MONTHLY ARCHIVE OF UPDATES

FEBRUARY 2016

Service Capacity
"You cannot ignore anybody. Not everybody is qualified to do the goshala seva, but everybody has some quality. You should test the person and depending on what quality they have you must use that quality for the service to the Lord, to Guru."
• Download / listen to the audio (2 Mb, 6 min | 19 March 2014)

News from Sri Nabadwip Dham (9 photographs, 0.8 Mb)
Photographs taken this morning and yesterday at Sri Nabadwip Dham: the construction progress of Sri Govardhan Hill project and some service activities at Sri Govinda Kunda.

Sincere Enquiry
"Life is always temporary, but how can you during this temporary life attain something eternal? This is what we must all understand. You must search for the eternal things, you must find where the original source is."
• Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 3 min | 19 March 2014)

Service Target
Question: It is said in the scriptures we cannot attain anything without the mercy of the spiritual master, how can we know that our service or our intention is reaching the heart of Gurudev?
• Download / listen to the audio (0.7 Mb, 2 min | 13 November 2011)

Latest from Sri Nabadwip Dham (29 photographs, 2.8 Mb)
Photographs taken yesterday and this morning at Sri Nabadwip Dham: happily blossoming garden, completed painting and restoring of the sculptures above Sri Govinda Kunda gate, and the growing walls of Sri Govardhan Hill project are among the news.

Sri Ekadashi Guidance
Guidelines on how to observe and honour this holy day: Ekadashi takes an indispensible part in the life of a sincere practitioner. At Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Ekadashi and paran are observed with affection and without fail according to the dates given in the Calendar.

January Preaching, Bengali classes:
1. • Practising life without enjoyment and renunciation • Types of faith • Pariksit Maharaj, Khatvanga Maharaj • Rare human birth • Search for Sri Krishna • Kali-sthan • Pastimes of Lord Vamanadev • Devotee and barber
• Download / listen to the audio (36 Mb, 105 min)

2. • Sannyas types • Varnasrama • Vishnuduts and Yamaduts
• Download / listen to the audio (6.7 Mb, 20 min)

3 • Days are passing quick • The Holy Name does not come to the offenders' mouth • Bhakti-anukul, bhakti-pratikul • Illusory environment • Surrender and make the best of your life
• Download / listen to the audio (8.4 Mb, 25 min)

January Preaching, Bengali classes:
4. • The Lord's advent in different ages • Prescribed religion in each of the ages • Devotee's qualities • Sanatan Goswami Prabhu's five questions • Atma-satha
• Download / listen to the audio (13 Mb, 38 min | 18 January 2016)

January Preaching, Bengali classes:
7. Harinam initiation: • Origin of the Holy Name • Process of chanting • Four Kali-sthan • The ten offences • "Son of Lord Siva"
• Download / listen to the audio (5.1 Mb, 15 min | 20 January 2016)

January Preaching, Bengali classes:
10. • Sincere practice • Guru-seva, Vaishnav-seva • Sat Guru, asat guru • Srivas Pandit's daily kirtan
• Download / listen to the audio (13.7 Mb, 40 min | 21 January 2016)

All That Glitters Is Not Gold
"In Bardhaman district, near Durgapur, there is a small town called Mankar. In that town, there was once a brahman called Jivan Chakravarti. This Jivan Chakravarti worshipped Lord Siva..."

January Preaching, Bengali classes:
13. • Family life with detachment and with the Lord • Uncertain life • Follow doctor's prescription • Guru-tattva • Srila Prabhupad's "wasting rice" • Sadhus' mission • Prakasananda Saraswati and Mahaprabhu
• Download / listen to the audio (12.3 Mb, 36 min | 23 January 2016)

January Preaching, Bengali classes:
16. • Satisfying the Lord through service to Vaishnavs • Ramdas and Shyamdas story • Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu's sweet rice • Vrindavan Das Thakur and Nityananda Prabhu • Nityananda Prabhu's marriage
• Download / listen to the audio (10.5 Mb, 31 min | 25 January 2016)

Proper Detachment
"'Do not show your false renunciation to people. Serve accepting material things, but without attachment'—it is about emotion and devotion. Here it is said, 'Practise! Always practise,' and Das Goswami, Sanatana Goswami practised so much."
• Download / listen to the audio (2.9 Mb, 9 min | 19 December 2010)

শ্রীমদ্ভগবদ্গীতা • অষ্টমোঽধ্যায়ঃ : তারকব্রহ্মযোগ
"সেই ব্রহ্ম কি ? অধ্যাত্ম কি ? কর্ম্ম কি ? এবং অধিভূত কাহাকে বলে ? কাহাকেই বা অধিদৈব বলা যায় ? হে মধুসূদন ! এই দেহে অধিযজ্ঞ কে ?এবং এই দেহে কি প্রকারে অবস্থিত আছেন ? এবং মরণকালে সংযতচিত্ত মানবগণকর্ত্তৃক তুমি কি প্রকারে জ্ঞেয় হও ?"

January Preaching, Bengali classes:
18. • Atma-satha • Prescribed religions • Loving search • Khatvanga Maharaj • Karma and seva • Reading from Srimad Bhagavatam about the grihastha's service • Doctor's prescription • Sadhu's qualities • Story about a restless king • Bhog tyag, tyag tyag • Yukta-vairagya • Invitation for Sri Gaura Purnima
• Download / listen to the audio (26.2 Mb, 77 min | 26 January 2016)

Vishnupriya Devi's Sacrifice
"We must remember in our life the sacrifice that Vishnupriya Devi made. This life is not for enjoyment, this life is for service. We should learn from the sacrifice of Vishnupriya Devi..."

Latest from Sri Nabadwip Dham (49 photographs, 4.3 Mb)
Photographs taken today around Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Sri Nabadwip Dham, and a photograph of His Divine Grace taken yesterday.

News from Sri Ekachakra Dham (9 photographs, 0.6 Mb)
Sri Ekachakra temple is now brimming with service activities as the grand festival is approaching rapidly.

Mustard Crops, Sri Nabadwip Dham (5 photographs, 0.5 Mb)
Mustard seeds crops harvested and stored in front of the prasadam hall at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Sri Nabadwip Dham, waiting to be threshed.

From Sri Ekachakra Dham (25 photographs, 1.8 Mb)
One day is left before the festivals begin and we are sharing drops of service activities here at Sri Ekachakra Dham, performed under the guidance and for the pleasure of the embodiment of Sri Nityananda Prabhu's mercy, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj.

Life for the Lord (Bengali class)
• Spiritual family life • Real and bogus gurus • Proper practice: what to accept and what to reject • Jive daya, Name ruchi, Vaishnava seva • Clearing yourself of other desires • Bhakti Vinod Thakur's prayers to Sriman Nityananda Prabhu • A disciple's surrender • Nityananda Prabhu's leaving home and preaching for Mahaprabhu.
• Download / listen to the audio (8.3 Mb, 25 min | 17 February 2016)

Nityananda Prabhu's Appearance Day is coming (Bengali class)
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj is speaking in the evening on the day before Sri Varaha Dvadasi, welcoming devotees and setting a prayerful mood for the devotees to keep during the festival: "This place is not for enjoyment, it is for service."
• Download / listen to the audio (17.8 Mb, 52 min | 18 January 2016)

From Sri Ekachakra Dham: Sri Varaha Dvadasi (47 photos, 3.8 Mb)
As the devotees keep on arriving, the atmosphere becomes more and more festive—joyful smiles, warm embraces, humble obeisances and sweet words are the ornaments of the Vaishnav family of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Everyone is so very happy to reunite with Vaishnavs, friends and family and celebrate the most auspicious appearance day of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu in the shelter of the cooling shade of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj's lotus feet. Despite the unusual for this time of the year heat this year, the days here pass in busy and peaceful service and association: devotees clean the temple and paraphernalia, decorate the temple, prepare the huge pots and subji tubs to again serve during the festival, and do many other services. Everybody is eagerly looking forward to tomorrow's parikrama around the Holy Dham of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu that should start at about 10 a.m. after the morning programme, grand arati, and honouring prasadam (breaking the fast).

Appearance Day of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Ekachakra
(55 photographs, 5.6 Mb)
This most auspicious day is spent in happy and peaceful service and nourishing Hari-katha here at Sri Ekachakra Dham. Throughout the day His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj speaks to the assembled devotees, telling about the pastimes of the Lord and describing at length the way to attain Lord Nityananda's mercy.

Sri Sri Nityananda Mahimamrita

Sri Varaha Dvadasi class
• Festival Programme (fast, paran, lectures) • Nityananda, Guru-tattva • Sat griha • Vamanadev and Bali Maharaj's surrender.
• Download / listen to the audio (20.1 Mb, 59 min | 19 February 2016)

Sri Ekachakra Parikrama 2016:
• Jahnava Kunda • Nari-pota tree • Birthplace of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu • The temples of Lord Siva and Jagannath • Kadam Khandi temple • Banka Ray temple.
• Download / listen to the audio (6.1 Mb, 18 min | 20 February 2016)

Sri Ekachakra Parikrama 2015:
• Kirtan • Birthplace of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu • The temples of Lord Siva and Jagannath • Kadam Khandi temple • Banka Ray temple, kirtan.
• Download / listen to the audio (4.4 Mb, 13 min | 1 February 2015)

Narottam Das Thakur: Our Guru, Our Protector, Our Shelter
"Narottam Das Thakur is our Guru-varga. If you think how much he tried to preach, you will wonder, 'How is it possible?' You can understand how much he preached and how he protected our line if you think about his songs."
• Download / listen to the audio (3.1 Mb, 9 min | 4 November 2011)

At Nityananda Prabhu's Feet
"Today in a very beautiful way we have concluded the celebration of Sri Nityananda Prabhu's appearance festival. It is not every day that we can come to the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Prabhu: we must pray to the lotus feet of Nityananda Prabhu."
• Download / listen to the audio (3 Mb, 9 min | 21 February 2016)

Proper Practice (Bengali class)
• Practise at home • How Duhkhi became Sukhi • Gunarnava Mishra and Ramdas Minaketana • Faith and service • Sanatan Goswami's suicide • Reading from Sri Sri Prema-vivarta • Gora Daha • Gitar Samsara
• Download / listen to the audio (22.1 Mb, 65 min | 21 February 2016)

Anukul and Pratikul
"Accept what is favourable to devotion and reject what is not favourable. Srila Sridhar Maharaj said that if you do both what is favourable and what is unfavourable, it will not work (the two do not go together)."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.8 Mb, 6 min | 24 February 2016)

Managing or Damaging?
"We have all come here because we want be a servitor—we do not want to become a manager. I came here as a sweeper, and I want to die as a sweeper."
• Download / listen to the audio (4.4 Mb, 13 min | 25 February 2016)

News from Sri Nabadwip Dham (29 photographs, 2.8 Mb)
The hot days and at times rainy evenings before the Gaura Purnima festival are spent in various services around the Math: cleaning, painting, carpenting, marketing, preparing accommodation, and so on.

sri-siddhanta-sarasvatiti vidito gaudiya-gurv-anvaye bhato bhanuriva prabhata-gagane yo gaura-sankirtanaih mayavada-timingilodara-gatan uddhrtya jivaniman krsna-prema-sudhabdhi-gahana-sukham pradat prabhum tam bhaje "I serve my lord, who is known as Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Within the Gaudiya sampradaya's lineage of Gurus, he shines like the sun in the morning sky. Through the sankirtan of Sriman Mahaprabhu he rescues the souls engulfed within the belly of the timingila of illusionism and bestows upon them the ecstasy of swimming in the nectarean ocean of divine love for Krishna."

"Today is a special day, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's appearance day. If he had not come, where would we get Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Gurudev? If we do not get mercy from Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, without Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, we cannot think about Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj."

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur (Bengali class)
His Divine Grace Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj is speaking on this day in 2015 about Srila Prabhupad's birth, youth, initiation, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur's founding the Yogapith temple, Srila Saraswati Thakur's preaching pastimes, divine power transmission, and vast contribution to the sampradaya.
• Download / listen to the audio (25.4 Mb, 74 min | 9 February 2015)

Sujanarvuda-radhita | সুজনার্ব্বুদরাধিতপাদযুগং
"My master, Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, established the religion of the age, Krsna-sankirtan, and is the chief minister of the universal assembly of leading Vaisnavas. His lotus feet are worshipped by millions of virtuous souls and fulfil the desires of those who dispel souls' fears. Eternally I offer my obeisance to my master's worshippable feet."

Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Vani
"If someone does not consider it necessary to faithfully follow their Guru and the Vaishnavs, their endeavour to serve the Lord is not service to the Lord—it is service to maya."

Srila Prabhupad: Embodiment of Mercy
"Today is the holy appearance day of Bhagavan Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad, whom we are here to offer prayers to in the assembly of the devotees. He is Jagad Guru and what he gave to the world, no one else could ever give..."
• Download / listen to the audio (1.9 Mb, 6 min | 28 February 2016)

Appearance Day of Srila Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad
(46 photographs, 4.2 Mb)
Here in Sri Nabadwip Dham, the day passed quite intensely: on the request and invitation of the Gaudiya Maths of Sri Dham Mayapur, this year His Divine Grace Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj has taken an active part in organising the festival in honour of the divine appearance day of Bhagavan Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad, and in the afternoon takes the devotees of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math to Sri Dham Mayapur to take the foot dust of the assembled dignitary Vaishnavs. On the way to Sri Mayapur, His Divine Grace stops at Sri Nrisingha Palli where our new temple is already well under construction.

 · · • • • · ·

2016

 JANUARY
 FEBRUARY
 MARCH
 APRIL
 MAY
 JUNE
 JULY
 AUGUST
 SEPTEMBER
 OCTOBER
 NOVEMBER
 DECEMBER

• OFFLINE READING, ePub:
(All lectures of His Divine Grace Om Visnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj posted here on the website)
Issue #1 (31 Dec '14)
Issue #2 (2015/1)
Issue #3 (2015/2)
Issue #4 (2015/3)
Issue #5 (2015/4)
Issue #6 (2016/1)
Issue #7 (2016/2)
Issue #8 (2016/3)
Issue #9 (2016/4)
Issue #10 (2017/1)
Issue #11 (2017/2)
Issue #12 (2017/3)
Issue #13 (2017/4)
Issue #14 (2018/1)
Issue #15 (2018/2)
Issue #16 (2018/3)
Issue #17 (2018/4)
Issue #18 (2019/1)
Issue #19 (2019/2)
Issue #20 (2019/3)
Issue #21 (2019/4)
Issue #22 (2020/1)
Issue #23 (2020/2)
Issue #24 (2020/3)
Issue #25 (2020/4)
Issue #26 (2021/1)
Issue #27 (2021/2)
Issue #28 (2021/3)
Issue #29 (2021/4)
Issue #30 (2022/1)