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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.

Here’s the world’s most distinguished teacher of the science of self-realization, and global ambassador of Krishna Consciousness, talking freely with journalists, scholars, disciples and guests about meditating and practicing yoga in the 1970’s and the modern age, gaining liberation from the law of karma, achieving superconsciousness, and much more. Prabhupada’s insight is guided by scholarship, and his life long devotion in spirituality, in the line of the greatest Gaudiya Vaishnavas such as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Maharaja, the spiritual master of the author, which is directly descending from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Self-realization explained.

Through the interviews, lectures, essays, and letters of this book, Srila Prabhupada exhaustively explains how to practice yoga in the modern age. Topics include karma and reincarnation, superconsciousness, how to choose a guru, Krsna and Christ, and spiritual solutions to today’s social and economic problems.

Journey of Self-Discovery is a collection of transcribed conversations and lectures by Srila Prabhupada on a variety of subjects, including the means for achieving global unity, the myth of scarcity, spiritual economics, superior evolutionary models, and predictions of the future state of the world.

Many of these pieces previously appeared in Back to Godhead magazine, and helpfully address the doubts that inevitably arise for those new to the Vedic view of reality.

While Srila Prabhupada published definitive, scholarly translations and commentaries on some of the world’s most important ancient texts—Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Chaitanya Charitamrita—his printed talks found here in Journey of Self-Discovery capture the humorous, refreshing flavor of his lively debating style.

As the ambassador to the West of the age-old Krishna bhakti cult—which teaches practical devotional service to God in His most approachable and attractive form—Srila Prabhupada speaks with an authority that is hard to resist. His arguments for intelligent design, and the existence of a supremely intelligent person possessing such intelligence, have inspired many skeptics, agnostics, and atheists to reassess their worldview.

In 1961, Srila Prabhupada was invited to make a presentation at Japan’s Congress for Cultivating the Human Spirit. He expected that such an audience would appreciate descriptions of nature and consider autumn particularly auspicious, so he chose for his subject the twentieth chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam’s Tenth Canto which describes the autumn season in Vrindavan, the place of Lord Krishna’s appearance on earth.

For his presentation, he envisioned an illustrated book, juxtaposing Bhagavatam verses with authentic Asian art, to be prominently displayed at the conference. However, Srila Prabhupada wasn’t able to attend, and the project was shelved. Then, seven years after his passing, in 1984, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust discovered the manuscript and commissioned artist Madame Li Yun Sheng to create the accompanying artwork for the book Srila Prabhupada had intended to call Light Of The Bhagavata.
The simplicity, beauty, and intricacies found in nature have captured the minds and hearts of the greatest philosophers throughout time. Even the greatest scientific minds of our time are at a loss to understand nature’s great mysteries. Light of the Bhagavata presents a clear and tangible illustration of the purpose and significance of nature and its origin.

Light of the Bhagavata captures the philosophy of India in a beautiful Chinese art and cultural presentation.

In 1961, Srila Prabhupada was invited to make a presentation at Japan’s Congress for Cultivating the Human Spirit. He expected that such an audience would appreciate descriptions of nature and consider autumn particularly auspicious, so he chose for his subject the twentieth chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavatam’s Tenth Canto which describes the autumn season in Vrindavan, the place of Lord Krishna’s appearance on earth.

For his presentation, he envisioned an illustrated book, juxtaposing Bhagavatam verses with authentic Asian art, to be prominently displayed at the conference. However, Srila Prabhupada wasn’t able to attend, and the project was shelved. Then, seven years after his passing, in 1984, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust discovered the manuscript and commissioned artist Madame Li Yun Sheng to create the accompanying artwork for the book Srila Prabhupada had intended to call Light Of The Bhagavata.
The simplicity, beauty, and intricacies found in nature have captured the minds and hearts of the greatest philosophers throughout time. Even the greatest scientific minds of our time are at a loss to understand nature’s great mysteries. Light of the Bhagavata presents a clear and tangible illustration of the purpose and significance of nature and its origin.

Light of the Bhagavata captures the philosophy of India in a beautiful Chinese art and cultural presentation.