The Most Blessed Event
Since 1969 in ISKCON Srila Prabhupada’s Sri-Vyasa-puja homage book has become an annual publication, presented to Srila Prabhupada on his appearance day.
Delivering the Message Unchanged
The precious Bhagavatam has been handed down in disciplic succession, from guru to disciple, in an unbroken chain, and today Srila Prabhupada, spiritual master of ISKCON, is delivering it in turn to his disciples.
What is a Guru?
The guru’s business is to see that no human being suffers in this material world. No one can claim that he is not suffering. That is not possible.
Initiation Into Krishna Consciousness
For a typical initiation, about one hundred devotees gather in the temple. The devotees to be initiated—perhaps a dozen of them—sit in two rows, facing the devotee designated to be the priest of the ceremony.
An Emergency Prayer for the Health of Our Spiritual Master
We, the fallen servants of His Divine Grace; beseech all of our Masters—Please give Srila Prabhupada more time! Time to insure the strength of this movement. Time to finish the Srimad-Bhagavatam. And a little more time for us to spend at the lotus feet of His Divine Grace.
Religion: Separating the Bogus from the Bonafide
Who will say which religion is false and which genuine, which harmful and which beneficial? What we need is not someone’s self-interested opinion but a reliable, nonsectarian standard for separating the bogus religions from the bona fide.
Establishing the Proof: Who Is a Real Guru?
A genuine guru must not only speak the truth; he must also live it. His character must be perfect and his behavior exemplary.
The Disciplic Succession
Many times, when people inquiring about Krsna consciousness hear from us about the importance of disciplic succession, they are not able to grasp what we are talking about. We say, “Krsna consciousness is coming down in disciplic succession.”
Initiation, Second Birth
I want to talk of the real guide, the pure devotee of God who showers unlimited love and mercy upon all living entities because he is the dearmost representative of God.
Siddha Svarupa Surrenders His Disciples to Srila Prabhupada
I’ve relinquished my position as spiritual master and offered myself, my disciples, and all our wealth at the feet of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The Spiritual Master: Emissary of the Supreme Person
How can one know that the spiritual master is bona fide? What is the duty of the spiritual master? What are his symptoms? These and other questions concerning the spiritual master and Krsna are discussed herein by way of authoritative evidence.
The Genuine Spiritual Master
The true guru is the person who says that Krsna, God, is our true friend. He does not pose himself as God or tell us that we can become God.
The Guru: Via Media to God
Whether the guru is a genuine avatara must be determined through the sastras. An incarnation never says, “I am an incarnation.” Nor does an avatara canvass for students. Because of his superior qualities, he is automatically accepted.
The Magic of a Real Guru
The foremost qualification of a guru is not that the guru establish his superiority (whether by magic tricks or whatever) but that he establish the superiority of God and be able to arouse the dormant love for God in the hearts of others.
Initiation into Krishna Consciousness
The most important celebration for a devotee to take part in is his own acceptance of initiation from the Spiritual Master. The fire sacrifice marks the climax of the initiation ceremony, and is followed by joyous singing and ecstatic dancing before the deities.
Srila Prabhupada’s Initiation
Abhay considered Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura his spiritual master from the time of their first meeting in 1922, but business and family commitments kept Abhay from participating full-time in Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s mission to spread Krsna consciousness.
Do You Need a Guru? — Notes from the Editor
Most people think they have no need for a spiritual master. In a sense, they are right. People interested only in an animal-like existence do not need a spiritual master. A spiritual master is required for a person who is inquisitive about transcendental knowledge.
The Test of the Genuine Guru
If you want a cheap guru there will be many cheater gurus. But if you are sincere, you will have a sincere guru. Because people want everything very cheaply, they are cheated.
Remembering Srila Prabhupada
Some personal recollections by his disciples. In January or February of 1971, Srila Prabhupada wrote us from India. He said that in April he would be coming back to America and would visit our Boston temple, where I was president. So we booked a beautiful suite for him in the Sheraton-Boston Hotel and cleaned the […]
What Now? Who will Replace Srila Prabhupada? — Notes from the Editor
How many times have we recently been asked, “Who will succeed Srila Prabhupada as the spiritual leader of the Hare Krsna movement?” And how often have we been confronted with the ominous inquiry, “Will the Hare Krsna movement be able to survive without His Divine Grace?”