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The Supreme Person Posted in: Articles, Blog

In its most recent survey on the subject of God, the National Centre for Social Research found that some ninety percent of us claim to be believers.  One in five even said they had no doubts about God’s existence. Such statistics are perhaps surprising, given that education today tends to steer us toward more atheistic notions such as the’ Big Bang’ and evolution. Surprising also in the face of the widely touted suggestion that religion…

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How to really be happy this Christmas Posted in: Uncategorized

When we send our children to school obviously we hope that they will be taught the truth. Well, at least some of the time. It seems that painful truths may have to wait, such as the non-existence of Santa Claus. A teacher who recently made the grave error of informing children in her class that Father Christmas was not real found herself out of a job. Parents were furious. “My son came home in tears,”…

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Winning life’s battles Posted in: Articles

The first question often asked about the Bhagavad-gita is why was it spoken on a battlefield? Despite a common view that religion is a major cause of war, the general view is that the two should remain separate. Religion or spirituality should result in peace not conflict. If one’s spiritual practises bring about the bloodthirsty desire to eliminate the followers of some other faith then they must be suspect. That would surely seem to make…

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Is this progress? (Pause for Thought) Posted in: Broadcasts

My trip to India brought a few surprises. It’s been some years since I was last there and things are changing fast. The cities are still the same bustling mess of teeming madness, much like anywhere else I suppose, but it’s in the outlying rural areas that I was most shocked. In my many visits to India I’ve always headed straight for a small village called Vrindavan, the most sacred place for Hindus where Krishna…

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The Chaste Wife Posted in: Stories

There was once a wicked man of the lower classes. He abandoned all holy rites and gave himself to sin. He had a young wife but also kept a prostitute in his house. The wife, wishing only to please him, served them both. She washed their feet and ate only the remnants of their food. Although the prostitute tried to prevent her she continued to serve that woman in every way, along with her husband. When…

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Wasting my rare human birth. Posted in: Vaishnava songs

  DURLABHA MANAVA JANMA by BHAKTIVINODA THAKUR 1. durlabha manava-janma labhiya samsare krsna na bhajinu — duhkha kahibo kahare? Born in this rare human body, I did not worship you. Now Lord I am left lamenting. Who shall I tell this to? 2. ‘samsar’ ‘samsar’, ko’re miche gelo kal labha na koilo kichu, ghatilo janjal My time passed in wordly pursuits, without the slightest gain. My one and only profit was pure anguish and pain.…

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