Bhakti Quotes

Śrīpād Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja - Brighton

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March 05, 2024

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How can an eternal entity possibly be created, manifested or produced?

July 31, 2024

Vrajanātha: You said earlier that the spiritual (cit) world is eternal, and so is the jīva. If this is true, how can an eternal entity possibly be created, manifested or produced? If it is created at some point of time, it must have been non-existent before that, so how can we accept that it is eternal? Bābājī: The time and space that you experience in this material world are completely different from time and space in the spiritual world. Material time is divided into three aspects: past, present, and future. However, in the spiritual world there is only one undivided, eternally present time. Every event of the spiritual world is eternally present. Whatever we say or describe in the material world is under the jurisdiction of material time and space, so when we say, “The jīvas were created,” “The spiritual world was manifested,” or “There is no influence of māyā in creating the form of the jīvas,” material time is bound to influence our language and our statements. This is inevitabl...

3. "Śrī Gaurahari, as the indwelling Supersoul, mercifully reveals the eternal truth to the honest and sincere (niṣkapaṭa) person."

March 06, 2024

Question: Is everything the mercy of the Lord? Answer: All things are indeed the mercy of the supreme embodiment of mercy. Śrī Gaurasundara keeps us in different kinds of discomfort and among different people to test us in various ways. Success in all such tests depends on one’s fortune. Śrī Gaurahari, as the indwelling Supersoul, mercifully reveals the eternal truth to the honest and sincere (niṣkapaṭa) person. Faith in the illusory words of someone traversing the wrong path never arises in those who have sincerely and honestly taken shelter of the lotus feet of śrī guru and Śrī Hari. Only the unfortunate jīvas get bewildered by hearing deceitful words. The lotus feet of Śrīman Mahāprabhu are the only shelter. We should always read Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and listen to the commentary of a Vaiṣṇava who knows its true purports. We should constantly engage in chanting the holy names of the Lord without offence, and remain far away from the association of non-devotees. And we should...

5. "We also can see Bhagavan in our hearts."

March 11, 2024

Question: What kind of perspective should we accept to assure our auspiciousness? Answer: If we can see the whole universe as engaged in the service of Sri Bhagavan, then we will never experience any distress. We must hear katha about how to serve Bhagavan from one who can show us Bhagavan and who is engaged in service to Him twenty-four hours a day. This is the only way to attain our eternal, spiritual well-being. With their eyes of devotion, the sadhus who are bhaktas, or devotees of Bhagavan, always see Syamasundara Krsna within their hearts. Through the association and mercy of such sadhus, we also can see Bhagavan in our hearts. We will constantly busy ourselves in service to Bhagavan without wasting even a single moment. We have to serve, remaining exclusively in the association of sadhus. By constantly remaining in such sadhu-sanga, our aptitude for service will continuously be enhanced. Bhagavan fulfils every desire of His surrendered bhaktas without fail, and He never rej...

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150th Appearance Day Festival of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada

February 27, 2024

1. "It is in śrī dhāma that śrī nāma has been deposited"

March 01, 2024

"...If we engage ourselves in the service of śrī dhāma then service to the desires (kāma) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa is available to us. The word dhāma can mean rays, prowess, influence, home, place, body, birth and so forth. According to truly learned savants of God, śrī dhāma should be accepted in its sense as that in which there is no malice, jealousy or evanescence, and that which is eternally self-manifested, spiritual and blissful. By adventing in śrī dhāma, Śrī Caitanyadeva has made the world conscious of its transcendence. We had failed to realize the exaltation of śrī dhāma; we had no predilection for serving śrī dhāma and not so much faith in the worshipful deity form of Śrī Bhagavān. We remained absorbed in study, sure of our notion that we could vanquish everyone on earth through our expertise in dialectics, the splendour of our erudition, and the glory of our exemplary character. But then some holy saints, who were engaged in serving śrī dhāma, enlightened us. They told us that t...

5. "We also can see Bhagavan in our hearts."

March 11, 2024

Question: What kind of perspective should we accept to assure our auspiciousness? Answer: If we can see the whole universe as engaged in the service of Sri Bhagavan, then we will never experience any distress. We must hear katha about how to serve Bhagavan from one who can show us Bhagavan and who is engaged in service to Him twenty-four hours a day. This is the only way to attain our eternal, spiritual well-being. With their eyes of devotion, the sadhus who are bhaktas, or devotees of Bhagavan, always see Syamasundara Krsna within their hearts. Through the association and mercy of such sadhus, we also can see Bhagavan in our hearts. We will constantly busy ourselves in service to Bhagavan without wasting even a single moment. We have to serve, remaining exclusively in the association of sadhus. By constantly remaining in such sadhu-sanga, our aptitude for service will continuously be enhanced. Bhagavan fulfils every desire of His surrendered bhaktas without fail, and He never rej...

Harinam Sankirtan - Saturday 16th March

March 13, 2024

33. "The true meaning of tṛṇād api sunīcatā is the actual ability (adhikāra) to perform kīrtana. In other words, it means to have true taste for chanting the holy names, identifying oneself as the servant of Śrī Nāma."

July 10, 2024

Question: What is the true meaning of being humbler than a blade of grass?* _____________ * C.f. Śrī Śikṣāṣtaka (3): “ tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ ” Answer: Although the Vaiṣṇava is the topmost personality, he considers himself more insignificant than a blade of grass. In reality, he is not insignificant or lowly. Rather he is worthy of being honoured by the Supreme Lord Himself. Vaiṣṇavas are worthy of everyone’s worship and honour. This is why the word su-nīca * has been used instead of simply nīca (low). _____________ * Apart from adding emphasis, the prefix su- indicates goodness, virtue and beauty. Therefore sunīca has often been translated as ‘humbler’ rather than ‘lower’. “I am the dust of the lotus feet of Śrīla Gurudeva. I am the servant of śrī guru and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.” This transcendental self-conception ( abhimāna ) is indeed tṛṇād api sunīca...

8. "I have to serve God in the straightforward way."

March 28, 2024

"As the saying goes, 'having started on the dance it is no use to draw close the veil.' I am doing the duty of the Guru, but if I preach that no one should shout 'Jai' to me, that is to say, if I say in a round about way, 'sing Jai to me,' it would be nothing short of duplicity. Our Gurudeva has not taught us such insincerity. Mahaprabhu has not taught such insincerity. I have to serve God in the straightforward way . The word of God has come down to the Gurudeva; I have to obey it in all sincerity. I will not disrespect the Guru at the instance of any foolish or malicious sectarians." - by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Excerpt from " Assuming Responsibility Of Being Guru" https://www.bvmlu.org/SBSST/guru.htm

4. "He tends to be eclipsed if He is not chanted to others"

March 08, 2024

"It is imperative that we listen to and accept the word chanted by śrī guru and yet, even after we have been enabled to receive the word issuing from the lotus lips of śrī guru, we still cannot retain Him, for He tends to be eclipsed if He is not chanted to others . If we busy ourselves in any unnecessary pursuit by abstaining from chanting the word received from śrī gurudeva, we lose our connection to the eternal entity and render ourselves fit for welcoming sorrow: tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam hṛd-vāg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jīveta yo mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.8 ) A person is entitled to the treasure of serving the lotus feet of Godhead, who redeems us of our worldly bondage, if he lives with his heart, speech and body submitted to Him and if, through his good vision, he truly sees the mercy of Godhead in the sufferings he brought about by his own deeds. There is no other way of being delivered from this world. Whatever...

2. "Any activity that is not performed out of pure love is not pure bhakti."

March 04, 2024

Question: When we act out of a sense of duty, is it bhakti? Answer: Feelings of duty, debt and so forth are functions of the mind. They are not the characteristics or constitutional nature of the soul. A sense of obligation operates on the level of the mind, intelligence and false ego, whereas bhakti functions on the level of the soul. Any activity that is not performed out of pure love is not pure bhakti . Acts that are performed with divine affection are alone pure bhakti. Duty is but a regulation. The characteristic nature of the soul is bhakti, and the characteristic nature of the mind is a sense of duty. Acting according to the characteristic nature of the soul is the only way to secure our real welfare. - by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Translated by the Rays of The Harmonist team from Śrīla Prabhupādera Upadeśāmṛta https://www.purebhakti.com/resources/harmonist-monthly/37-year-1/939-who-is-a-real-disciple Rays of The Harmonist On-line, Year 1 ...

How can an eternal entity possibly be created, manifested or produced?

July 31, 2024

Vrajanātha: You said earlier that the spiritual (cit) world is eternal, and so is the jīva. If this is true, how can an eternal entity possibly be created, manifested or produced? If it is created at some point of time, it must have been non-existent before that, so how can we accept that it is eternal? Bābājī: The time and space that you experience in this material world are completely different from time and space in the spiritual world. Material time is divided into three aspects: past, present, and future. However, in the spiritual world there is only one undivided, eternally present time. Every event of the spiritual world is eternally present. Whatever we say or describe in the material world is under the jurisdiction of material time and space, so when we say, “The jīvas were created,” “The spiritual world was manifested,” or “There is no influence of māyā in creating the form of the jīvas,” material time is bound to influence our language and our statements. This is inevitabl...

Bhakti Quotes

Śrīpād Bhaktivedānta Vana Mahārāja - Brighton

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How can an eternal entity possibly be created, manifested or produced?

3. "Śrī Gaurahari, as the indwelling Supersoul, mercifully reveals the eternal truth to the honest and sincere (niṣkapaṭa) person."

5. "We also can see Bhagavan in our hearts."