Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

I had been living for some years in a Vaisnava-ashram in Switzerland that was very high in the mountains.  This place where devotees lived and practiced together was called Ananda dham. While I was practicing there, I  met many sadhus, but none of them called my heart. For over one year I prayed: “Oh Krishna, how can I choose a Guru? Would I choose him because he looks like a father, or because he's  there in a nice community around I feel well with? I understood when I prayed that I cannot see see what is best for me, so when I prayed I asked it to be revealed to me who is the  best guru for me.  I really thought only Krishna can choose him, not me. Someone asked me to follow his Gurudev so I tried to find out if this was the right guru for me, but my heart didn’t have any reaction and I didn’t accept. I kept on praying. Suddenly I got an email from Arjuna Prabhu from Holland, who had been in the sevak team of Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Maharaj in his...

While reading Bhagavat, Srila Gurudeva always recited slokas in Sanskrit. He also advised us to sing bhajans in the language in which they were written by great Vaishnav acharyas. He said that within these sounds bhava is present— the mentality of the love of God which we get from acharyas. Any translation conveys the realization and state of mind of an interpreter. Our Gurudev said that if there will be such a poet and translator on the level of realization that is comparable to Bhaktivinoda Thakura and other great acharyas, then we'll sing the bhajans in our native language. Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur underlined that in order to understand Harikatha or shastra, it's not enough to be just having a knowledge of the language. Even without understanding the language, having the feeling in the heart in the form of bhava, inherent in the words of the saints, you can obtain the eternal spiritual benefit. The Lord is called bhava-grahi, the one who looks at o...

Many people have asked about this photograph. It was taken by Bindu Madhava das of France, Monday 16 August 1999, during the time that Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj and His entourage were in Phoenix, Arizona. A rather unusual program had been arranged for that particular evening at a place called the "Mountain Temple Center" which actually was the home of a local magician named Michael Crowley (a descendent of Alistair Crowley). Michael is a very humble and deferential person and he was extremely desirous of having Maharaj come speak at the Center. The Center sits atop a small mountain in the middle of a mountain preserve that runs right through the center of north Phoenix. Due to the small size of the house, it had been decided that the program be held outside. There, Michael had constructed a stone circle, like a miniature Stone Henge. The program was to take place inside this circle. Earlier that day, Maharaj inquired as to the nature of the program that evening...

When we were in St. Francis school, I went with Gurudev to the āśram of Tripurāri Mahārāj. Some sannyāsīs were there from Iskcon and other places. Harikathā was going on, and as soon as Gurudev reached there, he gave daṇḍavat to everyone. Once in Āgartalā, a disciple of Jayapatākā Mahārāj came. As soon as Gurudev saw him, he came down and payed daṇḍavats to him. He said, you are the disciple of my dear Godbrother, I should pay obeisances to you remembering him. It is difficult to see senior sannyāsīs bow down and give daṇḍavat to anybody but Gurudev’s humility was always beyond our imagination. —Hariprasad Das

Puru Prabhu insisted that I meet Srila Gurudev. I was reluctant because of the long lines.  He cut to the front of the line, embarrassing me greatly, as this is forbidden in the West.  I offered my obeisances and Puru introduced me.  I had a camera and I asked him if I could take a picture.  He asked me, how I could see him? The soul is 1/10,000 the tip of a hair!   I was mortified. Then a nice brahmachari reached out to me and grabbed my camera and took a shot.   —Bhutabhavana Das (Director and co-founder of the Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library)

There are many incidents where I have felt Srila Gurudev's extraordinary spiritual powers. I will narrate one incident: Once during the month of May, residents of Hyderabad were suffering from the most severely high temperature. Srila Gurudev visited Hyderabad along with the prachar party during that period. The moment he entered the vicinity of Hyderabad the hottest climate changed into the coolest. It was his glory that we all got relieved from the heat. It was a miracle. It was his blessings to the entire population of Hyderabad City. I pray to your lotus feet that forgive my offenses and shower me blessings so that I can spend my life serving Guru, Vaishnavas, and Sri Hari. —Krishnasaran Das, Hyderabad

Srila Puri Goswami Maharaj, in his letter of blessings to Srila Gurudev to go abroad, addressed him as “Pujyapad Madhav Maharajer sneh-dhanya putra” which means son of Pujyapad Madhav Maharaj endowed with his loving affection. These are words used by such an exalted Vaishnava like Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj. Srila Puri Goswami Maharaj used to invite all the devotees of our math to Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math for Prasad during Mayapur parikrama. Srila Gurudev would take devotees to that math. Before our Gurudev and devotees reached, Srila Puri Goswami Maharaj called his sevaks and instructed them: “Today, all devotees from Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math will come here for prasadam. Make nice arrangements for them. Tirtha Maharaj will come. His welcome should be very grand. All of you welcome him by performing kirtan with mrdanga and kartal.” Srila Puri Goswami Maharaj is an associate of Srila Prabhupad. What an example he has set for us to follow. When his sevaks to...