Dedication to
Service
"By the mercy of Gurudev we are given a tongue to chant the Holy Name, to
chant the glories of the Guru and Vaishnavs, but if we criticise others and
tell bad things about others, what is then the difference between the mouth
and the other gates?"
Dedication to Service(Bengali class + evening
kirtans) • Adosa-darasi
• Service mood
• Tongue for service, not for stool
• Srila Prabhupad's teachings
• Nirjan bhajan and phalgu-vairagya
• Approach to taking initiation
• Mahaprabhu, the greatest
donor
•
Download / listen to the audio (10.7 Mb, 32 min | 29 February
2016)
Wed, 2 March 2016:
Vice of
Kali-Yuga
"The Kali-yuga's people are now addicted to ganja, whiskey, smoking—it
is a very difficult situation. If you ask the Lord for other things, Krishna
will give that to you, but He will withdraw devotion from you. You cannot do
what is unfavourable to devotion..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.8 Mb, 6 min | 1 March 2016)
Thu, 3 March 2016:
Chastity:
Disciple's Virtue
"What is mainly necessary is chastity. If Gurudev told me not to go to a
temple, how will I go there? Maybe Gurudev said it to me twenty-five years
ago, but I will not forget it. I want to follow that instruction until my
death."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.1 Mb, 6 min | 1 March 2016)
Fri, 4 March 2016:
A Humble Heart
"It is necessary to give honour to others. If you make so many offences, your
heart becomes as hard as a thunderbolt, and as a result, kirtan,
chanting of the Holy Name will not come to your mouth."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.5 Mb, 11 min | 3 March 2016)
Sat, 5 March 2016: (Sri Vijaya Ekadasi)
Parikrama:
Benefit and Benefactor
"When I see some eighty-year-old lady walking before me and faster than me, I
get so much energy from them. They get strength through chanting of the Holy
name—this is the kind of change that comes. If you chant the Holy Name,
the Holy Name will take you."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.6 Mb, 5 min | 4 March 2016)
News From Sri
Nabadwip Dham(36 photographs, 3.2 Mb)
As the days pass and draw closer to Sri Gaura Purnima festival, the service
activities condense and everybody is happily anticipating the arrival of the
family, trying to make all necessary arrangements to serve them. Over a
hundred devotees are expected to fly in from the West, and thousands are
expected to flock from all over India.
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.
Sun, 6 March 2016: (Sri Ekadasi paran is at
6:00–9:52 a.m.)
Gift of Service
"Mercy comes through desire. If you have a strongest desire, you will serve
your Lord, your Guru, and Krishna, Guru will take your service. But if there
comes even a little distance from our service, Maya is always ready: as soon
as Maya gets some place, you will be immediately attacked by her."
Mon, 7 March 2016:
Effective
Service
"If your mind wants to go somewhere or to do something, it is not service.
What Vaishnav tells you, that is service." Do not become a victim of the half
hen logic...
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.6 Mb, 8 min | 5 March 2016)
Tue, 8 March 2016: (Sri Sivaratri)
Sri Sivaratri(27 photographs, 2.3 Mb)
Photographs taken this morning and afternoon at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.
Everything is proceeding peacefully and happily towards Sri Gaura Purnima
Festival in the shelter of the lotus feet of Srila B.N.
Acharya Maharaj.
Gopeshwar
Mahadev's Surrender
"...Lord Siva entered the rasa-mancha in this mood, and Krishna
understood who had come. Everyone wondered where the new gopi had come from
and why Krishna was giving her so much honour."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.2 Mb, 7 min)
From Sri Nabadwip Dham: Shortly before the sun begins to approach the horizon, the devotees take
bath, put on clean clothes and gather at the samadhi-mandirs for the evening
arati. After the arati and the parikrama, everyone comes
to the temple of Lord Sada Siva Gangadhar and offer their obeisances, prayers
and offerings of the Ganges water, milk, etc. and some pranami.
Devotees start chanting from 6 p.m. and carry on till sunrise for the
pleasure of Sri Guru and Sri Sada Siva, praying for the mercy of the great
Vaishnav Thakur.
Wed, 9 March 2016:
Vaisnav Ke? (An Appeal to
Your Mind)
"We do not want to stay in the temple because there are so many rules and
regulations—everything has to be maintained at a certain time, and if you
live alone, nobody will tell you anything, but you will be losing your
devotional activities. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur said that
nirjan bhajan is self-deception."
•
Download / listen to the audio (6.3 Mb, 19 min | 6 March 2016)
Thu, 10 March 2016:
•POEM:
Vaisnav ke? |
বৈষ্ণব কে ? "O naughty mind! What kind of a Vaishnav are you? You stay alone at home
for your own fame and name—your chanting of the Holy Name is nothing but
cheating."
Fri, 11 March 2016:
Knock, Knock! (Ahvana
Poem)
"Who is your friend? Your friend has come to your house as a beggar and prays
to you, 'Please chant the Name of Krishna! Come with us!' Just like a beggar
he comes to you, but you cannot recognise him."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.7 Mb, 8 min | 28 February 2012)
Sat, 12 March 2016:
Hijack Scheme
"It is Gurudev's duty to hijack the conditioned souls—we do not hijack your
money, your gold, your wealth or property, nothing like that—we hijack
you from the illusory environment and bring you to Krishna's family,
give you service."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.4 Mb, 10 min | 10 March 2016)
Sun, 13 March 2016:
Digesting
Gurudev's Love
"They cannot understand how much love and affection Gurudev has for them.
They think Gurudev loves his disciples but not his godbrothers and
godsisters, and that is why they left..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 11 March 2016)
Mon, 14 March 2016:
Courtesy and
Affection
"The Lord has at last given us a tongue, and by the mercy of the Lord,
Gurudev we have got this Hare Krishna maha-mantra. With this mouth you
say, 'You are a disciple of another sannyasi, I do not like you,' but
this is not the courtesy, this is not our religion."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.7 Mb, 8 min | 12 March 2016)
News From Sri
Nabadwip Dham(19 photographs, 1.7 Mb)
The Math is getting full day by day as the pilgrims begin to flock from all
over India and the rest of the world, warmly welcomed devotees from the UK
and Mauritius are among the latest arrivals. Here are several photographs
taken over the past few days.
Tue, 15 March 2016:
Receiving and
Transmitting
"When your dust is removed, the magnet will immediately catch you, but when
there is a lot of dust, the magnet will not work. You should listen to
Hari-katha, Krishna-katha—and you must listen properly, with your mind,
speech, and body."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.3 Mb, 4 min | 12 March 2016)
Wed, 16 March 2016:
Tackling Mood
Swings
"Some day your mood is not good, but you should chant the Holy Name, chant
and practise more and more. You should think, 'Why is my mind not good? Why
is my mood not good? I must do more service, I must practise more.'"
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 5 min | 12 March 2016)
Evening Kirtans Sri Guru charana padma • Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu doya kare
more • Ohe Vaisnava Thakura • Nitai pada kamala
• Emona durmati • Gaya Gora madhur svare • Hari
Haraye nama Krsna.
•
Download / listen to the audio (12.5 Mb, 28 min | 12 March
2016)
Thu, 17 March 2016:
Glowing Glory of
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (43 photographs, 6.6 Mb)
Our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is glowing in its glory as the devotees
arrive in bigger and bigger waves, slowly filling every nook and cranny of
the temple. Everybody happily participates in the programme and His Divine
Grace repeatedly encourages the devotees to think of the glory of Sri
Nabadwip Dham, aparadh-bhanjan-pat, and practise properly, attending
the programmes, classes, kirtans, services, and wear the ornaments of
humility, tolerance and honour to others, forgetting own happiness and
comfort.
Evening Class: Practise At Home And In the Temple
• Parikrama mood
• Entering this world and body for service
• Glories of Srimati Tulasi Devi
• Importance of understanding the proper mood of the Math
• Piety is the path to heaven, not to home
• Parikrama is service, not business or pleasure
• Practise at home and at the temple, not to waste time.
•
Download / listen to the audio (17.6 Mb, 52 min | 15 March
2016)
Fri, 18 March 2016: (Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama
Adhivas)
Sri
Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Adhivas(44 photographs, 3.9
Mb)
Photographs taken throughout the day here amidst the thousands of Vaishnavs
assembled from sorts of walks of life to take the dust of Sri Nabadwip Dham
on their heads and visit the places of the Lord's Pastimes in the company of
Srila Gurudev, the Lord's very own, and thousands of auspicious souls,
including Lord Brahma, Siva, and others.
News from Sri
Nabadwip Dham(25 photographs, 2.1 Mb)
As more and more devotees arrive, the number of happy and smiling faces is
growing—everyone is happy to reunite with the family and meet new
members. Everything is proceeding smoothly and happily towards Sri Nabadwip
Dham Parikrama. Among the news are new publications that are presented to
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj at the end
of the evening class: a new issue of Sri Gaudiya Darshan magazine,
much and long awaited reprint of Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata as well as a
Russian translation of the first volume of Srila Acharya Maharaj's
Guidance.
· Sri
Vaishnava Calendar for 2016-2017 ·
We have received and added the calendar of auspicious days celebrated and
observed at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math for the following year, Sri
Gaurabda 531 (2016-2017).
Evening Class: Remember Where You Are
• The eyes to see parikrama
• This is your home
• Kali-yuga dharma
• Nabadwip's inner form
• Happiness is service
• Attachment to the Dham
• Use everything for service to the Lord
• Soldier of the Lord or of Maya?
•
Download / listen to the audio (17.2 Mb, 50 min | 16 March
2016)
Sat, 19 March 2016: (Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day
One, Amalaki Ekadasi)
Evening Class: Exclusive Surrender A lively class of kirtans and Hari-katha:
• No time
• "If you chant the Holy Name during the parikrama, the Lord will
personally take your hand and take you for the parikrama—legs are not
necessary, nothing is necessary."
• This life is rare and valuable, the Lord appears to give mercy to
all
• Exclusive surrender to the Lord
• Sadhu-sanga is the remedy from all distress.
•
Download / listen to the audio (14 Mb, 41 min | 17 March 2016)Evening class: Sri Nabadwip Dham Adhivas
His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj is speaking
on the eve of Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama.
•
Download / listen to the audio (14 Mb, 41 min | 17 March 2016)
Sun, 20 March 2016: (Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama,
disappearance of Srila Madhavendra Puri)
Sri
Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day One(72 photographs, 6.5
Mb)
Sharing the glimpses of the first day of Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama spent in
the shade of the lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti
Nirmal Acharya Maharaj and the holy Vaishnavs. Parikrama of Sri Mayapur, Sri
Simantadwip, Sri Rudradwip, and Sri Antardwip.
Sri
Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day Two(43 photographs, 3.9
Mb)
Day two of Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama takes the devotees to Vriddha
Shiva, Praudha Maya, Sri Vishnu Priya's Deity of Sri Gauranga, and Srila
Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaj's samadhi mandir.
Mon, 21 March 2016: (Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day
Three)
Sri
Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day Three(55 photographs, 5.6
Mb)
Photographs taken during the third day of Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama.
The devotees visit Godrumdwip and Madhyadwip: Surabhi Kunja temple, Srila
Bhakti Vinod Thakur's Svananda Sukhada Kunja bhajan kutir, Hari Hara
ksetra, Suvarna-bihar temple, and Sri Nrisingha Palli.
Tue, 22 March 2016: (Sri Nabadwip Dham Parikrama, Day
Four)
Sri
Nabadwip Dham Parikrama: Day Four(44 photographs, 4.6
Mb)
The concluding day of Sri Nabadwip Dham parikrama. In the shelter of
the lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya
Maharaj, the devotees visit Sri Samudra-ghat, Srila Dvija Vaninath's temple,
Vidya Nagar (Srila Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya's Gaudiya Math and parental
house), Sri Saranga Murari's temple and Sri Vrindavan Das Thakur's appearance
place.
Wed, 23 March 2016: (Sri Gaura-Purnima; Fast till
moonrise, then no grains)
Sri
Gaura Purnima Mahotsav(51 photographs, 4.6
Mb)
Sri Gaura Purnima festival (the appearance day of Lord Gauranga) celebrated
in the assembly of the stalwart Vaishnavs and under the guidance of the lotus
feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya
Maharaj.
Sri
Gaura Purnima Adhivas(8 photographs, 1.2
Mb)
Photographs taken at the evening programme on the eve of Sri Gaura Purnima,
the divine appearance of Lord Gauranga.
From the archive:
Sri
Sri Prema Dhama Deva Stotram(Download or read online)
"I offer my respects unto Sri Gaurangadev, who rose like a golden moon in
Sri Mayapura in 1407 Sakabda, revealed the Pastime of accepting the
garments of the renounced order, sannyas, in 1431 Sakabda in order to
benedict the entire material universe, and disappeared beyond the ordinary
vision of the people of this world in 1455 Sakabda. I offer my obeisances
to that beautiful Golden Lord, Gaurangasundar, the divine form of Krishna
prema."
তবে বন্দোঁ শ্রীকৃষ্ণচৈতন্য মহেশ্বর, নবদ্বীপে অবতার,
নাম—'বিশ্বম্ভর'
An archive recording of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
reading from the first chapter of Sri Chaitanya-bhagavat,
Adi-khanda, where Srila Vrindavan Das Thakur describes the Lord's
appearance.
•
Download / listen to the audio (5 Mb, 15 min)
Far but Near
"Without his mercy we cannot be present here. Every year we think we will
join this festival next year, but only Krishna knows whether we can join or
not. Only by the mercy of Gurudev, by the mercy of Mahaprabhu can we be
here."
•
Download / listen to the audio (1 Mb, 4 min)
Thu, 24 March 2016: (Srila Jagannath Mishra's
anadotsav)
Sri Vishva
Vaishnava Raja-Sabha
"Gurudev told me, 'The day after Gaura Purnima, you will sit together at
Vishva Vaishnava Raja-Sabha,' and it is my duty to do that. We have
come here to be together, and everyone can speak their own language—if it can
be translated into English and Bengali, that is good for the mission."
•
Download / listen to the audio (3.2 Mb, 10 min | 24 March
2016)
Fri, 25 March 2016:
My Grief
"Today, by the mercy of Sri Gurupadpadma, by the mercy of Gaura Hari, you
have successfully, beautifully and without any obtacles completed Sri
Nabadwip Dham parikrama. It is a very happy, joyful day, but at the
same time it is also a sorrowful day..."
Sat, 26 March 2016:
Evening Class: "Auspiciousness of Sri Nabadwip Dham
Parikrama" • No time
• Service at parikrama and behind the scene
• Srila Guru Maharaj: "I will invite personally [for Gaura
Purnima]"
• Auspiciousness of the parikrama
• Sadhu's tolerance
• Promise to Gurudev: "I will not run away—as long as I have
a drop of blood in this body I will not leave your Deity, your mission, your
devotees; I will not go anywhere"
• Laksmi Devi sweeping the courtyard of Srimati Radharani
• Parikrama programme.
•
Download / listen to the audio (15.5 Mb, 46 min | 18 March
2016)
Evening Class, 19 March (First Day of Parikrama): Main class:"Practising Life"
• Second day parikrama programme
• Vishnupriya Devi's sacrifice
• Madhavendra Puri's position in sampradaya
• Yuga dharma, Gauranga's avatara
• Power of the Holy Name
• Genuine doctor
• Back to Godhead
• Krishna's family and the story of 'Gita family').
•
Download / listen to the audio (22.5 Mb, 66 min | 19 March 2016)Kirtan: • Sri Guru charana-padma • Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu daya
kara more • Ohe Vaishnava Thakura dayara sagara • Nitai-pada-kamala
• Emona durmati samsara bhitare • Suddha-bhakata-charana renu
• Jaya Radhe Jaya Krishna • Hari Haraye.
•
Download / listen to the audio (15 Mb, 33 min | 19 March 2016)About Amalaki Ekadasi:
•
Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 5 min | 19 March 2016)
Sun, 27 March 2016:
Evening Class, 20 March (Second Day of Parikrama): "Madhavendra Puripad"
• Second day parikrama completed
• Madhavendra Puri's pastimes
• Sravan, kirtan are main practices
• Real disciple is rare, real Guru is rare
• Tulasi mala and homeless dogs
• Srila Prabhupad's lecture in Murshidabad
• Krishna's family and the story of 'Gita family').
•
Download / listen to the audio (16.8 Mb, 37 min | 20 March 2016)
Evening Class, 21 March (Third Day of Parikrama): "Nimai's Pastimes and Stories"
• Welcome austerity for the Lord
• Attraction to the Lord (Hari Hara)
• Programme for the fourth day of parikrama and Gaura Purnima
• Nimai eating a sannyasi's offerings
• Nimai's horoscope
• Rescuing Digvijari Pandit
• Rescuing two thieves
• Naughty Pastimes at the Ganges
• Duhkhi becomes Sukhi
• Faith: Mukunda's punishment and blessing
• Faith: Brahmin and cobbler
• Rupa Goswami cooks sweet rice
• Sanatan Goswami's suicide
• Govinda's service to Mahaprabhu
• Guru and two fighting disciples
•
Download / listen to the audio (13.3 Mb, 37 min | 21 March 2016)
Mon, 28 March 2016: (Festival at Sri Hapaniya
Dham)
Over Service
Hurdles
"When we came here, we did not know anything about Krishna consciousness, but
everything comes by the mercy of Gurudev. Tolerance and patience are
necessary. When you stay in a temple many problems will come, but you must
not leave your service."
•
Download / listen to the audio (4.5 Mb, 10 min | 24 March 2016)
(Note: Low quality audio, His Divine Grace's voice is hoarse after the
parikrama days)
Sri Dham Nabadwip
and Hapaniya: Last Festival (34
photographs, 3.1
Mb)
Sri Gaura Purnima festival has finished and the devotees, overflowing with
gratitude and appreciation for the festival, return to their homes and
householder practice taking the lotus feet of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj in their hearts. Today is Sri Panchami
Dol and the Deity installation at Sri Hapaniya Dham, the worshippable
birthplace of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. His Divine Grace takes
the devotees to Sri Hapaniya Dham to participate in the festival and we are
sharing some photographs taken earlier during Sri Jagannath Mishra
anadotsav and today at Sri Hapaniya Dham.
Tue, 29 March 2016:
Dog Stories: Fortune and
Perseverance
"1) For the Ratha-yatra last year, I bought only two hundred train tickets to
Puri for the devotees, but soon after that I got some news... 2) Once two
dogs wanted to go for Nabadwip parikrama from Dharmatala (Kolkata)..."
Two stories with fundamental moral.
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.1 Mb, 5 min | 24 March 2016)
(Note: Low quality audio, His Divine Grace's voice is hoarse after the
parikrama days)
Wed, 30 March 2016:
Be Wise
"Devotees gave me some advice and maya also gave me some advice, but I
did not accept maya's advice. Actually what you do—what you accept and
what you reject—depends upon you. You have some intelligence, and that
intelligence comes through association..."
•
Download / listen to the audio (2.7 Mb, 6 min | 28 March 2016)
Thu, 31 March 2016:
Odd and Ends (5)
Several educating excerpts from the lectures of His Divine Grace Srila
Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj that were not included in the main
posts: • "He will arrange" • Initiation & Sisya's karma
• No beads in the bathroom • Prerequisite for initiation
• Acharya Board's function • "I am not doing anything"
• Prasadam like nectar • Deceit-free service
• A change of dress • No tilak—burning ghat
• Depend upon your Guru.
•
Download / listen to the audio (5.7 Mb, 13 min)
'Some problem will come through your service—if everything always goes
smooth it is not service. If your boat is going in the same direction as the
current, your boat will go easily, but if the current is going in the
opposite direction, then you will have to row hard.'