What is love? Who is a friend?

These are really some of the most essential questions in our lives I suppose, so that we can figure out where to place our love and trust, and where we can fulfill our need for love.

Growing up in the mire of material life I never really had the sensitivity or softness of heart to ask these questions. These questions are ones which a great devotee once posed.

I never felt much real love untill I met devotees. It was then that I realised that all the other types of love I thought I had in my life were really just bonds tying me to this body. I know that sounds severe, but as soon as I started making changes in my life so that I could try and become a devotee my family revolted and I suddenly had nothing in common with my 'friends'. So many people think that love is needing someone, but what living entity can truly fulfill the needs of another? When I see and read about the great love and sensitivity of the great pure devotees in our sampradaya, it is plain to see that only the Lord can make us happy, and that He is the person we desperately need. When I talk to my devotee friend and I see the great love she has for her Haladhari Hari, who are more dear to her than life, I feel inspired. When I hear of her talk of the Lord with such adoration I feel purified.

I'm just a neophyte just beginning to gaze at the wonderous ocean of prema bhakti, hankering to taste a drop. I want to dive deep into this ocean and never come back to this shady existance.

For me, my true friends were those causelessly merciful souls who nurtured my spiritual life and educated me about the Lord. Sacinandana Gaurahari is the emblem of pure love and Shri Nityananda Rama is my best friend Who gave me everything so I could try and reach the Lord and serve Them both. My spiritual life only started when I enquired about Lord Nityananda and it is His servants who are always nourishing my spiritual life. He protects and loves us so much, it is only He and His pure servants that bring us to the Lotus Feet of Gaurahari so He will mercifully glance at us and accept our service.

All Glories to Shri Nityananda Rama, the greatest and best friend to the fallen soul.

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Orignal From: What is love? Who is a friend?

You Tube Member Chants Nitai Gauranga!!

Dearest Swami Gaurangapada and Dearest Devotees, please accept my respectful obeisances, I recently made one of my videos as 'Dr Tommy Gouranga' and invited the viewers to try chanting Nityananda Gauranga every day and let me know what were their experiences, today I received an inspiring comment from one subscriber "Andrewlife" who is like most of my audience "non devotees" or "not yet devotees". It filled me with great enthusiasm to read this and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Andrew writes...
"I tried meditating on the mantra you suggested and I loved it! I found it somehow to be a very 'entertaining' mantra. It feels like Nityananda builds up energy and Gauranga releases energy. Alternating between the two is so satisfying. I found the overall effect to be very energizing and and simultaneously relaxing. I'm glad I found this mantra. Thank you".

Nitai Gauranga are so merciful!!!

Your servant

Gouranga dasa

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Orignal From: You Tube Member Chants Nitai Gauranga!!

Body Changes, Consciousness Stays The Same

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Orignal From: Body Changes, Consciousness Stays The Same

The Value of Chintamani Naam

Gauranga Krishna's holy name-full of mercy, full of compassion, full of love, full of rasa and full of prema-is the rarest treasure in the world. Without hearing from sastra and saints, however, one can never understand the power, value and benefit of Sri Gauranga Krishna's divine name, form, attributes, pastimes and holy abode (nama, rupa, guna, lila, dhama). Throughout the Vedas the transcendental glories of the holy name are recounted. The following verse from the Padma Purana compares the holy name to a cintamani gem, a divine stone that can bestow one's desired results. Such cintamani gems make up the transcendental land of Krsnaloka in the spiritual world. This verse clearly describes the transcendental identity of the holy name:

nama cintamanih krsnas, caitanya-rasa-vigrahah
purnah suddho nitya-mukto, 'bhinnatvan nama-naminoh

The holy name of Krishna is a transcendental wish-fulfilling gem (cintamani); it is the embodiment of all consciousness and sentiments; it is complete; it is pure; it is ever free because the name of Krsna and Krsna Himself are one and the same. (Padma Purana) Srila Prabhupada gives a wonderful expanded translation of this verse:

"The holy name of Krsna is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Krsna Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Krsna's name is complete, and it is the form of all the transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Krsna Himself. Since Krsna's name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with maya. Krsna's name is always liberated and spiritual. It is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Krsna and Krsna Himself are identical." (cc.Madhya 17.133p.)

The following story from Vaisnava tradition illustrates the incomparable value of Lord Gauranga Krishna's holy name. Once a disciple asked his guru for the topmost secret of bhajana. The guru replied, "The most confidential secret of bhajana is to always chant the maha-mantra:

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!"

After leaving his guru's asrama, the disciple met some poor washer-men who were chanting Hare Krsna while scrubbing clothes beside the Yamuna. He then heard some little girls chanting Hare Krsna while collecting cow dung. When the disciple hired a ricksaw, the skinny old driver chanted Hare Krsna all the way back to the asrama. Meeting his guru, the disciple expressed a doubt about the maha-mantra, "Gurudeva! What kind of secret have you given to me that is known to every dhobi, rickshaw walla and little girl in India? Is this really the most confidential secret of bhajana? Instead of a long explanation, the guru handed the disciple a precious jewel and said, "Show this jewel to the dhobi, ricksaw walla and little girls, and see if they appreciate its value." The disciple then showed the priceless jewel to the illiterate washer-men, but they could not detect the value of the jewel. They said they would gladly accept it, and use it for beating their dirty cloth. The disciple refused to give them the gem, saying, "You have to pay the proper price for it. A stone or piece of wood is sufficient for beating dirty cloth."

Upon seeing the jewel, the ricksaw walla said, "Since it is a little rough, I think it is just suitable for scrapping off the dry skin from my feet." "Are you crazy!" said the disciple as he walked on to show the village girls. Failing to recognize the true worth of the jewel, the girls said, "We could use the jewel to pack our cow dung." The disciple again met with his guru and said, "Gurudeva! Nobody wanted to pay the proper price for the jewel. Nor could anyone appreciate the great value of the gem." "Yes, in the same way," said the guru, "most people cannot appreciate the value of the holy name. For this reason, they are indifferent to the chanting of Hare Krsna. The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is an open secret that is revealed only to the qualified."

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Orignal From: The Value of Chintamani Naam