BOOKS of His Holiness Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

Dear Sky

Dear Sky

I write about a hundred and fifty letters a month to devotees and friends around the Krsna consciousness m ovement. But there are so many other things I would like to share in letters that never make it into my regular correspondence. Som e of these things appear in this book.
The letters in the book are not constrained by formality or limited to an exchange that can only take place by sticking on a postage stamp and sealing an envelope. I have written to those to whom I felt inspired to speak at the moment…

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Chotas Way

Chotas Way

At the edge of a palm tree jungle, in a large open tent, three hundred mice and a few crows sat together to honor Chota dasa on the occasion of his fourth birthday. They had erected a temporary altar with pictures of Srila Prabhupada, Lord Caitanya, Lord Nityananda, and Radha-Krsna. Chota sat to the left of this altar facing the audience, while a young field mouse stood making a speech…

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Can a White Man Be A Haribol

Can a White Man Be A Haribol

It’s important to me to both write without pretension and to discuss Krsna consciousness. Is it possible to make a pretentious presentation of Krsna consciousness? Sure, if I am trying to show off my learning (a Vallabhacarya’s pride) instead of glorifying Krsna, or if I speak of Krsna without real faith, impersonally, or from way beyond my realization…

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Breaking the Silence

Breaking the Silence

See that moon, that book by SDG? I see spots on it, like a rabbit. Yeah, but see the glow? The sincere art? The total—oh well, not total, but the attempt to report the struggle and joy of release from sin by the process of devotional service? Yes, I see it. But where is he at? Is he approved? Yes, gentle reader, I approve it. I am writing for myself—for myself and a ladybug, at which I can gently puff my breath…

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Begging for the Nectar

Begging for the Nectar

Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name is an account of a three-week period where I concentrated on improving my japa. In a sense, it can be seen as a sequel to Japa Reform Notebook written ten years later. In the earlier book, I took the stance of a teacher of japa; in this book, I feel more like a practicing student. In Begging For the Nectar of the Holy Name, I have had to confess…

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A Poor Man Reads. Vol 2

A Poor Man Reads. Vol 2

I am writing this preface especially for readers who may come to Volume Two of A Poor Man Reads the Bhagavatam without having read the introductory material in Volume One. In Volume One, I described how I was yearning for a long-term Krsna conscious writing project. Krsna sent this project to me in answer to my prayers while visiting Vrndavana in January 1996; it is His mercy and the mercy of Srila Prabhupada…

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Given Time

Given Time

November 1, 1998
Make fun of the Bhaktivedanta Vedabase from a computer- illiterate’s point of view? As if the spiritual master can be caught in a byte. No, no, you’ll just show yourself ignorant and nonspiritual.

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A Visit to Jagannath Puri

A Visit to Jagannath Puri

An overwhelming majority of people see Lord Krsna in a relative way. Even if they acknowledge that Krsna is God, they perceive that there are many versions of God from many different cultures. For most earthlings, their cultural upbringing tells them practically nothing of Sri Krsna. For a preacher raised in the West, speaking to nondevotees, it’s hard to just ignore all this and assume that you are talking to people who accept Krsna as the summum bonum…

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A Litany For The Gone

A Litany For The Gone

A Litany For The Gone is not meant to represent ob­jective history. It is not the final word or truth on what actually happened during the years I am describing. Like all people, I have a subjective viewpoint about the events in my life, and I also had limited access to the people I have described. How could I know a person’s to­tal character? All I can describe is how each of them re­lated to me…

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One Hundred Prabhupada Poems

One Hundred Prabhupada Poems

Dear Srila Prabhupada, Please accept this or it’s worse than useless. You have given me spiritual life and so my time is yours. You want me to be happy in Krsna consciousness. You want me to spread Krsna consciousness, working with my brothers in the society for Krsna consciousness. Please accept these lines made so I can recollect you, made in separation from you. from the back of a van in Europe two…

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