarthito nija-rasasvado misrakhyo vidita-yogo ‘syam. “I will descend from Goloka-dhama and appear on the earth planet during the first sandhya of Kali-yuga—after four thousand and before five thousand years have passed—in Mayapur, Navadvipa, on the banks of the Ganges. I will appear in the form of a brahmana with a large, golden complexioned body measuring four cubits in height and in breadth, endowed…
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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada’s Appearance 2022
This is a reproduction of a conversation with Major Rana N. J. Bahadur at Armadale, Darjeeling on June 14th, 1935. It was originally published in The Harmonist (Vol. XXXI, No.21) on the 27th of June, 1935. Question: I cannot understand this world. Answer: It is camp life. This world is not our original abode. It is meant for certain purposes. After that we are to proceed to our original home. This world is not a desirable place. It is not good to be enticed to stay here for a long time, forgetting our original abode. We stay there with Godhead. We are the eternal servants of Godhead. When…
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The Glories of Lord Nityananda
Sri Chaitanya Bhagavat, Madhya Kanda, Chapter 12, English translation by Bhumipati dasa, Commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada Chapter 12 The Glories of Nityananda This chapter describes Nityananda’s endless childishness; His pastime of swimming in the Ganges; His arrival before Mahaprabhu without any clothes on; Mahaprabhu’s dressing of Nityananda, offering prayers to Nityananda, begging brahmana underwear from Nityananda, and distribution of brahmana underwear pieces to all the devotees; a narration of Nityananda’s glories; the devotees’ drinking the water that has washed Sri Nityananda’s feet; the devotees’ feelings of agitation by the influence of drinking that water; Mahaprabhu’s description of Nityananda’s constitutional position; and the glories of His mercy. During the…
