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WORLD  New Articles On GOKUL Site BY GOKUL  USA, Aug 27 (VNN) — We invite you to read four new articles by and about Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj that have just been uploaded onto the GOKUL website:Sanctifying the Heart In this excerpt from the chapter "Sanctifying the Heart" from the book "A Taste of Transcendence", Srila B.B. Tirtha Maharaja explains how the Vrajavasis entered the yajna (sacrifice) at Kuruksetra during the solar eclipse on the occasion of the original Ratha-yatra in Krsna-lila, recounting the sweet explanation found in Orissan texts. In this article, originally a lecture delivered at the Calcutta branch of Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, the day before Janmastami in the year 2000, Maharaj discusses the inner meaning of Krishna's divine pastimes during both Ratha-yatra festival and Janmastami. Vamsi das Babaji: "Weep for Krishna!": In 1859, in the Village of Majitpur in East Bengal, Vamsi das Babaji appeared in this world. This year, his disappearance tithi fell on 12 August. We devotees in the west have been fortunate enough to have the association of Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj in the summer months for the past several years, and many of us have had the special boon to spend this auspicious tithi in his presence. On this day, Maharaj relates the life and teachings of this esoteric Vaishnava saint in a moving and memorable way, emphasizing the teachings of Vamsi das that to reach the ultimate goal of life, we must, "Weep! Weep for Krishna!" One such lecture, entitled "What is Bhakti?", delivered in 1999, appears in the book "A Taste of Transcendence". An excerpt from that lecture appears here. Jagadish and Jagannatha Deva: Deep in the jungles of West Bengal, on the road from Calcutta to Mayapur, lies the tiny village of Jasra. A hidden jewel lies there, in the form of this beautiful deity of Lord Jagannath, Who originally lived in the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa. Jasra is famous for the wonderful snan-yatra festival held there every year wherein thousands of villagers flock to the temple there, now in the care of the Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math. How the Lord of the Universe came to live in this tiny, out-of-the-way place is a wonderful story, narrated by His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj in the new book, "Sri Chaitanya: His Life and Associates". In this article, Srila Tirtha Maharaj gives us a delightfully colourful account of Lord Jagannath's journey to Jasra and His pastimes in the area, including the history of the temple. Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj in San Francisco, August 2002 A full account of Srila Gurudeva's pastimes in San Francisco, August 2002 by Sriman Subal das. The author describes the variety of topics that were elucidated by Srila Tirtha Maharaj during his stay, including the purport of the life of Ajamil, the esoteric meaning of Damodar-lila, the nature of bhakti yoga, the nature of false ego, the nature of happiness and suffering in the material world, the firm grip of Maya, the personal aspect of Supreme Lord and the life and teachings Srila Vamsi das Babaji Maharaj. GOKUL International Pages Coming Soon We are currently working on translations for all GOKUL articles into any and all languages on the planet. If you are interested in assisting in translating articles (from English) for the new international pages that are being developed, kindly contact GOKUL at bhakti@gokul.org. Any correspondence regarding this newsletter or the website should be directed that same address. Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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