09 Jun 2023 evening – The Essence of Human Life (English) – Alto Paraiso, Brazil | Srila BV Vana Maharaja

  • Without spiritual practice, life is useless.
  • The meaning of spiritual life is that you should practise, not just talk.
  • Verse: āpani ācāra prabhu jīvera śikhāinu, means you should practise yourself.
  • Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to give an example of how to practise and teach spiritual life.
  • Do not be lazy when entering into tattva-siddhanta. Verse: siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa ihā haite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa (Cc. Ādi 2.117).
  • Differences between kanistha-bhakta (beginner), madhyama-bhakta (intermediate) and uttama-bhakta (advanced) devotees.
  • Verses defining sraddha (faith): sraddha tv anyopaya-varjam bhakty-unmukhi citta-vrtti-visesah (Amnaya-sutra, 57) and śraddhā śabde viśvāsa sudṛḍha niścayakṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya (Cc. Madhya 22.62).
  • Example of parts of the body that didn’t want to work to feed the stomach.
  • Srimad Bhagavatam says that if we water the root of the tree, all the other parts of the tree will be nourished.
  • The main goal is to achieve the worship of Krishna.
  • Verse: ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).
  • The name of our school is Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya-Sampradaya.
  • Meaning of Gaudiya: “Gaudi” is one who worships Srimati Radhika and Gauranga.
  • In Kali-yuga we should worship Sri Sacinandana Gaurahari, who is the combined form of Radha and Krsna.
  • The three subcategories of each type of devotee: kanistha-bhakta, madhyama-bhakta and uttama-bhakta.
  • If you want to become a devotee of the Lord, you must have faith in the guru and the sastras.
  • Verse: dhyāna-mūlaṃ guror mūrtiḥ pūjā-mūlaṃ guror padam mantra-mūlaṃ guror vākyam mokṣa-mūlaṃ guroḥ kṛpā.
  • When Krsna and the guru are in the same place, you must first worship the guru.
    -You should serve the guru, and automatically the guru’s mercy will manifest in his heart.
  • Verse: guru-śuśrūṣayā bhaktyā sarva-labdhārpaṇena ca saṅgena sādhu-bhaktānām īśvarārādhanena ca (SB 7.7.30).
  • Vapu-seva (serving Sri Guru in physical form) and vani-seva (hearing hari-katha and spreading it throughout the world: brhad-mrdanga-seva).
  • Everyone should preach Sri Guru’s message all over the world and chant the holy names from door to door.