Krishna - the Supreme Personality of Godhead  (Source – www.gaudiya.com) THREE ASPECTS OF DIVINITY: Learned men understand the Divine to manifest in three aspects, which are known as His all-pervading formless aspect, His aspect as the Lord of the heart, and his aspect as the Supreme Person. (1) Brahman (the All-pervading Spirit): The non-differentiated aspect of … Continue reading Krishna – the Supreme Personality of Godhead

Who is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? The identity of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya - Caitanya Bhāgavata Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than the combined form of Śrīmatī Rādhīkā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.   kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ - SB 11.5.32 In the age of Kali, Kṛṣṇa appears with a golden … Continue reading Who is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

Relationship, the path of perfection, the ultimate goal:  sambandha - abhidheya prayojana SAMBANDHA – RELATIONSHIP There are two fundamental factors in existence: (1) The living entities, who have an eternal relationship with (2) the Supreme Person: (1) The living entities The living entity, an eternal spiritual being, is encaged within a world of matter since … Continue reading Relationship, the path of perfection, the ultimate goal: Sambandha – abhidheya – prayojana

The glories of sadhu-sanga Who is a sadhu (a saintly, pure devotee)? sādhanoti sādhayati ca kṛṣṇa-prema iti sādhu One who knows the sādhyā (goal) and sādhana (process) and therefore can guide others in performing sādhana to attain the sādhyā of kṛṣṇa-prema, is a sādhu. What is saṅga (association with a sādhu)? samyak rūpeṇa anugamanam To … Continue reading The glories of sadhu-sanga: Association with like-minded souls

Diksha-initiation: The definition of diksha: divyaṁ jñānaṁ hy atra mantre bhagavat-svarūpa-jñānam, tena bhagavatā sambandha-viśeṣa-jñānañ ca - Bhakti-sandarbha, Anuccheda 283 Divya-jñāna is transcendental knowledge contained within a mantra which reveals the form and identity of the Supreme Lord (bhagavat-svarūpa) as well as knowledge of the sādhaka-jīva’s particular relationship with the Lord. In his Bhakti-Sandarbha (283) Srimat … Continue reading Diksha-initiation

The soul´s progress on the path of bhakti Sraddha: Shraddha, or faith, ist the first step of the aspirant of bhakti on his or her journey. Shraddha means to have firm faith in the revealed scriptures, which deal with the subject of bhakti. Shraddha also means the joyful endeavour to very carefully and attentively follow … Continue reading The soul´s progress on the path of bhakti

Bhakti  (Divine love-in-action) What is bhakti? Pure bhakti to Krishna: anyabhilasita - sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam anukulyena krsnanu silanam bhaktir uttama „The cultivation of activities that are meant exclusively for the pleasure of Sri Krsna, or in other words the uninterrupted flow of service to Sri Krsna, performed through all endeavours of the body, mind and speech, … Continue reading Bhakti (divine love-in-action)

The living entity (the soul) Two kinds of living souls - liberated and conditioned: The number of jivas is unlimited. They are divided into two classes. One class is favorable to the Lord from a time without beginning. The other class is averse to the Lord from a time without beginning. The first class is favorable … Continue reading The living entity (the soul)

Here you can find an overview of the most important topics of the philosophy of bhakti. The living entity (the soul) The spiritual master  Diksha-initiation Relationship, the path of perfection, the ultimate goal: Sambandha - abhidheya - prayojana The glories of sadhu-sanga Bhakti (divine love-in-action) The soul´s progress on the path of bhakti Who is … Continue reading Essential topics of bhakti-philosophy