manera smarana prana madhura madhura nama
vilasa jugala smriti-sara
sadhya sadhana ei ara nai iha bai
ei tattva sarva-tattva-sara

“The Divine Couple’s sweet, sweet holy names in the form of the Hare Krnsa maha-mantra is life for the mind’s memory. Their pastimes are the essence of all kinds of rememberance. Remembering Their pastimes is the both goal and the way to attain perfection. That is the truth of all truths.”

From Prema-bhakti-chandrika by Shrila Narottama Das Thakura, Song 6, text 2

The world stands in no need of any reformer. The world has a very competent person guiding its minutest happenings. The person who finds that there is scope for reform of the world, himself stands in need of reform. The world goes on in its own perfect way. No person can deflect it but the breath of a hair from the course chalked out by Providence. When we perceive any change being actually effected in the course of events of this world by the agency of a particular individual, we also know that the agent possess no real power at any stage. The agent finds himself driven forward by a force belonging to a different category from himself.

Tamal Krsna Goswami once said to Srila Prabhupada, "What hope is there? Instead of thinking of Krsna, I'm thinking of the temple finances". Srila Prabhupada responded, "So many lifetimes we have wasted on ourselves. Now for this one lifetime let us work heart and soul to push on Lord Caitanya's sankirtan movement. Then at the end of life, Lord Caitanya will personally come and cover whatever we lack, and take us back to Godhead".

"I remember Prabhupada's promise to me in Bombay: If anyone sacrifices sense gratification by giving his life for spreading Krsna consciousness, at the time of his death Lord Caitanya will personally come and cover any of his inadequacies and take him back to Godhead."

From 'Servant of the Servant' by HH Tamal Krishna Goswami

In 1901 Srila Bhaktivinoda published Srimad-Bhagavatarka-marici-mala. In this important book, the Thakura presents a study of the Srimad-Bhagavatam in twenty chapters, arranging its principal verses so as to illustrate the divisions of sambandha (the soul's relationship with God), abhidheya (the means for reviving that relationship) and prayojana (the ultimate goal of life). The Sanskrit verses were accompanied by Bengali prose translations and explanations by the Thakura. The Bhagavatam is compared to the sun and each chapter is considered to be an individual ray of Bhagavata sunlight.

“Doctors give medicine and they speak surety, but there is no surety, and where there is no surety why should we break our four basic principles? I don’t think there is guarantee of surety by taking this medicine with animal products. But if there is surety, you can take. But it is very doubtful.”

- From a letter from Srila Prabhupada on February 12, 1972, Taken from book "Prabhupada Nectar"

Hare Krishna. Thought you might find this interesting:

Radiation Rings Hint Universe Was Recycled Over and Over

A new theory in astrophysics posits that radiation rings hint that the universe was recycled over and over.

There are so many speculators out there that by the odds at least one or two of them are going to come up with a theory that comes close to matching the Vedic reality of multiple creations and devastations.

The ten abstinences are nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity, kindness, rectitude, forgiveness, endurance, temperance in food and purity.

Shukla Yajur Veda, Trishikhi Brahmana 32-33. YM, P. 19

He who knows this, having become peaceful, controlled, detached, patient and concentrated, sees the atman in himself and sees all in the atman. Evil does not overcome him, but he overcomes all evil; evil does not consume him, but he consumes all evil. Free from evil, free from passion, free from doubt, he becomes a knower of Brahman.

Shukla Yajur Veda, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.23. VE, P. 718

"Do not try to discover the nature of truth by the exercise of your imagination. Do not endeavor to attain the truth through experience of this world. Do not manufacture truth in order to satisfy your erring inclinations, or hastily accept anything for the reason it satisfies such inclinations. Do not regard as truth anything that has been "built up" or has the support of a majority of people like yourself, nor as truth anything that is rejected by the overwhelming majority. According to the scriptures there will be found hardly one in a crore of human beings who really worships the truth. What is proclaimed by the united voices of all the people of this world as truth may turn out to be false. Therefore, cease to confront the truth in a challenging mood.

"Several years ago in Los Angeles, a devotee asked me how long I had been married. When I said twenty-one years, his jaw dropped. "To the same person?" It is perhaps amazing that my wife and I have been married for so long because as in any marriage, we have weathered rough periods. When young devotees ask for a success formula for a Krishna conscious marriage, I usually offer them three principles: view your commitment to the marriage as direct service to your spiritual master, marry someone whose Krishna consciousness you respect, and commit yourself to raising your children in Krishna consciousness. I also warn them that illicit sex corrodes the Krishna conscious foundation of the husband-wife relationship.

Brooklyn
My Dear Gopijanavallabha dasa: