Books (by Author)

Civilizations have come and gone. From the Roman & Babylonian to the current modern age, civilizations have all progressed and evolved. If one asks how humans have progressed over these civilizations the answers would be largely around the feats achieved in technology and science. They may also boast the knowledge of avenues of luxuries it has brought along with it. In enjoying all these luxuries if even one human genuinely introspects how does these artificial luxuries satisfy the soul?s inherent desire for happiness and eternal life? One will come to a conclusion that it never does.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in this pocket edition of Civilization and Transcendence implores us to not to lose focus over the true hankerings and needs of the soul. He imparts his teachings with sound Vedic knowledge in a lucid language and explains how technology and science are essential but cannot be of any assistance in our true pursuit: to transcend this material world and awaken our spiritual consciousness.

Narada-bhakti-sutra is a collection of concise, poetic verses (sutras) spoken by the immortal sage Narada on bhakti, devotional service to the Supreme Being, Krishna. Narada offers practical insights on what love of God is, what it isn’t, how it can transform our life, and what helps or hinders progress on the spiritual path.

A short history of the Narada Bhakti Sutra:In 1967, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada translated and wrote purports for thirteen of the eighty-four aphorisms (Srila Prabhupada called them “codes”) of the Narada-Bhakti-Sutra.In 1989, at the annual GBC meeting, they suggested, that Satsvarupa and Gopiparanadhana Prabhu complete this Narada-bhakti-Sutra. They were happy to accept the assignment, especially because of Satsvarupa’s involvement with Srila Prabhupada’s initial writing of the Narada-bhakti-sutra. Narada-bhakti-sutra was begun by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and completed by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, one of Srila Prabhupada’s senior disciples and the author of many books on the science of bhakti.

Krishna devotees are sometimes characterized as sentimentalists—at least by those who think that anyone who’d go out dancing and chanting in public couldn’t possibly have a sophisticated philosophy. However, in Teachings of Lord Chaitanya we find that at the heart of Krishna-bhakti is a depth of philosophical and theological understanding far beyond most critics’ power of conception.

Teachings of Lord Chaitanya (subtitled, “A Treatise on Factual Spiritual Life”) was first published in 1968. It is a summary study of the Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, a multi-volume collection describing the life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who popularized harinama-sankirtana, congregational chanting of God’s names, throughout India during the fifteenth century. His movement bewildered the religious establishment, who considered His followers “emotionalists.” Mahaprabhu reminded them that sankirtana is recommended in the Vedas—the most comprehensive and time-honored spiritual writings on earth—as the primary process of God-realization for the modern era.

Teachings of Lord Chaitanya summarizes Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s conversations with influential scholars—the logician Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya and the Mayavadi sannyasi Prakashananda Sarasvati—as well as His closest followers, government leaders like Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, and Ramananda Raya. The subject of their talks is Krishna-bhakti, devotional service to Krishna, the Supreme Person.

In Teachings of Lord Chaitanya readers will find some of the most elaborate and ecstatic revelations of the science of God found in any spiritual tradition. Srila Prabhupada often referred to it as “post-graduate” theological study—with the Bhagavad-gita as the undergraduate text, and the Srimad-Bhagavatam as the graduate-level course material.