Perspectives (Inspiring Essays on Life)

Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha: Goswami Maharaja was born in 1924 in Assam, India. After completing his Master in philosophy at Calcutta University in 1947, he came in contact with his spiritual master, Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaja.

He was then initiated into the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of bhakti-yoga propagated by Sri Chaitanya, the 15th century master of devotional ecstasy.

Since then he has been a full-time monk. After the disappearance of his spiritual master in 1979, he was appointed as the President-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Matha, which has over twenty ashrams in India alone.

Since 1997, Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja has been travelling the globe several months a year enlivening all those who come in contact with his sweet personality and message of divine love.

"Narration of the glory of Hari is actual rest (Harikatha-Kirtan certainly bestows actual rest). [Rest-tranquility]. By only Harikatha all diligence and troubles will be eradicated. Any other attempt other than Harikatha even for a moment is aversion to Sri Krishna (God). Great elevated devotees and their devoted followers always narrate the glory of Hari completely -His Name, Form, Attributes, Realm and Pastimes. They have no aptitude to do anything else. Doing Hari Kirtan under all circumstances with body, mind and words certainly indicates the quality of attaining salvation even living here in the body.

To get deliverance from worldly entanglement and the threefold afflictions, there is no other way, no other way, no other way except hari-katha. Those who do not engage in hari-kirtan will be utterly ruined. Hari-katha and hari-kirtan are our only resorts. Those who have an intense eagerness to engage in them are our best friends."

In the above saying, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad, gives emphasis on the pertinence of hearing of Hari-Katha-Kirtan.

The present book is a collection of discourses (Hari Katha) delivered by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, who is the eleventh Acharya in the preceptorial line from Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the dearmost disciple of Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Om Vishnupada 108 Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj, the founder of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math.

We would like to sincerely thank all those who have helped us, in bringing this book and other such books and magazines of the Math, into print, be it, by their financial contributions or volunteer services. May the All-Merciful Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga and Sri Sri Radha-Krishna shower Their blessings on them. We humbly pray to the readers of this work to kindly forgive any errors or omissions that may have inadvertently crept into this publication, although suggestions for improvement are always welcome.

Praying for the dust of the pure devotees's Lotus Feet,

I remain the servant of the servant of the Vaishnavas,

Life is a challenge! Sustaining relationships, developing careers, maintaining health and experiencing internal tranquility have become increasingly difficult. Deadlines, commitments and obligations have burgeoned whereas the day has remained only twenty-four hours long! The dissemination of information by the media has brought forth knowledge of the whole universe to our doorsteps. The internet has made information available at the click of a button and communication occurs' at the speed of light'.

In olden times, things weren't so pressing. There were only two times on the minds of people. One was 'morning' when the sun rose and the second 'evening' when it set! Today, time has been divided and dissected not only into seconds but micro, nano and picoseconds! Machines scream out incessantly for more and more commands, responding so quickly they compel the user to respond equally rapidly. Contemporary man is unable to keep social, physical or psychological pace with the very machines he has created. Consequently, he has become the tool of his own tools. His existence has become as mechanical and mindless as the instruments he operates.

Today, the young and old, male and female alike, crave guidance, wisdom and insight. They thirst to know answers to questions like "Why do bad things happen to good people?" "Can I change my fate?" "My parents and I suffer a generation gap - what are the solutions?" "How can I improve my self-esteem and confidence?" "How can I improve my memory and concentration?" "How can I manage exam stress?" "Why am I so fearful of crowds or new company?" "How can I take charge of my life?" "How can I become more popular and make more friends?" know I have a soul, but what is the proof?" "How can I achieve my childhood dreams?" "When will I experience peace?"

Perspectives is a compilation of 67 short articles on a broad range of subjects pertaining to both the smaller but niggling problems of life to the larger, more profound questions of our existence. The articles are unique in that they are crisp and discuss core issues at the personal, practical level. Each is supported by logic, science, history and inspiring stories and anecdotes. They provide a new perspective to life. The articles also give solid, effective and easy-to-remember guidance. More than forty illustrations lucidly depict the very essence of the articles. They perform the role of a complete food and can be intuited and implemented by any genuinely aspiring human being. The examples given are of real people from all nations, eras and faiths.