The author of this publication, His Holiness Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja, is often heard to say, “If we hear about temporary, material topics, then we shall think temporary, material thoughts. If, however, we hear about eternal, transcendental topics, then we shall think eternal, transcendental thoughts.” It follows, then, that if we have the desire to utilize our intelligence for its actual purpose—to transcend the fetters of mundane, material existence and its concomitant miseries and, much more importantly, to establish, through devotion, our relationship with the Lord of our heart, Śrī Kṛṣṇa—then we should hear hari-kathā, discussions of the transcendental activities of the Lord and His intimate associates, whenever and wherever possible. By lending our ears to these ever fresh and infinitely expanding relishable topics, our minds will be irresistibly drawn toward that ultimately attractive Supreme Personality, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

All the sacred scriptures tell us that association begins with hearing. Yet, in order to receive its fullest benefit, that which we hear must emanate from the lotus lips of a śuddha bhakta, a person who is transcendentally situated, possessing exclusive one-pointed devotion to the Supreme Lord. The heart of such a rare, saintly person, who bathes in the infinite ocean of kṛṣṇa-prema, is always saturated with bhakti. When one holds cold ice close to the body, he becomes cold. When one holds a hot flame close to the body, he becomes hot. When one holds the devotionally surcharged words of a śuddha bhakta close to the heart, he becomes a devotee. In other words, to attain our eternal welfare, we must associate with and hear from a pure devotee, for it is only from such a person that we can obtain devotion. His Holiness Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja is widely recognized as such a śuddha bhakta.

In recent years, Śrīla Tīrtha Mahārāja, despite his many duties as President/Ācārya of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh, has traveled extensively throughout the world, gracing all with his divine realizations and inspiring many to take up the devotional path. His dynamic speeches are notable for their degree of sincerity and depth of understanding. His personal traits of affection, humility and surrender to his most beloved Gurudeva, His Holiness Nityalīlāpraviṣṭa Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, are ever-present. It is difficult to imagine any heart that would not be moved by his warm words of wisdom. This present book is a humble attempt to present the eternal, transcendental thoughts of a śuddha bhakta in the form of a collection of English discourses delivered by Śrīla Tīrtha Mahārāja between 1997 and 2000 in the US, Europe and India. We hope that these sublime lectures will provide the readers with new perspectives on the science of bhakti, encouragement in their sādhana and, ultimately, a taste of transcendence.

The editors humbly beg the readers’ forgiveness for any errors or omissions that may have inadvertently crept into this publication.

GOKUL
Global Organization of Krishnachaitanya’s Universal Love