Dharma, the Way of Transcendence

Dharma, the Way of Transcendence
Author: A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Publisher: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
Total Pages: 134
Release: 2022-02-08
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9171499393

The word dharma, originally from the Sanskrit, refers to the inherent, unchanging nature of something – sugar’s dharma is to be sweet, water’s dharma is to be wet, and fire’s dharma is to emit heat and light. Dharma also refers to our natural duty. We humans have ordinary dharma and an ultimate dharma that relates to who we are at soul level. That dharma requires that we ask existential questions and then seek ultimate answers – questions such as Who am I? Why am I here? and What is my ultimate purpose? Dharma, the Way of Transcendence is a compilation of lectures on human dharma given by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1972 as he toured India. Here he teaches that the dharma of all humans and every other living embodied soul – is service. No one can exist for a moment without serving someone or something else, even if it’s only the mind and senses. So the question is, whom or what can we serve if we want to be truest to ourselves?

MUKUNDAMALA

MUKUNDAMALA
Author: Swami Ishwarananda
Publisher: Central Chinmaya Mission Trust
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2013
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 8175975695

What do you call a devotee who is also a king -- an emperor among saints or a saint among emperors? Kulasekhara Alvar, was a regal devotee who lorded over the Lord of His heart, Mukunda! He would cry, smile, weep, laugh, plead, throw a challenge to the lord and make Krishna give into His sweet adoration. Swami Ishwarananda in his erudite exposition on Mukundamala;, a composition of this saint says that love by itself is healing, but divine love is several notches higher and a Divine Lover is an alchemist who transforms an ordinary life into an inner pilgrimage, leading to an ecstatic union with the Lord. His exhaustive commentary is replete with easy examples and parallels from the Upanisads and the Bhagavad-gita;. This will be an illuminating affirmation for any devotee and an eye-opener to any atheist who is very sure of himself. Through this text you will discover the deeper dimensions of your emotional and spiritual personalities.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom
Author: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Publisher: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2015-12-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9171498710

Renunciation Through Wisdom is a collection of essays originally written in Bengali and published by Srila Prabhupada in India during the 1940s. They were later translated into English by his disciples. In these essays Srila Prabhupada expands on themes found in the Bhagavad-gita, discussing such topics as why people are averse to God, the ultimate causes of suffering, and how the world’s troubles are extraordinarily fleeting when seen from the standpoint of eternity. Students of Srila Prabhupada will recognize the same common-sense writing style in Renunciation Through Wisdom as in his later, well-known works such as Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita As It Is, as well as his expertise at distilling the essence of India's ancient Vedic wisdom into powerful, convincing, practical, and easily readable directives.

The Journey Home

The Journey Home
Author: Radhanath Swami
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 492
Release: 2010-09-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1608879852

The story of one man’s journey from his youth in suburban Chicago to an adult in spiritual India and a world of mystics, yogis, and gurus. Within this extraordinary memoir, Radhanath Swami weaves a colorful tapestry of adventure, mysticism, and love. Readers follow Richard Slavin from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas as he transforms from young seeker to renowned spiritual guide. The Journey Home is an intimate account of the steps to self-awareness and also a penetrating glimpse into the heart of mystic traditions and the challenges that all souls must face on the road to inner harmony and a union with the Divine. Through near-death encounters, apprenticeships with advanced yogis, and years of travel along the pilgrim’s path, Radhanath Swami eventually reaches the inner sanctum of India’s mystic culture and finds the love he has been seeking. It is a tale told with rare candor, immersing the reader in a journey that is at once engaging, humorous, and heartwarming. Praise for The Journey Home “Here is an inspiring chapter of “our story” of spiritual pilgrimage to the East. It shows the inner journey of awakening in a fascinating and spellbinding way.” —Ram Dass, author, Be Here Now “He tells his story with remarkable honest—the temptations of the 1970s, his doubts, hopes, and disappointments, the culture shock, and the friendships found and lost . . . Add a zest of danger, suspense, and surprise, and Radhanath Swami’s story is a deep, genuine memoir that reads like a novel.” —Brigitte Sion, assistant professor of Religious Studies, New York University

The Nectar of Devotion

The Nectar of Devotion
Author: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Publisher: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
Total Pages: 521
Release:
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 917149538X

We cannot be happy without satisfying our fundamental desire to love. Discover all the intricacies of spiritual love, bhakti, in this devotional classic. This is a summary study of Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, the Vaishnava classic written by Rupa Goswami that analyzes the various stages of bhakti (devotion) as a methodical practice resulting in love of God. Rupa Goswami uses a metaphor comparing an ocean (sindhu) to a devotional relationship with God. The title of the book conveys that loving relationships are enjoyable like sweet nectar and deep like an ocean. However, devotion is truly only meant for the supreme beloved, Krishna. Srila Prabhupada has written this summary study to show the essential understanding of the practices and ideals of Krishna consciousness, and to introduce the Western world to the beauty of devotional concepts. The spiritually thirsty can develop their relationship with Krishna by drinking from the unlimited reservoir of The Nectar of Devotion. Drink deeply.

A Second Chance

A Second Chance
Author: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Publisher: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
Total Pages: 199
Release: 1991-01-01
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 9171497986

At the final hour . . . This amazing narrative is based on the story of Ajamila from the Sixth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The law of karma states that we're all responsible for our actions, and death is the crucial moment when mysterious forces acting according to this law work behind the scenes to determine our destiny. As the sinful Ajamila lay on his deathbed, he was terrified to see three fierce, humanlike creatures coming to drag him out of his dying body and take him to the lord of death for punishment. Surprisingly, Ajamila escaped this terrible fate. How? A Second Chance: The Story of a Near-Death Experience teaches vital truths about the fundamental nature of the self and reality. At a time when reincarnation is quickly gaining acceptance, not only with the growing ranks of people reporting out-of-body and near-death experiences but with the public at large, A Second Chance can show one how to use meditation and yoga techniques to overcome the obstacles of materialism, meet the challenge of death, and ultimately attain spiritual perfection.

Stotravali

Stotravali
Author: Compiled And Edited By Dr Sampadananda Mishra
Publisher:
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2006-01-01
Genre: Hindu hymns, Sanskrit
ISBN: 9788170602033

Hymns and prayers to Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Ganesha, Rama, Krishna, Lakshmi, etc., in the original Sanskrit with English transliterations and translations. As mentioned in the introduction, Several of these hymns have the 'Mantric' quality and even if we do not understand the words, the sound-rhythms themselves are capable of lifting us into another world.

Elevation to Krsna Consciousness

Elevation to Krsna Consciousness
Author: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Publisher: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
Total Pages: 77
Release: 2017-02-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9171498583

The quality of our consciousness can go up or down based on how we see the world and act in it. When we act like the eternal spiritual beings that we are – small parts of a supreme whole – makes us happy. But if we focus our attempts at happiness on the temporary body and mind – on matter – and make those our life's priority, our consciousness will shrink and we’ll be miserable. Spiritual elevation – raising our consciousness to higher levels – happens quickly when we revive our God consciousness. In this compact book, Srila Prabhupada recommends seeing the world as it is – a temporary place full of anxiety – and then taking the road to higher consciousness by rediscovering our relationship with the Supreme Person, Krishna. Anyone can become elevated; the journey begins with a single step up.