Just before Tamal Krishna Goswami left, he had given a series of
lectures on the Nectar of Instruction. These were given in Mayapur
India with devotees visiting from Taiwan and China. A devotee is also
translating into (I believe) Mandarin. There are a total of 7 lectures.
TRANSLATION Text 8
The essence of all advice is that one should utilize one’s full time — twenty-four hours a day — in nicely chanting and remembering the Lord’s divine name, transcendental form, qualities and eternal pastimes, thereby gradually engaging one’s tongue and mind. In this way one should reside in Vraja [Goloka Vrindavana dhama] and serve Krishna under the guidance of devotees. One should follow in the footsteps of the Lord’s beloved devotees, who are deeply attached to His devotional service.
Just before Tamal Krishna Goswami left, he had given a series of
lectures on the Nectar of Instruction. These were given in Mayapur
India with devotees visiting from Taiwan and China. A devotee is also
translating into (I believe) Mandarin. There are a total of 7 lectures.
TRANSLATION Text 6
Being situated in his original Krishna conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee’s having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water.
TRANSLATION Text 7
The holy name, character, pastimes and activities of Krishna are all transcendentally sweet like sugar candy. Although the tongue of one afflicted by the jaundice of avidya [ignorance] cannot taste anything sweet, it is wonderful that simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day, a natural relish awakens within his tongue, and his disease is gradually destroyed at the root.
”
Lecture by Keshava Bharati Dasa Goswami on the Brihad Bhagavatamrita.
The main topic of this lecture is about Krishna’s love for His
devotees. Maharaj gives an introduction about the Brihad
Bhagavatamrita and then reads and discusses the pastime of how Gopa
Kumar visits Narayan in Vaikunta. Read more about the Brihad Bhagavatamrita at the BBT’s website.
Maharaj is just finishing up a audiobook reading of the Brihad Bhagavatamrita, so having him read and discuss this book with us in person was an incredible experience.
Ratna Radhika dasi sang a nice Hare Krishna bhajan at our house before Keshava Bharati Maharaj spoke. Not so many people had arrived at this point, but you can still feel the energy of the bhajan. Look for the kids dancing in the back partway through.
I received this clip of a Kirtan at the New York temple during the New York Rathayatra. Acyuta Gopi dasi and Gaura Vani das lead a wonderfully fantastic kirtan. Thanks to Sri Rupa for giving me the clip.
Just before Tamal Krishna Goswami left, he had given a series of
lectures on the Nectar of Instruction. These were given in Mayapur
India with devotees visiting from Taiwan and China. A devotee is also
translating into (I believe) Mandarin. There are a total of 7 lectures.
This lecture is given in the middle of an initiation ceremony.
TRANSLATION Text 5
One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Krishna, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation [diksha] and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that Pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.
Just before Tamal Krishna Goswami left, he had given a series of
lectures on the Nectar of Instruction. These were given in Mayapur
India with devotees visiting from Taiwan and China. A devotee is also
translating into (I believe) Mandarin. There are a total of 7 lectures.
TRANSLATION TEXT 4
Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one’s mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.
Lecture by Keshava Bharati Dasa Goswami on Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 7, Chapter 11, Text 13. He gives a quick review of some preceding verses. The Lecture covers the Varnashram system, the qualities needed to be considered “human”, and that Sankirtan (group chanting) is the religious activity for this age.
TRANSLATION
Those who have been reformed by the garbhadhana ceremony and other prescribed reformatory methods, performed with Vedic mantras and without interruption, and who have been approved by Lord Brahma, are dvijas, or twice-born. Such brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaisyas, purified by their family traditions and by their behavior, should worship the Lord, study the Vedas and give charity. In this system, they should follow the principles of the four asramas [brahmacarya, grihastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa].
2008-07-10 Dallas, TX
Click “Continue reading…” below for the full verse and purport.
Srimad Bhagavatam 7.11.13
samskara yatravicchinnah sa dvijo ‘jo jagada yam ijyadhyayana-danani vihitani dvijanmanam janma-karmavadatanam kriyas casrama-coditah
TRANSLATION
Those who have been reformed by the garbhadhana ceremony and other prescribed reformatory methods, performed with Vedic mantras and without interruption, and who have been approved by Lord Brahma, are dvijas, or twice-born. Such brahmanas, kshatriyas and vaisyas, purified by their family traditions and by their behavior, should worship the Lord, study the Vedas and give charity. In this system, they should follow the principles of the four asramas [brahmacarya, grihastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa].
PURPORT
After giving a general list of thirty qualifications for one’s behavior, Narada Muni now describes the principles of the four varnas and four asramas. A human being must be trained in the above-mentioned thirty qualities; otherwise, he is not even a human being. Then, among such qualified persons, the varnasrama process should be introduced. In the varnasrama system, the first ceremony for purification is garbhadhana, which is performed with mantras at the time of sex for propagating a good child. One who uses sex life not for sensual pleasures but only to beget children according to the reformatory method is also accepted as a brahmacari. One should not waste semen on sensual pleasure, violating the principles of Vedic life. Restraint in sex is possible, however, only when the populace is trained in the above-mentioned thirty qualities; otherwise, it is not possible. Even if one is born in a family of dvijas, or twice-born, if they have not followed the reformatory process he is called a dvija-bandhu — not one of the twice-born, but a friend of the twice-born. The whole purpose of this system is to create good population. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, when women are polluted the populace is varna-sankara, and when the varna-sankara population increases, the situation of the entire world becomes hellish. Therefore, all the Vedic literatures strongly warn against creating varna-sankara population. When there is varna-sankara population, the people cannot be properly controlled for peace and prosperity, regardless of great legislative assemblies, parliaments and similar bodies.
