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

Dienstag, 16. Dezember 2008

Lord Chaitanya: The Supreme Absolute Truth

Prema Vilasa states:

"Lord Chaitanya is the spiritual master of the whole world, and he is so compassionate to the living entities that He fulfills everyone's desires. He is the reservoir of all transcendental pleasure and the supreme object of worship. He is the ultimate goal for all living entities. He assumed the form of a devotee to inaugurate the sankirtana movement. Nevertheless, His devotees know Him as their supreme worshipable Lord. Lord Gauranga's devotees are not ordinary people. They possess all the Lord's transcendental qualities even as they remain forever subordinate to Him."

Montag, 15. Dezember 2008

Gaura-Nitaai: The Most Merciful

Gaura-Nitai: The Most Merciful

by Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Gosvami Maharaja

"The Supreme Lord Krishna manifests Himself in the material world in four forms as the Vaishnava, tulasi, the Ganges, and Srimad-Bhagavatam . The Deity Form of the Lord becomes worshipable only after it has been consecrated ritually and the Lord's presence has been invoked. These four things, however, are innately sacred."
(Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 21.81-82)

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada comments on this verse in his Gaudiya-bhashya commentary: "The Lord appears in the material world in these four forms. Upon seeing them, it is not immediately evident to ordinary people that they are the Lord Himself. However, because of their intimate connection with Him, they are called His prakasa-vigraha, or visible manifestations.

"Generally people think that the Deity Form of the Lord is only worthy of worship after being formally installed (prana-pratishtha). These four prakasa-vigrahas, however, are considered to be naturally worshipable; there is no need for any kind of ritual in order to elevate them to that status. We should look upon them as in the position of the enjoyer, or bhokta, as the master or prabhu, and as bestowers of divine grace and knowledge.
"Mahaprabhu himself says, 'Those who worship Me directly but neglect My devotees are in illusion and cause Me pain. Their offerings feel like a shower of burning cinders on My body. Just because one is chanting is no guarantee of success. I destroy anyone who tries to hurt My devotees:

je amare dasera sakrt ninda kare
mora nama kalpa-taru samhare tahare

'If someone blasphemes My servant even once, then My Name will destroy him rather than fulfilling his desires."
(Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.209)

Mahaprabhu, bright with His effulgence of golden light, raises His arms in the air and proclaims to the world, "Give up criticising Vaishnavas and take shelter of the Holy Name!":

anindaka hai je sakrt krshna bhaje
satya satya muni tare uddharibo hele

"Verily I say that I will immediately deliver anyone who, free from the faultfinding tendency, worships Krishna, even for just a moment."
(Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.214)

If one offencelessly chants Krishna's Name even once, then Krishna will liberate him from material bondage. However, a person may be well-versed in all the Vedas, but if he still maintains an offensive attitude towards the Vaishnavas, he is eternally doomed. Is it any surprise, then, that we often hear people say, "Although I have been chanting for years, I have no taste"?

Srila Prabhupada writes in the Gaudiya-bhashya: "When one stops his offences against the Vaishnavas and utters Krishna's Name even once, he easily receives the Supreme Lord's grace. Criticising the sadhu is the same as criticising the lotus feet of Sri Guru, and that is an offence against the Supreme Lord. Gradually degrading to the level of bhagavan-ninda, an offender of the Supreme Lord is not only deprived of receiving prema, but due to his namaparadha he does not even come anywhere near achieving the benefits of religion, wealth, or material enjoyment."

Kaviraja Gosvami reminds us: "There are offences to be mindful of when approaching krishna-nama. Offensive chanting never brings about the desired change of heart.

tad-asma-saram hrdayam batedam
yad grhyamanair hari-nama-dheyaih
na vikriyetatha yada vikaro
netre jalam gatra-ruheshu harshah

"If by vibrating the Holy Name of Krishna our hairs do not stand on end, our eyes do not flood with tears, and there is not a volcanic eruption of ecstasy in our bodies, our hearts must be covered in steel."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.24)

It is written in the Caitanya-caritamrta that, "Simply vibrating the Name of Krishna once destroys all sin and then devotion gradually develops into love, krishna-prema. When we take the Name of Krishna in the mood of divine service, so much wealth is gained that the struggle for existence is over without our even trying. However, if one repeatedly takes the Name of Krishna and is not moved to tears, it is obvious that aparadha is preventing the seed of krishna-nama from sprouting."

Then what is our recourse? Kaviraja Gosvami says that in chanting the Name of Krishna, there is the consideration of offences, but in chanting the Names of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, the most magnanimous manifestations of Divinity, there is no such consideration.

"If one chants the Names of Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu with even a little faith, he is immediately cleansed of all offences. Then when he chants krishna-nama, he feels ecstasy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is unlimitedly magnanimous. Without worshipping Him, what hope is there for liberation?"

This does not imply that Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu bestow prema in the presence of aparadha. They are so magnanimous that whoever seeks shelter at Their lotus feet receives Their mercy. Soon the offences disappear and the offender feels love for Krishna.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says: "If we surrender to Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, all our previous offences are instantly absolved. Then the merciful Holy Name showers us with divine love."

Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes: "Krishna and Gauranga are Their Names, and Their Names are Their very selves. To consider Krishna inferior or less generous than Gauranga is ignorance. But the fact is, Gauranga and Nityananda are especially helpful to the fallen souls in achieving the goal of life. The more the jivas become fallen, the more merciful the Lord becomes. Gauranga and Nityananda are the ultimate manifestation of divine kindness, and within that kindness is found the sweetness of Krishna's pastimes.

"Krishna's generosity is confined to the liberated, the perfected yogis and those who have already taken shelter of Him. Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu, on the other hand, are so kind and generous that they take the most unqualified souls, free them from the offences that come of the selfish enjoyment mentality and, after liberating them, give them a place at the feet of Gaura-Krishna.

"Nevertheless, worship of Gauranga does not exclude the worship of Krishna, nor does it mean exclusively worshiping Mahaprabhu without seeing Him in terms of Sri Radha and Krishna. That kind of so-called devotion is fictitious, and is devoid of even a drop of the divine nectar of krishna-prema."

Mahaprabhu never tolerated Vaishnava aparadha. Ramacandra Puri, Devananda Pandita, and others are vivid examples of this truth. Even Mother Saci had to beg forgiveness from Advaita Acarya before the Lord would bless her with prema. Only when one sincerely approaches the offended Vaishnava and begs forgiveness will he be forgiven. Then offences disappear; otherwise the consequences are fatal. As long as the heart is covered by offences it is impregnable. Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings:

"Offences have made my heart as hard as steel and as cruel as thunderbolts. O Lord, even your Holy Name has no effect on it. I feel hopeless and helpless, O Lord, so I loudly cry your Holy Name. O Gaura! O Nitai! You two brothers are friends of the fallen. I am the most fallen, wicked person and You are oceans of mercy. So please save me!"

This is the critical difference between krishna-lila and caitanya-lila. Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami concludes the Madhya-lila of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta with this secret revelation:

krishna-lila amrta-sara, tara sata sata dhara,
dasa-dike vahe yaha haite
se caitanya-lila haya, sarovara akshaya,
mano-hamsa caraha' tahate
(Caitanya-caritamrta , Madhya-lila, 25.271)

"Krishna-lila is the cream of all nectar, only the confidantes of Sri Radha and Krishna and the eternally perfect souls can enter there. So how then should we conceive of caitanya-lila? The pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are an infinite reservoir from which thousands of streams of the nectar of krishna-lila are flowing in all directions, inundating everyone everywhere. May the swan of my mind swim there eternally, and dive deep into its infinite waves of nectar."

tad idam ati-rahasyam gaura-lilamrtam yat
khala-samudaya-kolair nadrtam tair alabhyam
kshatir iyam iha ka me svaditam yat samantat
sahrdaya-sumanobhir modam esham tanoti
( Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 25.283)

"Gaura-lila is deeply mysterious and confidential. It is the secret to devotion and love of Krishna. Those who are envious of Krishna and His devotees are like animals unable to taste its nectar. But I do not lament having described Mahaprabhu's lila because nothing is lost. Rather something is gained, because those devotees who are pure of heart expand the lila by tasting and relishing it again and again."

Samstag, 13. Dezember 2008

Forgiveness

Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!

Today morning as i was chanting the Name of Nityananda i was asking Lord Nityananda to give me the strength to forgive. My ego can so easily become aggrieved and can so easily find reasons to find fault with or accuse others. But that is not the way of a devotee. A devotee is compassionate. A devotee is on the way of opening his heart and that means also the cultivation of the quality of forgiveness. There are many instances in the Holy Scriptures and statements of the saintly devotees emphasizing the importance of mercy, compassion, forgiveness. i remembered Lord Jesus saying, forgive and You will be forgiven. i myself are still not perfect so how can i expect others to be perfect?! And after all, forgiveness is something so beautiful, it is a divine quality eternally attached to those who are perfect. Lord Nityananda, Who is the Perfect, Supreme Lord Himself is the most appropriate example for it. He forgave although the others made Him bleed. Oh Lord Nitaai, oh most merciful Vaishnavas, please endow me with a drop of the infinite ocean of the mercy and compassion You possess, so that i can forgive...

Matus

Dienstag, 2. Dezember 2008

Love depends on knowledge of the relationship

Shrila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaja:

“The day I realise that I belong to Sri Bhagavan and that all my relationships are with Sri Bhagavan, then my real self will become manifested, and spontaneously, all my actions will be for Sri Bhagavan and Sri Bhagavan alone. Identifying my interests with those of Sri Bhagavan, I will then surrender myself and all that belongs to that self to Sri Bhagavan. Only in that specific situation is love and devotion for Sri Bhagavan possible. The grace of the bonafide guru or preceptor will enable us to realise to whom we are actually related. Prior to this knowledge of relationship, it is not possible to have any idea of Sri Bhagavan. When we do not exert much effort to understand the nature of this relationship, our realisation is understandably delayed. After establishing this relationship, we can start our sadhana (abhidheya or spiritual practices) and begin to understand our real needs (prayojana). The scriptures of sanatana-dharma and all the wise sages have discussed three important points in great detail: (1) sambandha, the conditioned soul’s relationship with the Supreme Lord, (2) abhidheya, the regulated activities for reviving one’s relationship with the Supreme Lord, and (3) prayojana, the ultimate goal of life to be attained by the conditioned soul, i.e., Krishna- Prema, love of God.

“In spiritual life then, the first step is toward sambandha-gyana—knowledge of relationships.”

Montag, 1. Dezember 2008

Gurudeva, give me a drop of Your mercy



Gurudeva! Kripa-Bindu Diya
Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

gurudeva!
kripa-bindu diya, kara ei dase,
trinapeksha ati hina
sakala sahane, bala diya kara,
nija-mane spriha-hina (1)

Gurudeva! Give me a drop of mercy - make this servant more humble than a blade of grass. Give me the strength to tolerate all eventualities. Let me not hanker for my own honor and fame.

sakale sammana, karite shakati,
deha natha! yathayatha
tabe ta’ gaiba, harinama sukhe,
aparadha ha’be hata (2)

Give me the power to honor all living entities according to what they are due (and all Vaishnavas as befitting their platform). Then I will be able to chant the holy names blissfully, and all my offenses will be vanquished!

kabe hena kripa, labhiya e jana,
kritartha haibe natha!
shakti-buddhi-hina, ami ati dina,
kara more atma-satha (3)

O my master! When will I be benedicted with your mercy and finally be successful in my life? I am so fallen that I have no strength or intelligence. Kindly take my soul and make me like you.

yogyata-vicare, kichu nahi pai,
tomara karuna sara
karuna na haile, kadiya kadiya,
prana na rakhiba ara (4)

If I examine myself, I find no good qualities; Your mercy is the essence of my existence. If you are not merciful, then bitterly weeping I will no longer maintain my life.