Who is Krishna

Who is Krishna?

Krishna is the Supreme Person, the Godhead. Krishna is the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita, which is recognized throughout the world as one of mankind’s greatest books of wisdom. In the Gita, as it is also known, Krishna says repeatedly that He is God Himself, the source of everything. Arjuna, to whom Krishna is speaking, accepts […]

Personal

Is God Personal or Impersonal?

The personhood of Krishna is not an idea invented by human beings naively creating a God in their own image. Nor is personhood a limiting concept when applied to God, or the Absolute Truth. As the source of everything, Krishna naturally has His own personal identity, just as each of us does. The Vedas define […]

Attractive

The All Attractive One

Understanding that God is spiritual, people sometimes conceive of Him as having no qualities. But although Krishna has no material qualities, He is full of unlimited transcendental qualities, and those qualities attract us to Him. Thus great souls who have given up everything cannot give up attraction to Krishna, and they dedicate their lives to […]

Sri Sri Radha & Krishna

Krishna’s form is spiritual; it is not made of matter. In our present condition, with our material eyes, we cannot see Krishna. So He descends in an apparently material form as the deity in the temple to allow us to see Him and serve Him directly. For God there is no difference between material and […]

Sita Rama Lakshman Hanuman

Sita, Rama, Lakshman, & Hanuman

Millions of years ago, in the age called Treta-yuga, the Supreme Personality of Godhead descended as a king, Lord Rama, or Ramachandra, to establish the principles of religion, morality and righteousness. His pastimes were recorded by the poet Valmiki in the epic Ramayana. The Story of Lord Rama Ramachandra appeared in the Sun Dynasty as […]

Scriptural Study

There is no process more valuable than to absorb Krishna’s virtues, names, forms, and pastimes, and the principles and process of the soul’s evolution.  In the Vedic scriptures these invaluable facets of the spiritual path are addressed in great detail.  Every spiritually aware person has many questions: Who is God?  What is our natural relationship […]

bhaktisiddhanta-thakura guru 300

What Is A Guru?

‘Can’t I figure everything out myself? What do I need a guru for? Can’t I just read a book and learn that way?’ Teachers help us progress faster. They can see (if we let them) what we’re doing wrong, and help us correct it. Books can’t do that. Plus, you can close a book. A […]

Arati Ceremony

Arati (pronounced ar’ a tee) is an offering of respect, welcome, or worship to an exalted person. Since the most exalted person is the Supreme Lord, it is most appropriate to offer arati to Him. Arati is one aspect of Deity worship. During arati, auspicious items are offered to the Deity. Guidelines Aratis can be […]

Krishna's Relationships

His Relationships

Krishna savors diversity from various kinds of pure, transcendental love. As we enjoy a variety of relationships in our families and society, so does Krishna, but all of His relationships are eternal, transcendental, and completely free of material contamination. Each of Krishna’s devotees interacts with Him in one of five primary relationships. In ascending order […]

Krishna's Energies

His Energies

Although Krishna is invisible to us in our present state, we can perceive His presence through His energies, which are everywhere. Although innumerable, His energies fall into three primary categories. Internal Energy Krishna’s internal energy expands as the spiritual world in all its variety, including His ever-liberated associates there. The internal energy is eternal and […]

Seva (Devotional Service)

Click here for full slideshow Karmic work is to perform tasks for our own benefit.  We look forward to reaping the fruits of our labors.  On the other hand, seva (selfless service) is devoted to Krishna.  Our labor and everything that results from it are offered to the Lord for His enjoyment.  Such a focus […]

Diet

Prasadam All food when it is prepared is consider bhoga or material food.  We then take a small portion of that and offer it to Krishna in a brief ceremony.  Krishna accepts this offering by ‘consuming’ it on the spiritual plane, and the physical remnants of the offering are called prasadam, or food blessed for […]

The Vedas

The Vedic scriptures are the spiritual literature of the ancient Indian culture, written in the Sanskrit language. They are comprised of a huge collection of books which include material (mundane), religious (ritualistic) as well as spiritual (monotheistic) knowledge. The expression “Vedic” is derived from the Sanskrit word VEDA, which means knowledge or revelation. According to […]

Srimad-Bhagavatam-1

Srimad Bhagavatam

Srimad-Bhagavatam, an epic philosophical and literary classic, holds a prominent position in India’s voluminous written wisdom. The Bhagavatam is the postgraduate, post-Vedic text of spiritual understanding. It has served as the inspiration for countless works of literature, song, drama, painting, and sculpture. Known as “the ripe fruit of the tree of Vedic literature,” Srimad-Bhagavatam is […]

Bhagavad-Gita

Bhagavad Gita

Krishna Himself came to this world 5,000 years ago and spoke Bhagavad-gita to His friend Arjuna. At the last moment before entering a momentous battle, the great warrior Arjuna begins to wonder: “Why should I fight? What is the meaning of life? Where am I going after death?” In response, Krishna brings His friend from […]

Japa & Kirtan – Chanting the Names of God

Japa & kirtan are two indispensable practices on the path to Krishna consciousness. Japa and kirtan are services to God based on the chanting of His Holy Names. By these simple practices all the five senses – seeing, hearing, touching, smelling (incense & flowers), and seeing (chanting is generally enacted in front of a picture […]

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti means to offer with love and devotion anything one does in life to God. Bhakti means love of God or, as Srila Prabhupada would often translate the word, pure devotional service to God. (The Sanskrit root of the word bhakti is bhaj, which means “loving service.”) Bhakti is the essence of the eternal relationship […]

Disciplic-Succession

Disciplic Succession

The Parampara is a succession of spiritual teachers passing down unfiltered knowledge. In order for a teacher to be authentic, his line of authority must come from Lord Krishna. There are four Vaishnava sampradayas, or authentic lines of knowledge. The first is the Brahma-sampradaya, which comes directly from Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe; […]

Srila Prabhupad

Srila Prabhupada

Srila Prabhupada took birth in this world on the day after Krishna’s Appearance day, in Calcutta, 1896. His life history from his earliest days to his passing away in 1977 is vividly described in his authorized biography, the Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta. In Calcutta, 1922, Srila Prabhupada first met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, […]

Nrisimha

Lord Nrsimha: Protector of Devotees

When in danger, devotees of Lord Krishna naturally turn to His fiercest form for protection. One of the most awe-inspiring of Lord Krishna’s forms is Sri Nrsimhadeva, His half-man, half-lion incarnation. Lord Nrsimha descended to protect His devotee Sri Prahlada Maharaja from the atheistic king Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada’s father. The Boy Saint Prahlada Sri Prahlada Maharaja […]