Walking with a Saint - 2008

The scriptures tell us of the incalculable value of even a moment's association with a true saint, and Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja is exalted even among saints. With great sincerity, his disciples and followers thus availed themselves of any opportunity to accompany him on his morning walks and attend his morning darsanas. In those informal settings, they freely asked a variety of questions, his illuminating responses revealing a mere glimpse of the devotion radiating brilliantly within his heart. Sometimes personal, sometimes disciplinary, sometimes humorous and always loving, he would impart the deepest understandings of the scriptures for the benefit of all. It was on his repeated order that these walks and darsanas be transcribed and published. In this way, he has invited you, also, to walk with him and hear the jewel-like teachings he wants to share with you.

"Anuradha dasi: Some people say that the books written by our acaryas and Gosvamis in disciplic succession are not sastras, or Vedic scriptures; they are simply literatures. Can you say something about this? They say that Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Bhakti-rasamrtasindhu is not called 'sastras' it is simply called 'literatures.'
They say that the ancient scriptures should be given preference, and if what is written by our acaryas does not coincide with what was written in the ancient sastras, we have to accept the ancient sastras.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: There is nothing wrong in this principle. If a written work is against scriptures such as Srimad-Bhagavatam, then we cannot say it is sastra; rather, it is literature. However, whatever our Gosvamis have written is scripture, not literature, because our Gosvamis have established all their writings
on the basis of the ancient Vedic scriptures.
Veda is the original book of all knowledge. However, Veda is likened to a salt ocean, in the sense that practically no one can drink that water. Srila Vyasadeva has taken the Veda, distilled it, and manifested the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
From milk we get butter and from butter we get ghee (clarified butter), which is not a separate substance from milk. In the same way, the Srimad-Bhagavatam is like the ghee taken from butter, or fresh water distilled from the salt ocean. We take the pure, filtered water; everybody can drink it and use it.
In the same way, all the books of Srila Rupa Gosvami and the other Gosvamis are the essence of the Bhagavatam. As the Bhagavatam is like ghee churned from the butter of the Vedas, the Gosvamis' writings are like ghee churned from the butter of the Bhagavatam. For example, the verse beginning with anyabhilasita-sunyam in Rupa Gosvami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu is not in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, but it supports the Bhagavatam and is therefore called sastra."

CONTENTS: Foreword, Auckland New Zealand [January 2008: darsana, morning walk, darsana after the walk, airport darsana], Lautoka Fiji [January 2008: morning walk, darsana, darsana at the home of Nitin Punja, darsana at the home of Jagadisa dasa, excerpt of a darsana at the home of Srimati Gauri mata dasi, ground breaking ceremony for the new temple, airport darsana], Murwillumbah Australia [February 2008: morning walk], Pui O Hong Kong [April 2008: darsana, darsana after the morning walk, darsana for the Philippine devotees in the late morning, morning walk, meeting with the Sri Team, airport darsana], Vancouver Canada [April 2008: evening darsana at the home of Sriman Ragbhir dasa, morning darsana at the home of Hemanta dasa Adhikari, airport darsana], Toronto Canada [April 2008: morning walk, morning walk excerpt, darsana], Alachua Florida [April 2008: darsana with Gurukula alumni, morning walk, darsana, May 2008: darsana after the walk, morning walk], Miami Florida [May 2008: morning walk, darsana after the walk, darsana], Houston Texas [May 2008: morning walk, darsana], San Francisco California [June 2008: darsana, morning walk], Badger California [June 2008: morning walk, darsana, darsana after the walk], Verbania Italy [June 2008: darsana], Istanbul Turkey [September 2008: darsana], Odessa Ukraine [September 2008: morning walk, darsana], Cebu Philippines [December 2008: darsana], Appendix, Glossary. Contacts and Centers.

TITLE: Walking with a Saint - 2008 - English
Morning Walks and Conversations with Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaj
PUBLISHER: Gaudiya Vedanta Publications
EDITION: First, 2010
ISBNs: 9781935428268 978-1-935428-26-8 1-935428-61-6 1935428616  1-935428-26-8 1935428268
PAGES: 450, Illustrated
SHIPPING WEIGHT: 750 grams