When the lotus blooms, the bees come to collect the nectar. Story of an intelligent person who followed varnasrama-dharma. Material life is impermanent. Learning to serve the Lord with Bhakti Yoga liberates us. Sloka: tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ… (Gopi Gita 9). He who hears Krsna-katha is drinking nectar and will never die. Harikatha liberates us from the three miseries of Maya. Problems with our mind are very dangerous and 99% of people have problems in the mind. Take medicine and follow the...
Seattle 2024
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Seattle 2024, USA 2024, Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhara Maharaja, guru: guru-bhakti, guru: guru-nishtha
04 Aug 2024 morning – Life of Sri Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja (English) | Seattle, USA | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Sloka: vāsudeve bhagavati… (SB 1.2.7). Life story of Sri Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja. Sloka: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam… (CC Madhya-lila 19.167). Memories of meeting Sri Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja. Memories of when Srila Gurudeva Vana Maharaja lived with his uncle when he was about twenty-one years old. Only he who completely surrenders himself to Sri Guru and Krsna becomes free from Maya. Srila Vana Maharaja received the blessings of Sri Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja to develop his...
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Seattle 2024, USA 2024, bhakti: bhakti-yoga (path of devotion; the practice of connecting with Krishna through devotional service; the process of awakening love for Krishna), self-realisation
02 Aug 2024 evening – Clean the mirror of your heart (English) | Seattle, USA | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
PART 1 PART 2 It has been a long journey to get here. 4 processes common to animals and humans. Human life is a life of self-realisation. God created man in His own image. Terms: body and soul. The name of the body and the name of the soul. Ghi is in the milk, it takes a process to see it. In the same way bhakti-yoga is the way to see God. The power of transcendental vibration. The explanation of Kali-yuga and maha-mantra. Shloka: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ (Sri...
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Seattle 2024, USA 2024, guru-susrusaya bhaktya sarva labdharpanena ca, smara-garala-khandanam mama sirasi mandanam, Gita-Govinda 10.8, Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.7.30, Uddhava Samvada, A Sadhu Who Chanted Under a Tree and Inspired the Birds, Glories of Guru, Importance of Guru, bhakti: bhakti-yoga (path of devotion; the practice of connecting with Krishna through devotional service; the process of awakening love for Krishna), bhakti: sadhana-bhakti, Gaudiya: meaning of the word, Radha: Gauri, service: guru-seva, service: vani-seva, service: vapu-seva
01 Feb 2024 evening – The Dedication of the Guru and Guru-Seva (English) – Seattle, USA | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
– Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada said that it is not at all easy to bring a person to Krsna Consciousness. – It is necessary to spend five hundred gallons of blood to bring a person to Krishna consciousness. Each gallon contains more than four liters. – Example of the worm that lives in feces and sometimes returns when removed. the souls conditioned to the material world are like this. – Teachings contained in Uddhava Samvada. – It is only possible to reach...
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Seattle 2024, USA 2024, Guru is Brahma Vishnu Maheshvara, anarthas: unwanted things (obstacles in devotional service; impurities of the heart), bhakti: bhakti-yoga (path of devotion; the practice of connecting with Krishna through devotional service; the process of awakening love for Krishna), maha-mantra: meaning of the word, universe
01 Feb 2024 midday – Guru Tattva (English) – Seattle, USA | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
Brahma created the material world. The Guru is called Brahma because he creates suddha-bhakti in the hearts of his disciples. Visnu nourishes the entire Universe. The Guru is called Visnu because he sustains and protects his disciples with suddha-bhakti. Siva destroys the entire material world. The Guru is called Mahesvara because he destroys all the anarthas in the hearts of his disciples. Guru: “gu” means darkness, “ru” means light. The Guru is the one who eliminates the darkness from the...
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Seattle 2024, USA 2024, bhakti: vaidhi-bhakti, mood: aishvarya (majesty; opulence; divine greatness), prema: utkantha-mayi-prema
01 Feb 2024 morning – Different Types of Sadhana (English) – Seattle, USA | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
About vaidhi-bhakti practised out of fear (bhaya) of going to hell; and vaidhi-bhakti practised with opulence (aisvarya). Types of raganuga-bhakti, e.g. lobha-mayi-bhakti (eagerly) to attain service in madhurya-bhava. How greed manifests itself in the heart. Sloka: kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto ’pi labhyate (CC Madhya-lila 8.70). Sukrti is not enough to reach the supreme goal. It is necessary to listen to harikatha and practice sadhana in order to achieve the spontaneous...
2024, Discourses in English 2024, Seattle 2024, USA 2024, Entry level discourses 2024, body: gross body, body: subtle body
31 Jan 2024 midday – Q&A (English) – Seattle, USA | Srila BV Vana Maharaja
– The power of maha-mantra. – Structure of the gross body, subtle body and soul (mentioning the book Journey of the Soul). – The soul changes bodies like a man changes clothes. – Everything that exists in this world has its own nature. – The soul is eternal and transcendental. – We should respect all religions. – Question: Are we all the same? – Question: Could you please give an example of how understanding suffering can lead to positive change...