It is important in order for that association to be following in the footprints of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates, each and every one of us has to take the responsibility to be that type of association. We both receive it and we also share it. It's not difficult. Help each other to remember Krishna, help each other to chant the names of Krishna and that's what these temples are for. We see on so many festivals, people are coming together to cook for Krishna. They're inspired by each other to be in their homes to cook for Krishna, to decorate the temple for Krishna, to come and hear the glories of Krishna. Association is so crucial to our sadhana. In the heart of our sadhana is hearing and chanting, hearing the glories of Lord, developing a taste for hearing the glory of the Lord. And that taste comes through our humility and our eagerness to serve vaishnavas, our eagerness to help people who spiritually are in need in this world. When we make our life focused in these ways, whatever our occupation or field and Krishna will be pleased. But then it's important that we give the time and the effort to hear the glories of the Lord, to speak the glories of the Lord and to chant, the names of the Lord in japa and kirtan.

Importance of Remembering the Gift That Srila Prabhupada Has Given Us

Visvambhar - Adharam Madhuram - 08.30.21 Janmastami @NRR

Aindra Prabhu speaking about kirtan, vraja prema and suddha nam. There's the sound of water (the Yamuna?) flowing in the background and peacocks chirping. You will love it!

Aindra Prabhu Katha 2009/03/23

Bhajahu Re Mana

Gaur Gopal Das leading kirtan (devotional singing of the Lord's names) at Gita Nagari Yoga Farm in Pennsylvania during the Pandava Sena summer retreat.

Hare Krishna :)

Senagetaway 2017 | Gaur Gopal Das - Kirtan

For a special pre- "Ratha Yatra" (Traditional Indian Festival celebrating Krishna's communion with His devotees) Tuesday Night Kirtan, Our Jahnavi Jivana is joined by two very special guests: Srikala the widely acclaimed transcendental rapper/ producer extraordinaire and Hari Kirtan the guitar virtuoso and kirtan master! Listen as these three kirtan veterans take you on a journey within, first though a classic Jaya Jaya Deva Hare mantra glorifying Krishna's activities, and then with a powerful maha mantra wave of bliss.

Tuesday Night Kirtan with Jahnavi Harrison, Srikala & Hari Kirtan 6/4

Even when they are a little off-beat or eccentric, the singers and musicians serving at the Radha Raman Mandir in Vrindavan always melt the heart.

Radha-krpa-kataksa stotram in Radha Raman -Jan 2013

Therefore, one must have a very strict sadhana. One should moderate once life by having a very specific time every day to chant for two hours, to hear the Srimad Bhagvatam, ‘naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā’ it is essential to hear the Bhagvatam every day. It is essential to chant according to the vow we have made to our spiritual master every day, it is essential to invite sadhus to our home to serve them and humble ourselves before them. These are the principals of Grihastha ashram given in the scriptures and exemplified by all the great devotees of the Lord throughout history in that ashram. It is the duty of a Grihastha to regularly associate with devotees, it is the duty of a Grihastha to install the deity in his house and worship that deity and offer all food to that deity and make one’s house the holy place. So, we have these minimal devotional principals - to chant two hours every day, to hear the Bhagvatam every day, to offer all one’s food and worship the deity of the Lord within the house and to serve the sadhus and associate with devotees; these are four minimal principals that must be adhere to. And if you neglect those, then your mentality will become like a karmi. You may wear tilak on the outside but inside you will not have the proper spiritual principles to live by.

Whether Grihastas Should Spend More Time On Profession Or On Spiritual Activities?

He said, ‘I have been chanting 16 rounds for 3 years now but I never knew how to say it, because I never met a devotee. I am only saying what I am reading.’ He said, ‘but I never knew that there was such thing as devotees till I saw you.’ Somehow or other he found out about our New Vrindavan. So, He said, ‘I have come to surrender.’ He said, ‘I want to surrender everything.’ He said, ‘This is what I read that I am suppose to surrender everything.’ Then he said, ‘Sarvadharmanparityadya’ and he said it in all different ways, He said, ‘you are supposed to abandon everything and surrender to Krishna. This is what I have learned from reading this book. So, I want to surrender everything to Krishna.’ So, he had a house trailer, he had 2 cars, he had about a 50 thousand dollars with a welding equipment. He said, ‘Am I allowed to give all this to my guru? Because I read you are supposed to give everything to your guru.’ I said, ‘Yes, you are supposed to do like this.’ He said, ‘I have permission?’ I said, ‘I am Sure you can get permission.’ Now this is an example of someone who never met a devotee before but was living perfectly as a devotee for 3 years and completely and properly understood our whole philosophy, didn’t understand the proper pronunciation, just by coming in contact with one of these wonderful books. So, this is the power of transcendental knowledge. This is the greatest service that we can offer to humanity, by somehow or other influencing people’s lives by which they could live according to this transcendental knowledge. The world is suffering so terribly because of the lack of proper understanding of the goal of life.

Anecdote About Bhagavad Gita's Influence

And that is one of the greatest detriments in any spiritual society that Maya or illusion captures us with this attraction, allurement, for facilities. We want to utilize the facilities we are having and we become attached to them. Facilities are meant for God’s service. But the tendency is we become attached. How do you know if you are attached or not? Anyone can say “I am detached its all of Krishna.” Any one can say that even I can say that. But the test is when you are asked to give it up, when you are asked to give up that facility by Krishna or his representatives. If we are really using it for Krishna, I will do without it. No problem. But if we say, “No I can’t, impossible, no way.” What does that mean? Means yes! It’s partially for Krishna, but you are attached for your own selfish purposes. Are we sincere? When something is taken away, then that’s the test. Are we actually sincere? Are we only trying to selfishly enjoy something in the name of Krishna? 
And not only things, but the most powerful than that is pratishtha, recognition, prestige, title and position. People are very attached to positions. People will lie, cry and die for a position. And we like to say that “I am only in this position because it’s the best thing for Krishna’s service.” But even n the name of Krishna’s service you may be in that trap of illusion. And the test is ‘give up your position.’ How will I live? How will I serve? I need this title. I need my name on the door. We should not be attached to a service. We must be attached to the spirit of the service. And on the basis of people wanting prestige, honor, respect, to the degree you have those desires, it’s inevitable, you will be envious of people who are potential competitors. Who are people who have more than you. Then where is the yoga? Where is the union? There is no real yoga until we are free of envy. It’s not just the matter of sitting cross legged and doing some breathing exercises or standing on your head. Those things are good for health and good for harmonizing body, mind and soul. But to purify the heart, to purify it so there is real unity with God and real unity with others, we have to rise above the ahnakar, the false ego. Where we want to take credit for what we do.

Don't Get Attached to Service, Attach to The Spirit of Service

Nitai Pada Kamala Session 2 - Lord Nityananda's Pastimes by HH Radhanath Swami

Radhanath Swami is a Vaishnava sanyassi (a monk in a Krishna-bhakti lineage) and teacher of the devotional path of Bhakti-yoga. He is author of The Journey Home, a memoir of his search for spiritual truth. His teachings draw from the sacred texts of India such as The Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and Ramayana, and aim to reveal the practical application of the sacred traditions, while focusing on the shared essence which unites apparently disparate religious or spiritual paths.
Born Richard Slavin, on December 7, 1950, in his teens he came to confront a deep sense of alienation from suburban Chicago life and the civil injustices of mid-century America. At the age of nineteen, while on a summer trip to Europe, his internal struggles culminated in a commitment to search for God wherever it might lead him. Meditating on the Isle of Crete, he felt a supernatural calling and the next morning set off alone to find spiritual India. The Journey Home documents his odyssey as a penniless hitch-hiker though Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and finally India. There he lived as a wandering ascetic, first amongst the forest dwelling Himalayan yogis and later amongst a wide variety of gurus and spiritual practitioners throughout India and Nepal. Ultimately, he was led to the holy town of Vrindavan, where he found his path amongst the Bhakti-yogis.
In Vrindavan he found the teacher he was searching for in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and representative of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, (the Krishna-bhakti tradition stemming from the 16th century mystic avatar Sri Chaitanya). In choosing Bhaktivedanta Swami, as his guru, Radhanath Swami felt compelled to shear his matted locks and reenter Western society with a mission to share the sacred wisdom he had received. This return exemplifies the form of devotional yoga which is at the heart of Radhanath Swami’s teachings, a spiritual practice expressed as tangible action meant to bring about personal fulfillment and benefit the world.
At the the age of 31 he took the monastic vows of a Vaishnava sanyassin and became known as Radhanath Swami.
Today Radhanath Swami travels regularly throughout India, Europe and North America, sharing the teachings of Bhakti-yoga. He resides much of the year at the Radha Gopinath Ashram in Chowpatty, Mumbai. For the past twenty-five years he has guided the community’s development and has directed a number of acclaimed social action projects including Midday Meals, which daily serves more than 260,000 plates of sanctified vegetarian food to the children of the slums of Mumbai. He has also worked to establish missionary hospitals and eye camps, eco-friendly farms, schools and ashrams, an orphanage, and a number of emergency relief programs throughout India.


Don't Get Attached to Service, Attach to The Spirit of Service

Radhanath Swami

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