What follows is a review of one reader of Gaura Book:

Here's the info of what it contains :

Vedic Cosmography

Your Best Friend
Grhasta Manual
Cookbooks (Yummy...)
Brahmacharya Section (Can’t miss this one…many original articles. Also has 2 fantastic books.)

And many other books are there ....you read and find out what else is there. (My incentive :-)

And many articles … almost all articles are from this section. The philosophical analysis and mention of whatever pure spiritual teachings available in all the religions of the world are really a revelation and a welcome addition. They include.

Modern Science (starter)
Anthropology and History (Hmmm...very interesting. It has some real revealing facts that support the Puranic conclusion and we see a lot of lies exposed in the name of writing history)
Astronomy and Cosmography (Vedic Cosomology is a very great science alright...)
Modern Scientific theories exposed (Prabhupada was fond of bashing these speculations on evolution, universe)
Introduction to Vedic Science (Baby Feeding...Karma, Soul, etc...good sources). Also nice magazine articles.
Important Lessons for devotees (Really important as it says)
Advanced Philosophy (You should read this in real detail very carefully ... it's quite involved with so much analysis of every major faith and philosophy in the world and it is a minefield of pure devotional revelations. Now-a-days we see so much hate and other problems, and this loving approach to appreciate everything good in others is characteristic of our paramahamsa acharyas.

So anyway, getting to the book list, it has :

All Prabhupada Books (by browsing links to Vedabase, Vanipedia, etc… These books are not available in this ebook. Includes links to Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavatam, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Nectar of Devotion, Books on Reincarnation, Life comes from life etc...)
[Note : It has links to where you can download all Prabhupada's books posted by others on websites and even Internet Archive -- Sacred texts, so that is consolation for those who want to read offline]

Books directly available in this database are :

Special mention is needed as this is the Only place where you can download the full Chaitanya Bhagavatam.

Krishna Chaitanya Charita Mahakavya -- this is rare. I have yet to find this anywhere else.
Chaitanya Charita (Kavi Karnapura — rare)
Shrimad Bhagavad Gita By Acharyas (Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakura commentary (this HAS to be read, we haven't seen Gita in this flavour + Srila Prabhupada (only links to The BBT Vedabase)
Glories of Lord Nityananda Prabhu
Nityananda Charitamrita
Compilation of The Pastimes of Lord Nityananda

Chaitanya Bhagavata (Full 7 volumes — verses patchy, perhaps CHM botched up the diacritics, but the English is perfect. It is Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's Commentary. For consolation, a separate book of only verses is available and it is perfectly done.)

Shrimad Bhagavatam (Links To Vedabase Given)
Chaitanya Charitamrta (Links To Vedabase)
Shri Chaitanya Chandramrita
Jaiva Dharma
Brahma Samhita
Navadvipa Dhama Mahatmya
Shikshashtaka with Commentaries

The Holy Names of Nityanaanda and Gauraanga (A LOT of info from so many scriptures. I say this changed my spiritual life totally along with the Hare Krisha maha mantra. I have sworn allegiance to them)

Maha Mantra Yoga (Hare Krishna Mahamantra MUST READ)
Hari Naam Chintamani (By the Naamacharya Himself)
Divine Name Haridasa
Shri Namaamrita
Levels of Nityananda Gauranga and Hare Krishna Chanting
Nityananda Gauranga in Vedas, Puranas, Smritis and Shrutis
Additional Important Scriptures
Songs on Nityananda Gauranga
Bhaktivinoda Vani Vaibhava (All 3 volumes — Sambandha, Abhideya, Prayojana … All his writings in one book)
Glories of Lord Balarama
Glories of Lord Krishna
Glories of Shri Radha
Chaitanya Mangala
In Search of the Ultimate Goal of Life (A very rare unpublished book of Prabhupada — very advanced)
Life of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
Gaudiya Kanthahara (Essence of the Siddhanta)
Other books also include : Tattva Muktavali (Mayavada Shata Dushani – Madhva smashes imposters who claim to be Supreme)
Madhurya Kadambini (For the science of spiritual advancement)
Prakrita Rasa Shata Dushani
Unauthorized and Deviant sects
Hari Bhakti Kalpa Latika
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (Sooo sweet….)
The Path of Dedication
Tulasi Worship
Ekadashi Glories
Krishna Bhajanamrita
Sri Gayatri Mantrartha Dipika
Vaishnava Song Books (Infinite Bhajans for the Soul. Also contains poems -- Sharanagati & Kalyana Kalpataru)
Ramayana Mahabharata (Pure Devotional translation. No devotee’s collection is complete without these 2 greatest and most well known books.)
Ananda Vrindavana Champu
Vaishnava Siddhanta Mala QnA
Six Sandarbhas (Most advanced, for the real serious. These are really advanced)
Vedanta Sutra (Govinda Bhashya — the Ultimate Commentary on Vedanta. This is the only English translation made by pure devotees and is almost fully complete, except for some few odd verses and a smalls subsection. No one has fully translated it as of yet...)

1000 Questions and Answers (Mixed bag. Some of them are not answered - deals with various topics at random but some of them have some really good realizations. Very fitting replies given too.) But there was this one set of 30-40 odd questions that was really botched up with questions and answers randomly scattered with no continuity. Hope they fix that.

Some Beautiful Realizations of devotees (I’ve seen this one before, taken from well known sources).
Beautiful and inspiring -- but if you're really serious, then read, or it might be too much to swallow.


The book is available from 2 links : http://www.be-pure.info/Vedic-Literature.html


Also the full review for the book is located here : http://nitaaiyoga.com/ebooks/#comment-2447GauraEbook.zip

Mittwoch, 28. November 2007

O my mind, just chant Nityananda Gauranga...

gaura-nitai3 In the following song His Divine Grace Seventh Goswami Shrila Shachidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes the glories of chanting the Holy Names of Nityananda Gauranga and the process of proper and effective  chanting of the Holy Names. His stresses the importance of chanting the Holy Names of Nityananda Gauranga prior to chanting the Holy Names of Lord Krishna in order to achieve the desired benefit. Furthermore He also underlines the supremely munificient nature of Shri Nityananda Prabhu, by whose mercy every soul can easily get access to the Holy Names of Lord Gauranga. Because only after having taken complete shelter of Lord Gauranga Holy Names and Pastimes can one effortlessly achieve the vision of Shri Shri Radha-Krishna, who appear in the combine Form and Name of Lord Gauranga (mahaprabhu shri chaitanya, radha-krishna nahe anya...).

Listen to the song here (performed by Bhudev dasa prabhu)

‘Dayala Nitai Caitanya’ Bole’
by Bhaktivinoda Thakura

‘dayala nitai caitanya’ bole’ nac re amara mana
nac re amara mana, nac re amara mana (1)

O my mind, chant “dayala (merciful) nitai caitanya*” and just dance! O my mind, dance!

(emana dayala to’ nai he, mara khe’ye prema deya)
(ore) aparadha dure ja’be, pa’be prema-dhana
(o name aparadha-vicara to’ nai he)
(takhana) krishna-name ruci ha’be, ghucibe bandhana (2)

Such a merciful personality as Nityananda Prabhu, who bestows prema (pure love of God) even after being beaten, is not to be found anywhere. Prema can come after offenses are overcome, but in chanting of the names Caitanya-Nitai*, there is no consideration of offenses. Once taste for krishna-nama comes, material bondage breaks.

(krishna-name anuraga to’ ha’be he)
(takhana) anayase saphala ha’be jivera jivana
(krishna-rati vina jivana to’ miche he)
(seðe) vrindavane radha-shyamera pa’be darashana
(gaura-kripa ho’le he) (3)

When there is deep love for krishna-nama, then easily one’s life becomes successful. Without attachment to Krishna, life is simply false. With the mercy of Gaurasundara one can obtain the vision of Radha-Shyama at the end of life.

* then Names 'Nitai-Chaitanya' or 'Chaitanya-Nitai' refers to the Holy Names of Nityananda Gauranga which have many variations such as the mentioned above, or 'Gaura-Nitaai', 'Nitaai-Gauranga', 'Gaura-Nityananda', and so on.

Mittwoch, 7. November 2007

Harinam in Prague

Those, who have seen the movie Matrix will especially relish this video, i suppose. i did at least :)
Enjoy! Harinam ki jaya!

All Prayers in the Name

Post by His Holiness Shri Swami Gaurangapada:

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Jaya Shri Guru Parampara! Pranams! As I chant, I find myself spontaneously praying to the Lord with my innermost prayers. The prayers just arise without any effort and become one with the Name while chanting. There is no extra effort for this. And my eyes get filled with tears. O Naam, I realize that the process of Vandana or offering prayers is included in Thee! nava vidha bhakti naam haite haya…

Naam is the greatest prayer of all. It is the inspirer of all other prayers. One who does not chant, cannot pray properly to the Lord. I feel stunned in bliss when I chant with deep concentration. Prayer means to communicate with the Lord. The channel of communication of the soul with the Lord is opened by chanting of Nityananda, Gauranga and Hare Krishna Naam. The Lord does not listen to those who don’t chant His Name.

The great 5-year old devotee Dhruva Maharaja could compose and recite choicest prayers due to constantly chanting His Name for six months. When the pure nature of the soul is revealed by chanting the Names, then prayer to the Lord begins because prayer is a natural function of the soul.

Oh Naam Prabhu, my only prayer to you is, “You are the supreme prayer of all prayers. Please let me always float in Your bliss 24-hours!!! The time during which I forget Thee is eternally lost for my soul so I cry that I cannot chant Thee constantly. Please reside on my tongue constantly even though I am not qualified for Your presence.”

Daaso’smi, Swami Gaurangapada.

Dienstag, 6. November 2007

Are we simple the combination of letters?

pdqvd-letters Since time immemorial human society is meeting with various challenges. These challenges touch all the different aspects of human life and represent a major part of our concern. Be it the industrialization in the past, the information society in the present or the water scarcity in the future, all our activities center these bigger and smaller collective problems. But unfortunately, we are completely forgetting to meet the greatest challenge in the human society ever, for all time to come and that is the quest of finding one's own identity. 

The result of all our endevours in subduing the impacts of these challenges depends on our success in resolving the essential problem, our identity crisis. How to we actually dare to claim of having a great success in nearly all fields of scientific research, when we are not able to even sufficiently consider, what to speak of providing a sollution, to the central scientific objective of the mother of all science - philosophy, which is to know who we really are?

Who are we really? We are wasting gallons of blood throughout our lives to resolve all the existing collective and individual problems, as to make us happy. But who are we actually trying to make happy? Who are we indeed?

Are we the reflection of the object we see in the mirror? Every ten years we look in the mirror, we see a different person, which has changed due to the infuence of time and the laws of material nature, yet we always feel the same. Every single day, every single minute and every single second our body changes, yet we are not even able to notice this continuous change. So i question again, are we really the object we see in the mirror? Are we really simple this object which is actually nothing else than a collection of various, most of them stinky, chemical elements or are we something more?

And what about the names? Are we the names we receive from our parents? Or are we rather the nicknames we got from our friends? Or do we even more like to be the artistic names, under which we entertain the others? Are we simple the combination of some letters or are we something more?

Are we all the various combinations of letters, such as "American", "Slovakian", "Hindu", "Moslim", "Socialist", "Scientist", etc. which although appearing tp have some particular meaning are nothing more than just concepts, created by someone else influenced by the misidentification with another such concept, or in other words created by someone identifying himself with another such combination of letters? We were all born without such designations, then how is it, that suddenly we find ourselves under the cover of so many name-layers?

What happened to us?

Is it perhaps for this reason, that despite of continuous and sincere efforts of making ourselves happy, we do not really succeed? Could it be, that we missed something very important and essential in our lifes?

After so many years and lifetimes of self-deception, are we able to honestly and humbly admit the shining fact, that we indeed missed to consider some very crucial point of our own existence?

At least now, although a bit, but never too late: Are we able to make this utmost revolutionary step to break out for the challenging journey of finding our real selves?

Yes, we will have to, because we know from our own experience that only the "revolutionary way" had enough power and effect for setting up a new order of life for the dissapointed and suffering society. 

by Matus

Dienstag, 30. Oktober 2007

Lord in heart and His Holy Name

paramatma

"It is a common and practical experience that if we call out the name of some particular person in his or her presence, this person reacts and immediately a connection is being established bewteen us and this person. The same applies to the calling of Lord's Holy Names. The Lord is omnipresent and He is present in our heart as the Supersoul. So if want to connect with Him, we have to approach our own heart, the place where He is present, and then simply call out His Holy Name with sincerity and faith." - matus

Montag, 29. Oktober 2007

Service and envy - two separate matters


Chaitanya Bhagavata, Adi-lila, Chapter 16, Verse 81 (words of Shrila Haridasa Thakura spoken to the Muslim king at the time of His arrest and accusation of abondoning the Islam religion):

ye ishvara, se punah sabara bhava laya
himsa karilei se tahana himsa haya


TRANSLATION

"The Supreme Lord accepts the devotion of everyone, but if anyone is envious of His children, then He retaliates."

COMMENTARY BY HIS DIVINE GRACE SHRILA BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASWATI THAKURA PRABHUPADA:

Lord Janardana, who is bhava-grahi, or appreciative of one’s sentiments, is served by everyone according to their respective moods. If a person rejects or envies the mood of another, then such feelings are actually targeted towards the Supreme Lord. Therefore a living entity should never envy other living entities. If one tries to uproot and convert the internal mood of another person into that of his own narrow-mindedness, then the result will be not only criticism of another’s religion but enviousness of the Supreme Lord, who is the goal of all religion. Service and envy directed to the Supreme Lord are two separate matters. If one misidentifies envy as service to the Supreme Lord, then he will be opposed to the service of the Supreme Lord and ultimately become envious of the devotees. When a living entity becomes devoid of loving service to the Lord, he becomes sometimes a sense enjoyer, sometimes a fruitive worker, sometimes an impersonalist, sometimes a hatha-yogi, and sometimes a raja-yogi. To engage such persons in the service of Lord Mukunda for their eternal benefit is not an act or form of envy. Rather, inducing such persons to engage in activities of sense gratification instead of the service of the Lord is to give indulgence to envious activities and therefore must be given up.

Dienstag, 23. Oktober 2007

Another sort of tapasya

Post by Bhakta Matus:

Since longer time i am struggeling with getting up early in the morning. Although i am concious about its great benefit in regard to the spiritual as well as material aspects of life, since longer time of trying i was not able to apply it in my life. Some time ago i proposed to myself: "From tomorrow i am getting up at 4 o'clock!" i failed, became humble. After some time i again tried with little more respect: "From tomorrow i am getting up at 5 o'clock!" i failed, became more humble. Then after some time i again tried: "From tomorrow i am getting up at least at 6 o'clock!" i did not manage to do that even. i became desperate. i thought to myself: "Am i so much in ignorance, fallen and undetermined?" i pondered again and again: "The only tapasya (penance) i have to take on myself in this Age of Kali is to wake up early in the morning, before sunrise, and chant the Holy Name of the Lord. This relatively small thing i am not able to do, then how can i hope to achieve success in my sadhana (spiritual practice). For how long will i have to struggle to somehow accomplish my fixed rounds of the mantra meditation during the day and in consequence of that to struggle also with accomplishment of my regural material duties?" i was praying to the Lord: "Oh my Lord, please somehow give me the inteligence and strength to be able to do it." So, yesterday, just like a miracle, a very promising idea appeared in my mind: "What about trying to 'pull the rope on its other end'? What about a more comfortable tapasya, which could grant me success? Yes! From tomorrow i am going at 9 o'clock to bed!" Today is the second day, and i managed to rise up to chant a great part of my rounds before sunrise, thus passing peacefully and blissfully the rest of the day. i am thinking to myself, how foolish i was not able to realize this most important tactics in order to be successful. i am also aware, that it is neither easy. It is actually indeed a sort of tapasya. Due to generally a bad habit of the whole association (who is going to sleep everyday at 9 o'clock?), one is alone in this effort. Thus i am hoping and praying to the Lord and all the Vaishnavas, that They may bless this fallen soul with enough strength, enthusiasm and determination to stick to its proposal and thus become successful. Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!

mentus

Donnerstag, 18. Oktober 2007

Prayer to the saintly devotee of the Lord

Oh Vaishnava Thakura, saintly devotee of the Lord

How wonderful and precious is every second of Your association.
The immense importance and value of associating with You cannot be captured in my tiny words.
Only by repeatedly getting in touch with You is it possible for me to keep up the necessary faith and enthusiasm for chanting the Holy Name of the Lord.
General association with devotees is very nice and helpful but even more than that is the precious and substantial association of advanced and pure devotees like Yourself.
Actually only to that type of association Lord's causeless mercy can be fully attributed and acts like an magnet, which attracts and drags the soul out of the boundless pool of material desires.

Oh Vaishnava Thakura, please never abandon this lost and confused soul, for except You there is no one this soul can take shelter of again and again.

mentus

Sonntag, 7. Oktober 2007

Guidance

It is a practical experience, that in every field of life, if one wants to learn something one needs guidance and help of a more experienced and advanced person. If it weren't so, one wouldn't have opened so many schools, institutions and educational institutes, which offer one the possibility of accepting the role of a student and thus learning and making progress in a particular field of knowledge. But the learning process is found not only in an organized way as mentioned above, but it is a kind of spontaneous and natural exchange of 2 individuals, namely one in a role of teacher and another in the role of a student, which can be easily experienced on a day-to-day basis everywhere. Just remember for example Your father teaching You how to drive a bicycle or Your friend how to drive on skateboard. You weren't even concious about it, yet You naturally and with joy accepted a teacher, and happily listened his instructions, thinking them to be for Your own benefit.

Spiritual education isn't any exception in this regard. A living entity, after its long journey in this material world, suddenly feels the need of knowing the higher truths of one's own existence and the universal principle behind it. Understanding one's inability of knowing these things alone, he start looking for a suitable teacher. On his path, he finds different teachers, who gradually help and teach him according to his qualifications and specific desires of how to approach the Absolute Truth.

For one, who wants to know and near the Original Personal Aspect of the Absolute Truth, Lord Gauranga-Krishna, the same Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests in the body of a spiritual master, who is completely ready to guide the soul back to His Kingdom. The same Supreme Lord takes a form of different persons, in order to take charge of so many different aspirants, at so many different stages of their evolution and under so many different circumstences. But ultimately it is the Supreme Lord Himself, who is the actual and only quide. Therefore it is natural and absolutely not controversial if one feels inspiration and accepts guidance from more than one spiritual teacher, understanding it to be a wise, perfect and munificient arrangement of His beloved Lord. Nevertheless, out of them, one bears the authority of higher importance, in order to clarify and set the direction in case of apparent disagreements and controversies.

Donnerstag, 4. Oktober 2007

Suffering purifies

Sorry for not posting for such a long time.

After some time i got an inspiration again. I have just been to cinema after quite a long time and i saw a very authentic and inspirational movie. It was about a young man (23) who got cancer and who did a movie himself about his last time before he departed. He kept records about his feelings, realizations, hopes, fears, etc. It left quite deep impact on me and let me further realize the nature of this perishable material world and the value of every second in this precious human birth.

i would like to summarize some most important realizations which invoked this movie in me:

- Suffering purifies as it makes us forcibly detach from the misidentification with this material body. Becoming pure means, to gradually disidentify with material body and become concious about one's real and eternal constitutional position as the loving servant of the Lord.

- Our real friends are the Lord and His devotees, for they never cheat a living entity from the eternal prospect of returning home to the Kingdom of God, where there is no suffering. We can't expect real and substantial help from any of our so-called friends, who themselves haven't solved their own problems of suffering and death. So how can they actually help us and solve our problems?

- There is no suffering for one, who awakened to his lost relationship with the Lord. Unbounded and ever-increasing joy experienced through this ecstatic connection with the Lord can't but completely cover the suffering, experienced due to the misidentification and forgetfulness of the existence of the soul and its duty.

- Don't waste time! Any time you can get completely disabled and disencouraged. And it will come for sure sooner or later. The result of such a heavy test will depend solely on the strength You will derive out of Your experience and training You practiced throughout Your life. Don't expect miracles without a reason. As one saying goes: "God helps those, who help themselves."

- Conciousness takes higher position over this body. Your suffering depends on the state of Your consiousness. Train Your conciousness! Chant the Holy Names of the Lord as much as You can and as good as You can! Give Your best and then You will have a good and promising chance of meeting the upcoming suffering with smile at Your face and peace at Your heart.

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna! Always chant these most auspicious Holy Names of the Lord.

Donnerstag, 16. August 2007

Identity crisis

It has always been my problem,
that i simply couldn't be myself,
myself was always formed by outer circumstance,
and i have suffered therefrom.

i was conscious about it,
yet couldn't do anything about it.

Perhaps i'm too sensibel, perhaps too weak.

There may be so many reasons,
for everyone specific and different.

Someone assumes an identification from outside,
someone else creates one from inside.

Yet for each of us,
the same timeless fact applies,
we're suffering from an identity crises,
we don't know who we really are.

Once this fact is understood,
humbleness asks for its attention.

Humbleness is knocking,
on the door of our heart,
still we can't let in.

"Not ready!"

Not ready to give up,
the false identifications,
it is as good as death.

Complete
dependence
on
the
Supreme.










This feeling so unknown for me,
its cultivation the only way,
its expression - beautiful play.

No more lie,
be ready to die,

Die to live...

(mentus)

Dienstag, 14. August 2007

Secret Of All Secrets - Part 1

Listen to the whole secret
(Audio lecture by H.H. Shrila Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada)




A very important point from this pastime which is described very confidentially in the Navadvipa dhama Mahatmya chapter 1 is the transcendental difference between Nityananda and Gauranga Names and Pastimes and Radha-Krishna Names and Pastimes though They are non-different. Seventh Goswami Shrila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura states in Chapter 1:


Text 1

gauranga nitai jei bale eka bara
ananta karama dosha anta haya tara


Anyone who chants Gauranga Nityananda Nityananda even once destroys “ananta karama dosha”… unlimited sinful reactions of unlimited lives are destroyed instantly by chanting “eka bara”, only once, Nityananda and Gauranga.

Commentary by His Holiness Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada:

If the people of the world knew that just uttering once Nityananda and Gauranga all of their sinful reactions would be finished for millions of lives, I think the whole world would do it, right? But they do not know this, it is our duty to inform them at least let them know, it is up to them whether to chant or not.

(Question from audience) But what if they chant and don’t have faith?

(Reply) No, there is no question of faith for Nityananda and Gauranga’s name, faith we require for Krishna’s name, but Nityananda and Gauranga don’t even worry about faith. One devotee was telling me that he went to give to someone one of our books, Who is Gauranga, you know, Gauranga in the Vedas, so at the time the person was not all interested in, he was very absorbed in this material world, “Who is Gauranga?” he said. So the devotee started dancing in happiness, “You chanted the name of Gauranga. Even though you don’t have time to listen to me who is Gauranga, Gauranga is Krshna himself in Kali-yuga, but at least you chanted Gauranga.”

That itself is enough, if you don’t know, even unknowingly if people chant all their sins will be destroyed. So what we’re giving to the world, we are just passing on the message of the acaryas, their treasure, that treasure is totally free, and it is so easy to acquire it, it is so easy to become saved from the horrible depths of the cycle of birth and death… by chanting once Nityaaaaaaaaananda Gauuuuuuuuuuranga.


Mittwoch, 8. August 2007

Why to chant Nityananda Gauranga - Part 1

i have started recording the book "Nityananda Gauranga Naam", which is a very unique and unparalleled scripture regarding the spiritual truths about the sublime process of chanting the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas. It is a commented compilation of the most important verses of the great spiritual masters of the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition revealing the supreme glories and confidential truths about these two most magnanimous and merciful Holy Names of Godhead. This book was presented to this world by my spiritual preceptor His Holiness Shrila Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada and is the embodiment of the infinite mercy which is Lord Nityananda showering on the souls of the present age by the help of His beloved and eternal servitor. I am not at all a good narrator, but i felt a sudden inspiration to provide the people a comfortable opportunity to hear about "my" beloved Holy Names of Nityananda Gauranga. i am doing it also as a part of my sadhana (daily spiritual practice), because the more one hears/talks about the eternal truths and glories of these two Holy Names, the more one realizes their magnanimity and develops a mature and unflinching faith in Their power and necessity.




P.S.: i thank H.H. Swami Gaurangapada for providing me the material and editing the video.

Freitag, 3. August 2007

Who will cross?


"Ke Jaabi Ke Jaabi Bhaai?"

Who will, who will cross the ocean of birth and death?
By Shrila Lochana dasa Thakura
Translated by BRS Swami Gaurangapada

Listen to the song and translation



ke jaabi ke jaabi bhaai bhava-sindhu paara
dhanya kali-yugera chaitanya-avatara


"O my dear brothers and sisters, Who will go? Who will go? Which fortunate person will cross over this impassable ocean of birth and death? This is the most appropriate time to do so as it is most rare and special Kali Yuga which only comes once in 8,640,000,000 years because the most magnanimous Supreme Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu has advented to deliver one and all."

aamaara gauraangera ghaate adaana-kheyaa vaya
jada andha aatura avadhi paara haya


"At the transcendental bathing place of My dear Lord Gauranga, there is a divine ferry boat waiting for all souls to freely take them across this limitless ocean of birth and death without any ticket. There is no restriction whatsoever so all souls are climbing aboard to effortlessly cross over this ocean of birth and death after transmigrating for billions upon billions of lives. The qualification is the desire to board the ferry. Everyone is coming, including the lame, the blind and the distressed. So please do not hesitate any further. One who misses this chance will have to wait for trillions of years."

hari-naama naukaa khaani shri guru-kaandaari
sankirtana kheroyaala du-baahu pasaari


"The divne Holy Name of Lord Gauranga Hari is the boat, Shri Guru (Spiritual Master) is the captain, and the Sankirtana Party moving with upraised arms are the oars of this divine ferry."

saba jiva haila paara premera vaataase
padiya arohila lochana aapanaara doshe


"All souls in this universe have crossed over the ocean of birth and death in this boat assisted by the favorable winds of the pure unalloyed love brought by Lords Nityananda Gauranga. Only Lochana dasa is so unfortunate and ill-fated that due to his own faults of not accepting this causeless and unprecedented mercy, he has been left behind."

nitaai naama laddu aara gaura naama ghi
hari naama khanda kshira ghori ghori pi


"Lord Nityananda's Holy Name is the nectarean laddu and Lord Gauranga's Holy Name is pure fragrant ghee. The Holy Name of Lord Krishna is the condensed sweet rice. Please mix Them all together and drink deep this supremely ambrosial nectarean elixir!"

Gauranga and His Pastimes - Part 2



Donnerstag, 2. August 2007

Donnerstag, 26. Juli 2007

Bliss Of Acceptance

Oh Lord, why should I pretend
that I usurp your power,
when all that vibrates
does so only at your Will.

Why should I make plans for the future,
when all my days are decided by You.
Why should I think I, when all is You.
http://jimmartin.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/sunrise3.jpg
Please Lord, grant me the Grace
to always see clearly.
Provide to me Your Will
so that my every action
is in accord with
Your highest standards of selflessness,
compassion, kindness and love.

It is You who are all.
This part of You recognizes Your Glory
and humbly offers back to You
that which has always been Yours,
but I was too ignorant to see.

(Unknown author)

Freitag, 13. Juli 2007

Breathe the Name

There is one very powerful method of meditation on the Divine Names. It was this method actually, by the help of which i found entrance into the chanting of the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas. Until now i can very well remember the deep impact of the Holy Names of Nityananda Gauranga, which i felt at the time of my first contact with Them. i am not afraid to say that it was partly due to this powerful process of Mantra Breathing Yoga also. Although it isn't presently my main method of chanting the Holy Names, i still derive great joy and satisfaction therefrom whenever i do it again.
So how does it work? Very simple. You chant the short forms of the Mantrarajas and You divide them into 2 parts each of them. It should be mentioned in this regard that the short forms of the Mantrarajas have absolutely the same power as the full Mantras and they are a very loving way of addressing the Lord.
Nitai (Nityaananda) Kriya = Ni (inhale) + taai (exhale)
Gaura (Gauraanga) Kriya = Gau (inhale) + ra (exhale)
While inhaling You chant the first part and while exhaling the second part of the Mantraraja. The chanting should be done internally. It is important that one breathes through the nose and not through the mouth. If one cannot concentrate on the Mantrarajas within one's mind while breathing, then one can very softly move one's lips and tongue but continue breathing through the nose. If it get automatized in that way, gradually one will come to a stage, when the Mantrarajas will be chanted automatically within one's mind while breathing. And this will be a great gain, when one will effortlessly use every breathe to chant the Holy Name of the Lord. And one's health will improve as well, as it very much depends on a proper breathing process.
You can see the method of Mantra Breathing Yoga in the above animation, where the short form of the Nityaananda Mantraraja is being used for demonstration. The same way can be done with the Gauraanga Mantraraja. Inhale "Gau", exhale "ra". Generally the Nityaananda Mantraraja should be chanted first and then the Gauraanga Mantraraja. Means, first breathe "Nitai" and then "Gaura". Nitai Gaura Nitai Gaura Nitai Gaura, in that way...
i wish You a lot of peace and joy practicing the Nityaananda Gauraanga Mantra Breathing Yoga.

Mittwoch, 11. Juli 2007

These Merciless Times




Please click twice on the player button embedded in the video (right-down corner) to start watching.



Donnerstag, 5. Juli 2007

The Gauranga Swan Song (1-5)

swans

Hail Thee Nityananda-Gauranga Nama! Kali Yuga's Sole Resort
For the ship of life, foul weather's safest Port.
Without Thee there's no other Support to seek,
With my heart and soul, honestly to Thee I speak....1

O Nityananda-Gauranga Nama! In Thee I take refuge with all my heart
Tho' in singing Thy Glories, Upanishads play their part.
Yet unable are they to do justice to Thy greatness,
Thou art e'er being sung by Yogis in their sedateness....2

O Syllable Form of God! Victory to Thee! Thou art always sought,
For Thou appeasest e'en those who is worldliness are caught.
Thou art e'er being sung by sages with bright prospect,
As Thou purifest e'en a sinner, uttering Thee in disrespect....3

O Nama Bhagavan Sun! Nityananda's and Gauranga's Holy Name
Who can aptly describe Thy enduring Fame?
Thy dim reflection, dispelling Universe's ignorance,
Confers on all the boon of Krishna love's affluence.....4

The deeds of past births, which the Vedas call,
Destiny, remain undestroyed unless endured by all.
Yet, unendur'd, Thy dim reflection destroys them as well,
Tho' even meditation on Brahman fails to save us from their spell....5

(Composed by Shrila BRS Swami Gaurangapada)

Mittwoch, 27. Juni 2007

NGN Chintamani Verse 1


gauranga nama cintamani, chaitanya rasa vigraha
nitya shuddha purna mukta nama nami abhinna

Listen to full NGN Chintamani




"The Holy Names of Lord Nityananda and Lord Gauranga are the most precious and valuable touchstones fulfilling the desires of all living entities in the material and spiritual worlds. The Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas are the transcendental and unlimited storehouses of pure divine mellows and are the only means to revive the consciousness of the spiritually dead and violently offensive materialistic civilization. The Holy Names of Nityananda and Gauranga are eternally pure and completely free of any material contamination because They are non-different from the Supreme Personalities of Godhead Their Lordships Shri Shri Nityananda Gauranga Themselves, Who are none other than Their Lordships Shri Shri Balarama Krishna."

(Nityananda Gauranga Nama Chintamani - The Divine Wish-Fulfilling Touchstones of the Holy Names of Nityaananda and Gauraanga, Translated and Compiled By His Holiness Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada)

NG Nama Chintamani Verses 1-50

Montag, 25. Juni 2007

Bring the mind back

Inattentive chanting arises basically due to a lack of meditation while chanting. So there is no mechanical formula or quick shortcut to stop inattentive chanting unless one starts meditating on the divine meanings of the Holy Names while chanting which in turn one can do only when one develops positive taste for the Holy Names. You don't have to worry too much while chanting. Just take a small precaution that whenever you find out that your mind has wandered away while chanting, please bring it back on the Holy Names. You should not let your mind wander even after you come to know about it while chanting. Then that will be a deliberate thing and thus unfavorable to Naam Prabhu. This small endeavor of bringing it back to the Holy Names while chanting is enough to gradually fix our mind on the Holy Names.

- Swami Gaurangapada

Read more here: http://nitaai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=441&p=651&hilit=Naam#p649

Samstag, 23. Juni 2007

Nityaananda & Inherent Purity

lotus "Simply by chanting or hearing the name of Lord Nityaananda, the sinful inclinations in the hearts of all the living entities in the universe are permanently destroyed and their inherent purity is automatically awakened. On chanting or hearing the name of Lord Nityaananda, even the merchants, degraded, fallen and foolish people are purified and immediately become realized in the Absolute Truth and devotees of the Lord."

- Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura

Freitag, 22. Juni 2007

Nityaananda Gauraanga & Devotee

"One is qualified to worship Their Lordships Nityaananda-Gauraanga as Devotees, when one actually is a devotee. Worshiping Them as the Two Jagad Gurus, The Supreme Absolute Truth, especially through chanting Their Most Magnanimous Holy Names makes one actually a devotee."- mentus

Mittwoch, 20. Juni 2007

There is no difficulty

prabhupada-color-bliss "If you simply chant Nitai-Gaura (Nityaananda Gauraanga) and dance, then you'll become happy. There is no difficulty. There is no difficulty."

(Shrila Prabhupada, Baltimore, July 7, 1976)

Dienstag, 19. Juni 2007

Gauraanga - Topmost Principal Name



Question: What is the most principal Holy Name of God?

Answer by Swami Gaurangapada:

"GAURAANGA" IS MOST PRINCIPAL AMONG THE MOST PRINCIPAL NAMES OF LORD KRISHNA.


(I) In the Brhad-visnu-sahasranama-stotra, Uttara-khanda, Padma Purana (72.335) it is said:

rama rameti rameti, rame rame manorame;
sahasra-namabhis tulyam, rama-nama varanane.

Lord Siva addressed his wife, Durga: "O Varanana (lovely-faced woman), I chant the holy name of Rama, Rama, Rama and thus constantly enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Ramacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Vishnu (Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotram)."

(II) In the Padma Purana it its mentioned:

visnor ekaika namapi, sarva vedadhikam matam
tadrk nama sahasrena, rama nama samasmrtam

"Each Name of Lord Vishnu is greater and more potent than the entire Vedas combined together, and Lord Rama's Name alone is more superior that a thousand Names of Lord Vishnu."

(III) In the Brahmanda Purana it is stated:

sahasra-namnam punyanam, trir-avrttya tu yat phalam;
ekavrttya tu krishnasya, namaikam tat prayacchati.

"And the pious results (punya) achieved by chanting the thousand holy names of Vishnu (Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotram) three times or the Holy Name of Rama thrice can be attained by only one utterance of the Holy Name of Krishna."

(IV) Prabhasa Khanda of Padma Purana states:

namnam mukhyataram nama, krishnakhyam me parantapa;
prayascittam asesenam papanam mocakam param.

"O Arjuna, the Holy of Krishna is the most principal (mukhyataram) among all Names of God. One can atone for unlimited sinful deeds by chanting the Name of Krishna which is the supreme destroyer of all sins."

(V) Finally in the Brahma-Rahasya it is stated:

krishna-caitanyeti nama, mukhyan mukhyatamam prabhoh;
helaya sakrd uccarya, sarva-nama-phalam labhet.

"The Holy Name Krishna Chaitanya or Gauranga is the topmost or the most principal (mukhyan) even among all the important primary and most principal (mukhyatamam) Holy Names of the Lord Krishna. By chanting this name just once, a person attains the spiritual results (punya) of chanting all the other holy names of the Lord."

So from the above five very important verses we can easily come to the following conclusion:

Secondary Names of God like Brahma, Paramatma, Shrishtikarta etc. take us only to the heavenly planets or maximum can grant us liberation or mukti. But the following Primary Names of God can elevate the soul to the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual world:

Vishnu's Name = Principal Name of God more than all the Vedas combined together

Rama's Name = More Principal Name (Mukhya) of God =1000 Names of Vishnu

Krishna's Name = Most Principal Name (Mukhyataram) of God = 3 Names of Rama or 3000 Names of Vishnu

Gauranga's Name = Most Principal (Mukhyan) among the Most Principal Names (Mukhyatamam) of Krishna = Sum Total of all the result achieved by chanting the Names of Krishna, Rama and Vishnu

Let's conclude by the divine words of Shrila Jagadananda Pandita in his great book Prema-vivarta, confirming the above conclusion:

gaura ye visala nama sei nama gau;
anya saba nama-mahatmya sei name pau.

"The most powerful names of God are the names of the most merciful incarnation of God, who is known as Lord Gauranga. The glories and power of all the other names of God are completely present in the Names of Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and thus They should be constantly chanted."

For more information see here...

Freitag, 15. Juni 2007

Principal and Secondary Holy Names


The Secondary Names of God and Their Symptoms

jada krtira paricaye nama yata
prakrtir gune gauna vedera sammata
srsti kartta paramatma brahma sthiti kara
jagat samharta pata yajnesvara hara

According to the Vedas, the secondary or inferior names of the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna are those which are in connection with the material world. For example: "God," "Creator of the Universe," "Paramatma," "Supersoul," "Brahman," " Maintainer of the Universe," "Destroyer of the Universe," "Savior," and "Lord of Sacrifice," and "He who takes away," are some inferior or secondary names of Godhead. (Hari-nama-cintmmari)

Fruits of the Principal and Secondary Names of the Lord

ei rupa nama, karma-jnana-kanda-gata
punya moksa dana kare sastrera sammata
namera ye mukhya-phala krishna-prema-dhana
tara mukhya name matra labhe sadhugana

These inferior names of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna are called upon by those who are on the paths of karma and jnana. According to the scriptures, one who calls upon these names gets piety and liberation. On the other hand, the result of chanting the principal names of the Lord [Govinda, Gopmla, Rama, Nandanandana, Radhanatha, Hari, Yasomati-pranadhana, Madana-mohana, Syamasundara, Madhava, Gopinatha, Vrajogopa, Rakhala, and Yadava] is krishna-prema. In this way, the saintly attain love of Godhead by chanting the principal names of Godhead... (Hari-nama-cintmmari)

http://nitai.in/nitaiveda/naamtattva.html

Principal, Most Principal and Topmost Principal Holy Names

(I) In the Brhad-visnu-sahasranama-stotra, Uttara-khanda, Padma Purana (72.335) it is said:

rama rameti rameti, rame rame manorame;
sahasra-namabhis tulyam, rama-nama varanane.

Lord Siva addressed his wife, Durga: "O Varanana (lovely-faced woman), I chant the holy name of Rama, Rama, Rama and thus constantly enjoy this beautiful sound. This holy name of Ramacandra is equal to one thousand holy names of Lord Vishnu (Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotram)."

(II) In the Padma Purana it its mentioned:

visnor ekaika namapi, sarva vedadhikam matam
tadrk nama sahasrena, rama nama samasmrtam

"Each Name of Lord Vishnu is greater and more potent than the entire Vedas combined together, and Lord Rama's Name alone is more superior that a thousand Names of Lord Vishnu."

(III) In the Brahmanda Purana it is stated:

sahasra-namnam punyanam, trir-avrttya tu yat phalam;
ekavrttya tu krishnasya, namaikam tat prayacchati.

"And the pious results (punya) achieved by chanting the thousand holy names of Vishnu (Vishnu-sahasra-nama-stotram) three times or the Holy Name of Rama thrice can be attained by only one utterance of the Holy Name of Krishna."

(IV) Prabhasa Khanda of Padma Purana states:

namnam mukhyataram nama, krishnakhyam me parantapa;
prayascittam asesenam papanam mocakam param.

"O Arjuna, the Holy of Krishna is the most principal (mukhyataram) among all Names of God. One can atone for unlimited sinful deeds by chanting the Name of Krishna which is the supreme destroyer of all sins."

(V) Finally in the Brahma-Rahasya it is stated:

krishna-caitanyeti nama, mukhyan mukhyatamam prabhoh;
helaya sakrd uccarya, sarva-nama-phalam labhet.

"The Holy Name Krishna Chaitanya or Gauranga is the topmost or the most principal (mukhyan) even among all the important primary and most principal (mukhyatamam) Holy Names of the Lord Krishna. By chanting this name just once, a person attains the spiritual results (punya) of chanting all the other holy names of the Lord."

In the Vishnu-yamala it is said:

krishna-chaitanya-namna ye, kirtayanti sakrn narah;
nanaparadha-muktas te, punanti sakalam jagat.

"Those who chant the name of Krishna Chaitanya or Gauranga even once, become free from all offenses and purify all the worlds by their very presence."

Shrila Jagadananda Pandita says in Prema-vivarta:

gaura ye visala nama sei nama gau;
anya saba nama-mahatmya sei name pau.

"The most powerful names of God are the names of the most merciful incarnation of God, who is known as Lord Gauranga. The glories and power of all the other names of God are completely present in the Names of Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and thus They should be constantly chanted."

(From: http://nitaai.com/nitaiveda/most_principal_name_of_god.html)

Donnerstag, 14. Juni 2007

Innumerable Holy Names


“O Lord, out of Your causeless mercy You have manifested Your innumerable names and empowered Them with Your own transcendental potencies. You have not imposed rigid rules for chanting and remembering these names, nor laid down conditions barring anyone from chanting or remembering Your name even during eating, reclining, or sleeping. But I am so wretched that I am not attracted to Your names.”

(Shri Shikshashtaka - Verse 2)

"Because people vary in their desires, by Your mercy You have distributed various holy names. Regardless of time or place, one who chants the holy name, even while eating or sleeping, attains all perfection. You have invested Your full potency in such individual holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attachment for chanting Your holy names.”

(Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita - Antya-lila 20.17-19)

Mittwoch, 13. Juni 2007

Tremendous influence of Nama-Sankirtan

After the acceptance of Sanyas, Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu toured all over India for a period of six years sanctifying all the places on His way and converting lacs and lacs of people to His unique path of Transcendental Love by spreading the Divine Dispensation of Nama-Sankirtan (congregational chanting of the Holy Names). He conquered the whole of India, from the great Himalyas to Cape Comorin by this most efficacious, catholic, and simple method. This new process is profound and easy at once. It has got the dual capacity of satisfying a profound scholar well-versed in the Sastras and gifted with the art of debate, and an ordinary unlettered man of the street. This marvelous combination in bringing together persons, diametrically opposite, under a single banner was never before experienced by any one in the whole history of the world. Such a unique and sublime process of self-realization accessible to the classes and masses was never popularized to the inhabitants of India or the world by any of the Prophets, Messiahs, Acharyas, Saints, Philosophers, or even the Descents (Avataras) of the Supreme Lord prior to the Advent of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This is an undisputed fact. Making full use of this wonderful weapon of the highest potency, He did marvels which human language cannot adequately express. The tremendous influence of the Nama-Sankirtan (congregational chanting of the Holy Names) has pierced through all our adamantine coatings, the result of the worst type of the accumulated heaps of sins of many births, and left Its impressions of firm faith and love to the Beloved Supreme Lord Shri Gaura-Krishna. Everyone without exception could feel the inexpressible glory, the universal and all round efficacy of the Name. That a good many of them have lately adopted this process of chanting the Divine Names, is the solid proof of Its efficacy and popularity. Even the wild animals were no exceptions; inspired by the Divine Influence of the Holy Name, they forgot their ferocious nature-the worst animal instincts in them- they danced; they kissed each other, they rubbed their faces; they shouted with extreme joy; they rolled on the ground and what other wonderful actions they did, can be adequately expressed only by an eyewitness.

(Adapted from "Divine Name" - Ch.10 "Mahaprabhu's Discourse on Naam")

Dienstag, 12. Juni 2007

Introductory words

Dear guest,

Since longer i have been thinking of joining the immense surfing community which has presently arisen on the wave of Web 2.0, the web of common people, where the words, life destinies and experience of each and everyone of us has got some specific value. The distance, time and language are no longer a barrier nowadays for getting people together and connecting them on an essential and common plane, the plane of life and its experience. Everybody follows a certain path in his or her life. This path was shaped by a sequence of events, which are specific and unique to each and everyone of us. All of us has the natural tendency within of sharing the taste of our own life, as the life is the very substance for every living being and thus a kind of urge arises within the heart of a person to share it with others.

In this blog i would like to share with You the taste of a life, which is being shaped by the power and sweet will of the Name Divine, especially by my dearest and the most merciful Holy Names of NITYAANANDA GAURAANGA. The main aim is to offer You (and me by posting) a new possibility of approaching the life, to offer You more freedom of choice by presenting to You an alternative, which the mundane world is failing You to offer.


Yours in the service of the Divine Names,

mentus