Devotional concepts – Page 3

SB 1.2.20-21: How to know God

SB 1.2.20: Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association.

The brahminical stage is the highest stage of human life because of its good qualities. So one cannot be a devotee unless one at least qualifies as a brāhmaṇa. The devotee is already a brāhmaṇa by action. But that is not the end of it. As referred to above, such a brāhmaṇa has to become a Vaiṣṇava in fact to be actually in the transcendental stage. A pure Vaiṣṇava is a liberated soul and is transcendental even to the position of abrāhmaṇa. In the material stage even a brāhmaṇa is also a conditioned soul because although in the brahminical stage the conception of Brahman or transcendence is realized, scientific knowledge of the Supreme Lord is lacking. One has to surpass the brahminical stage and reach the vasudeva stage to understand the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

light-of-godhead2015-09-07T22:46:59+00:00July 31st, 2015|Categories: Canto 1, God realization, Goodness, Srimad Bhagavatam notes|Tags: Performing duty|

How to beget Krsna

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Transcendental Goodness

Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam, there is a verse. Pure goodness. Pure goodness means there is only Vasudeva. Vasudevah sarvam iti (BG. 7.19). That is pure sattva, when there is no other conception, simply Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the platform. Just like Vasudeva was the father of Krsna. When Krsna appeared, Vasudeva was the father. So suddha-sattva is Vasudeva. Vasudeva means there is no contamination of ignorance or passion, simply sattva-guna. Tato rajas tamo bhava kama-lobhadayas ca ye, ceta etair anaviddham. When your

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T18:57:43+00:00July 30th, 2015|Categories: Brahmana, Philosophical concepts, Transcendental goodness, Vasudeva|

Transcending the four varnas

Source: BG 3.35 Purport

Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction of a bona ﬁde spiritual master. In that complete stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the kṣatriya may act as a brāhmaṇa, or a brāhmaṇa may act as a kṣatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply. For example, Viśvāmitra was originally a kṣatriya, but later on he acted as a brāhmaṇa, whereas Paraśurāma was

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T18:58:32+00:00July 30th, 2015|Categories: Brahmana, Ksatriya, Parasurama, Stories, Visvamitra muni|

God is not so cheap

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Spiritual Life Is Scientific

This is the sign. Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah (SB 1.2.20). Then you can understand what is God. God is not so cheap: “Come on, I shall show you God. You haven’t got to follow any rules and regulations.” People want to be cheated. Therefore there are so many cheaters. They take advantage of it. Because they want everything very cheap. That is not possible. This is the stage, prasanna-manasa. Then you can understand what is God. Bhagavat-tattva-vi… Because it

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T18:59:08+00:00July 30th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, God realization|Tags: Cheated, Cheaters, Mathematics, Science|

How to easily understand Krsna

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Spiritual Life Is Scientific

So it is not so easy to understand Sri Krsna. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye, yatatam api siddhanam: (BG. 7.3) “Those who have endeavored for perfection of life, out of many such persons, one can hardly understand Krsna.” It is not so easy. But it is by Krsna’s grace. Krsna being very compassionate with these fallen souls of this age, He appeared as Lord Caitanya and distributed Krsna. That is His prerogative. That is His right. If Krsna wants to distribute

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T19:00:36+00:00July 30th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, God realization, Lord Caitanya|

I am so unfortunate

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Spiritual Life Is Scientific

So if you want to know God, then you have to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga. It is very simple. It is made very easy, especially in this age: simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra. It’s so made easy, but we are so unfortunate that we do not take advantage of this. Etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu laments, “My dear Lord, You are so compassionate and merciful upon us that in this

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T19:01:16+00:00July 29th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Chanting, God realization, Lord Caitanya|Tags: Lament, No taste, Rules and regulations, Unfortunate|

Spiritual life is scientific

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Spiritual Life Is Scientific

So bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam. Vijnana means science. It is not concoction, speculation. It is a science. Just like mathematics is a science: “Two plus two equal to four.” You cannot make two plus two equal to five according to your whims. No. Anywhere you go, it doesn’t matter. Because it is science, so either in America or in India or in England, everyone will accept “Two plus two equal to four.” That is science. Science is true everywhere. Not that “I can imagine my

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T19:02:54+00:00July 29th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, God realization|Tags: Imagination, Mathematics, Science|

SB 1.2.11-13: Perfection of our duties

SB 1.2.11: Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan.

The Absolute Truth is both subject and object, and there is no qualitative difference there. Therefore, Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān are qualitatively one and the same. The same substance is realized as impersonal Brahman by the students of the Upaniṣads, as localized Paramātmā by the Hiraṇyagarbhas or the yogīs, and as Bhagavān by the devotees. In other words, Bhagavān, or the Personality of Godhead, is the last word of the Absolute Truth. Paramātmā is the partial representation of the Personality of Godhead, and impersonal Brahman is the glowing effulgence of the Personality of Godhead, as the sun rays are to the sun-god.

light-of-godhead2015-09-07T22:46:59+00:00June 11th, 2015|Categories: Art of working, Canto 1, Srimad Bhagavatam notes|Tags: Performing duty|

Worship the deity to take birth in America

Speaker: Indradyumna Swami
Source: The Postage – Stamp

One time, one of my god brothers was visiting a temple in Vrindavana in the 1970’s and was praying very sincerely in front of the deity and the pujari, who was a bit of a smartha brahmana at that time, said to my god brother, “You are praying very nicely to the deity. So in your next life you can start to achieve perfection. You can take birth in India, and maybe become a brahmana.” This is their idea that they are superior

light-of-godhead2015-09-01T21:10:49+00:00June 10th, 2015|Categories: Brahmana, Lord Caitanya, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Videos|Tags: India, Smartha brahmana|

SB 1.2.8-10: Need of the spirit soul

SB 1.2.8: The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead

The need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the limited sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for complete freedom. He wants to get out of the covered walls of the greater universe. He wants to see the free light and the spirit. That complete freedom is achieved when he meets the complete spirit, the Personality of Godhead. There is a dormant affection for God within everyone; spiritual existence is manifested through the gross body and mind in the form of perverted affection for gross and subtle matter.

light-of-godhead2015-06-24T22:04:33+00:00May 22nd, 2015|Categories: Canto 1, Dharma, Simple living high thinking, Srimad Bhagavatam notes|Tags: Performing duty|

Scorpion and the sage

Speaker: Radhanath Swami
Source: Advent of Kali-yuga

We know that great sages by nature are paradukha dukhi. That means their only sorrow is the sorrow of others. They only live for the welfare of others. They are even willing to suffer, to be humiliated and sometimes even be killed for the welfare of others. There’s a story where a sage was sitting on the bank of the Ganges and saw a scorpion drowning. So he picked up this scorpion to save him but the scorpion just stung him. Of course the

light-of-godhead2015-09-21T22:04:32+00:00May 21st, 2015|Categories: Compassion, Dharma, Stories, Videos|Tags: Sage, Scorpion, Sting|

Higher taste

Speaker: Premanjana Dasa
Source: The Affection of Srila Prabhupada

Haridas Prabhu had the habit of stealing money from the temple; he had a habit for stealing. He used to get money for the deity kitchen, devotee kitchen etc. As a habit, he generally used to steal Rs. 1 or Rs. 2 (in 1972) it used to be a ‘very big thing’ at that time.

There was one such incident that Haridas recalls, “Srila Prabhupada was here as he used to come to Hare Krishna Land. He used to get extra

light-of-godhead2015-11-01T05:57:53+00:00May 21st, 2015|Categories: Affection, Haridasa Thakura, Higher taste, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Videos|Tags: Chocolate, Halwa|