The Lord gives us the members of the body so that we can serve Him. Ambarisa Maharaja served Bhagavan with all his members. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said: “Serve the Lord, serve the Vaisnavas and chant the holy names.” Lila of the queens of Dvaraka questioning Rohini Devi about why Krsna weeps for the gopis. The vrajavasis are ragatmika-jana: eternal associates of Krsna. The definition of love and lust, and how they are completely different. The lila when Krsna plays His flute and the gopis run...
Discourses in English 2023
2023, Discourses in English 2023, Auckland 2023, New Zealand 2023, karma: previous life, Vedavyasa, Vyasadeva
21 Oct 2023 midday – How to Destroy the Root of Karma (English) – Auckland, New Zealand | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Dhrtarastra’s question to Vyasadeva at the advent of the battle of Kuruksetra. It all depends on karma, therefore, everyone collects reactions from actions done in past lives. True happiness is having Bhagavan’s darsan. No one can understand the deep roots of karma. The example of the mango tree and the fruits that ripen. The story of the curse that the bird pronounced on Dhrtarastra in a previous life. Verse: yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi (Bhagavad-gītā 9.27). The example of bamboo when...
2023, Discourses in English 2023, Auckland 2023, New Zealand 2023, aparadhas (offences), morning: brahma-muhurta
20 Oct 2023 evening – Sadhu-sanga and Nama Sankirtana are Very Powerful (English) – Auckland, New Zealand | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Human life is very rare, there is no guarantee that we will get a human body again; sadhu-sanga is our only hope. Association with the sadhu, and listening to harikatha, are the only process to conquer Maya, in this Kali-yuga. Our aim is how to serve Guru and Krsna. How to chant the holy names? Forsaking all offences. Sadhu-sanga and nama-sankirtana are very powerful. By chanting the holy names with the sadhu, potency will come. There is only one God. He has many names. The holy names are the...
2023, Discourses in English 2023, Christchurch 2023, New Zealand 2023
17 Oct 2023 morning – Bhakti-rasayana chapter of Brhad-bhagavatamrta (English) – Christchurch, New Zealand | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Sanatana Gosvamipada collected all verses of Srimad Bhagavatam and he explained the highest moods in Vraja. Krishna is called akhila-rasamrta-sindhu, the ocean of mellows. Krishna relishes all the moods in the hearts of His devotees, He is visaya-vigraha, the object of Divine love. How will we serve Krishna? Under the guidance of Srimati Radhika who is asraya-vigraha, the shelter of Divine love. When the forty nine ingredients manifest in our heart then we can taste the mellows, rasas. First...
2023, Discourses in English 2023, Christchurch 2023, New Zealand 2023, samskaras
17 Oct 2023 evening – When will we give up material attachments? (English) – Christchurch, New Zealand | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
If you want to depart from this world of samsara, then you have to associate with sadhu and listen to harikatha. Our Acaryas express harikatha again and again to make the samskaras, impressions on the heart. Two things we forget: our birth and our death. It is not so easy to give up the body, so much attachment is coming. Papa-karma and punya-karma are both going with us into the next body. God is calling us, but we are not listening due to samsara-basana, the tendency to enjoy sense...
2023, Discourses in English 2023, Christchurch 2023, New Zealand 2023, aparadhas (offences), bhakti: 3 stages of development (sadhana-bhakti; bhava-bhakti and prema-bhakti), bhakti: sadhana-bhakti, bhakti: stages, maya: two functions, self-realisation
16 Oct 2023 evening – Where the Jivas Come From (English) – Christchurch, New Zealand | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
The jivas manifest out of Krsna’s marginal potency, tatastha-sakti. The two functions of Maya-devi that cover the jiva: viksepa-atmika-vrtti and avarana-atmika-vrtti. The three bodies of the jiva and the three modes of the nature of the material world. Through sadhu-sanga we get the opportunity to come out of this cycle of repeated birth and death. Two verses: brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān; mālī hañā kare sei bīja āropaṇa (CC Madhya-lila 19.151-152). The nine limbs of bhakti. Verse:...
2023, Discourses in English 2023, Gold Coast 2023, Australia 2023, animals: dogs
07 Oct 2023 midday – How to Conquer Maya (English) – Gold Coast, Australia | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
The material world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world. Maya’s three dogs preside over the material world. Everyone has millions of faults in Kali-yuga. The supreme quality of Kali-yuga: nama-sankirtana. The lila about Narada Rsi’s instruction to Hanuman. In Kali-yuga it is very difficult to perform fire sacrifice. By chanting the holy names, we will be able to realise our constitutional form. Verse: jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’ (CC Madhya 20.108-109)...
2023, Discourses in English 2023, Murwillumbah 2023, Australia 2023, character quality: criticism
07 Oct 2023 morning – Krsna is Our Sustainer (English) – Murwillumbah, Australia | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
What happens here (in the material world) is a perverted reflection of what happens in the transcendental world. About rival groups in the spiritual world and the material world. Everything has the influence of maya in the material world. Pure devotees have nothing to do with anything material. Asura-mohana-lila: when demons are deprived of association with the sadhu. Reminiscences of Srila BV Narayana Gosvami Maharaja in Devananda Gaudiya Matha. Never criticise anyone and chant Hare Krsna. The...