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WELCOME  This issue coincides with the sacred festival known as Gaura Purnima, which commemorates Lord Krishna’s advent as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Mayapur, West Bengal, in 1486 CE. The festival’s name refers to Lord Chaitanya’s golden (gaura) complexion and the fact that He appeared on a full-moon (purnima) night. This issue of BTG honors the event with two articles related to Lord Chaitanya: The Unsurpassed Excellence of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, by Satyaraja Dasa, and Nine Glories of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, by Gauranga Darshana Dasa.

One of the main purposes for Lord Chaitanya’s descent was to inaugurate the spiritual practice recommended by the Vedic scriptures for the current age – sankirtana, or the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada introduced kirtana to the West in the 1960s, and it has become a common practice for many spiritual groups. Misconceptions about what constitutes genuine kirtana abound, however. So in this issue we’re running an excerpt from the book Prema Kirtan: Journey into Sacred Sound, by Pranada Devi Dasi. The excerpt focuses on one of the many spiritual benefits of being part of the culture of kirtana as promoted by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.

Hare Krishna. – Nagaraja Dasa, Editor

Articles this month:

Entitlement: Does Anything Belong to Us?

Unless we recognize God as the ultimate owner of everything, all that we claim to be ours is stolen property ...
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The Unsurpassed Excellence of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita

“Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami has very concisely explained the essence of all the scriptures in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita.” – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta ...
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Dying in a Kirtan Culture

Because kirtana is done with others, our fellow chanters can help us immensely when we face our ultimate test. By ...
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The Size and the Age of the Universe

What the Bhagavatam has to say, and some shortcomings to science’s theories. By Nandimukhi Devi Dasi Astronomers can observe the ...
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Defending: Our Most Challenging Animal Tendency

To develop higher consciousness, devotees of Krishna try to minimize the propensities common to animals and humans. By Karuna Dharini ...
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A Summer Tradition on the Coast

Every summer, people on the Polish Baltic Sea coast encounter Krishna consciousness through joyful festivals and the chanting of the ...
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Nine Glories of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Important lessons about Lord Chaitanya from the Bhagavatam verse that immediately follows the one predicting His advent. By Gauranga Darshana ...
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Why the Gita’s First Chapter Matters

Though seemingly lacking in philosophy, Chapter 1 of the Bhagavad-gita helps clarify the book’s relevance to our lives. By Chaitanya ...
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Count Your Blessings

An effective way to curb the tendency for spiritually debilitating envy is to cultivate the quality of satisfaction. By Brajanatha ...
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Ignoring Our Real Business

Srila Prabhupada explains that our perfection lies in doing everything only for the satisfaction of Lord Krishna. By His Divine ...
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