‘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 […]

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 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, […]